Written on January 11th, 2009 at 12:01 am by Darren Rowse
Have You Used Video on Your Blog?
Time for another Reader Poll – Have You Used Video on Your Blog?
With services like YouTube (and many others) that make it easy to share videos on your blog I’m keen to hear how many bloggers have used video as a way of engaging readers.
This poll simply asks if you’ve used video and if so – have you made it yourself and/or used other peoples?
Have You Used Video on Your Blog?
I’m looking forward to seeing the results and I am interested to hear from you as to what impact you feel video has had upon your blogging and readers levels of engagement?
144 Responses to “Have You Used Video on Your Blog?” - Add Yours
Matthew
January 11th, 2009 12:16 am
I’ve only used video made by others. Been getting good reports on impact of video.
Anybody can give advice on video services? Traffic Geyser, etc?
Matthew
http://twitter.com/MatthewSM1
David Hobson
January 11th, 2009 12:39 am
I use videos a lot on my blog and am currently in the middle of a 50 post traffic series all which are accompanied by a video.
Cindy Seibel
January 11th, 2009 12:42 am
If blogging is about reflection and engagement and community building, then video is perhaps an even better tool to do so than text alone.
I include both others’ videos as a way of sharing in my blog, along with learning videos I have created myself, and have posted video comments on other blogger’s sites. Misanchuk, Schwier and Boling found “there is every indication that mediated experiences are equivalent to human experiences, and there are few, if any, special ways of thinking or feeling about media that are unique or different from how we deal with human experience”. While still asynchronous, video creates a new way of connecting, and in a blog comment especially contains all the nuances of expression in a wonderfully unedited and spontaneous medium.
Very Evolved
January 11th, 2009 12:45 am
From reading many of your previous posts Darren I can certainly see the advantages to using video on a site. It is potentially more engaging than plain text and of course there is more marketing opportunities with hits coming from youtube etc.
However I’d be interested o hear your thoughts about the negatives of using video on your site – and how to overcome them.
I’m thinking that a poorly produced, webcam quality, boring video embedded may do more to turn people off than draw them in. Certainly innovation is needed here. There are way too many talking head videos that I will never give the time of day again.
Patrick
veryevolved.com
Philippa
January 11th, 2009 12:49 am
I have used a few videos maked by others in my blog posts and some of the pages. It is my goal though to have an intro video of my own before the winter is over.
BenSpark
January 11th, 2009 12:50 am
I make my own videos, I use YouTube for the quick and dirty, Utterli for the mobile, Vimeo for the better quality and Mevio for an on the water kayaking “podcast”
Gerrit Eicker
January 11th, 2009 12:51 am
I’m personally not a big fan of videos: There are some (very few) extremely good ones, helping to explain abstract processes (like “in plain English” or the fresh http://cli.gs/kiva-video ), but mostly videos are a time consuming linear nonsense.
Smile! Gerrit – We speak Online.
Make Money Online with a 17 year old kid
January 11th, 2009 12:52 am
Hi Darren,
This is the smallest post by you that I am ever reading…Still very interesting one. I am very confused about this. I use videos made by others from youtube but I think I will stop doing that as I want my blog to load as soon as possible. Because to get stumbles, the first point to keep in mind is to make your site optimized for stumbleupon which means a fast site first of all. I often bury (stumble down) slow sites. Well plz do post about the final results of the poll.
Regards
Laksh
http://makemoneyonline-withme.blogspot.com/
Firas Steitiyeh
January 11th, 2009 12:53 am
I post a video related to my blog every couple of days, check them out they are interesting
http://www.webli.st/category/video/
Regards,
Firas
A Cowboy's Wife
January 11th, 2009 12:53 am
I’ve done everything from the electric slide to blogging tutorials and I find that my readers love to watch them! I think it just gives them a more personable feel and we all want to feel like we “know” the blogger.
Gabriella
January 11th, 2009 12:55 am
We would love to start using them for our clients. We have written copy for videos. We have created the ideas and conceptualized the copy but actual shooting of Video nope. Ooo no wait I did an interview for a client but, the subject was a PHD in the poultry industry lol The Chicken doctor as I called him. However that was a “sit” down interview turned the camera on and that was it.
But I am not sure where to start. Any info you could send my way would be greatly appreciated. I work on a Mac and have iMovie and have used Flash etc,so I am not new to the Internet but I am a little older than most (in this industry) so I have yet to get on the Video band wagon craze.
Thanks for bringing this topic up, it reminds me of just ANOTHER thing I need to do :D
Danny Cooper
January 11th, 2009 12:55 am
Video blogs are the future Darren!
Ricardo Bueno
January 11th, 2009 12:58 am
One of the things I’m focusing on this year is adding multi-media content to my site (via audio and video). Personally I think it’s a great way to engage and accommodate differing tastes amongst your readers.
The challenging thing about video is that a very high quality standard is expected (especially if it’s a business blog). Where a flip cam might cut it for doing an interview at a conference, it’s not going to go over well when you’re doing that walk-through on that million dollar listing that you’re trying to market via your blog (I use real estate as an example because that’s my demographic).
guitarkadia
January 11th, 2009 12:58 am
Video for my blog is a key aspect to engaging readers. I do a lot of posts on guitar players or non guitar music to give examples of style and sounds; helps to have video.
At the same I create original videos on bands, guitar players, as well as video interviews. I’m about to start a series of video lessons on learning guitar chords and anyone will agree that video makes it much easier to learn guitar.
