Blogging or Creating Videos

Blogging is a valuable tool that helps authors to promote their work, gain credibility, and build a following.  It’s one of many ways to create content to be consumed by readers. Creating well-throughout videos can also be a valuable tool for building credibility and increasing your following. Over the past 10 years with changes in technology and habits people have gravitated toward videos and would rather watch than read. Below is a comparison between these two strategies with the simple goal of educating authors. The findings will be at the end of this article.

Blogging or Creating Videos

Blogging

Blogging can help you connect with readers as they gravitate towards websites they get value from. So, if you are consistently writing interesting articles, you will build a loyal following. Blogging allows you to show off your style of writing.

Videos

Although creating videos can also help build a following and give viewers valuable content, they allow the creators to have more options with creativity. There are many styles of videos that can be created to provide the proper messaging. Even silly videos can have an impact.

Blogging

When you create quality articles about specific topics, you build trust and position yourself as a subject matter expert.  Readers like sources they can learn from and will most likely subscribe to your newsletter or blog feed. Writing articles has always been seen as a credible way to get information out to subscribers. Think of the op-eds that journalists write. You immediately think the information is credible.

Videos

Creating a series of educational or entertaining videos can be extremely effective in positioning the creators as subject matter experts. If the videos are professionally created using relevant content shot with proper lighting and sound, viewers will connect with the content and subscribe for additional videos. Think of how educational videos have revolutionized online learning.

It’s important to pick your style and stick with it. The same goes for releasing the videos. It’s better to be consistent so viewers will look forward to the release of the next video.

Blogging

Besides being a free way to create content, blogging should consistently lead to more readers, which increases page views and allows your articles to show up in organic searches. If readers find your articles interesting and stay on your website for some time, Google will reward that page with an increase in ranking. Every time you write a blog article, you increase the chances to show up in an organic search, especially if you are following SEO best practices when creating and launching the article.

Videos

The same goes for your video channel. Since Google owns YouTube, your channel will get ranked based on a variety of factors. Make sure you set up your channel properly and thoroughly using all of the available tools. Make sure you ask viewers to subscribe to your channel and get notified when you create a new video. The more video you create, the more variety viewer can watch.

Blogging

Writing articles gives you something else to promote on your social platforms. This will not only drive more traffic to your website, but it can increase followers on those platforms.

NOTE: Although you can blog from different platforms, it’s best to do so from your website. This way your domain gets the credit from all the visitors coming to read the article.

Videos

Videos are fun to promote on your social platforms and you can do so in different ways. You can always create a link in your post that will bring the readers to your YouTube channel to watch the video. This is good for your channel, especially if they watch multiple videos for some time. You can embed videos on your website and purchase a video sitemap to organize them properly. You can also take 60-sec snippets of the video and upload them directly on your social platforms. * Each platform has different requirements so check out this article about video requirements.

There are many reasons why both blogging and creating videos are important for authors to get noticed and appreciated. If push came to shove and we had to choose I would suggest putting your effort into creating quality videos, with strong messages, done as professionally as possible.

If you’re looking for ideas as to what types of videos you can create, start with a 60-90 second ‘from-the-heart’ video about why you wrote the book you are promoting. You can also create a series of author readings from the book, have discussions or lesson plans, depending on the genre and topic, and can always create a video trailer.

The biggest hurdle for most authors is just getting the project underway. You don’t need a script or Hollywood producer to be involved. You can shoot with your iPhone under good lighting and sound with a nice background. If you’re stuck and need ideas or assistance with blogging or creating videos, contact us.

Rick Lite of Stress Free Book Marketing, stands at the forefront of the ever-changing book industry. He is a seasoned sales and marketing professional with over 20 years of experience in the book industry. Rick’s experience comes from tirelessly working on new and innovative ways to promote books. Embracing the core values of integrity, innovation, and growth, Rick works closely with authors to create custom, robust book marketing programs. His easy-going manner provides “stress-free” support and comfort to authors going through the self-publishing and marketing process for the first time. Rick is quick to share his knowledge and “insider tips” for a successful campaign that will lead to increased exposure, awareness, and most importantly, sales. You can read more about Rick and his success in the book industry by visiting his website at www.StressFreeBookMarketing.com.