Blogger vs. Vlogger: which will earn you the most money? As the world of content creation has grown and expanded over the past few years, it’s a question that comes up often, and if you are looking to become a creator, it’s probably at the forefront of your mind. Should you start a blog? Or should you give vlogging a try? You’d like to earn some money on the side, but you don’t know which place is better to begin. What do you do?
Don’t worry – I’ve got you covered. In today’s post, we’re going to dive into the differences between blogging and vlogging so that you can understand which will be the best fit for you – and we’ll also talk about what will be best for your wallet. Welcome to the world of content creation, friends! It’s going to be a fun ride.
Blogger vs Vlogger: What’s the Difference?
First things first – before you decide whether you want to become a blogger or a vlogger, you first need to understand the difference between the two.
A blogger is someone who – you guessed it – runs a blog. Bloggers create written posts that they share on their personal website. Generally, a blogger writes within a certain niche, and they probably share images accompanying their posts. These posts can range from personal to professional, introspective to informative.
Blogging has been around for quite a while now, so oftentimes people assume that it’s outdated, but in reality, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Blogs are still a fantastic way to build a following and grow an audience, as well as to reach new people.
Vlogging, on the other hand, is a bit newer. It’s really picked up in recent years as video has become the new king of internet media. Essentially, vlogging is blogging in video form. Anything that might be shared in a blog post is instead shared as a video, or vlog.
Oftentimes when choosing between the two, people just gravitate to whichever of the two they feel more natural at. If you’ve been writing for years, blogging may be the natural next step. On the other hand, if you’ve never been a great writer but love talking to people and engaging face-to-face, or you feel particularly comfortable in front of a camera, vlogging might be the thing for you.
What Do They Have in Common?
Though they use different mediums, blogging and vlogging really aren’t all that different.
Both bloggers and vloggers need to have a solid understanding of search engine optimization, or SEO, and know how to implement it to grow their reach.
They both will create a content plan, and be constantly brainstorming new ideas within their certain topic or niche. While bloggers outline their posts, vloggers outline their scripts, and both bloggers and vloggers need to have solid editing skills as well within their medium. After all, no one is perfect on the first try!
Both bloggers and vloggers understand the importance of connecting with their audience, and building a platform that readers and viewers care about. It’s likely that both bloggers and vloggers are also using social media to help build that platform, and they’re plugged into spaces outside of their blog or vlog channel.
They also both are able to monetize their content – for example, both bloggers and vloggers can use affiliate links and affiliate marketing, or take on sponsorships or advertising opportunities. Again, the execution of that sponsorship or advertising will look different as bloggers and vloggers create different types of content – written content and video content – but the opportunity for paid work is available to both. But more on that in a minute!
How Do You Monetize, Anyways?
If you are new to the world of content creation – or even if you’re not – the prospect of monetizing and making money off of your content creation can seem a bit daunting, even impossible. But trust me – it is 100% doable, and far less complicated than you might expect.
There are a few different options to look into when you’re thinking about making money off of blogging or vlogging. You can definitely experiment and decide what feels most natural to you, because you want the best possible fit for your content and brand! If you work to make money in a way that feels forced or unnatural, your audience will be able to tell, so you want to make sure that you discover the plan that’s best for you.
Here are my two favorite options to look into if you’d like to monetize and earn money from your blog or Youtube channel:
1. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is one of the most well known ways that influencers are able to make money through their online content. It’s incredibly simple, and, when done right, can be lucrative.
If you’re unfamiliar with the term, affiliate marketing is when you promote items for a brand or person, and receive a commission on any sales that can be traced back to you. This is generally done by using an affiliate link specific to you. In addition to your main platform, you can share affiliate links on your social media platforms as well to expand your reach.
As a blogger, affiliate marketing is incredibly easy to integrate within your work in a way that is super natural. Any time that you share about something you love, you can link the item and receive a commission if one of your readers purchases the item. If you do a product roundup, link all of the products! If you share a post about what’s in your bag, or what you’re packing for an upcoming trip, linking as many items as possible will give you the best possible chances of making sales.
Affiliate linking is a bit more difficult as a vlogger, but don’t worry – it’s still possible! Your affiliate links will just go in your video description. Whenever you mention something in your vlog that you want to link, just mention that it will be linked before. Then your viewers can go to the video description and shop the items that you’ve shared!
There are tons of great affiliate programs out there, so do some research! Personally, I love LTK and would recommend it to anyone wanting to get into affiliate marketing.
2. Sponsored Content
This is often what people immediately think of when they envision making money blogging or vlogging. Receiving sponsorships is exciting, and it can be a great way to earn money online!
If you don’t feel that you quite understand what sponsored content is, sponsored content is when a brand pays you to create content featuring or promoting their product or service. It isn’t always overt advertising – sometimes you get paid simply to use a product in a video or feature it in a post. Other times, you might be asked to specifically talk to your audience about why you like a product. Every sponsorship is different and comes with different expectations, but both bloggers and vloggers can land sponsored content deals!
So…Where Will I Make More Money? Blogging or Vlogging?
At the end of the day – there isn’t one magic solution to making the most money creating content online.
Making money as a blogger or vlogger is less about the platform that you choose to use and more about the time and effort that you are willing to put in. You can make money online with a blog, and you can also make money as a vlogger sharing video content. The most important part truly is to choose the style of content creation that you are most comfortable with, because that is where you will thrive – and your audience will notice if your content feels natural or if it feels forced.
The main difference between the two is simply the content that you are creating – there is room and need for both, so if you find yourself more drawn to one or the other, go all in! Know that whichever you decide to become – a blogger or a vlogger – will become a large part of your life, so you want to pick the one that you will most enjoy. You will either be writing and editing a lot of blog posts, or filming and editing a lot of vlogs, so choose the option that is most enjoyable to you! If you’re having fun with it, that will reflect in your work.
And hey – who says you can’t have the best of both worlds? If you find yourself drawn to both blogging and vlogging, there is absolutely no reason that you can’t do both. If you want to dedicate the time and energy to both platforms, go for it! It never hurts to be visible on multiple platforms, and when companies decide who to work with, they will love your versatility and range. After all, who doesn’t want to work with a creator who can do both written work as well as video?
So go all in! It’s going to be the best adventure.