Overall, videos made by others and mine are a big part of my blog.
Musings of a Housewife
January 11th, 2009 1:00 am
I’ve recently started posting videos of myself and our family. My readers really like them. As a diarist, I think my readers feel like seeing and hearing me talk makes me more “real” to them. It adds a whole new element to blogging. I mean, I can’t exactly vlog in my pajamas. Well, I could, but no one would want to see that. :-)
On my beauty/fashion blog, I’ve done a makeup tutorial that was really well received.
DB Ferguson
January 11th, 2009 1:01 am
I use videos virtually every day for my site. Luckily, Comedy Central in their infinite wisdom has decided to make embeddable videos for virtually every part of the show I blog about (’Colbert Report’). We also do Episode Guides for each show with links to all videos featured for the show, so linking to both embeddable videos as well as linking to the sites where videos are featured are integral parts of our archive-style blog posts for the show.
Brian
January 11th, 2009 1:01 am
I think custom video would be extremely engaging. However, writing isn’t my occupation so it’s hard enough to get from the draft to publish phase with articles. For me, custom video as a time constraint doesn’t seem feasable.
Scott Williams
January 11th, 2009 1:05 am
I have received positive feedback each time that I have used videos… I am looking forward to doing more this year. The most views I had was a professionally shot video that I shot in a prison. Darren, I’d be interested to get your thoughts on the video, here is the link:
http://bigisthenewsmall.com/?p=709
Simona Rich
January 11th, 2009 1:07 am
I did not use video on my site yet, but I am planning to.
Stanzer_V
January 11th, 2009 1:07 am
Well I still yet to use video for my blog, however I think depends on what one is blogging and how well is video helping to emphasize the content of your blog.
For example some cooking blog used video to show the actual cooking tutorial instead of just showing the ingredient lists and steps.
netvalar
January 11th, 2009 1:08 am
I actually have a video on my blog posted tonight. However I find that on days where I post video visitors stay around longer. Good information though unused at this time.
My blog has become merely a piece of my online resources and I am still looking at how all the pieces fit together. I would love to do my own videos but no camera other then on my phone and I don’t think that would be decent enough quality plus not sure how to use the phones camera in that matter.
Ricky Cadden
January 11th, 2009 1:11 am
I have a weekly video show that I do, plus I tend to embed 2-3 videos/week from other sources.
I most often use other people’s videos to supplement news items that don’t really have alot of meat, such as an application announcement or something. Not only does it make my post look a bit more ‘full’, but it gives my readers something to interact with, as well.
If you’re making your own videos, and simply interested in getting the most eyeballs, you need to be using TubeMogul.com. I upload my video once, and then using TubeMogul I can publish it across 15+ different video hosting services (youtube, blip, viddler, vimeo, etc), AND it tracks stats and pulls them into a single graph.
Mike
January 11th, 2009 1:12 am
I’ve just started using videos on my site. I’ve so far used only videos made by other people, but I’d like to start creating my own.
Irish polyglot
January 11th, 2009 1:17 am
Interesting poll! My multilingual blog is almost exclusively for showing videos that I make myself (about interesting cultural aspects in my travels). I’m curious to see how this poll develops!
mantic59
January 11th, 2009 1:18 am
Actually its the other way around for me. My youtube videos drive viewers to my blog. Unfortunately only about 10% actually do, based on the number of video views vs. the number of blog readers. Still, the combination of the YouTube Partner program and Adsense on the blog does produce a modest monthly revenue.
Lynn Terry
January 11th, 2009 1:21 am
Video has definitely increased reader engagement – the feedback has been very positive whether I’m doing how-to screencasts or talking head humor or anything in between.
Since YouTube went HD/Widscreen at the end of Nov ‘08, I bought an HD mini video camera – similar to the Flip Mino HD, except the LCD screen is larger and actually flips out either way. That way you can flip it towards you and easily frame self video.
The HD models take a bit more learning for a non-pro, but they are easy enough for us amateurs to figure out and use to create high quality videos for our blogs.
Erika Berry a.k.a. CleanyBeany
January 11th, 2009 1:22 am
I don’t know if this counts but I used the free “shorts” 30 sec video by animoto (see animoto.com) where you download your pictures and they make a musical slide show. So much fun. I had some positive responses some of which were, “it needs to be longer” I like to watch short videos on blogs, but it shouldn’t take the place of thougthful, written content.
James Francis
January 11th, 2009 1:24 am
Yeah, I use videos a lot, and plan on increasing the amount of videos I do very soon.
I believe that through the use of video, the reader can actively engage in your personality and body language, as well as usually being more interesting to learn through watching (for the younger readers especially).
- James.
Farrhad A on Twitter!!
January 11th, 2009 1:29 am
Never used video.
Paul Anthony
January 11th, 2009 1:38 am
I think 2009 will be the year of video, and as a result it is going to encourage the blogosphere to connect more and more through video.
I’d also expect to see video making its appearance in website designs, with blog themes sporting areas for video.
Ultimately it is one of the best ways of enhancing your personal brand.
rebecca
January 11th, 2009 1:40 am
My regular readers almost always comment when I do a video vlog post. By interviewing other artists with video tools I have been able to network with my peers and support them in a way they really appreciate.
Aaron
January 11th, 2009 1:41 am
I write a Boston based music blog and I use video quite often. They are easy to put up, fun to watch, and offer an alternative to pictures when posting media.
