Written on July 11th, 2008 at 06:07 am by Darren Rowse

What are the Benefits of Adding Video to your Blog?

Reader Questions 81 comments

A number of weeks ago skinner (from Twitter) asked me:

“what are the benefits of adding video to your blog?”

I thought it’d make an interesting reader question. How would you answer it?

Do you use video on your blog? Why (or why not)? What do you like and dislike about video on other people’s blogs?

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81 Responses to “What are the Benefits of Adding Video to your Blog?”

  • Reed

    July 11th, 2008 6:29 am

    I use video on my blog frequently, in just about every post. It appeals to the age group of my readers, and provides more entertainment, resulting in readers staying longer.

  • 5starhiphop

    July 11th, 2008 6:36 am

    Yes, I use video on my blog. I honestly do not like it because I believe it makes the pages take longer to load. Especially if you have 5 or more videos there, but the readers respond well to it. My traffic seems to go up when I started to post videos. I try to stay away from unimportant things, but some stuff I have to post.

    I can’t stand when EVERY post on your blog has a video IN IT!! Unless it’s a video YOU made each time, that gets annoying.

  • Guillermo

    July 11th, 2008 6:36 am

    No doubts video is great for readers! They enjoy watching them, they can see more, better things in a more enjoyable way… The problem is for us, bloggers… Video is not for the lazy blogger. It takes you time to find the correct one, you may have to edit it, etc… It’s just more time consuming than a simple picture for the publisher/editor.

  • Saad Kamal

    July 11th, 2008 6:37 am

    I think video is an excellent way of making your blog sort of ‘interactive’. Your readers may have been reading your blog for quite a while …but probably they have never had a chance to see you or to make any ’special connection’ to your blog.

    So adding a video occasionally can basically help you to close that gap…readers will feel more connected and probably feel better knowing that — behind that flashy blog there is actually a ‘human’ talking.

    There are other advantages too for having videos on your site. For instance, if you are doing a ‘how-to’ post, it may be easier to show them a screencast rather than writing about it.

  • Robb Sutton (198)

    July 11th, 2008 6:39 am

    Every Tuesday, I post several videos related to my niche. So far, I have gotten great feedback out of the experience.

    I am setting up to do product reviews with video content to expand my offerings. This all came about when I became a ProReviewer on the largest site in the world for my content.

    I think videos add not only a personal touch to your blog, but also a better visual representation of what you are trying to portray.

  • aamir attaa

    July 11th, 2008 6:43 am

    Using video on your blog can be beneficial, but it greatly depends on the nature of your blog.

  • James Kolacz

    July 11th, 2008 6:47 am

    1. its eye catching
    2. You can use it with advertising
    3. If used the right way it makes the site look more interactive.

    There are also draw makes like it can make it an eye sore if used wrong or the video is too large.

  • Luis Gross

    July 11th, 2008 6:47 am

    I think when it comes to placing video on your site it provides better user experience. Not only is the reader getting written content, but also visual content via videos. Personally I enjoy sitting back and watching a good video post on a topic I’m interested in. Written content is always great, but a nice video twist to your site will surely give your readers reason to stick around a little longer.

  • Alex the Freelance Twin

    July 11th, 2008 6:51 am

    I’ve put a couple videos on my blog, but I just started my Freelance blog so I can’t give a great judgment on how my readers feel about it.

    I can say I added them to give readers a more personal experience. If you let your readers get to know you, I think they’re more likely to come back. And a video is a fantastic way to let your readers really feel like they’re connecting with you.

  • Jim Kukral

    July 11th, 2008 6:55 am

    So many to choose from. Personally I think one of the best reasons to add video on your blog is so that your readers can see you and begin to develop a “real” relationship with your persona beyond just text.

  • Steve Olson

    July 11th, 2008 6:56 am

    For me it was letting my readers know who I was, what I looked like, and what I sounded like. I think you can get a little closer to your readers when you do video.

