If you would like to start your web presence, but you are not sure what type of website to create, one of the options is to share your opinion or personal/work experience online. Expressing yourself, sharing feelings and ideas, or discussing various topics will allow you to create content to launch a website. There are two options to share such content – a blog or a vlog. You have surely heard of both terms, although “blog” is probably more popular.

Let’s have a look at each option. We will explore the pros and cons of each one, and we will compare them, so you can decide which one will be more suitable for you.

• What is a blog?
• Pros
• Cons
• What is a vlog?
• Pros
• Cons
• Blog vs. Vlog – which one to choose?
• Wrap-Up

What is a blog?

A blog is a type of website, which is updated regularly with articles on various topics. The term is short for “web log”, although the latter probably doesn’t sound familiar to most people. There are personal and business blogs. As the name suggests, the former are created by individuals who would like to share their personal insight on a given topic, while the latter are managed by companies and often include company or industry-related topics. New entries are called blog posts. They can include text, images, graphs and any other type of content that will help readers to comprehend the written content better.

Pros

• Very easy to start. You can start a blog literally with just a few clicks. Blogging is popular because anybody can do it. There are dedicated blog platforms out there, but you can also start a blog with any web hosting provider. All you need is a hosting account, a domain name and a blog application. WordPress is the leading blog application on the market – more than 43% of ALL websites on the web run on it (WordPress Statistics: How Many Websites Use WordPress?).

• In-depth exploration. A blog allows you to explore various topics in-depth. You can publish short articles on a given topic regularly, or one longer article on the subject. You can also edit articles if needed – add or remove information, post updates, add images afterwards, etc. This is something you cannot do with a video. If you want to explore a topic even further, you can add links and quotations throughout the text, or even whole excerpts from other sources.

• SEO. Search engines still index text content much better than any other type of content. If you use the right keywords and your content is considered accurate and useful, it will appear in search engine results often. You can easily drive a lot of organic traffic to your blog. You can also edit texts to make sure they perform well in terms of SEO after search engine algorithm updates.

• Control over your content. If you use a blog platform installed on your own hosting account, you own the content you publish, and you have full control over it. You have full access to the files and the platform settings as well. In contrast, if you use a video publishing platform, you have to abide by lots of rules, and you have to grant the platform a non-exclusive right to use, distribute or reproduce your content.

• Self-improvement. The more you write, the more you will develop your skills. You will become better at researching and synthesizing content. You will improve your grammar and vocabulary, and you will start communicating better with people. With time, you will spot typos faster. Writing is an essential skill. Well-written articles can make a difference if visitors have to choose between your blog and the blogs of your competitors in that niche.

Cons

• Time consuming. Writing quality blog posts takes time. Usually you should write a draft, then edit it, if necessary, proofread it, add images or other media, etc. Of course, you don’t have to do that, but if you want to offer quality content to your readers, you have to spend enough time to make sure your articles are good. You will also have to spend time on research, travelling, interviews, cooking, reading books, or some other activity that you have decided to write about. For some bloggers, writing articles regularly takes as much time as a full-time job.

• Too many competitors. There are lots of blogs out there, and thousands of new ones are being created every day. If you want your blog to become successful, you will have to find a niche with less competitors, to write good content or to plan a good marketing strategy. Of course, you can do some research and use some of the good practices that already established blogs use. Sometimes you just need some luck as well.

• Takes long to see results. If you are into writing, you can probably create a decent number of good articles in a short period of time. Nonetheless, you will not get many readers at first. It will take time before your site starts appearing in search engine results. It may take even longer for people to find out about it and start visiting it regularly, or to add links to it on other websites. If you are patient enough, though, you will see the blog gaining speed and attracting more and more organic traffic.

What is a vlog?

Vlog stands for video log. This is a video journal where people share content they have filmed. This content could be thoughts and opinions, but also edited or unedited footage from trips, cooking lessons, reactions to other videos, etc. There is no limit to the topics a vlog can cover. Content can be uploaded to a self-hosted platform i.e. the vlog can resemble a standard website, or it can be uploaded to a video-sharing or dedicated vlog-oriented platform.

Pros

• Easy to watch/listen to. People can watch or listen to a vlog while they jog, drive or do house chores. Even if they don’t pay much attention to the screen, they will still hear your voice. It is more likely for users to watch or listen to a video than to read a longer article, especially if they don’t have much free time. They can also easily jump to specific moments they want to hear, which cannot be done as easily with written content.

• Easy to understand. Visual content is processed faster by the brain, so it is easier for users to perceive information. A vlog will allow you to express your ideas better as people will hear your tone and see your facial expressions. This way, you can connect with your viewers faster and easier.

• Improves your skills. Managing a vlog can improve a different set of skills compared to writing a blog. You will still have to do some research about topics you will discuss, so you will become better at finding the right content. What will improve the most, though, will be your communication skills. You will become more confident talking in front of a camera. You will become better at expressing yourself. If you manage your vlog alone, you will also become much better at shooting and editing videos.

• It is fun. Sharing ideas in front of a camera, responding to comments, shooting videos – if these are things you like, managing a vlog will be fun. Whether you will create a vlog as a hobby, or you will try to develop it enough to make a living, you will enjoy every moment you spend creating and publishing your own content. If your vlog becomes popular, you will also have a loyal community of fans that you can talk to in your videos for an even better experience for both sides.

• Generates income. Video platforms allow you to monetize original content. They often display ads before, within or on top of the videos that users play, and then share the profit with creators. The more visitors and/or subscribers you have, the more money you can earn. If your videos are popular, you can keep earning from them even if you don’t create new ones regularly.