Also, I think they make nice headers when the dimensions are altered to match the width of your writing space. I particularly enjoy when the screen capture that is shown when the video is not playing can be hilarious (e.g. Rick Ross’s “Boobie Boys” tee shirt)
Cheers,
Aaron
Black Google
January 11th, 2009 1:43 am
Yes dareen.
I used my own and you tube videos on My blog.
This is good stuff for blog because visual display is better than witting.
Santosh Puthran
January 11th, 2009 1:49 am
I have made a video only once on “Choosing a accounting qualification” and uploaded it on revver and blip.tv. Whenever anyone searches on that term on google, it directly takes to the video. It seems the search engines fetches the videos better.
Other than that I have linked management videos on my blog especially from youtube and google videos.
To make your own video, it takes a lot of efforts so that viewers will be interested in the video and the message you like to convey. I think viewers would be more engaged if it is made in an external environment rather than indoors.
Regards,
Santosh Puthran
Brent Riggs
January 11th, 2009 1:57 am
I’ve used video on my site to great success. People love videos, especially heartwarming ones. Here’s on of my daughter who is battling Leukemai that drew in thousands of new viewers:
http://www.brentriggs.com/default.asp?ItemID=330&CategoryID=187
Andrej
January 11th, 2009 1:58 am
So far, only to post a video of a presentation i did: http://www.it-eye.nl/weblog/2008/06/29/the-real-meaning-of-web-20-for-your-business/. I beats putting powerpoint slides online.
Haider
January 11th, 2009 2:01 am
To make the poll more meaningful, I think you might want to split the “No” vote to 2 options:
1- No thanks
2- Not yet
This’ll tell you how many people don’t care about video and how many are interested but still haven’t taken their first step :)
Brent Riggs
January 11th, 2009 2:01 am
Hey moderator… could you correct the two typos in my comment? Sorry, just wasn’t paying attention
Leukemia
“Here’s ON of my daughter” should be “Here’s ONE of my daughter”
Funny Signs
January 11th, 2009 2:03 am
That sounds like a great idea to make a video for your site,but one question. Would creating a video create more traffic and also, what software would you use that is cheap and easy to use?
Nice
January 11th, 2009 2:08 am
Now I only embed videos made by others, but I plan to make my own video in the future.
gfb3
January 11th, 2009 2:16 am
Darren:
I’ve been using videos from YouTube and other sources on my blogs.
So far, I have not produced any of my own.
Although, I’ll be using them soon.
Videos seem to increase visits to my blogger site at http://tinyurl.com/WallStreetHangover
Looking forward to seeing how traffic and comments change once I start to use my own information sharing & interview videos.
Thanks for posting this poll!!!
Interested in seeing the results and the rest of your readers’ comments.
- Girard Frank Bolton, III.
http://twitter.com/gfb3
Jeff Rose
January 11th, 2009 2:18 am
Currently I have a short “welcome to my blog” video on the home page. The 15 second video has worked wonders. I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from several readers. Its amazing what a flip camera, You Tube, and 15 seconds of time will do.
Alison
January 11th, 2009 2:23 am
Although I haven’t yet used videos on my blog, I personally find a video of a project much more helpful than static photographs. For instance, I wanted to learn about how to make a rocket stove. I looked around the web and read a bunch of stuff, but it still wasn’t clear to me how this all worked. I found a video at Google videos. After one watch through I understood the whole thing well enough that I could still go and make a rocket stove months later without watching again. I also understood well enough that I have been able to explain the process to others.
Definitely for some things a video is worth more than a thousand words and even worth more than a series of photos. Many of the videos I see on blogs are just fun, and yes, I agree, they make the blog owner more real to the reader.
Jeff Rose
January 11th, 2009 2:25 am
Currently, I have a short “welcome to my blog” video on the home page. The 15 second video has worked wonders. I’ve received a lot of positive feedback from several readers. It’s amazing what a flip camera, YouTube and 15 seconds of your time can do.
Dominique
January 11th, 2009 2:26 am
I first embedded a couple of videos into a post a couple of days ago http://tinyurl.com/7hbm7g (I didn’t realized how easy it was to do until finding the instructions somewhere…and tinyurl is another of my new parlor tricks). I wrote about a concert and used a couple of promo clips I found online so readers could hear/see what I wrote about. I haven’t had any feedback yet as to how using the vids did/didn’t enhance my post, though.
BTW, as a new blogger, I really appreciate the great advice and info I’m finding here. Thanks.
darya
January 11th, 2009 2:28 am
Great question, I was just thinking about this. I know a lot of people love videos, but personally I rarely watch a video posted on a blog. Who has time to sit though it? And media that requires volume is often not ideal when I’m at work or even at home.
Phil Bernstein
January 11th, 2009 2:30 am
I got a Flip Mino camera last month. Went to see client who’d recently completed a successful recruiting campaign with me, and recorded about five minutes of video.
It took close to an hour to edit it down in Windows Movie — mainly because I’d never done it before and was figuring it out as I went along. Posted it to Youtube (I now have my own channel! I’m a filmmaker!), and embeded into my blog.
The post — my first effort — is here http://tinyurl.com/8tdr6t. I can already see things that I’d do differently next time, and would love to hear suggestions from more experienced hands.
The next day I emailed the link to several recruitment advertising prospects. One wrote back immediately, and gave me an order. So the camera’s already paid for itself.
