Blogging vs vlogging, what do they mean, how do they compare and which one should you be focusing on to reach your audience? In this article, we’ll explore the difference between blogging and vlogging and take a look at which one could be more lucrative for you.
Blogging vs vlogging: Origins
Before we delve into the difference between blogging and vlogging, it’s important to first understand that the words come from blog and vlog. So let’s take a look at what a blog and a vlog are.
What is a blog?
The word “blog” is short for a “weblog,” which is a website that contains a log or diary of information. In this sense, blogs started as a type of online writing that usually took the form of a personal journal or diary. There are often referred to as personal blogs.
On a blog each piece of written content is published as a blog post, which is effectively a new page on the blog/website. Blogs are typically updated regularly with new blog posts, where bloggers write about their experiences, thoughts, and opinions on a given topic. They can be created using blogging platforms like WordPress, Blogger, and Squarespace.
Today, blogs are created by organizations as well as individuals, and you are just as likely to read a business blog as you are a personal blog. They can cover a wide range of topics such as personal experiences, news, politics, technology, fashion, food, travel, and more.
Blogs are a great way to grow an audience and can also form a good source of revenue, so it’s no surprise that most online businesses now have a blog. Many large companies regularly share articles and posts with their followers via a blog on their websites.
Is there a difference between a blog and a website?
While blogs are updated regularly with new content and display blog posts in reverse chronological order, a website is static with content organized in pages and less frequently updated. Blogs can also form part of a larger website. A website cannot form part of a blog.
What is a vlog?
A vlog, short for “video blog,” is a type of blog that uses video as its medium of expression. It primarily relies on video content rather than written text, although some blogs may include both. At its core, a vlog can be defined as a video that someone posts on the internet in which they record their thoughts, experiences, or opinions about a specific subject. In a vlog, the content creator typically records themselves or records a place/event and provides a voiceover.
Like blogs, vlogs can be created by individuals or organizations. They can cover a wide range of topics such as personal experiences, travel, food, beauty, gaming, education, and more. Vlogs can be shared on platforms such as YouTube and TikTok where content creators regularly upload new videos. However, this doesn’t make a YouTube channel a vlog. A vlog is a video that someone uploads to their channel or another platform.
Blogging vs vlogging: Definitions
Blogging and vlogging are both popular ways to share information and experiences with an online audience. While blogging primarily relies upon the written word to convey a message, vlogging uses video to reach an audience and build a following.
What is blogging?
Blogging is the activity of writing blogs. This can come in the form of writing blog posts, or updating and adding new material to existing blogs. Blogging has been around for well over two decades and is a popular way for people to share their stories and connect with others online. It originated as a type of online writing that typically took the form of a personal journal or diary. However, over the years, the definition of what constitutes a blog and blogging has evolved.
A major change occurred in 2003 with the advent of WordPress. WordPress is a well-known content management system where you can create and post blogs. You don’t need to be technical to operate it and it really brought blogging to the mainstream. As more and more people started to use the internet, millions got into blogging to share their stories and views in the written form. Over time, this grew into something much bigger and blogging became a way for both people and organizations to share their experiences, thoughts, opinions, and reviews.
Blogging can now cover almost any topic you can think of and is done by businesses as well as individuals. It has become a great medium for sharing information, and blogs are now equally likely to be formed of informational pieces and product reviews as they are with personal content. This has turned blogging into big business, and blogs can be very profitable tools for individuals and companies around the world.
Today, it is estimated there are currently 600 million blogs out of 1.9 billion websites worldwide.
What is vlogging?
Vlogging is short for “video blogging”, and is the act of posting vlogs. It is a newer form of content creation that involves creating and sharing video content online. Like blogs, vlogs can cover pretty much any topic you can think of. However, the output is purely in video format, sometimes with text subtitles.
Vlogging has been around since the early 2000s and started to become more mainstream in 2005 with the launch of YouTube. It has become increasingly popular in recent years, particularly among younger audiences. This has created new opportunities for content creators to connect with audiences and build a following online.
In the past vloggers would use video cameras to record their content. Now, with the advancement of smartphones, almost anyone can film themselves talking about their experiences, thoughts, and opinions at any time. In this sense, vlogging is often seen as a more personal and interactive form of online content, as viewers can see and hear the vlogger. Vlogging is therefore great for building a following and has expanded to live videos on streaming platforms such as Twitch and Facebook Live.
How popular is vlogging?
