Have you considered video blogging? Blogging is one of my favorite ways to drive traffic to websites and engage with audiences. When you are ready to launch your video blog on a website, you’ll find plenty of free and paid sites to choose from for the Best Video Blogging.
The Best Video Blogging is nothing new — after all, video has existed on the web long before YouTube. But video equipment is now cheaper, post production software more accessible, and online platforms on which to distribute video — such as YouTube — are easier to use than ever before just to fulfill for Best Video Blogging. Still, only some of the many people posting videos regard themselves as video bloggers.
The site you choose is determined by your expectations and plans for the Best Video Blogging, such as whether you plan to monetize the blog and whether it is a video-only blog or you want the option to add text and photos. In the age where online reality is replacing actual reality in every facet of our lives, having YOUR face behind YOUR virtual real estate is paramount for people to feel close(er) to you.
Most websites provide analytics and have a mobile app or optimized version for mobile devices, but if this is important to you, confirm it with your host. In fact, experts predict that by 2019, 80% of the global Internet traffic will be videos. More than half of marketing executives say video content is their most profitable ROI.
Blog posts containing videos have triple the amount of inbound links compared to blog posts without videos.
This blog post will be your comprehensive guide for the Best Video Blogging .
Why Video Blogging?
Video blogging helps you build connections with your viewers like no other blogging format. The close second is perhaps audio. If you plan to publish video only, your video blog website can be as simple as a YouTube channel or a Vimeo channel, where you showcase videos you make along with videos you like that are uploaded by others for the Best Video Blogging.
The usual excuses given are “I don’t have the right equipment” or “it takes too much time” or “I’m not entirely sure how the whole process works.” Many blog hosts share video on their websites by linking to an existing video published on YouTube, Vimeo or another video host, so you may want or need an account with YouTube or a similar website even if you plan to set up a blog that includes text and other features with a different provider.
Setting up a video blog on YouTube or Vimeo is simple. Both sites ask you to provide basic information to set up an account, provide guidelines for your video uploads, ask you to add titles, tags, captions and descriptions for SEO, and provide customization features to personalize your page. Setting up a YouTube account is free. Vimeo offers several hosting packages, one of which is free.
To launch your vlogging journey, create an account on YouTube. Anyone’s allowed to upload content to YouTube; you don’t need a special creator account to upload for the Best Video Blogging
Blogging Websites With Video Support
If you plan to include text and photos in your video blog, you’ll want a traditional blogging provider that allows you to embed or link to videos. Blogging site providers come and go, but here are some of the best blogging websites, which have stood the test of time.
WordPress – Best for Free Blogs
WordPress is arguably the most popular blogging tool on the web, and it has millions of users. You can get a free blog with basic features. For advanced functionality, you need to opt for one of their paid plans. It can be a great starting point for blogging. If you ever decide to have more control over your site, it’s relatively
Perfect for
- Small hobby blogs
- For people who want to test waters with blogging
It’s a good option for small blogs or hobby blogs that are not actively maintained.
Build a blog, website or a combination of the two and take advantage of all the features the site offers including:
- Hundreds of customizable themes
- Mobile device compatibility
- Opportunity to add a custom domain name
- Automatic search engine optimization
- In-depth analytics
- Built-in social sharing
- 24/7 email support
WordPress has several packages available, one of which is free, but you’ll need to purchase a premium package to host video.
Weebly
Weebly is another site builder with a modular approach and a web-based interface. Pick a template and position your content as blocks in different areas. Weebly was launched to provide a place for users with no technical experience to create a high-quality blog or website using Weebly’s drag-and-drop website builder.
Perfect for
- Business owners who need blogging capability
- Online portfolios
- Bloggers with no technical knowledge
Millions of users enjoy the feature-rich environment, which includes:
- Responsive themes for blogs and websites
- Weebly app for iOS and Android for building and managing your blog from mobile devices
- Integrated eCommerce platform
- Customization tools to personalize any template
- Powerful design tools with no design experience required
- Advanced Theme Editor that offers full HTML and CSS control for custom development by experienced developers
Weebly has several packages available, one of which is free, but you’ll need to purchase a pro package to host video.
Pricing
You can start with a free account. After that, $6/month gets you a custom domain. For advanced features like site stats, video backgrounds, or membership options, you need to go for one of the higher plans. Those come in at $12-$26/month. Weebly also has separate plans for online stores that are slightly more pricey. All plans are paid annually.
Medium
Medium is a publishing platform founded in 2012 by one of the people behind Twitter. By now, it has become a popular community for writers, bloggers, and journalists. Offering both a website and an app for mobile devices, Medium is a cross-platform, slightly chaotic but beautiful place to build a blog. In addition to the ability to write blog posts, it also comes with limited social networking functions. You can comment on other people’s content and “like” it (likes are called “claps” on Medium). The audience is built into the platform.
