These days, we all know what a blog is. But it wasn’t that long ago when “blogging” sounded like a weird, made-up word that only a handful of people knew anything about. Blogs started out as internet diaries: in fact, the word “blog” is short for “web-log,” or a journal of sorts that was posted online. While blogs started out as personal accounts of people’s lives, they quickly became genre-specific, and soon blogs could be found on just about any mainstream website. Some blogs are meant to entertain, some to inspire and some to educate. It wasn’t long before companies discovered that sharing engaging stories and articles about content that related to their products and services could prove to be an effective way to market their brand without making it seem like advertising.
Since blogs have now become the norm on websites across the industries, it’s essential for companies to take blogging to the next level to make themselves stand out against the competition. Enter the vlog. As its name implies, vlogging is video blogging. Short videos take the place of the written word to entertain the target audience, often to get a brand to the forefront of consumers’ consciousness. Here are the things you need to know about vlogging so your company can get the competitive edge by keeping their blog section fresh, relevant and engaging.
Short and Sweet
Like so many other forms of media these days, vlogs do best when they are kept brief. Keep in mind that your vlog is out there on social media, with 140-character tweets and Facebook videos that need to capture a user’s attention as they’re scrolling through their news feed. Keeping your blog to two minutes is ideal, but definitely keep it under five minutes max.
Music is Magic
Music can convey more than you could ever put into words. Make use of the power of music by selecting just the right background song for your vlog post. You can use music and sound effects to inject humor into your vlog, or you can give your audience “the feels,” as the kids say, by picking that track that hits you right in the heartstrings. Though you need to be careful to avoid copyright infringement, there are plenty of websites and video editing apps where you can find music that is free to use.
Stick to a Script
Sure, you want your vlog to come across as natural and not sound like it came out of a can. But even movies featuring professional actors use scripts. You should at the very least create an outline of what you want to say in your vlog so you don’t look unprofessional or flub your lines.
Set the Scene
We’ve all seen YouTube videos or Instagram photos where the stuff in the background is so distracting that we forget to look at the subject itself. While it can be funny if done intentionally, it can also really pull your audience’s attention away from your message, so try to minimize background clutter, crazy pets, or accidental extras walking into your vlog post.
Contact Our Blogging Experts for Help Today!
Vlogging is an exciting and fun medium for sharing news about your company in an interesting and humorous way. You can get more across in a two-minute vlog post than you could in just about any other form of media, if you learn how to vlog like a pro. Your digital marketing game can stay strong against any competition if you are able to use vlogging to your advantage. All it takes is a little practice, some creativity and an eye for detail, and you’ll be on your way!
Contact Echero today to speak with one of our content marketing experts about how you can utilize vlogging to take your blog to the next level!
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