Some of the most popular vloggers count subscribers in the millions on their YouTube channel, with Mr Beast currently leading the way among YouTube creators with well over 100 million subscribers. This may seem like a lot, but it isn’t exactly a surprise given that young people are more likely to watch a YouTube video or something on TikTok rather than turn on the TV.
The popularity of vlogging can be attributed to the fact that the content is relatively easy to create, and people love watching videos. Vlogs are easy to view on the go and videos can be a lot more engaging than written content. Live streaming even lets your audience interact with you in real time.
What’s the difference between blogging and vlogging?
While blogging and vlogging can cover the same content there are a variety of differences between them:
| Blogging | Vlogging | |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Writing articles and posts on a website or platform. | Creating videos and publishing them on a video platform. |
| Format | Written text, images, and sometimes video. | Primarily video format with some text or voiceover. |
| Communication | One-way communication between the blogger and readers. | Two-way communication between the vlogger and audience. |
| Engagement | Comments, likes, and shares. | Comments, likes, and shares. |
| Equipment | Computer and a blogging platform or website. | Camera, microphone, and a video editing software. Or just a smartphone! |
| Skills | Writing skills and some basic web design knowledge. | Videography, speaking skills, and video editing skills. |
| Income | Ads, sponsored content, affiliate marketing. | Ads, sponsored content, affiliate marketing. |
| Popularity | Popular but declining in popularity slightly. | Increasingly popular due to the rise of video platforms. |
| Examples | WordPress, Blogger, Medium, Tumblr. Or a website. | YouTube, TikTok, Vimeo, Instagram, Snapchat. |
The key takeaway here is that blogging involves producing written articles, while vlogging involves producing videos. Vlogging is great for engaging an audience and building a following. Blogging is ideal for putting your ideas out there and becoming a reference point on a specific topic.
Blogging is also a great way for both individuals and businesses to generate leads and get eyes on your content. If you blog with search engine optimization (SEO) in mind you can generate traffic from Google, which in turn leads to opportunities for monetization.
To blog or to vlog?
Blog vs vlog, which should you start? The question of whether you should start a blog or a vlog comes down to two things. One is the type of content that you want to produce, the other is what audience you want to attract.
If you want to generate entertaining, engaging content that can be easily consumed, a vlog is a great option. If you want to act as a reference point or authority on a particular topic, a blog may be more suitable. However, you can achieve both of these objectives with a blog or a vlog, so why not do both!?
Let’s take a look at some examples.
For teachers
For teachers, blogging might be the better option. Blogging allows you to write detailed, in-depth articles on a variety of topics that can always be referred back to. You can easily include links, images, and other multimedia in blog posts, which can help make them a great reference point for students and other teachers.
Blogs can be especially useful for sharing lesson plans, educational resources, and teaching tips. They also happen to be a great place to host online courses. This is ideal for education.
We’ve got you covered if you want to learn how to start a teacher blog.
On the other hand, vlogging can be a highly effective way for teachers to connect with their students. Vlogging allows teachers to create more personalized content and represents a fun and engaging way to share information with students. The most successful teachers on YouTube have millions of subscribers, so it obviously works for them!
For travelers
For travelers, it could be argued that vlogging is the better option. Vlogging allows travelers to easily include footage of their travels, which can help to give their audience a better sense of what it’s like to be in a particular place. With vlogging, your audience can see and hear you and your surroundings in real-time, which can help create a more immersive and engaging experience. This allows you to share your traveling experiences in a more personal and interactive way.
You only have to look at travel vloggers such as Drew Binsky to see how much success this approach can have. Just keep in mind that he’ll be making use of video editing software to produce videos of such high quality. So, if you want to emulate his success this is something you may want to look into!
Meanwhile, if you want to share detailed information about your trips, the good thing about blogging is that it allows you to write in-depth articles about the places you’ve visited. Writing blogs gives you the opportunity to include your pictures and reviews. This can be especially useful for other travelers who are planning a trip to the same destination. Blogging also allows you to easily include images, maps, and links to other relevant information in posts, which can help to make the content more informative.
Therefore, if you want to turn your traveling into a business, a combination of blogging and vlogging is a good way to go.
Blogging vs vlogging: Which should you choose?
Now that you’ve got a clearer idea about the key differences between a blog and a vlog, it’s worth thinking about your personality and business goals to decide whether to start blogging or vlogging. Here are some things to consider when it comes down to blog vs vlog:
- What are your business goals?
- Do you want to provide an informative resource or entertain your audience?
- Do you want to build a brand around you or a business?