  • KushMoney

    July 11th, 2008 6:57 am

    Yes, I use videos on my blog. The reason is my blog is not only a blog but a show as well. So I must record the interviews I do when I interview people. My readers like both when I write and do a video.

  • TheAnand

    July 11th, 2008 6:57 am

    I hate using videos cuz my target audience in India do not have access to hi-speed internet. And it literally has no SEO benefits.

    Yes, I do add videos to posts when they supplement the information I give, like a sales page or a tutorial.

  • Mark Goodyear

    July 11th, 2008 6:59 am

    If you value time on site as a way of measuring engagement, video definitely gives people a reason to stick around.

  • JoLynn Braley

    July 11th, 2008 7:01 am

    So far I’ve done 2 videos on my blog, filed under my video posts category. Did one on Monday and one a cpl weeks ago.

    To me I think they help your readers relate to you more, from my end, they really suck my energy because I do so many takes of them. What I need to do is create a better process for making them, then I’ll end up with fewer takes.

    Overall I like doing it though, I’m still learning, and am working on making them shorter (I don’t have a problem with public speaking ;) ). I’ve gotten some great feedback on them, too, which is encouraging. So, I’ll just keep on improving on my process.

    BTW, if you ever want to share tips on how you make your video process easier, that would be cool to read about. :)

  • lady coveted

    July 11th, 2008 7:01 am

    ah… i just posted a video tutorial yesterday on my blog… it was the first one where i was actually in the video. it got a lot of great comments, particularly since many people had been reading my blog for a long time, and it was the first time they saw me in action, heard my voice etc. Someone actually said:

    “it’s nice to meet you.”

    so i’m thinking of doing more, it’s fun. the readers like it. and since i live abroad, i’m watching more videos on the internet… so for me it adds another dimension to the blog. besides, video editing adds to my skillset.

    but i also like to see nice pictures and read good writing. that’s for sure. the internet is a great platform for combining all three.

  • Jared

    July 11th, 2008 7:10 am

    I have recently started adding video to my blog. So far, just clips of me talking about topics in my niche (time management, success mindset, and internet business).

    I am a good talker (after all I am training to be a preacher!) so this is relatively easy for me. I have had a good response. Often readers tell me they like the additional forms of media. not everyone likes to read all the time, and once in a while it is good to just sit back and watch. Plus while speaking there are other ways to communicate with eye and body language.

    I also think it helps my readers to see me as the down to earth guy I am. this comes across a lot better on video.

    So all in all for me it has been a good addition.

  • Crazykinux

    July 11th, 2008 7:20 am

    I’ve used embedded videos numerous times and have found that they work really well as long as they’re relevant. This may seem obvious, but it’s crucial.

    A great video, adds value to your post and blog, whereas something which isn’t relevant wastes your readers time.

    I guess it’s the same thing as the content.

  • tigerjim48

    July 11th, 2008 7:32 am

    Personally, I think video is vastly overblown in blogging. Who has time to sit there and watch a 2:43 video of you when they could spend 35 seconds reading your text.

    Besides, how many people are good looking enough that I want to see them that long?! :)

  • yonu

    July 11th, 2008 7:37 am

    At this moment I have no video on my blog. But I`m planning to post some ones in the near future. I think that videos on a blog make the readers to trust and know better the blog`s author.

    I`m talking about videos which the author has made himself, not videos from youtube or something like that.

  • Mary Allen

    July 11th, 2008 7:52 am

    I like seeing video on blogs because it helps me create a deeper connection with the person and their value to me. It’s one step more personal. It’s easy to hide behind words. But, video is so authentic.

    I look forward to adding video to my own blog at some point.

  • Dani

    July 11th, 2008 7:52 am

    I dislike video on blogs, becuase I (and most of my readers,) read blogs at work or in other public places, like Starbucks or the library. Having a video come on is disruptive and annoying, and they often take a while to load.

  • Alain Wong

    July 11th, 2008 7:54 am

    Yes, I use videos on every post since I run a Chinese music site. The advantage is that readers can come to the site and get new music and perhaps sticking around the site for at least 3-4 minutes (to listen to the whole song). This will give them a lot of time to think about what they want to do next on the site like clicking on ad, comment, download song, etc. The drawback is the loading time. I limit to only 5 videos on the landing page to minimize this issue.

