A number of weeks ago skinner (from Twitter) asked me:
“what are the benefits of adding video to your blog?”
I thought it’d make an interesting reader question. How would you answer it?
Do you use video on your blog? Why (or why not)? What do you like and dislike about video on other people’s blogs?
I use video on my blog frequently, in just about every post. It appeals to the age group of my readers, and provides more entertainment, resulting in readers staying longer.
Yes, I use video on my blog. I honestly do not like it because I believe it makes the pages take longer to load. Especially if you have 5 or more videos there, but the readers respond well to it. My traffic seems to go up when I started to post videos. I try to stay away from unimportant things, but some stuff I have to post.
I can’t stand when EVERY post on your blog has a video IN IT!! Unless it’s a video YOU made each time, that gets annoying.
No doubts video is great for readers! They enjoy watching them, they can see more, better things in a more enjoyable way… The problem is for us, bloggers… Video is not for the lazy blogger. It takes you time to find the correct one, you may have to edit it, etc… It’s just more time consuming than a simple picture for the publisher/editor.
I think video is an excellent way of making your blog sort of ‘interactive’. Your readers may have been reading your blog for quite a while …but probably they have never had a chance to see you or to make any ‘special connection’ to your blog.
So adding a video occasionally can basically help you to close that gap…readers will feel more connected and probably feel better knowing that — behind that flashy blog there is actually a ‘human’ talking.
There are other advantages too for having videos on your site. For instance, if you are doing a ‘how-to’ post, it may be easier to show them a screencast rather than writing about it.
Every Tuesday, I post several videos related to my niche. So far, I have gotten great feedback out of the experience.
I am setting up to do product reviews with video content to expand my offerings. This all came about when I became a ProReviewer on the largest site in the world for my content.
I think videos add not only a personal touch to your blog, but also a better visual representation of what you are trying to portray.
Using video on your blog can be beneficial, but it greatly depends on the nature of your blog.
1. its eye catching
2. You can use it with advertising
3. If used the right way it makes the site look more interactive.
There are also draw makes like it can make it an eye sore if used wrong or the video is too large.
I think when it comes to placing video on your site it provides better user experience. Not only is the reader getting written content, but also visual content via videos. Personally I enjoy sitting back and watching a good video post on a topic I’m interested in. Written content is always great, but a nice video twist to your site will surely give your readers reason to stick around a little longer.
I’ve put a couple videos on my blog, but I just started my Freelance blog so I can’t give a great judgment on how my readers feel about it.
I can say I added them to give readers a more personal experience. If you let your readers get to know you, I think they’re more likely to come back. And a video is a fantastic way to let your readers really feel like they’re connecting with you.
So many to choose from. Personally I think one of the best reasons to add video on your blog is so that your readers can see you and begin to develop a “real” relationship with your persona beyond just text.
For me it was letting my readers know who I was, what I looked like, and what I sounded like. I think you can get a little closer to your readers when you do video.
Yes, I use videos on my blog. The reason is my blog is not only a blog but a show as well. So I must record the interviews I do when I interview people. My readers like both when I write and do a video.
I hate using videos cuz my target audience in India do not have access to hi-speed internet. And it literally has no SEO benefits.
Yes, I do add videos to posts when they supplement the information I give, like a sales page or a tutorial.
If you value time on site as a way of measuring engagement, video definitely gives people a reason to stick around.
So far I’ve done 2 videos on my blog, filed under my video posts category. Did one on Monday and one a cpl weeks ago.
To me I think they help your readers relate to you more, from my end, they really suck my energy because I do so many takes of them. What I need to do is create a better process for making them, then I’ll end up with fewer takes.
Overall I like doing it though, I’m still learning, and am working on making them shorter (I don’t have a problem with public speaking ;) ). I’ve gotten some great feedback on them, too, which is encouraging. So, I’ll just keep on improving on my process.
BTW, if you ever want to share tips on how you make your video process easier, that would be cool to read about. :)
ah… i just posted a video tutorial yesterday on my blog… it was the first one where i was actually in the video. it got a lot of great comments, particularly since many people had been reading my blog for a long time, and it was the first time they saw me in action, heard my voice etc. Someone actually said:
“it’s nice to meet you.”
so i’m thinking of doing more, it’s fun. the readers like it. and since i live abroad, i’m watching more videos on the internet… so for me it adds another dimension to the blog. besides, video editing adds to my skillset.
but i also like to see nice pictures and read good writing. that’s for sure. the internet is a great platform for combining all three.
I have recently started adding video to my blog. So far, just clips of me talking about topics in my niche (time management, success mindset, and internet business).
I am a good talker (after all I am training to be a preacher!) so this is relatively easy for me. I have had a good response. Often readers tell me they like the additional forms of media. not everyone likes to read all the time, and once in a while it is good to just sit back and watch. Plus while speaking there are other ways to communicate with eye and body language.
I also think it helps my readers to see me as the down to earth guy I am. this comes across a lot better on video.
So all in all for me it has been a good addition.
I’ve used embedded videos numerous times and have found that they work really well as long as they’re relevant. This may seem obvious, but it’s crucial.