- Do you feel comfortable being in front of the camera?
- Are you ready to be the star of your vlog?
- What do you feel more passionate about doing?
- How much time do you have to dedicate to blogging or vlogging?
- Do you want to outsource content creation?
Answering these questions will help you identify the best path for you. As a general rule of thumb, vlogging tends to be faster growing while a blog will grow over time.
Many bloggers actually blog and vlog at the same time, because it allows them to include their videos in their blog posts. Using visual content alongside written words is an excellent way to convey and share information in a blog, because it often results in better explanations and longer dwell time on the page. This makes a major difference in the eyes of Google and can go a long way towards creating a successful blog.
How to get started
Whether you decide to blog or vlog, the good news is that when it comes to getting started, both blogging and vlogging have a relatively low barrier to entry.
Start a blog
Starting a blog is relatively simple and inexpensive. The most important thing is to have a clear idea of what you want to write about. For example, if you have a particular target audience in mind your best bet would be to create a niche blog around a certain topic. Alternatively, and if you want to keep your options open, you can create a more general blog around popular topics.
You’ll also need to choose a blogging platform and web hosting. We’d recommend using WordPress and hosting on Bluehost if you’re just starting out. You can learn more here.
Once you’ve got everything set up you can write your first blog post and begin your blogging journey. You can share and promote your content on social media platforms such as Facebook to get your first readers. It’s worth learning a bit about SEO (search engine optimization) as well, as this will help you rank your content on Google and the other search engines. There are a number of SEO tools that can assist with this.
Start vlogging
Vlogging is relatively simple to get started, all you need is a camera or smartphone and a computer. It’s also important to have a clear idea of what you want to vlog about and to choose a platform to host your videos. The most popular platforms for vlogging are YouTube and TikTok. However, you can also vlog on Facebook and Instagram, especially with the increasing popularity of reels.
If you want to make a go of vlogging, and you’re looking to boost your Instagram presence, consider using an Instagram growth service to enhance your reach and engagement.
To grow a YouTube channel or TikTok account you’ll need to create content that is engaging. This often means creating high quality YouTube videos or something that could go viral on TikTok. Creating vlogs is made easier with the use of an online video editor.
How much money can you make blogging vs vlogging?
Both blogging and vlogging can be monetized and offer plenty of opportunities for online marketing, but the methods and potential earnings can differ.
Make money blogging
Blogging has been around for a while, and as such, there are many established ways to make money from it. Some popular methods include:
- Affiliate marketing which involves promoting a product or service and earning a commission for any sales made through your unique affiliate link.
- Sponsored posts where a brand pays you to write about their product or service on your blog.
- Advertising which can be done by displaying ads on your website through Google AdSense or another similar advertising program.
Bloggers can also make money through sponsored collaborations, digital products such as e-books and courses, and even events and speaking engagements.
Make money vlogging
Vlogging is a newer form of online content creation, and the ways to monetize it are still evolving. Sponsored content, affiliate marketing, and advertising form the three key pillars currently. YouTube’s monetization program is often a key part of this. This allows creators to earn money through ads, sponsorships, and YouTube Premium.
Vloggers can also make money through brand deals, merchandise sales, and events.
Blog and vlog to earn money?
To give you an idea of numbers you can earn well over six figures either blogging or vlogging. However, it does take time, dedication, and hard work to build up an audience and following.
Both are capable of generating passive income, as once you’ve produced the content and it’s getting views you’re on your way to earning money! However, if you set a blog up as a brand online it can become an asset which you can sell more easily later on. It’s a bit more difficult to do this with vlogging if you are the star of the vlog.
Having said that, there are a whole host of vlogs that focus on providing informational content. In this case it can be easier to remove yourself from the vlog because people are watching to be informed rather than entertained.
If you really want some inspiration you can check out the income of top bloggers and the richest YouTubers. In the battle of blogging vs vlogging, vlogging comes out on top here, as the top vloggers tend to make the most money. However, you can still make a great living from blogging.
To see what’s possible blogging to smaller audiences this lifestyle blog income report provides a good overview.
Conclusion: Blogging or vlogging?
Both blogging and vlogging have their own unique benefits and drawbacks. Blogging can be the better option for sharing detailed information. Whereas vlogging is a great way to engage with an audience.
Ultimately, the choice between blogging and vlogging should depend on your personal preferences and the type of content you want to create.
James has been helping people teach English abroad for over twelve years. He’s traveled to over 30 countries, lived in 3, and taught English in Chile and online.
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