• Keeps visitors engaged. People like watching videos. You can keep them engaged longer as they will want to see or hear what you have to show or share on a given topic. The interactive experience will be more appealing to them. They will be more likely to spend time watching than reading (this is not valid for everybody, though). Of course, you should offer quality video content for that. Low-quality videos will most certainly discourage many people from watching.

Cons

• Time consuming. It takes time to create a good video. Unless you want to upload raw videos with no editing, you will have to shoot, cut, add effects/subtitles, and edit every video you want to add to your vlog. You will also have to think of a good title, add meta tags, read comments to your previous videos if you plan to reply to them in your next video, etc. Even if you have a streaming vlog and you don’t have to edit videos, you have to spend some time preparing for each stream.

• It can be costly. There are certain expenses that you have to make if you want to have a good vlog. Some of them could be one-time purchases, but others will be regular expenses. You will need certain equipment to start shooting. Professional cameras, lights, tripods, teleprompters, desks and chairs cost money. Depending on what your vlog is about, you may also have regular expenses for travelling, event tickets, crafting materials, food, different products to review, etc. Some of these things can be quite expensive. If you need help with creating high quality videos, planning or publishing, you may also have to hire a team to help you.

• Platform-dependent (usually). If you want to create a vlog, you have to use a video-sharing platform such as YouTube, Tik-Tok, Vimeo, Dailymotion, etc. Such platforms can provide the necessary system resources and infrastructure for your videos to be available all around the globe regardless of the Internet speed, browser or device of the visitors. Using them means that you have to agree to their Terms of service regarding fair usage, copyright, liability, etc. While you can upload videos to a shared hosting account or a dedicated server as well, you can never match the performance, speed and load handling that a video sharing platform can provide, especially for a higher number of viewers.

• Requires certain equipment. Good videos require good equipment. We mentioned above that some things are expensive, but it’s not only about the money. Lightning, microphones, headphones, cameras, or a studio – you will often need professional-level equipment. While you can shoot videos with a standard web cam at home, the quality of the videos will be quite different. Of course, you can start with the equipment you have and upgrade everything bit by bit as your vlog becomes more successful (and profitable).

• Requires certain skills. Operating the equipment we have mentioned above requires certain skills. To shoot a video, you should be familiar with shot composition, lighting, focus, angles, etc. When you are done, you will probably have to do some audio and video editing as well, add effects, or cut certain frames. You will have to develop a whole skill set or hire a professional to help you with these tasks, while you focus on the content of your videos. Of course, researching a topic and synthesizing the content are other useful skills that you will need, or you will have to improve with time.

• Not SEO-friendly. Videos are less likely to appear in search engine results. The reason is simple – only their titles, descriptions and meta tags can be indexed, while the actual audio content cannot. It is hard to compete with well-structured blog articles that have lots of keywords. It is also more difficult to find certain content within a video than within a blog article. This is why you should focus on optimizing your videos for the Search option of the platform you use rather than try to optimize them for standard search engines.

Blog vs. Vlog – which one to choose?

Blogs and vlogs have many similarities, but many differences as well. You have to consider the pros and cons of each one.

A blog is an excellent choice for people with little or no experience, as it is very easy to create one. If you have passion for writing, if you want to target niche audiences that look for in-depth information, or if you want to have a flexible schedule, you should create a blog. The format is better for search engine optimization and allows you to update your posts at any time. It is also easier to connect to your readers in the comments section using written communication.

If you decide to create a vlog, you can target a wider, and maybe younger audience. The format will allow you to connect to your viewers on a more personal level, as they will see your emotions. If you feel comfortable being on camera, and if you want to create more visual content, such as video game walkthroughs or sharing travel experiences, then you should opt in for a vlog. You can also get more organic traffic and generate more money compared to writing a blog.

	Blog	Vlog
Format/Content	Text-based, but images, graphs or videos can be added. Blog posts (articles, tutorials) are published through a blog platform/application. Well-structured, written expression.	Shorter or longer videos uploaded regularly to a video channel. Usually, a video sharing platform is used, but self-hosted options are available as well. Allows more dynamic interaction and improvisation.
Entry barrier	Very low. Easy to start, little to no skills are required. Managed or self-hosted solutions are available, so you will not have to do much to start.	Relatively high. Video shooting and editing skills are required. Video presentation and working with the necessary equipment could be hard for people with no experience.
Learning challenges	Good writing skills, SEO skills, reader engagement, research.	Video shooting (focus, light, sound, equipment), self-confidence in front of a camera, video editing.
Competition	Tens of millions of blogs on various topics. It could be hard to find a good niche.	Less vlogs, but the popular ones already have millions of viewers. Less competition on less popular topics.
Earning potential	Sponsored posts, affiliate programs, steady passive income from advertisements.	Advertisements within your videos, collaboration with brands, affiliate links in video descriptions.
SEO	Easier to optimize for search engines. Plugins are available to help you choose keywords and phrases. Content is fully indexed and can be edited, if needed.	Limited SEO options – title, description, meta tags. Audio and video content cannot be indexed properly. Once a video is uploaded, it cannot be edited (easily).
Time	It takes longer to get a decent number of readers and drive organic traffic. It takes longer to draft and publish articles.	It takes less time to get viewers due to wider reach. How much time it takes to create a video may vary – research, shooting, editing.

Wrap-Up

Blogs and vlogs have their similarities and differences. Which one you will choose depends on your time, skill set, topic/niche, but most of all – on your personal preference. Go with the format you feel most passionate about. Being comfortable with what you do is important.

What matters is to be consistent, and to create quality content that both you and your readers/viewers will appreciate. There is always room for one more voice in the online world, so make sure that you stay authentic and present topics you really care about. Sooner or later, your blog/vlog will become popular.