Ok, so you’ve heard about content marketing for business, and now you’re ready to hit the ground running on it. That’s pretty fantastic. According to Smallbiztrends, more than 53% of businesses every year use content marketing to announce their brands and attract new customers. So if you’re thinking about using the same strategy for your startup, you’re not really out of place.
However, have you decided on the form of content marketing you want to use? Typically, there are two basic forms of content marketing, which are “textual content marketing: blogging,” and “visual content marketing: Vlogging.”
Unfortunately, not many business owners know when to use either of them. Sometimes, businesses that need Vlogging end up producing blog content while those in need of blogging end up creating YouTube accounts.
So if you’re also confused about which is right for your startup, I guess you can take solace from knowing that many startups like you find it difficult deciding which is right for them.
In this guide, however, we will help clarify things.
What is your startup about?
For a startup, choosing between YouTube videos and blog content goes down to understanding what your startup is actually about. Is your brand a product-based business? If so, do you need to show people how to use or why they need to use your products to convince them to make a purchase? If so, then you have all the reasons in the world to create a YouTube channel.
Although that’s just a hypothetical scenario, it still explains the significance of Vlogging to any business. Generally speaking, YouTube channels work for brands that have something to show. That is, the “seeing is believing” kind of business.
If your business, however, deals in products or services that don’t require that people see them first to believe what you’re saying, or involves a complex concept that’s best explained via words, then blogging can be a good option. A good example of this kind of business is a “staffing agency.” Your target audience doesn’t really need to see the videos or pictures of the guys they want to hire, but they can really use some tips and guides on how to hire people.
What skills have you got, or how much have you got to spend?
For blogging, you’ll need to sharpen your writing and grammar skills. Also, since you’re writing to market your startup, you will need to learn all about content marketing and how to write persuasive and convincing texts.
Not to forget SEO, too. Blogging often requires a good SEO effort to reach your goal. If you cannot do all these yourself, then you might have to shell out a huge amount of money to hire a content marketer and an SEO company.
With Vlogging, however, you’ll need to brush up on your oratory skills, ability in front of the camera, and of course, SEO.
But trust me; the “ability in front of the camera” part is going to be your biggest challenge with Vlogging because things can really get nervy quickly. As for the SEO part, you can easily boost your rankings and not spend as much on SEO as you would have in blogging if you buy YouTube likes.
What does your audience want?
At the end of the day, both blogging and Vlogging are aimed to satisfy the desires of consumers. If you’re creating something that your target audience doesn’t really fancy, what’s the point? As such, you need to find out what your target audience really likes to consume. Do they prefer to get the answers to their pain points via blog posts, or they enjoy sitting through videos?
Sometimes, the type of solution your startup proffers can give you an inkling of what your audience is likely to like. For example, a catering startup that’s looking to teach her audience about a certain cuisine is better off sharing a video of the process rather than writing a blog post about it. Because the audience for such a business will expect a step-by-step video where they’re shown how to achieve the cuisine rather than a blog post chock-full of recipes and procedures.
How much does it cost?
Depending on whether you’ve got the required skills, blogging can be cheaper to run than Vlogging. In Vlogging, you’ll most likely need to invest in some tools and kits like microphones, camera, and even a studio set. Whereas, all you need to run a blog are internet access, a website, and your blogging skills.
I think it’s also becoming harder to make money on YouTube than it is from blogging, especially due to the recent changes that have been made.
There are various different ways to make money through blogging, and obviously, the more revenue streams you use, the more you’re setting yourself up for success. But you don’t necessarily get that with YouTube.
What if you can do both?
If you have the time and the resources, then you can combine the best of both worlds. Naturally, you’ll benefit more from doing that than you will if you choose one and forego the other.
But, of course, you need to evaluate the position of your startup on a financial and stability front to determine whether you can handle the task of running a Vlog and a blog.
In any case, regardless of what you choose, you can always expect a good ROI on any money or effort you put into Vlogging and/or blogging.
Video – What is a startup?
Interesting related article: “Video marketing – why do you need to use it?”