  • D. Bell

    July 11th, 2008 7:57 am

    I’ve just started adding video to my site. Right now I am using a service to import the videos but eventually I like to add original content. As has already been mentioned, it give the readers a different experience from just reading about what happened. They can often see for themselves. We have a lot of hot button issues in our neighborhood and the video coverage is great for helping people understand the issues better. I also find that it helps to enhance the experience when introducing local talent to my readers. Again, they can see for themselves what the buzz is about.

    I don’t like it when people add video to their blogs and it is set to start automatically. I am not always in a situation where I can watch video — either due to being in a public place of due to bandwidth limitations. I also feel like the videos should be well balanced with actual content on the site. Otherwise it is just a bootleg version of YouTube.

    The best use of video on a site is when it is added to enhance the experience. There is related content and the video thereby supports it.

  • Brad

    July 11th, 2008 8:11 am

    I have started to use video, but only when really warranted. My blog is about washing machines, so posting a couple videos to illustrate the differences between two machines is beneficial. I don’t plan on doing it much; only when it really adds value to the post.

  • Bicycle Touring Pro

    July 11th, 2008 8:15 am

    Most of my new readers come from the videos I’ve posted on YouTube, Viddler, etc. So, having video on my website is extremely important to bringing in new readers.

    However, it seems as though most of the people who visit my site either love or hate the videos. It’s kind of strange, but it’s true!

    In the end, I think the use of video is a good idea. I just wish it didn’t take so long to shoot, edit, and post the videos. They take a lot of work… especially if you want to make them good.

  • Wakas Mir

    July 11th, 2008 8:16 am

    I use videos on and off. Because I write mostly about society and psychology and so on, so depends if i can find a video that goes deep and hand in hand.

  • Slevi

    July 11th, 2008 8:21 am

    At occasions I insert videos, for example when I reviewed a movie I’d kick in a trailer or when I blog on a game a gameplay vid. But those are occasions in which video truly speaks more than words.

    I’m not much for the vlogging kinda videos, see it as a waste of time to listen to and usually just browse away. It takes too long and most people just are barely understandable when talking, spoken English suddenly turns into quite a local language when they speak in dialects or with heavy accents.

  • Douglas Karr

    July 11th, 2008 8:24 am

    I experimented with Seesmic for a while and have done some vlogging intermittently. The interesting thing about video is that it seems to accelerate the relationship. While reading a blog provides you with an image of who the blogger is over several months, the video can do it in several seconds. It’s a very powerful medium.

    I’m not sure that I buy into switching from to vlogging from blogging. The benefits of text are many over a video - such as quickly scanning through the writing. I like writing, but I ’sprinkle’ with video to let folks know what I really look and act like. And hopefully they still keep coming back!

  • Mary Corbet

    July 11th, 2008 8:44 am

    Video is the Biggest Draw on my blog, absolutely. I have a list of about 48 instructional videos for embroidery stitches, and that’s what draws the biggest audience.

    Especially when used to instruct on a process that could be complicated (for example, embroidery stitches), video outweighs the picture or diagram all around. People learn different ways, but it seems to me that more and more people are visual and auditory learners - they like to see (and hear) what they have to do, rather than just read about it. Video makes that possible.

    Most of my readers (I don’t have a “huge” blog, but it’s doing ok for the niche) who use my video tutorials say it’s just like sitting down next to someone to learn. And, in my niche, that’s a big asset.

    I just sunk a little bit of fundage into new video software and new computer hardware in order to produce better videos, so, yep, I like video. In fact, technically speaking, the videos on my site are rather… uh… poorly done. But people still like them!

    Here’s a question: at what point, if you’re using a public platform like Google Video or You Tube to host your videos, should you get irritated by people who plant your videos on their websites without giving credit or an obvious link back to the author of the video? Aaaargh.