Roger Chartier
January 11th, 2009 2:33 am
Actually I have 7 websites and 3 blogs… but on http://www.seniorsentertainer.com I used video for the first time.
Mostly live performances.
I’m looking to find a simple way to edit video and improve the quality over what I get from my little &129.00 nikon camera with poor quality video. Any ideas?
Phil Bernstein
January 11th, 2009 2:33 am
Yikes! I put a bad link in there and can’t edit my own comment after the fact. So here it is again — my first video blogging effort: http://tinyurl.com/8tdr6t
rjleaman
January 11th, 2009 2:41 am
I’ve used video produced by others (such as client-produced videos, or YouTube embeds) to good effect, but have yet to get into making my own. Baby steps, baby steps! I figure, screencasts and audio posts separately, first, that’s my plan: because years in the video production industry teach how easy it is to shoot yourself in the foot with a poor video or one that misses the mark. Risks are a part of anything that has a potential great pay-off, however.
Geeks are Sexy
January 11th, 2009 2:43 am
Yeah, we released our 1st video last week… A full Interview + tour of the Thinkgeek office.. Got more than 120K views on it.
Video is mainly good for branding… or maybe not, but we haven’t found a good way to monetize them effectively yet..
For those of you who are curious, the video is here:
Inside ThinkGeek: The Interview
http://www.vimeo.com/2727969
Check it out, it’s REALLY interesting… that’s what we got told anyways :)
Gori Girl
January 11th, 2009 2:49 am
I have shorts posts that basically contain videos connected to my niche, and I also have posted a personal video to highlight a point I was making.
graceonline
January 11th, 2009 2:53 am
Videos are an excellent blogging tool because they provide an eye-catching visual element, help tell our story from another point of view, and frequently provoke good discussion. Downside: It’s easy for viewers to get sucked into the next video and the next, so a blogger risks losing their hard-won readers.
Dev
January 11th, 2009 2:54 am
not yet but soon I’ve going to start with my friend.
Dean Holland
January 11th, 2009 2:55 am
Aloha :)
Well I am fairly new to blogging, I just started my first one about 10 weeks ago but things are moving fast.
So just a few weeks ago I invested in a mini camcorder to enable me to make my own videos. But I keep sitting down, setting the camcorder up on its tripod and start recording. But it is proving to be a little out my comfort zone !!
Everytime I start I dry up and dont know what to say. The last thing I want is to sit there and read off notes as I want it to be ‘real’ and unrehearsed.
I guess practice will be best and just keep going huh !!
Thanks for the post
Dean
Adam
January 11th, 2009 3:16 am
Yes, I have used video on my blog, although sparingly. Great post as always, Darren!
http://www.burgerblurb.com
Brent Riggs
January 11th, 2009 3:22 am
my comment was not included about a video I put on my site that went quite well… did I break a rule on commening? I am an everyday reader of this site…. please let me know why my comment was not included, and I’ll make sure not to do that in future… are NO links allowed? I wasn’t spamming, I was giving an example of what you asked…
brent@brentriggs.com
Holly
January 11th, 2009 3:25 am
I have used some, but never really got into doing much with it. I may change that soon though.
Don Mega
January 11th, 2009 3:26 am
I’ve been reading about the importance of using video on your blog, while I don’t have many, with the upcoming google 2009 algo changes it will be neccesary to have a few because google will be “rewarding” sites with video on them with higher serp rankings and the theory is simple behind it, viewers searching for something via the SE will likely find the information on your website through video media and watch the video before “clicking-out” leaving the search engine diagnostic believing that the information and result viewed by the user was “relevant” and award you higher serp rankings.
You can already see the effects of video being ranked high on the serps via the different video web 2.0 sites ranking high in search results from user submitted video like youtube,metacafe and many others.
Video is the next SE seo movement and if we want to keep our current rankings in the serps we need to incorporate them into our websites and using wordpress there are a plethora of ways this can be done.
http://www.megaonlineprofits.com
Ted Newman
January 11th, 2009 3:30 am
Hi Darren,
I’ve always used links to my own videos on my blogs and now I have started to embed videos from You Tube to add other related content to posts I make…It’s the way of the future for sure.
No doubt you will be one of the first to keep us abrest of what is happening in ‘Blogging Land’..that’s what ‘Problogger’ is all about for me anyway.
Cheers
Ted Newman
http://www.tednewman.name
http://twitter.com/Newbie_Coach
Aaron from TechThinker.com
January 11th, 2009 3:39 am
I do use video in my blog. But not very extensively. In the future I plan to use Screen Casting videos.
Adam Bshero
January 11th, 2009 3:49 am
I use videos all the time on a few of my blogs… Sometimes I just do not feel like posting an actual post and make a video.
Plus you can submit it to all the video directories for extra traffic
Don Mega
January 11th, 2009 3:50 am
If your like me and wondering how can I effeciently and effectively incorporate video’s into my website without becoming a film producer you can use a great service called animoto, this service allows you to upload a few images and select different back-ground sounds and the site create’s the video for you, then you can easily incorporate this into your blog or upload the video to youtube for even more marketing exposure for your blog.
I hope you don’t take the google algo changes lightly, there are currently 128 different algo formula’s google uses to determine serp rankings for website’s, this number will be increasing to 200 and some of those new formula’s will be video serp ranking diagnostics, don’t be surprised once the updates are complete and a keyword or longtail that you have been enjoying high SE rankings from gets dropped out of the rankings due to sites with video supplying simple 2 minute info-video for the same information and stealing your rankings.
