Following on from last week’s blog, this week we are looking at video blogging. Let’s go straight into the benefits:
Improved communication:
The viewer has audio and visual cues in the form of tone of voice, hand & facial gestures; in comparison with written blogs, a video blog can provide improved retention. It is less tedious to watch & listen to someone talk than having to read a whole lot of text.
Improved networking:
By putting a face to a name, the blogger’s personality can ‘shine’ through and viewers may associate themselves more when they can see who is actually behind the blog. This can help with increasing followers and ultimately increased branding awareness.
Improved content:
For most people it is far easier to explain and communicate verbally; writing can seem an ordeal – where to start, how to structure etc. Talking is a natural communication tool. This provides a great opportunity to really showcase the benefits of the product or service, almost face to face. What does the product do? How will it benefit potential clients? What are current offerings / discounts?
Improved image:
Having a video on Youtube or website shows potential customers that a business is going places and has faith in their product or service.
There are of course some issues with video blogging and the main one is access to decent video equipment. If a business is going to go to the trouble of uploading a video blog, then the quality of the video will have to be of a certain standard, or it can reflect badly on the company and overshadow the whole blog.
Things to watch out for:
Length of time for video – short and sweet, prompt and to the point. Try to keep it under 3 minutes.
Audio – make sure the audio for the video is crisp without background noise and the voice is clear.
Visual – make the background plain, too much distraction can lead the viewer away from what is being said. As a suggestion place a whiteboard in the background and write on it while speaking to emphasise key words.
Outlet for video:
Once the video blog is complete it can be uploaded to YouTube and linked to the company website, Facebook page, LinkedIn etc. To guarantee the blog is has a wider audience, a paid social media campaign via YouTube, will be beneficial and provide statistics.