  • Kirk Warren

    July 11th, 2008 8:59 am

    I don’t use video on either of my blogs. I haven’t really explored video posts and am unsure of what I’d need, exactly, to get into it. I don’t own a webcam nor a digital camcorder, so I’d have to invest money on top of not knowing how to go about formatting a video for the web.

    So, it’s hard for me to even think about doing anything with video, despite it’s wide spread use on the web these days.

  • Tom Stine | Living from Consciousness

    July 11th, 2008 9:32 am

    I’ve discovered that videos are good primarily:

    1. When they are how to videos OR
    2. They are SHORT if they are talking head ones.

    I love doing them, but they take a lot of time and effort. But I think they are very worth it.

  • Coop

    July 11th, 2008 9:41 am

    I do try to add videos without overdoing it. On average I have 1 video every other week.

    In my field of fitness I try to split them in 3 groups. Inspirational, funny, and instructional.

    Since I don’t over do it, most of my readers enjoy them.

    Best,
    Coop
    P.S. I have a fun one on today.

  • Tony Cathey

    July 11th, 2008 9:59 am

    Yes, video is very helpful to tell the story. Kind of like a news report with the commentary of their own voice as they read your blog.

    Tony Cathey
    http://www.imablogger.net

  • Ed

    July 11th, 2008 10:11 am

    Although I photoblog I have been experimenting with time lapse videos. So far it’s mainly just been simple things like the views from my apartment/views from the office. I live on the other side of the world to my family so it gives them the opportunity get a better idea of where I’m living as opposed to just a normal photograph. I also did some stop-motion experiments a few years ago for a photography project whilst at college and am continuing to experiment, so I see putting those types of videos on my blog as an extenstion of what I already do.

  • Chetan

    July 11th, 2008 10:24 am

    Never added videos, so not sure how much they help!

    But good discussion and answers i can read here..

  • Evan

    July 11th, 2008 10:25 am

    I much prefer text - it is quicker to read, easier to scan and takes far less bandwidth (not everyone is on cable). Also they usually deliver less content - about half of most of them is taken up with introductions. The need to listen to the audio can also be difficult, depending on where you are.

    The only reason I can see for video is giving readers a better sense of who you are. This may be very important and is the reason I plan to do one or two. Which leads me to another dislike - they still require a bit of technical knowledge which I don’t have.

  • amirulcyber

    July 11th, 2008 10:33 am

    discussing about this topic is good because we can increase our knowledge altogether.Thanks a lot.

  • Kelvin Kao

    July 11th, 2008 10:37 am

    I use videos because video-making and editing is a major category that my blogs covers. It makes sense to show my videos and show how they are made.

    As for watching people’s videos, I do like it because it adds another layer and flavor to the site. However, what I also realized is that I tend to save these posts to view later, because I don’t want to start viewing a video when I’m at work. Sometimes they are just marked, and I don’t get to them until a while later though (especially longer ones).

  • 1HappyBlogger

    July 11th, 2008 11:15 am

    I, personally, have a video on my business blog http://www.MagicSenses.com/blog It is a review on some of my products. I think it helps our customers build confidence in our handcrafted products that sometimes are difficult to describe in a few words.

    About videos on other people’s blogs: most of the time I love watching video. When your eyes are tired, it is much easier than reading… However, I hate it when all they have on their blog is a collection of youtube videos and that’s all. No original content.

  • Phil McThomas

    July 11th, 2008 11:27 am

    (I haven’t read the replies yet…I’ll come back to them…but…)

    Here’s what I want to do - do any of these new video services support this yet?

    1) Take a video where I can alternate between my webcam and a portion of my screen. E.G I want to be talking to the camera, then switch to show a view of a web page I have open, then switch back.

    2) Turn this quickly into a vidcast.

    3) Strip out the audio and turn it into an audio podcast.

    If I could do that without too much fuss, I’d jump at it.

    Anyone got any suggestions?? Even just part 1 would be useful.