Google knows how long a visitor from SE’s stay on your website, and if their watching vids on your site they will be obviously spending a little more time on your website thus believing the content you have on there is “relevant” and awarding you with high rankings for it.
Didn’t want to berrage this thread with this info but I think it’s ironic that I read this information then saw this poll, I wanted to share this with the readers.
How to make a blog
January 11th, 2009 3:53 am
Just voted – I started using video recently and the effects are great! lots of traffic from the video sites..
Flora
January 11th, 2009 4:16 am
I LOVE making little videos with my camera to illustrate what I’m talking about. I usually include a few stills as well, for those who don’t have fast internet connections here in rural Nova Scotia.
Illustrating the blog is a big draw for my readers, many of whom live far away from this shangrila village and would like to see photos of it.
Mike
January 11th, 2009 4:20 am
After reading this, I see how important video is! I am heading back to my onw blog now to post my first one on making money online. Thanks for the info!
LearningNerd
January 11th, 2009 4:25 am
A lot of topics have already been covered by text-based articles/tutorials, but there’s a lot less competition when it comes to video.
I’ve made some PHP and MySQL tutorial videos and found that people really liked them. And in the process, I discovered a new interest of my own! Turns out, making videos is a lot of fun, so I’m planning to make my blog into mostly a video blog.
Nickita Knight
January 11th, 2009 4:37 am
Hi,
I have used a video in the latest post.
But as I get to re-do my blog layout I will post more up.
I use video posts to show my readers exactly what I am talking about or share something that I saw on the net.
Nickita
from
http://www.nickitaknight.com
Davina
January 11th, 2009 4:41 am
I used a video a friend made for me on my last blog to demonstrate a speech I gave. My readers enjoyed seeing the girl behind the blog. I plan on using more when I get the right “equipment” to do it properly.
TechMata
January 11th, 2009 4:50 am
When I need to I make videos and share it. Like my sample recorded video using my Cinergy TV Tuner. ^_^
Muzi Mohale
January 11th, 2009 5:12 am
It’s my recent strategy to engage readers with YouTube video clips related to the story published. All videos have been produced by others. It’s still early days though for me to tell if its producing the expected results, as it all began late in November. My long term plan is to get my readers to upload their own video clips that I would then publish, however for now all video clips are produced by third parties.
Jared O'Toole
January 11th, 2009 5:21 am
On my personal blog I just have videos that others have made. However I am starting another blog that will only be videos that i make.
Seems like video is all the craze right now. Why not use it and access all the people on sites like youtube.
Alex
January 11th, 2009 5:27 am
I’ve made 42 video tutorials so far. It’s a lot of work but quite satisfying!
Lisa Jeffries
January 11th, 2009 5:29 am
IMHO, video adds a significant amount of “experience” that your audience can actually participate in. Additionally, videos can add not only the entertainment factor, but credibility factor when someone is willing to put their own face or business on a blog or website.
PoLR
January 11th, 2009 5:35 am
I’ve not used it on our own site but have added it to clients blogs. I follow a few blogs that heavily use it but it’s just not something i’ve seriously considered before. Must say I am suprised by your results so far, I thought I was one of the few that wasn’t using it!
Mike Goad
January 11th, 2009 5:39 am
I have no plans to use video on my blogs. The main reason is that I am very unlikely to take the time to look at videos on other peoples blogs so why should I expect other to look at videos on mine. Also, creating a quality video takes significant time and, if I were to use video, it would have to be good quality.
HellSteR
January 11th, 2009 5:51 am
video is one of a good things to add on blog.
it gives our readers fresh content.
vivek
January 11th, 2009 6:08 am
I have made a few videos but mostly my posts are without any videos.
But I would like to do more of video blogging in the future because I feel it is going to hit big in the near future
Teddy Towncrier
January 11th, 2009 6:27 am
A video does a great job of telling the story and wouldn’t be without it.
Towncrier is now moving into Interactive Video which permits the viewer to click and view a supplemental video about products seen in the main vid.
Making supplemental videos available lets you showcase more goods and ideas to your visitor and get them to take action at the height of interest.,
Robert Barr
January 11th, 2009 6:34 am
I just launched a new local blog on the Philadelphia business scene and started using video posts via RevveR and YouTube. Video is going to see a huge jump in usage this year so I might as well get the cobwebs out and learn a few things early.
Gennaro
January 11th, 2009 6:43 am
I tried a few. Considering it as a permanent piece of the website content, but would prefer it to be something worthwhile which isn’t always easy to develop. I love photography for my niche and it’s likely to win out over video
What The Pros Do
January 11th, 2009 6:45 am
I like to add variety to my posts/blog and video is one way of doing that.
TechMata
January 11th, 2009 6:54 am
When I need it to share to my readers why not. ^_^
Mary Corbet's
January 11th, 2009 7:49 am
The Video Library on my website is the biggest draw for search engine traffic….
Wayne Tully
January 11th, 2009 8:14 am
I have created a few videos and would like to do some more in the area of video marketing to get my own ideas and helpful video tutorials out there.
One video in particular was about drawing a demon, just a simple 3 and half minute video and so far it has done over 1800 views, so that got me to thinking what if I did a full series about drawing different things…all them video channel views would make a lot of views combined.