A great video, adds value to your post and blog, whereas something which isn’t relevant wastes your readers time.
I guess it’s the same thing as the content.
Personally, I think video is vastly overblown in blogging. Who has time to sit there and watch a 2:43 video of you when they could spend 35 seconds reading your text.
Besides, how many people are good looking enough that I want to see them that long?! :)
At this moment I have no video on my blog. But I`m planning to post some ones in the near future. I think that videos on a blog make the readers to trust and know better the blog`s author.
I`m talking about videos which the author has made himself, not videos from youtube or something like that.
I like seeing video on blogs because it helps me create a deeper connection with the person and their value to me. It’s one step more personal. It’s easy to hide behind words. But, video is so authentic.
I look forward to adding video to my own blog at some point.
I dislike video on blogs, becuase I (and most of my readers,) read blogs at work or in other public places, like Starbucks or the library. Having a video come on is disruptive and annoying, and they often take a while to load.
Yes, I use videos on every post since I run a Chinese music site. The advantage is that readers can come to the site and get new music and perhaps sticking around the site for at least 3-4 minutes (to listen to the whole song). This will give them a lot of time to think about what they want to do next on the site like clicking on ad, comment, download song, etc. The drawback is the loading time. I limit to only 5 videos on the landing page to minimize this issue.
I’ve just started adding video to my site. Right now I am using a service to import the videos but eventually I like to add original content. As has already been mentioned, it give the readers a different experience from just reading about what happened. They can often see for themselves. We have a lot of hot button issues in our neighborhood and the video coverage is great for helping people understand the issues better. I also find that it helps to enhance the experience when introducing local talent to my readers. Again, they can see for themselves what the buzz is about.
I don’t like it when people add video to their blogs and it is set to start automatically. I am not always in a situation where I can watch video — either due to being in a public place of due to bandwidth limitations. I also feel like the videos should be well balanced with actual content on the site. Otherwise it is just a bootleg version of YouTube.
The best use of video on a site is when it is added to enhance the experience. There is related content and the video thereby supports it.
I have started to use video, but only when really warranted. My blog is about washing machines, so posting a couple videos to illustrate the differences between two machines is beneficial. I don’t plan on doing it much; only when it really adds value to the post.
Most of my new readers come from the videos I’ve posted on YouTube, Viddler, etc. So, having video on my website is extremely important to bringing in new readers.
However, it seems as though most of the people who visit my site either love or hate the videos. It’s kind of strange, but it’s true!
In the end, I think the use of video is a good idea. I just wish it didn’t take so long to shoot, edit, and post the videos. They take a lot of work… especially if you want to make them good.
I use videos on and off. Because I write mostly about society and psychology and so on, so depends if i can find a video that goes deep and hand in hand.
At occasions I insert videos, for example when I reviewed a movie I’d kick in a trailer or when I blog on a game a gameplay vid. But those are occasions in which video truly speaks more than words.
I’m not much for the vlogging kinda videos, see it as a waste of time to listen to and usually just browse away. It takes too long and most people just are barely understandable when talking, spoken English suddenly turns into quite a local language when they speak in dialects or with heavy accents.
I experimented with Seesmic for a while and have done some vlogging intermittently. The interesting thing about video is that it seems to accelerate the relationship. While reading a blog provides you with an image of who the blogger is over several months, the video can do it in several seconds. It’s a very powerful medium.
I’m not sure that I buy into switching from to vlogging from blogging. The benefits of text are many over a video – such as quickly scanning through the writing. I like writing, but I ‘sprinkle’ with video to let folks know what I really look and act like. And hopefully they still keep coming back!
Video is the Biggest Draw on my blog, absolutely. I have a list of about 48 instructional videos for embroidery stitches, and that’s what draws the biggest audience.
Especially when used to instruct on a process that could be complicated (for example, embroidery stitches), video outweighs the picture or diagram all around. People learn different ways, but it seems to me that more and more people are visual and auditory learners – they like to see (and hear) what they have to do, rather than just read about it. Video makes that possible.
Most of my readers (I don’t have a “huge” blog, but it’s doing ok for the niche) who use my video tutorials say it’s just like sitting down next to someone to learn. And, in my niche, that’s a big asset.
I just sunk a little bit of fundage into new video software and new computer hardware in order to produce better videos, so, yep, I like video. In fact, technically speaking, the videos on my site are rather… uh… poorly done. But people still like them!
Here’s a question: at what point, if you’re using a public platform like Google Video or You Tube to host your videos, should you get irritated by people who plant your videos on their websites without giving credit or an obvious link back to the author of the video? Aaaargh.
I don’t use video on either of my blogs. I haven’t really explored video posts and am unsure of what I’d need, exactly, to get into it. I don’t own a webcam nor a digital camcorder, so I’d have to invest money on top of not knowing how to go about formatting a video for the web.
So, it’s hard for me to even think about doing anything with video, despite it’s wide spread use on the web these days.
I’ve discovered that videos are good primarily:
1. When they are how to videos OR
2. They are SHORT if they are talking head ones.
I love doing them, but they take a lot of time and effort. But I think they are very worth it.