In addition:
- Medium is a free and open platform
- Publishing tools let you write once, share anywhere
- The site reinvented the comments section
- Encourages participation and diversity of opinion
Pricing
The platform is free to use. If you have your domain, you can hook it up to individual stories. Unfortunately, you can’t do the same with user accounts.
Blogger
One of the older blogging platforms, Google’s Blogger is still active with millions of visitors. Blogger provides templates, though not as many—or as customizable—as other services.
This free blog hosting service has been around for a long time. It was founded in 1999 and acquired by Google in 2003. As a consequence, you can sign up easily with your existing Google account.
Perfect for
- Hobby bloggers and personal blogging
However, the service is free, stable and allows users to link to YouTube videos or accepts video uploads.
- Offers apps for iOS and Android devices
- Supports Google Adsense to provide revenue
- Supplies HTML template editor
Pricing
Blogger is completely free. The only cost you might incur is if you want to use a custom domain. In that case, you have to acquire and pay for it yourself.
Squarespace
Squarespace is home to websites built on fully customizable templates, many of which are optimized to support video. It’s a great all-in-one solution for non-technical people and offers hosting, domain registration, and the possibility for e-commerce. Building your site and arranging its content is easy. An app for iOS and Android mobile devices brings Squarespace blogs to the on-the-go crowd.
Perfect for
- Business owners
- Portfolio websites
- E-commerce
It also has blogging capabilities which are the reason why it’s among the best blog sites out there.
- Easy to purchase personal domain
- 2048-bit SSL built-in improves Google ranking
- Online store template and features available
- Free trial available
If you need some pointers for launching a new video blog or improving your existing one, you have come to the right place.
These are the top tips for running The Best Video Blogging.
1. Invest in a high quality microphone
Even if video comes out totally terrible, you can still salvage your shoot by turning your video post into an audio post. So how do we make sure audio comes out OK? Audio is one of the most important aspects of your video blog. People need to be able to hear what you’re saying.
Many low-end and certainly mid-level camcorders come with a MIC in port. Buy an external microphone, plug it in and beyond that, all you have to do is make sure your levels are decent and you’re all set. Having a quality microphone can help make sure you’re not wasting any time recording your video. Sometimes, you’ll have poor video quality. It happens.
If you have a camera that doesn’t have a MIC in, you can record the audio on a separate device and merge the audio with video in post-production. If you want to take your video blog seriously and do videos often, high quality audio needs to be a priority.
Which type of microphone should you get? I’ll be honest with you: I’m not an expert when it comes to this type of equipment. You’ll need to do some research yourself. Alternatively, you can look for the magic spot through experimentation that will yield good-enough results with minimal post-production editing.
2. Make sure you have proper lighting
If you’re going to spend money, this is the area where most of your budget should go. If there’s one thing video experts agree on, it’s the paramount importance of proper lighting in shooting a video.
Lighting can do a lot for the quality of your videos. These are the three terms you need to get familiar with:
- key light
- fill light
- back light
Key Light: As its name implies, this is the “main” light. Usually placed to the right of the camera and about 3 feet above the subject’s eye level (thereby emulating downward casting naturally produced by the sun).
Fill Light: This lighting fixture is placed on the other side of the camera and its job is to “fill” the shadow cast produced by the key light.
Back Light: Placed behind the subject. This light is sometimes called “head and shoulders” light because that’s the part of the subject it ought to illuminate.
Whenever you’re shooting outside of your home or office, you need to position yourself properly in relation to natural lighting resources.
Proper lighting is as much a science as it is an art. Having proper equipment and a zeal for experimentation are paramount.
Use the sun to your advantage when you’re filming outdoors. Try to position your camera so that the sun is at the same angle as your key light would be in a studio setup. Have fun with it and allow imperfections to slide.
3. Get yourself a decent camera
What kind of camera will you need to do online video? Well… what kind of camera do you have? I would definitely start there. Again, I’m not saying you need to spend thousands of dollars. Just make sure you take certain factors into consideration before making a purchase.
Depending on where you’ll be filming, you won’t always have access to a power outlet. Battery life is really important if you’re filming on the go. The idea is to get your face out there so that clients and potential customers can see you, hear from you and “feel” like they know you.
You should also know the video format that your camera records.
Popular formats include .mov, .avi, .mp4. This is important to know depending on how you plan to edit, export, and share your videos. You want to make sure the format can easily be converted.
4. Find the right screen capture software
Who said you even need a camera to produce your next video post? Sometimes you won’t even need a camera to video blog—well, at least not for all your posts.
You can use software like Camtasia (for PC) and ScreenFlow (for Mac) to capture your computer screen. If you want to show your audience how to do things on your computer, you’ll need to be able to record your actions with software such as ScreenFlow.