I voted and said that I use other peoples and my own videos and I find this a good exercise for sharing useful videos that are yours and not yours. Also who knows what you may find!!
Apple Games
January 11th, 2009 8:20 am
I like the idea of video when it needs to be there.. I run a apple game blog and find that most of my reviews are helped with good video demos.. I am also thinking of doing interview style with people from the gaming industry.
I’m not sure an actual video blog done by me is what this niche really is looking for but I may be wrong.
Thanks for the poll,
AGS
http://www.applegameshop.com
mike A
January 11th, 2009 8:35 am
I think video is essential for a blog about bike riding
I have posted bike maintenance videos, Live Action, and videos on Technique. I have never message the traffic that a video post get compared to a Text Post with images. Something I should measure.
Luca
January 11th, 2009 8:42 am
Hello,
what do you use for creating videos ?
Mrs. Accountability
January 11th, 2009 8:45 am
I haven’t even considered putting up a video, although I’m fortunate that my son is talented at editing videos (way over my head). I was thinking as I began to comment there’s really nothing I could video about, but maybe some of my subscribers might like to see a video of my gardening progress. Maybe I’ll do a poll and see if anyone would be interested! I’m planning to start my eggplant and tomato seeds indoors, in the cage my husband built for me, to protect the seedlings from our cats… hmmm… thanks for the suggestion!
Barock
January 11th, 2009 8:56 am
i often upload my video on youtube, and share it on my blog
dcpatton
January 11th, 2009 8:56 am
I’ve found it a very effective way to add content to my posts about music.
Lily
January 11th, 2009 9:00 am
I use videos on my site – both those I find made by others that I think my readers will enjoy and those I make myself.
I definately recommend making you own videos. They have brought me visitors time and time again plus they are fun to make. I also found sometimes they bring me higher up the list in google than just an article with the same key words.
This year I’ll be buying myself a decent webcam and some better editing software so I can investigate this medium further.
Glenn - Chromand
January 11th, 2009 9:17 am
I used videos before on one of my sites that I grabbed from Youtube. It’s a good way to make your site seem more modern, and these posts don’t take a lot of time to write
I’ve wanted to do some video lessons for my guitar tutorial site http://www.fretfeed.com , and it’s very high on my 2009 to do list. In addition to having more and different kinds of content on the site, these can be uploaded to various video sites like youtube, revver, and dailymotion, and hopefully bring some more traffic to the site.
Vik Duggal
January 11th, 2009 9:30 am
I enjoy making videos. I find it is easier to create content utilizing video as opposed to writing.
Thomas
January 11th, 2009 9:55 am
I make my own videos, but rarely. The process is time-consuming with all the editing that needs to be done, then the video has to get converted to FLV. I write and post pictures mostly.
Joel Drapper
January 11th, 2009 10:20 am
I don’t have a proper video camera, but am hoping to do screencasts on my blog soon.
My problem is, I don’t like my voice right now.
liquidpop
January 11th, 2009 10:22 am
I’ve found it useful for visitors who are visual learners. It also gives my blog uniqueness and increased stickiness.
adsense alternative
January 11th, 2009 10:33 am
yup. sometimes i use my own video and sometimes i got it from youtube.
Resident Apt 1
January 11th, 2009 11:05 am
I have videos on my blog but they are links to YouTube Videos.
I didn’t produce them.
I am fairly new to blogging and I am planning to use videos of my own making on my blog in the future.
http://www.censusthis.com
Graham
January 11th, 2009 11:53 am
I can see that in certain circumstances, video can enhance a blog post, but mostly I find them obtrusive. I like to skim a blog post to find out whether it’s relevant to me. But you have to sit through a video in its entirety.
Wayne Liew
January 11th, 2009 12:09 pm
Video is the current big thing now on the Internet and I don’t see why a blogger should give up the piece of traffic that they can get from video sites.
Whether it is a “big head talking” video, a PowerPoint screencast, a funny video or a step-by-step tutorial, videos will definitely help bloggers to get some traffic.
Wayne Liew
http://www.affboom.com
Genki English
January 11th, 2009 12:14 pm
It sometimes seems like I’m posting a Youtube video on my blog everyday! Mostly it’s my own things, either demos of songs or mini-tutorial videos. I’ve also embedded other cool things from Youtube and have even had readers send in their own videos.
Be genki,
Richard
bonoriau
January 11th, 2009 12:27 pm
I have used some top blogger video and it really helpful to improve our blogging skill.
Gary McElwain
January 11th, 2009 12:30 pm
So far I have been using other videos related to my post subject. But I understand making my own to use could be more valuable to my overall blogposting.
Gary McElwain
Arun | BE Folks
January 11th, 2009 12:33 pm
I am wondering if i could create my videos..
Ben Clapton
January 11th, 2009 1:00 pm
I post a daily series called On This Day where I feature one musical event (Birth, Death, Premiere etc) that happened on that day. Each day I use a Youtube video to showcase the piece or composer, or help explain a bit more about the piece. I’ve found some incredible resources through youtube, and am always surprised by what is on there.
mike
January 11th, 2009 1:56 pm
I use a dial-up modem so I rather have pages that load faster. It might slow things down a little.
Ariel
January 11th, 2009 2:38 pm
I’ve used youtube videos and found them to be a big plus. They can either add to what I said, or be the focus around which I write a post. I’d like to start creating my own videos though because it creates a deeper sense of personal relationship between my readers and me.
julie
January 11th, 2009 3:28 pm
to be honest, youtube has a video about anything you can think of. i did a post about designer boots and ended with the vid to nancy sinatra’s “these boots are made for walking”. i like adding video because it can fills out content so nicely.