  • Sarah

    July 11th, 2008 11:27 am

    I’ve yet to really try actual video for my blogs. My webcam doesn’t get great viewing, and I’ve yet to figure out how to get video from the digital camcorder (uses digital tapes) to the computer, LOL.
    I want to start using video for one of my blogs eventually though.

  • Lori

    July 11th, 2008 11:35 am

    I use videos all the time. I blog about my baby and it is a great way for people to actually see what she’s doing. A picture just doesn’t do justtice to laughing while riding a bouce-n-spin zebra like a video does.

  • Lisa Irby

    July 11th, 2008 11:50 am

    Almost all my posts with video end up getting the greatest number of responses. I don’t post other people’s videos but I do my own videos of me talking about relevant subjects. And if you put your videos on YouTube it’s a double bonus because people can find you there and then you can redirect them to your blog. My YouTube videos have raised my revenue by at least 25 to 30% in the last year.

  • Vern at AimforAwesome

    July 11th, 2008 12:03 pm

    I like video on a blog when it isn’t scripted and when it’s not like they’re trying to duplicate a news cast. This is blogging. Be yourself. I am considering putting some video on my Aim for Awesome blog, but not sure how to go about that. Video doesn’t help the search engines find you, but it’s much more viral content than most text. I think Google probably likes to see some variation in a web site too - different media. Jpg, .pdf, .avi or .mov or .wmv, .xls, .ppt, etc.

    There are many top bloggers that are attempting video and putting a lot of content in the video. WHY are so many of them wearing baseball caps? If your hair is gone, it’s gone man - just be yourself. To me a baseball cap makes you look like someone not comfortable with yourself. Shave your head down and act like you’re OK with it… just take off the caps. They shade your face and one guy in particular that has AWESOME information on his videos has the worst series going… I won’t mention his name but if you think for 45 minutes you might get the hint.

    Video should be spontaneous and you should be naturally excited about what you’re saying. It should be better said on video than in text or you should write it.

    Video should show you as you really are - not as a newscaster. Not as someone you’re not.

    You know?

  • TechnologySlice

    July 11th, 2008 12:16 pm

    I avoid using video on my blog. Not because I think there is anything wrong with using video in moderation, I just don’t think my blog suits the media.

  • blaiq

    July 11th, 2008 12:50 pm

    I usually skip all posts with video - including the one’s at ProBlogger.

  • bridget at oohlow.com

    July 11th, 2008 12:50 pm

    Can the Mino Flip Video Camera work for adding video to my blog ?

  • gotgamedotcom

    July 11th, 2008 12:52 pm

    video on blogs can be great but be careful not to oversaturate your site with vids. Lots of pics with a few vids is the best balance.

  • Rachael

    July 11th, 2008 12:57 pm

    I often create instructional video tutorials for my blog. By using screen capture technology I can show my readers “how to” do something much easier than writing down a whole list of “click here then click here” instructions.
    I post my videos on YouTube and embed them into my posts which also brings traffic to my blog from people who find my videos on YouTube.

  • John W

    July 11th, 2008 1:45 pm

    I think there is a distinction between leveraging video that is custom-produced and unique to your blog and pulling something off of Youtube. Although my production skills are in their early stages, the readership (and now viewership) has responded very positively.

    Recycling others’ video content can be value-add to the blog but not the same as with the self-branded and created video as is done on Problogger.net and I have followed suit.

    If your blog niche is largely visual (arts, decor, design), then video is a must.

  • Liz

    July 11th, 2008 2:09 pm

    Videos can be very eye-catching, but they can also be an annoying roadblock. If I’m engrossed in my iPod and I run across a post that seems interesting, only to find that I have to watch a video to find out the rest of the story, I get annoyed. Why can’t I read something at my own pace while enjoying my tunes?

    Then again, I’m one of those people who hates the “lecture” part of classes, too. Just give me the textbook, it’s faster!

  • Shafar

    July 11th, 2008 2:20 pm

    Depends upon the visitors…

  • L-Jay

    July 11th, 2008 7:26 pm

    If I want to share my content (physical movement) then video is the best way. The thing I hate about it is that I have to show everyone what I look like - this is one boundry that I had to cross if I wanted to blog in my niche. It was tough but also ‘freeing’ too.

