I am primarily a photographer and filmmaker when it comes to content creation - so why am I not creating Youtube videos?
Simple. I am self conscious of how I look and sound, I don’t feel I live an interesting life worth filming, and the time and effort it takes to construct, just for my imposter syndrome to take over and delete the project.
Now that I have my personal bias out of the way, let’s go over the different mediums and how they can benefit your brand.
Content creation is king, and the two behemoths that stand tall are blogging and vlogging. Each platform has its unique benefits, and it’s important to take into consideration your audience and future brand goals to see which is more beneficial for you.
Spoiler Alert: If you can, do both.
Crafting Blogs
Let’s go ahead and knock out the universal definition of blogging - the process of creating and publishing content on a website. It’s an ancient form of content creation compared to video creation, but it’s a staple for a reason.
Dominating SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a fundamental aspect of digital marketing, and blogging plays a pivotal role in enhancing your brand's SEO efforts. If you want to be found on Google, DuckDuckGo, Bing, or any of the other obscure search engines, this is the way to go.
Long Term Value.
Depending on your frequency of blogging, you might think that your blogs are just being buried in your sitemap and even on search engines. Nope, couldn’t be further from the truth.
Once a blog post ranks well in search results, it can continue to drive traffic and provide value for months or even years without requiring additional investment. You might have to dive back in to adjust your content, whether it’s updating links or switching out some content, but other than that, it will continue to generate organic traffic.
Constant Organic? Yup.
Unlike paid advertising, which stops delivering results as soon as you stop spending money, SEO-optimized blog content can continue to attract visitors to your website for an extended period. This sustained traffic can lead to more leads, conversions, and brand exposure over time.
And it’s not just random people and bots stumbling onto your page (although you can’t really stop bots), but it’s people that are specifically interested in what you have to provide.
By conducting keyword research and understanding your audience's pain points, you can develop blog topics that resonate with your ideal customers. This targeted approach results in higher engagement and a greater likelihood of converting readers into customers or subscribers.
In the end, you’re building credibility and trust.
When readers find valuable information on your blog, they are more likely to view you and/or your brand as an authority in your industry. This trust can lead to increased engagement, conversions, and customer loyalty.
Now The Nerdy Stuff: Analytics and Insights
You can track key metrics such as page views, click-through rates, and conversion rates and yada yada. If you’re a marketer, you get the drill.
Here’s the importance of it: these insights help you refine your SEO strategy and tailor your content to better meet your audience's needs.
You’ll be better able to analyze through Google Search Console or Google Analytics what product or topic is performing the best, to better focus your ad campaign and marketing strategies towards that.
With a focus on specific content, you’ll be able to also improve your link building opportunities.
High-quality blog content is more likely to attract backlinks from other websites, which is a crucial aspect of SEO. When reputable websites link to your blog posts, it signals to search engines that your content is valuable and authoritative. This can improve your website's overall domain authority, further boosting your rankings in search results.
All that can be seen and analyzed through the analytics and search console platforms.
Why I Blog
I have this vision in my head of what I want Faux Creative to be, and for it to get to the level I am aiming for, I need to create evergreen content that will continue to bring in traffic to the website, all while being flexible in time.
Unlike Youtube’s algorithm, I don’t need to post at a constant schedule or have a viral video for my content to be promoted.
I also don’t need to spend days editing a video that won’t be editable while launched.
I’m a new dad, with a 9-5 job. I don’t have the time to create daily or weekly video content, without interfering with my family time.
Blogging gives me that flexibility. I am able to crank out 5 to 7 a week depending on how much free time I have, and if I feel I made a mistake, I can always go back and edit the website to correct it, without spending hours re editing and rendering.
Creating Visual Content
Video is a powerful tool. Regardless of whether you want to create cinematic vlogs, product videos, tutorials, or even just upload gaming content - you want to be on Youtube.
Youtube is the second largest popular search engine, with a user combined watch time of 1 billion hours a day. That’s right, besides Google, no other search engine can compete. We’ve become visual creatures, and it’s important to target that demographic.
Building A Personal Connection.
People support those they love. When your audience sees and hears you on camera, they connect with you on a human level. This face-to-face interaction fosters a sense of familiarity and trust that's challenging to achieve through written content alone.
As people, we love authenticity.
By being yourself and showcasing the real, unfiltered aspects of your brand, you can create a genuine bond with your audience.
Best part? You can interact with your audience.
Regardless of if they respond with a comment, or send you a selfie video with their questions, that two-way communication builds a sense of community and shows that you value your viewers and their input.
Yeah, you can do the same through written content, but it’s not the same. As personable as you can make your blogs, you’re still just a blob of text, they don’t see the person behind the screen.
Telling A Story.
Video is a powerful medium for storytelling. Vlogs enable you to share personal anecdotes, behind-the-scenes moments, and the journey of your brand, all while creating an emotional connection with your audience. You are making them feel like they're a part of your story.
While communicating your story, depending on how you edit your videos, you are targeting multiple senses - sight and sound. You’re recreating your experience for the viewer, making the visual more captivating, and easier to express your message.
Do I Plan To Create Youtube Videos?
There’s so many benefits for creating video content, that it’d be stupid of me to not pursue it. As I hinted in the beginning, I’m not comfortable with who I am.
Similarly to how I wasn’t comfortable with writing blogs. I constantly feel like I know nothing, and that my language level is low where it feels a middle schooler probably wrote this.
The thing is that the only way to get over this fear - this mental block - is to create content, and throw it in the wild without worrying about what others might think. The first of anything is never great. Hell, the second could probably be worse. But by the time you get to your 100th, you're able to feel more comfortable with your video aesthetic and be proud of the content you're creating, or at least not as self-critical as you used to be.
Many successful brands, personal or business, blend blogging and video content to create a well-rounded portfolio.
Ultimately, the choice between blogging and vlogging should reflect your brand's unique identity, goals, and audience preferences. It's not about which is superior; it's about which is right for you. That means do both. So, embark on your content creation journey with confidence, knowing that the power of your creativity can shine through whichever path you choose.