Your company already has a blog (I hope), but despite the proven power of the written word, consumers now crave video content like never before.
In fact, internet video traffic will account for a staggering 69 percent of all global consumer internet traffic in 2017.
The emergence of vlogging has contributed to this trend, with business owners jumping in front of a camera to share their stories, journeys and personalities.
The Benefits of Vlogging
Vlogging — as the name implies —- is essentially blogging in video form, and with the demand for video content already growing, entrepreneurs and company employees alike have felt the lure of vlogging thanks to three key benefits:
- Zero Cost of Entry: Starting a vlog costs nothing in the sense that, all you truly need is a smartphone. YouTube is the natural home of a vlog, and all that extra lighting and audio equipment is exactly that — extra.
- A Face to The Brand: A vlog, whether it's run by the brand’s CEO or newest intern, is a chance for the company’s audience to see past the branding and get to know the people working hard in the offices and warehouses.
- A Chance to Be Authentic: Beyond showcasing some internal faces to go with your brand, a vlog gives you the chance to show authenticity and transparency by filming segments of internal meetings or touring the head office. In the same way a live video feed gives viewers a raw insight into a company, a vlog can be used to do something similar.
Tips for Launching a Vlog on a Budget
Vlogging may have a low barrier for entry, but that doesn't mean you should jump in blindly. Here’s some tips to successfully launch a business vlogging campaign.
Have a Strategy
Why do you want to vlog? How do you plan on doing it and who is your audience? Your vlogging escapades should all be governed by an overarching content strategy.
Professional vlogger Matiss Ansviesulis, founder of Matiss.co, agrees with this idea.
“Blogging gives our company a voice, and allows our culture and personality to shine,” Matiss told CMSWire.
“But it's important to remember that the strategy must define who you are vlogging for and why. Have a purpose, have a reason, stick to it and make sure your employees know about it. An untargeted vlog does not attract any viewership. Once that’s done, leverage your existing network to get those initial views and bits of feedback,” he said.
Expect Obstacles
Expect some obstacles — particularly in the form of technical difficulties.
While starting a vlog is almost as easy as starting a blog, you’ll run into issues like messing up takes, live streaming hiccups and of course you’ll likely pull some hair out trying to edit your videos.
Neha Gupta, founder of College Shortcuts, told CMSWire that such issues are just part of the learning curve.
“[Like many vloggers] I of course had difficulties at the very beginning. I remember when I did my first Facebook live stream and there were so many technical difficulties. I will tell you that just like anything else in business, you have to be willing to test and try things [with vlogging] over and over. Regardless, we have found vlogging to be one of the best tools for marketing,” Gupta said.
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Be Real
Transparency and authenticity are two surefire ways to gain the trust and respect of your viewers. It’s a simple concept, but so many vloggers find it difficult to adopt.
T Antonio, founder of gaming accessory brand TriggerDevils, told CMSWire about his struggle — and eventual success — with transparent business vlogging.
“One thing I struggled with was transparency. I often hesitated to show behind the scenes processes, but it seems that every time I chose to open up, viewers rewarded us with more likes, comments and subscribes,” he said.
"But today, [after maintaining a good a level of transparency], 80 percent of our customers come through YouTube on their journey to purchasing our product,” Antonio revealed.
Stay Consistent
The final ingredient for a successful blogging campaign is perhaps the hardest to implement. For a vlogging campaign to succeed, it needs to be consistent.
That means releasing a healthy amount of content at regular intervals. The exact quantity can vary — there is no magic number of videos you should be releasing per month — but whatever you decide on, stick to it.
Neha Gupta of CollegeShortcuts shared some advice on the topic. According to her, the key to consistency is keeping the camera rolling — everywhere.
“As a friend once said to me, 'if the camera is not rolling your company is not growing.' Do the videos at home. Do the videos in your car. Do the videos while you're walking. It doesn't matter, as long as the camera is rolling your company is growing,” she said.
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