Back in August last year we spoke about investing time in creating a Blog. Now almost 12 months later, how have you done? We’d love to see yours if you have created one (seriously, send us a link to it!).
If you see the value that blogging can provide you but either haven’t got there quite yet or just don’t quite have the time to translate your thoughts and ideas into text, then I have an alternative for you… Vlogging! If you are a regular Blog King/Queen, then vlogging is a great alternative to just writing your content
A Vlog (Video Blog, aka Video Diary) is a quick, fun and engaging way to present information. At its most basic it involves a person (you), a camera, and something to talk about.
Now vlogging isn’t really a new concept… we’ve been writing ‘diaries and journals’ for centuries, but that has always been ‘just for us’; a private collection of our desires, thoughts and experiences. But why hide all of your own feelings and opinions from other people? When someone is determining whether they truly like or dislike you, they need to know what ‘makes you tick’. Your potential clients begin to do this during their first interactions with you. They need to know you, like you and trust you… but that will only come once that have resonated with you. Without developing trust, they won’t be your clients for long. Vlogs are one of the many styles of video you can use that allow people to make that leap into the domain of trust much sooner than was previously possible.
It is really powerful when you use video in this way to connect with people and share your thoughts and beliefs. What’s more, its really easy too! It is as close to ‘just hit record’ as it gets, and it doesn’t matter whether you have a huge production studio, or a smartphone at your disposable… what you talk about or ‘vlog’ about is entirely up to you. You can create a series about what to consider when buying an investment property, your honest opinion on the recent round of Government legislation affecting your industry, a how-to on conducting an orchestra, or you can simply talk about anything you have a passion for.
I chose the latter, but not because I don’t know anything about Government legislation or conducting an orchestra (even though I don’t!). I chose it because I believe it will speak directly to the kind of audience that is important to me; those I want to resonate with. Each week I set up my camera, sit myself down in front of it and just talk. Each vlog is about 4-5 mins long, and serves as a way for me to share my passion in life – filmmaking.
Now, the question you may ask is ‘why can’t I just write about it?’. And you can! I’m not saying that this replaces written blogging completely, but as we always say, video is the next best thing to replicating yourself, and adds the dimensions of trust that body language and facial recognition provide. So if you’re a natural writer, why not consider a video intro or summary to your next blog?
At the end of the day, it is far easier to engage with someone by seeing them as opposed to reading between the lines of a block of text. So the next time you’ve got something to say, consider saying it in front of a camera!