I do try to add videos without overdoing it. On average I have 1 video every other week.
In my field of fitness I try to split them in 3 groups. Inspirational, funny, and instructional.
Since I don’t over do it, most of my readers enjoy them.
Best,
Coop
P.S. I have a fun one on today.
Yes, video is very helpful to tell the story. Kind of like a news report with the commentary of their own voice as they read your blog.
Tony Cathey
http://www.imablogger.net
Although I photoblog I have been experimenting with time lapse videos. So far it’s mainly just been simple things like the views from my apartment/views from the office. I live on the other side of the world to my family so it gives them the opportunity get a better idea of where I’m living as opposed to just a normal photograph. I also did some stop-motion experiments a few years ago for a photography project whilst at college and am continuing to experiment, so I see putting those types of videos on my blog as an extenstion of what I already do.
Never added videos, so not sure how much they help!
But good discussion and answers i can read here..
I much prefer text – it is quicker to read, easier to scan and takes far less bandwidth (not everyone is on cable). Also they usually deliver less content – about half of most of them is taken up with introductions. The need to listen to the audio can also be difficult, depending on where you are.
The only reason I can see for video is giving readers a better sense of who you are. This may be very important and is the reason I plan to do one or two. Which leads me to another dislike – they still require a bit of technical knowledge which I don’t have.
discussing about this topic is good because we can increase our knowledge altogether.Thanks a lot.
I use videos because video-making and editing is a major category that my blogs covers. It makes sense to show my videos and show how they are made.
As for watching people’s videos, I do like it because it adds another layer and flavor to the site. However, what I also realized is that I tend to save these posts to view later, because I don’t want to start viewing a video when I’m at work. Sometimes they are just marked, and I don’t get to them until a while later though (especially longer ones).
I, personally, have a video on my business blog http://www.MagicSenses.com/blog It is a review on some of my products. I think it helps our customers build confidence in our handcrafted products that sometimes are difficult to describe in a few words.
About videos on other people’s blogs: most of the time I love watching video. When your eyes are tired, it is much easier than reading… However, I hate it when all they have on their blog is a collection of youtube videos and that’s all. No original content.
(I haven’t read the replies yet…I’ll come back to them…but…)
Here’s what I want to do – do any of these new video services support this yet?
1) Take a video where I can alternate between my webcam and a portion of my screen. E.G I want to be talking to the camera, then switch to show a view of a web page I have open, then switch back.
2) Turn this quickly into a vidcast.
3) Strip out the audio and turn it into an audio podcast.
If I could do that without too much fuss, I’d jump at it.
Anyone got any suggestions?? Even just part 1 would be useful.
I’ve yet to really try actual video for my blogs. My webcam doesn’t get great viewing, and I’ve yet to figure out how to get video from the digital camcorder (uses digital tapes) to the computer, LOL.
I want to start using video for one of my blogs eventually though.
I use videos all the time. I blog about my baby and it is a great way for people to actually see what she’s doing. A picture just doesn’t do justtice to laughing while riding a bouce-n-spin zebra like a video does.
Almost all my posts with video end up getting the greatest number of responses. I don’t post other people’s videos but I do my own videos of me talking about relevant subjects. And if you put your videos on YouTube it’s a double bonus because people can find you there and then you can redirect them to your blog. My YouTube videos have raised my revenue by at least 25 to 30% in the last year.
I like video on a blog when it isn’t scripted and when it’s not like they’re trying to duplicate a news cast. This is blogging. Be yourself. I am considering putting some video on my Aim for Awesome blog, but not sure how to go about that. Video doesn’t help the search engines find you, but it’s much more viral content than most text. I think Google probably likes to see some variation in a web site too – different media. Jpg, .pdf, .avi or .mov or .wmv, .xls, .ppt, etc.
There are many top bloggers that are attempting video and putting a lot of content in the video. WHY are so many of them wearing baseball caps? If your hair is gone, it’s gone man – just be yourself. To me a baseball cap makes you look like someone not comfortable with yourself. Shave your head down and act like you’re OK with it… just take off the caps. They shade your face and one guy in particular that has AWESOME information on his videos has the worst series going… I won’t mention his name but if you think for 45 minutes you might get the hint.
Video should be spontaneous and you should be naturally excited about what you’re saying. It should be better said on video than in text or you should write it.
Video should show you as you really are – not as a newscaster. Not as someone you’re not.
You know?
I avoid using video on my blog. Not because I think there is anything wrong with using video in moderation, I just don’t think my blog suits the media.
I usually skip all posts with video – including the one’s at ProBlogger.
Can the Mino Flip Video Camera work for adding video to my blog ?
video on blogs can be great but be careful not to oversaturate your site with vids. Lots of pics with a few vids is the best balance.
I often create instructional video tutorials for my blog. By using screen capture technology I can show my readers “how to” do something much easier than writing down a whole list of “click here then click here” instructions.
I post my videos on YouTube and embed them into my posts which also brings traffic to my blog from people who find my videos on YouTube.