  • Winston

    July 11th, 2008 7:31 pm

    As a web user, I look for text content. If I want a video - Ill put the telly on! But seriously - this is simply a time thing for me. As we all know, most readers skim over a page and pick out interesting bits. Now that video is going to have to work really really hard to get my attention and even harder to keep it! I’ve lost count of how many vids Ive only watched 10 secs off before browsing off back to google.

    Oh and most amateur videos (sorry but its true) are simply not that good. Amateur authors are often as good as their counterparts. But doing a good video is much much harder. Not only is there content to worry about but there is the delivery, the visuals, etc, etc.

    The other obvious downside is that a video isnt SEO friendly!

  • Lenin Nair

    July 11th, 2008 8:48 pm

    Hi Video is of course quite valuable. I still remember the attraction of your last weekly video post on importance of commenting with the crazyegg heat map.

    But audio is also quite valuable, right? In fact, adding audio to your blog, with the help of a service I recently found (heck! I forgot the name) can be quite advantageous, because, it gives you a perfect automated audio of all your posts. That way, you can just place a small play button on the top of your posts, and the it will stream the post in an automated sound. Pretty good for bloggers. I am studying it and will implement it soon in my blog. Check it out,

    Thanks Darren

    Lenin

  • Kim

    July 11th, 2008 10:20 pm

    I would love to do more video on our blog, but it is time consuming and takes a lot of effort! We have had a very positive response to the few videos we do offer.

  • revenue

    July 11th, 2008 10:57 pm

    I have some post with a video on it, actually it’s interesting to have a video on our post it can attract our readers if the video interesting :)

  • Elie

    July 11th, 2008 11:22 pm

    I think adding video to sites is a terrible idea. I can never be asked to watch a video. I’d much rather read what you have to say.
    At pokerlife.wordpress.com I don’t use videos at all and it works great.

  • Marue

    July 11th, 2008 11:44 pm

    With the rising cost of gas, I think there is a huge potential for videos in my particular niche. I’m dying to try it but I don’t have the equipment right now. On the other hand, I’m scared to death to try it. It’s a big investment for something that might not work.

  • thesportsaffiliate.com

    July 12th, 2008 12:07 am

    I run a sports blog. So video has great appeal to my audience. With the emergence of youtube you can find all kinds of sports highlights almost immediately after they occur.

    The Nathan’s Hot Dog eating contest highlights were on youtube after it was 30 minutes over. It was also beneficial during the Euro 2008, soccer goal highlights were available almost immediately. I dont know why the major TV Networks dont capitalize on having highlights and clips quickly available. They could easily insert ads into the videos. Some networks also dont allow you to embed or copy their videos either. Instead someone finds a way to post it on Youtube for free.

    Its all about pictures and videos these days. Gone are the days of black and white print. People want dynamic and interactive content.

    -Rob
    http://thesportsaffiliate.com

  • Roger

    July 12th, 2008 2:02 am

    I maintain two videos in the sidebar of my blog. I think the video appeals to my readers. However, like everything else, I think you can overdue it. For example I usually never mix video into the posts content.

  • Barb

    July 12th, 2008 3:13 am

    My one gripe about most video is that very few people caption their videos. While I know the deaf/hoh world needs captioning to be able to gain benefit from a video, as a hearing person myself, I find too many videos where I cannot understand part or all of the audio. Unless you’re a mime, a video with bad audio is just annoying! You can’t gain any benefit from it. It would help if there were easier ways to caption your own video. This is an area where the technology really needs to come up to speed.

  • Pat

    July 12th, 2008 4:10 am

    I intensely dislike video on blogs or news sites. I tend to read blogs while on the phone or doing other mindless tasks. I can’t multi-task when there is video. And frankly, most people who do their own webcam videos aren’t good enough to capture my attention for more than the 20 seconds it takes me to scan the written blog. i routinely skip videos, and if a site has too many, I’ll unsubscribe. Needless to say, I use very few on my own blog, and then only to supplement the written content.

