From watchers of ‘The Simpsons’ running fan sites from their bedrooms to the largest multinational companies in the world, it seems that everyone has a blog. But according to some commentators, the era of the blog is coming to an end, and today we should all be vlogging instead. As is so often the case, the truth is not quite so clear cut, and there is plenty of room for both in the modern world.
Here, we take a look at the pros and cons of blogging and vlogging.
Blogging
Anybody can set up a new blog. Platforms such as WordPress, Tumblr and the like mean you can be set up and ready to blog in a matter of a few minutes, even if you are completely new to it. All you need is the ability to string coherent sentences together and, of course, to have something interesting to say.
On the downside, blogs are ubiquitous. As mentioned earlier, just about everyone has one – take a look at five random websites, and chances are four of them will have their own blog. This means that getting your voice heard among all that noise is increasingly challenging – even if you are a great writer who creates the most interesting and incisive content around, you will need to have good SEO skills too if you want to reach a wide readership.
Vlogging
‘Lord of the Rings’, ‘Pride and Prejudice’, even ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ – everyone loves to watch the movie, while fewer people read the book, so, there is no denying that a vlog is likely to be more attention-grabbing and attracts more likes, shares and retweets on your social media channels.
In some ways, vlogging is even easier than blogging, as you don’t need great writing skills, and can communicate in a more informal, conversational way. It does, however, mean you need to be a confident speaker and it demands a little more technical investment, in terms of a decent quality camera and so on.
Editing and revising a vlog can also be more time consuming and complicated, compared with the ease with which you can simply revise and update a blog.
Horses for courses
In the final analysis, there will always be a place for both vlogs and blogs. Deciding which one is best for you is really contingent on your personal needs, preferences and skills.
Author: Cindy Cummings is a professional freelance writer who specializes in technology after a long career with several large tech brands. She has embraced the freelance life and now balances her work with her hobbies which include hiking, cycling and traveling as much as possible
Image Credit- Jakob Owens
