When you want to create a website for your brand, the decision to start a blog or dive into vlogging will determine the type of website you create.
This leads to an important question: Is blogging still worth it? Or should you focus on video marketing instead?
Blogging and vlogging both have unique advantages. A blog helps you share written content and leverage search engine optimization (SEO) to attract readers. On the other hand, vlogging allows you to connect with viewers through visual storytelling, which offers a more personal experience.
We'll explore the key differences between these two popular content formats so you can decide which best aligns with your goals.
What is a blog?
A blog is short for "weblog," which means logging onto the web. Blogs originally started as simple online journals. People used them to share personal thoughts and experiences with a small audience.
Learn more: What is a blog?
Blogs have now evolved into powerful business tools. You can use it to engage your audience, boost brand visibility and establish yourself as an authority in your industry.
What is a vlog?
A vlog (video blog or video log) is a form of content where you share information, stories or opinions through videos instead of written text. In other words, vlogs are just blog content in video format.
With 37 million channels and over two billion users, YouTube is the go-to platform for most vloggers. It provides a massive audience and the tools you need to grow your online presence and generate an income.
Blog vs. vlog: key differences
Let’s now look at the key differences between a blog and a vlog.
Format
The most obvious difference is the format. Blogs are text-based, and you can often add other elements like images, infographics and links to boost audience engagement.
Vlogs, on the other hand, use video. Visual formats let you showcase your personality, expressions and voice, which makes the content more dynamic.
Setup
Setting up a blog is straightforward. You can use a blog maker like Wix to get started quickly. Wix offers customizable templates, SEO tools and an easy-to-use interface, which helps you launch your blog with minimal technical skills.
For vlogs, you can create a YouTube channel or use social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. These platforms provide built-in tools to help you create and share video content with a huge audience.
Content creation
Creating a blog involves writing, editing and formatting text. With vlogs, the focus shifts to video production, which includes filming, video editing and sometimes adding special effects or graphics using an editing software.
Advantages of a blog vs. vlog
Each type of content format has its own advantages. Let’s dive into the benefits of each.
Advantages of a blog
The perks of having a blog include:
SEO benefits: You can use targeted keywords to improve your website's visibility on search engines like Google.
Evergreen content: Long-form content, like in-depth guides, can remain relevant and continue to attract readers long after you publish them.
Flexibility and control: A blog gives you complete control over your content. You can update, edit and repurpose posts as needed.
Advantages of a vlog
The benefits of vlogging include:
Personal connection: Vlogs help you create a strong personal connection with your target audience. Since viewers can see and hear you, the experience becomes more engaging and authentic.
Visual appeal: Videos are naturally more engaging than text. They can capture attention quickly and keep viewers interested with dynamic visuals, sound and storytelling.
Social media friendly: Short videos can go viral and reach a massive audience quickly. This can significantly boost your visibility and help you gain new followers.
How to start a blog vs. vlog
Starting a blog or a vlog is easy. Let’s cover how to create both.
How to start a blog
To create a blog, you need to:
Choose your niche: Pick a niche you're passionate about and has a potential audience. This could be anything from travel and food to technology and business.
Select a blogging platform: Choose a platform that suits your needs. Popular options include Wix, Blogger and Tumblr.
Register a domain name and choose a web hosting provider: Pick a domain name that's easy to remember and reflects your blog's niche.
Set up your blog: Choose a theme and customize your blog's layout. Wix’s AI Website Builder can help you get your blog up and running in minutes.
Plan your content: Create a content plan that outlines the topics you want to cover. Maintain a consistent posting schedule.
Monitor and improve: Use analytics tools like Wix Analytics to track your blog's performance. Then, use this data to improve your content marketing strategies.
Learn more:
How to start a vlog
Starting a vlog requires you to:
Choose your niche: Like blogging, choose what you want to vlog about. Pick a niche you’re passionate about and has an engaged audience.
Select your platform: YouTube is the most popular platform for vlogging but you can also use video-sharing platforms like Vimeo and TikTok.
Create your account: Customize your profile with a unique name, description and branding elements like logos and banners.
Plan your content: Outline the type of vlog content or YouTube videos you want to create and develop a content plan. Also, decide on a posting schedule you can stick to.
Get your equipment: Start with your smartphone to record videos, but upgrade to a good camera, microphone and lighting when your audience grows. You can also use Wix’s Video Maker to make custom videos that drive traffic to your website.
Monitor and improve: Most platforms provide analytics tools to track your channel's performance. Monitor views and engagement and refine your content and strategy for better results.
Which is more profitable: blogs or vlogs?
Both blogging and vlogging offer great opportunities to earn an income. Bloggers in the U.S. earn an average of $51,120 per year.
For vlogs, you can earn on multiple social media platforms. Let’s take YouTube as an example. It pays an average of $3–$5 per 1,000 views. So, we can safely assume that a full-time content creator with one million YouTube views can earn up to $5,000 per video.
From these stats, you can tell that vlogging might be more profitable than blogging. However, choose the format you’re most passionate about and commit to growing an engaged audience, as that will determine your long-term success.
How to make money blogging
You can make money with your blog through:
Display ads: Here, you partner with ad networks like Google AdSense to earn revenue every time a visitor clicks on an ad in your blog.
Affiliate marketing: It involves promoting products on your blog and earning a commission for every sale you make through referral links.
Digital products: Leverage your expertise by creating and selling digital products like ebooks and online courses.
Writing for other publications: Many websites and magazines pay for high-quality articles. Leverage your writing skills to generate extra income and drive more traffic to your blog.
Email marketing: Add signup forms in your blog to build an email list. Then, use an email marketing tool to promote your products, services and affiliate links to subscribers.
Learn more:
How to make money vlogging
Vlogs offer various monetization options. They include:
Ad revenue: Join YouTube’s Partner Program to earn money from ads displayed on your videos.
Sponsorships: This involves companies paying you to feature their product or service in your videos.
Membership and subscription services: Platforms like Patreon allow you to provide members with perks like early access to content in exchange for a monthly fee.
Donations: Platforms like Buy Me a Coffee allow fans to contribute financially to help you create more content.
Best examples of blogs vs. vlogs
We’ll now briefly look at some examples of blogs and vlogs to inspire your content creation journey.
Popular blog examples
Here are three examples of blogs with a good blog design:
The Wine Tails
Molly, the blog creator, writes about her latest wine tastings and shares her experiences with her audience.
Mom Boss Life
This wellness blog, Mom Boss Life, offers tips for busy moms on how to live a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
Laura Baross
This lifestyle blog from Laura covers topics on sustainable living practices.
Popular vlog examples
After creating your profile on YouTube and other relevant social media platforms, you need a video website that brings all these accounts together.
Here are some examples of vlogging templates you can use to create a video website:
Personal vlog
You can use this personal vlog template to create a vlogging website that talks about your life and experiences.
Gaming vlog
This gaming template is ideal for gamers who want to share their gaming experiences with others.
Beauty vlog
Beauty professionals can use this beauty website template to create engaging content that showcases their skills and offers product reviews.
Blog vs. vlog FAQ
Which is better, a blog or a vlog?
Each content format has its own advantages. Choose the one that aligns with your goals, audience preferences and content type.