  • Syed Balkhi

    July 12th, 2008 5:04 am

    The main advantage of a video is the connection between me and my reader. They can actually see me and get to hear I talk. That is the way they understand my personality and it helps them understand my posts better. Another advantage of videos in the blog is that it explains some things way better than a word post would.

    Also some tutorials are better with video rather than just text.

    btw darren: thanks for the add on plurk.

  • Viki Nygaard

    July 12th, 2008 5:45 am

    I think that video can be an excellent tool, particularly when it’s used to demonstrate how to do something. However, I would highly encourage those who use video to either caption the video or include a written transcript of it.

    Yeah, I realize that’s a lot of extra work, but if you don’t provide a written alternative, you are going to lose out on visitors/customers/subscribers. Over 28 million people in the United States alone are deaf or hard of hearing, and most of them rely on captioning or subtitles to view and understand video.

  • Virtual Tech Diva

    July 12th, 2008 6:40 am

    Adding video to your blog is an excellent way to market to your customer’s emotions. My sister just had a baby girl and she wanted to give her clients an update of her maternity leave. What better way to show her appreciation for her clients support by premiering a short video pronouncing the birth of her baby girl. At the end of the video shows a promo code that her clients need to announcing at the time of the appointment to receive a 10% discount. I emailed the link to all of her customers in her address book. Within 24 hours, my sister’s customers called her and rave about the video. And within a few days, her customers called to make an appointment while announcing the promo code. Not only that, it increase my blog traffic.

  • cb

    July 12th, 2008 6:52 am

    I actually don’t like video in blogs. I rarely if ever watch them if they are posted. I use my computer in my front room and prefer a ‘reading’ experience. I understand I might be in the minority but lots of video would turn me right off.
    I think it wouldn’t be hard to guess then that I’ve never used video in my blog :) I see it as a visual form - rather than an audio-visual form.. if I want video, I’ll grab a video podcast!

  • Carlos - Travel Central America

    July 12th, 2008 8:32 am

    Videos are a great tool in any blog. However having videos makes the page to download in much more time than usual, no problem when you have a fast internet connection, but it’s really a problem if the connection is not that fast.

    Many times I have tried myself to access some websites or blogs, but when they don’t download quick because they have videos included, its very frustrating.

    It also depends on the topic of the blog. Some blogs may be fine with regular photos, and having a video once in a while is good, as long as it doesn’t make the download very slow as I said….

  • Matt Dickman

    July 12th, 2008 1:08 pm

    I use a lot of custom video on my blog. Over a couple of years of doing this I’ve found a key point in how people consume information. Everybody wants it their way. Some people like to read a post, others like to watch videos, some want those videos in a podcast.

    Video is also a fantastic way to explain things to people where words tend to fail. You’ll see on my videos I have a video window with my face and a browser where I show people what I am talking about. (Here is a recent video on Summize http://tinyurl.com/52xg65.) I cover new, hot social media apps that normal marketing people are too overwhelmed to try themselves. I try thing for them and walk them through step-by-step.

    I also distribute my videos on a lot of platforms so that my readers can watch them wherever they want. Once I compress a final video I upload it to my podcast hosting system. Next I go to Facebook and upload it to my videos and to my fan page videos (for some reason this is a separate process). Finally I use TubeMogul.com to upload a single file on 8-10 different video sites at once. Saves me time and gets the content out quickly.

    I think the most important part of using video is to add some value that you can’t get in copy, but support it with a text narrative. Also, let people consume things where and how they want. Post your video on iTunes as well as YouTube and Yahoo Video. You never know where people will find you.

  • Lenin Nair

    July 12th, 2008 5:25 pm

    Hi there, Darren,

    As I mentioned in my last comment here, I added audio to my blog. Dear readers, please check out Odiogo.com which offers a great podcasting service for bloggers. For a demo, please visit my stie cutewriting.blogspot.com

    Lenin

  • ITrush

    July 12th, 2008 11:58 pm

    I haven’t done it yet, but I’m thinking of adding one.