My Mommy's Place
January 11th, 2009 4:03 pm
I love to use videos on my blog. I’ve included some videos where I simply talk to the camera, as well as sketches. Some were for fun (for example, “How I Ended Up With Seventeen Kittens,”) and others were to promote something specific (i.e. a haiku enthusiast pseudo-album commercial for my Haiku Buckaroo contest and a tongue-in-cheek “sockumentary” to promote my sock monkey store on Etsy). My readers like them and they’re so much fun. I have learned, however, that if I use video too much, it tends to lose its impact.
Alex | Blogussion.com
January 11th, 2009 4:12 pm
I have a Mac, so it should be easy for me to make videos. However, I have yet to do it. I have been thinking about it though, just need to figure out what to say.
Terra Andersen
January 11th, 2009 4:16 pm
Not yet, although I know I should! I do use it on a few of the my other websites, and it does really well.
Zarek
January 11th, 2009 4:45 pm
Yes, I’ll make My Own Videos ! It’s a very effective way to add content to my blog!.
SATISH -- Technotip.org
January 11th, 2009 5:08 pm
I have used this on my blog, and it greatly increases pageviews.
I don’t get much time to shoot my own videos though. I have done it myself for sometime, now I am looking for someone who can help me.
Video’s are great for blogs, as I find that many internet users are lazy..lazy..lazy, they can’t read the stuffs we have written, they just watch it, if we put it in a video format.
And I have not tried mp3(audio) formats on my blog yet. Hope I will try it soon, and use the best one on my blog. You know, every blog is different when it comes to contents and the formulae for success.
Want to here from other guys and Darren, on how it works on you guys blog?
smallblogger
January 11th, 2009 5:33 pm
Using a video on your blog requires you to be audible and eloquent. A video is only important for tutorials and they should be transcribed for better understanding.
As mike (2 comments above me) said, downloading a video is not a pleasant experience for people with slow bandwidth.
Also, I can skim through a written post to get the gist, but I cannot do that with a video. You also need to be in a quiet milieu to watch the video.
If a video is not transcribed, then there is no point of making a video.
J.D. Meier
January 11th, 2009 6:26 pm
I have nothing against videos, I just haven’t focused on them yet.
I have noticed some blogs overdo videos and all the useful info is locked up in the video. I prefer the pattern where the video is an enhanced experience, but the value is still in text — it makes it friction free and I don’t always have time to watch a video.
uwak
January 11th, 2009 6:48 pm
not yet…..making slow when someone access the web, thanks….maybe next
krissy knox
January 11th, 2009 9:46 pm
Yes, I’ve used it. I’m astounded by the number of people who haven’t. It’s very easy to include others’ videos in your posts. I haven’t made my own yet, but plan to. Good question.
krissy knox :)
http://www.twitter.com/iamkrissy
cms
January 11th, 2009 10:29 pm
I do not use a video. But in the future I shall be. Sometimes so it is easier to transfer the information
Edward Brown
January 12th, 2009 12:01 am
Oh… ‘awaiting moderation’… guess I didn’t make the cut, lol
Roland Kopp-Wichmann
January 12th, 2009 12:09 am
Hi Darren,
I use videos and get good traffics on my blog. Some of the best articles of the blog I do avideo or a podcast. The videos are schow at http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=rkwichmann&search=Suchen
It’s an easy way to get more known. And Google like Videos! So I get a good ranking.
Jeet
January 12th, 2009 12:18 am
Will wait to see the result of this poll. I have never posted a video on my blog. I don’t know if it’s good to use someone else’s videos hosted on YouTube. Does it captivate your blog readers if you have good videos?
aan iskandar
January 12th, 2009 12:22 am
i really enjoy the video from your blog, dave
now you very give me a whole inspirations to intall the video on my blog, maybe i’m start using video from facebook, because my blog can’t afford it, beside i think the easiest way to load our video is from there to put into our blog, don’t you think so?
at the moment, i have no gadget or tools to improve my video on my blog…..
Crazy Sam
January 12th, 2009 1:05 am
Yes, but I concentrate more on giving textual content. But when droolicious videos are need to be shared, I post them along with an overview of the content.
Mike
January 12th, 2009 1:40 am
I am currently testing YouTube marketing on my blog. So far so good!
Genki English
January 12th, 2009 2:02 am
One other thing… The reason I started using videos was because I used to use photos to illustrate my posts. But on one of them I wanted to show my Japanese breakfast which was on fire (well, part of it!) The photos didn’t show it well, but the mini video clip that I’d shot looked cool. So I put it on Youtube purely to embed in my blog.
But people started commenting on it in Youtube and asking for more. So I started uploading more videos. This was last Summer and I’ve now got around 4,000 subscribers to my Youtube channel, which is actually more than subscribe to my blog!
Be genki,
Richard
Daniel Kolansky
January 12th, 2009 2:52 am
Being the perfectionist that I am, I have had a lot of trouble doing blog style video. I have seen through several of the comments that I have read that the next biggest discussion to “do you do video on your blog” is “what was the quality of the video that you did?”