I strongly recommend you wear a pair of headphones with a mic while recording the accompanying audio track. This will eliminate the bulk of the ambient noise.
There are other options, but these are my top choices for Mac and PC. You can use them as a reference point for price and features if you’re shopping around.
5.Distributing a Video Blog
Post your videos on YouTube, Blip.tv, Archive.org and embeds clips on your blog. Also likes using Flickr for video and photos because you can email them from your smartphone, then Flickr sends a link out to Twitter. But, you stresses, no matter where you post your videos, you should add your video clips on your own web site or blog as well.
6. Be personable and engaging
Part of being a successful video blogger means you need to have a great personality. Don’t be shy, timid, or boring.
If you’ve got a sense of humor, let it shine.
Remember, this is your video blog. There aren’t any rules when it comes to the type of content you’re sharing.
Just be aware that anything you say or do could affect your personal and professional brand. I’d recommend staying away from controversial topics. But go for it if that’s a risk you’re willing to take.
Mix up your content so it’s engaging. Nobody wants to watch the same thing every day, week, or however often you plan to upload a new video.
7. Give your audience a reason to watch
This relates to my last tip about engaging with your audience. You need to answer a few questions about the direction of your video blog before you start filming.
What is the point of your video? Are you teaching your audience how to do something? What are your qualifications?
Sure, video blogs can be entertaining, informative, or both. But you need to make sure your audience has an incentive to watch.
Unless you’ve got one of the best personalities in the world, nobody will want to just listen to you talk about your day.
Understand what your audience wants, and give it to them.
8. Learn how to edit effectively
You’ll need to know how to edit your videos before you publish them. Just don’t go crazy with this.
Lots of cuts and edits don’t look professional. If you’ve got a Mac, you can use basic software such as iMovie to get the job done:
Growing Your Vlog
Vlogs grow, but the more you promote them, the better you’ll be. Promoting your content on social-media channels like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest will help, depending on the kind of content you share. Likewise, tying your Vlog’s URL to your social profiles promotes native discovery on the Best Video Blogging.
How to make better video interviews
Interviewing people is one of the fastest ways to create video content for your blog. It also happens to be one of the easiest because, let’s face it, the subject does all the talking.
If you can find an expert in your niche who’ll talk to you, you can shoot enough material in 10 minutes to produce several high-quality videos for your blog.
It’s not hard to find willing interviewees. Trade shows, meetups, and conventions are all great places to find experts ready to share their thoughts.
You could even arrange Skype video interviews with subjects, and use screen capturing software to record the footage. Generally speaking, people love to be interviewed.
But to get video interviewing right, there are a few things you need to know. Here are 5 tips to make video interviews for your Best Video Blogging to run smoother:
1. Keep the questions secret
People that you’re interviewing will often ask you for a list of questions in advance. It’s an understandable ask, but resist if you can.
Supplying questions in advance is a bad idea. Sure, tell them what the interview is about.
But when you give out a list of questions, your subjects will often prepare themselves and memorize their responses. You’ll lose spontaneity and freshness, and the interview will look rehearsed.
2. Warm-up and then go
Once the camera’s rolling, kick-off with some easy questions. “Did you see the new iPhone yet? Where did you get that purple sweater? Are you growing a mustache for Movember?”
After some light-hearted back and forth, quietly swap in the real questions. Often, they’ll have forgotten about the camera and they’ll talk naturally for the rest of the interview.
3. Don’t demand perfection
Get over the idea that people need to be ‘camera perfect’. For most of us, being in front of a camera feels strange.
While some people are fantastic storytellers, most folk need help to communicate what’s interesting about their topic.
Prepare your questions well, to help bring the best out of your subjects. But remember, ums and ahs are perfectly okay – if anything, they make your content seem more authentic.
4. Know what you want
When you’re interviewing somebody for your blog, always enter the interview knowing what story you want them to tell.
Have a Skype or Zoom chat or email exchange with them, before they’re in front of a camera.
Do your due diligence: ask what they’re working on, and what interesting opinions they have and agree in advance what you’ll ask them. During the interview is NOT when you should be deciding what questions to ask.
5. Don’t stop recording
Finally, once the questions are over, say “Great, that’s the end of the interview” but don’t turn the camera off just yet! Why? Because 9 times out of 10 the conversation will continue.
This is a real professional’s tip, it’s so powerful! With all the “pressure” of the interview gone, your subject will usually breathe a sigh of relief and talk more freely.
You’ll often get some of the best material of all when your interviewee thinks the camera’s switched off! (Obviously, make sure they’re okay with the footage you tricked them into giving you!)
What do you think? I’m sure there’s an amazing resource, application or perhaps a technique that I’ve missed. Something you’ve had experience with and found tremendously useful about the Best Video Blogging. Add your thoughts in the comments box below.
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