  • matthew bennett

    July 13th, 2008 12:37 pm

    I produce and post a video every day, the Nokia Daily News. I film and edit the video using the video editor application on my Nokia N95. If the files weren’t so big at 20MB or so, I could upload them without a computer.

    I just started a little over a month ago, and my stats are growing predictably. The niche is small, and the content over tech and boring to most. I’m just trying it to figure out the workflow. According to my stats, users average over 2 minutes on the site, and my bounce rate is below 5%.

  • Genesis

    July 14th, 2008 3:27 am

    So far, I haven`t used video. For me, it is rather frustrating to find a video on someone`s website or blog and then have to wait an hour for it to load. However, it does seem beneficial if you have something that can`t be easily explained . . . showing is always better.

  • Benny Lewis

    July 14th, 2008 12:30 pm

    My blog is primarily for hosting the videos I make (travel documentaries, each one translated to 7 languages). It’s great since you can convey so much information (at least in my case) in a much shorter space of time than you would need to sit and read it. My readers (viewers…) would not have the patience for such vast amounts of text some blogs produce. Some of us tell a story better through images! :)

  • Kat Rice

    July 15th, 2008 6:18 am

    I personally hate video in blogs. Personally, I do much of my blog reading in the evening when some of my family is in bed, so if I want to listen I have to put on headphones, etc. And a lot of times I’m grooving to music which I then have to stop if I want the information. I like video when it is supplemental or used occasionally, I even plan to try it on my own blog someday but most of the times I’m irritated. If you’re going to have video at least put your same thoughts in text somewhere on the page.

    Someone else mentioned speed. I read much faster than someone speaks and my time is very, very precious. That and sometimes people are better writers than they are speakers and listening to video can grate your nerves rather than inspire you.

    I see a lot of comments about viewers liking that kind of stuff. I guess if you are really talented with video, go for it. My readers are often older, less internet savvy and prefer text with pretty pictures, at least in what I’ve seen so far.

    Oh and for the few people who have videos or sound that plays automatically, that’s a good way for me never ever to use your site again. Videoblog all you want, just let me press play when I wanna hear it.

  • Vern at AimforAwesome

    July 15th, 2008 12:46 pm

    Giving a lot of thought to this over the last few days.

    For myself I’d like to use video to show things I don’t necessarily want to write a long article about. It’s so much easier for me to shoot a video and edit it than write 5000 words about the same topic. When speaking it comes out more naturally. I don’t script my videos so hopefully it comes out more free-flowing than text which I often agonize over to choose the exact words I want to use.

    I think I can put more personal things into the video about topics I cover on the site that might connect me with visitors to my blog a little better than does text and static photos.

    For me - text articles are best to provide new information and that search engines will index and send traffic to.

    Video is for personal notes to visitors… as if I’m sharing part of my life experience with them, not really for new information - which probably should come in the form of a well-written article they can get value from quickly by scanning or reading it.

    I shot my first video for the site, critiques welcome Aim for Awesome, Video 1. Yes, I understand the title at the end didn’t render very well at 150kbps quality. At top quality it looks nice. I’ll remember that for future videos! Good luck to everyone that is focused on putting video on their blogs.

  • Jack Carol

    July 15th, 2008 7:59 pm

    I thing the benefit is it save time explaining to your reader with word.

  • Serge

    July 23rd, 2008 6:55 pm

    I’m not using video on my blog yet but I’m considering doing it in the future. I’m gathering information about good compact camcorders but they are expensive, especially the full-HD models. I’ll certainly keep an eye on future articles you publish about using video on blogs.

  • himeshmishra

    July 24th, 2008 5:42 am

    well i have started blogging myself and as most of the people in the comment list would agree that adding video is a good thing adds more attraction to your post but it can be veryyy time consuming if someone has 56 kbps net speed.

  • Ana

    November 1st, 2008 5:40 pm

    i use blogyoutube.com and work fine

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