I would submit that video can have a HUGE impact if you spend some time and create some really awesome videos. I have only made a handful of videos for my business (I don’t blog yet, but have been studying the art for quite some time now) however, much like an awesome blog post, these videos are the gifts that keep on giving. I just finished my latest video for my business last Wednesday. It was three weeks in production and had the involvement of several people (some of which I just picked up off the street while I was filming). This video had a much larger impact on my viewers than a video I had done several months ago which was just a screencast and me talking.
Check out the video and tell me what you think, I would be interested to hear your take on the quality vs speed of delivery debate as well (Darren, it may be worth making a post to that effect I would be greatly interested in the results of that poll).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7iACR88u00
Another cool resource which I have not yet seen in the comments is a really cool website called Make Internet TV. I’m sure several of you guys have heard of it and implemented some of its resources, but I found it several months ago and have been relying on some of its techniques to improve my film quality without necessarily spending a million bucks on video equipment (though as time goes on I seem to collect more and more stuff ^_^).
You can find that here: http://www.makeinternettv.org
Hope that helps some of you out!
God Bless,
-Dan
Ben Moreno
January 12th, 2009 3:27 am
I haven’t done a ton with video on my blog yet. I know how to create and edit videos though. I will be using it more and more as time goes by however. I use a digital camera, Microsoft Movie maker and Youtube.
Here is the latest video I create for a contest. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI88N9rtez0&feature=channel_page
Deirdre' Straughan
January 12th, 2009 4:00 am
I’ve been videoblogging for over four years, and now actually get paid to do it (for Sun Microsystems). Video isn’t always the most effective way to convey something – text and/or photos can be equally important – but sometimes it IS the best way.
single mom seeking
January 12th, 2009 4:10 am
I’ve begun to make videos with a single dad — about parenting and dating.
Here’s a sample:
http://singlemomseeking.com/blog/2008/12/01/when-and-how-do-you-introduce-your-boyfriend-or-girlfriend-to-your-kids/
I’d LOVE to know: why do some vloggers prefer Vimeo over YouTube.
What are the pros and cons of Vimeo vs. YouTube?
Thanks!
Kayla
January 12th, 2009 4:24 am
I’ve paid for a few video blogs, although I only create text blogs myself. When I find a good video blogger, I take advantage of it. They seem to be much more popular than a text blog.
Mike Goad
January 12th, 2009 4:26 am
So after reading the comments here, I’ve changed my mind.
I probably won’t be creating any videos — at least not for some time — but if I can find a good one that fits my post topic, why not.
In fact, I embedded my first youtube video today: Devil’s Den State Park
Thanks! — this is one time that the comment to one of your posts changed my mind!
roentarre
January 12th, 2009 6:18 am
Having video on blogs tend to scare people away. My blogs are all about photography
Clara Mathews
January 12th, 2009 7:11 am
My Just Chick Flicks blog is about movies, so it lends itself very well to the use of video. I have used clips from YouTube ( http://justchickflicks.com/2008/11/11/my-top-tear-jerkers/ ) as well as other sources to feature various films.
In fact the post with the YouTube video continues to be one of my most popular posts.
Chris M
January 12th, 2009 9:02 am
I’m going to start making my own ones once a week if all goes to plan, just need to do some more research!
http://www.twitter.com/christopherm
Chris - guitartoybox.com
January 12th, 2009 11:55 am
I’vve just completed phase 1 of my site relaunch. I’m in the process of building contacts with manufacturers and retailers to get some review products. In my niche, video and audio reviews reign supreme, so getting my own original video content is high on my priority list this year.
Rochelle M
January 12th, 2009 12:23 pm
How did you know that is one of my 2009 game plan for my blogs! ?!
I’ve learned how do a Window Movie Maker video, but I don’t think they will work. I know how to make a Power Point video, I’m not sure that will work in blogs. So, I’m still in that learning stag in developing my blogs!
I do, however have my portfolio video on YouTube.
Any suggestions, tips or help would be greatly appreciated!
http://www.downdesigner.today.com
Kelvin Kao
January 12th, 2009 12:32 pm
My site is about video puppetry, so of course there will be plenty of videos used. Some of them are what I watched, and have thoughts on, and some are videos that I made based on the things I have learned over time.
tipper
January 13th, 2009 2:21 am
I use video at least once a week on my site-since it is a regular feature I gave it name: Pickin’ & Grinnin’ In The Kitchen. I’ve found a very postive reception to the video spot. Some folks only visit for that specific post each week.
Rich - Cool Dog Names
January 13th, 2009 6:44 am
Actually, I don’t use videos on my blog, but I do on my dog site.
I chose to do this as a way to get visitors to slow down while visiting, as well as creating a way to create a friendly atmosphere.
Favorable responses have been quite good.
Here’s that page…
http://www.dog-names-and-more.com/Funny-Dog-Videos.html
Enjoy!
Nurit - 1 family. friendly. food.
January 13th, 2009 2:40 pm
But I want to start making my own. i think readers will love it. still need to figure out what and how to do it.
Why Video IS Worth Experimenting with On Your Blog
January 16th, 2009 12:05 am
[...] I feel is worth experimenting with (and so far it seems 67% of you have been doing just that if our latest poll is anything to go [...]
neri
January 22nd, 2009 5:59 pm
Wow, didn’t expect that there are more bloggers who don’t use video than who do. I like putting in videos, especially entertaining and cool stuff… plus I’m into movies so I need to put in trailers as well. :D
wow gold
March 2nd, 2009 5:10 pm
Yes, I used video on my blogs especially for video games.
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