Hey! This is a video post from a YouTube video I created covering Blog Vs YouTube Channel, which platform should you start in 2021? So check out the video just above this for all of the Pro’s and Con’s, and for those of you that prefer to read, the script is below. Let me know in the comments which platform you are going to get started with?
Blog Vs YouTube Channel
Hey there my aspiring blogger / YouTuber friend.
Look, let’s get straight to the point.
You’ve been thinking about taking the leap for a while.
You’ve heard how other people are creating passive income using blogs and youtube channels and your ready to get a slice of that pie….you know it’s your turn….you’re ready… you’re going to commit, but you just have that last niggling doubt over which platform is best for you?
Blog or youtube channel?
Well, as luck would have it, I’m going to tell you all about two of the biggest and most rewarding online platforms.
We will be digging into all the good and bad points of each to give you the full picture so that you don’t waste all your time, energy and money choosing the wrong one.
Good Things About Blogging
First let’s start with blogs, which for those of you are unsure what a blog is, its basically a written form of content on a website, a little like a diary that is continually updated with new posts, often these are informational and written quite informally.
There are actually 500 million blogs out there which is an insane number!
But almost 80% of internet users will read blogs, so despite the emergence of video, blogs are still very relevant. So let’s look at the top reasons why you may want to start a blog?
#1 Creative Expression
A blog is anything you want it to be. It’s a personal space where you are free to express yourself creatively. Now that can be to share personal experiences, entertain, teach people, sell products, or hold a journal of your life. The choice is yours. Enjoy that freedom.
#2 Mindfulness
You don’t have to be an avid writer to enjoy blogging, it’s actually an extremely good form of mindfulness in my opinion. I am an introvert, and I live in my head a little if that makes sense. So when I am typing away, sharing my thoughts I play it through in my head like a conversation with myself.
Now some of you will be scratching your heads and looking at me thinking is this guy for real, but bear with me.
I work a busy 9-5, I have a young family and commitments. If I get chance to switch the TV off and just write then I find it really relaxing and it takes away the stresses of the day.
#3 Flexibility
Don’t feel like writing this week, no problem. Pick it up again next week.
You are your own boss when it comes to blogging and that’s quite empowering.
So if you live a busy life then know that you can log in to your blog and start creating at any time of day and night. You choose your own schedule and that means there’s less chance of it becoming a chore and interfering with your life.
Before we jump into the next one, I want you to drop into those comments the first moment you can and tell me your pros and cons of blogging or youtube.
#4 Ownership
We will cover this in a moment but one of the risks of creating an audience on social media is that you are playing by someone else’s rules, Facebook could close your account down without any notice, and the others are the same, then you’ve lost everything.
Whilst a blog is one of the best platforms where you own and manage the majority of it (you aren’t dictated too).
You still have risks, around things like your blog being hacked but a good web hosting provider should help you there.
#5 Money Money Money
Blogs are one of the best ways to make passive income. You spend the time creating your posts, publish them to the world and over time traffic will build, giving you more leads, more customers, more profit.
You can make money with blogs in several ways including:
- Display adverts
- Affiliate marketing
- Digital products
- Sponsored posts
- Merchandise.
By far my favourite in there is affiliate marketing where you get a commission for promoting others peoples proven products, if you want to know more about it then I have some free training below for you (from someone whose made more than a $million himself).
#6 Low startup costs
I bet you are worried about the cost of blogging, well fear not, when you are just getting started it’s actually incredibly cheap to begin. You need a domain name which you can get for around $10, and then some web hosting for $100.
If you treat this like the start of a business which can be if you dedicate enough time and energy to it then that’s cheap compared to others business models.
As you grow and enjoy the process more and more you may want to reinvest in training, faster hosting , stock photography subscriptions, email marketing software and so on.
But really to just get started it isn’t that expensive.
So there you go….blogging is pretty awesome, all sunshine and unicorns….what could possibly make you think twice?
Well here’s some of the more negative aspects of blogging.
Negatives Of Blogging
#1 Time
Ahhh time, as a dad of two, with a busy 9-5, I often think wow I’ve so much time to spare, whatever will I do with myself…….
Seriously though, blogs can be time-consuming.
Ok so this is relative, some people can blast words out like lightning, but you still need to put the post together, source some images, optimise it a little.
The average blog posts take around 3.5 hours to write but A lot of the successful bloggers that I know, who are making 6 figure incomes, they will use that money to hire writers and automate the efforts to scale fast.
#2 Delayed Gratification
With many of the side hustles I’ve attempted you can quickly gauge whether it’s for you, they usually allow you to fail fast.
Very quickly you will know whether it’s going to work or not. Blogging isn’t like that, in fact, its the opposite.
It can take 6-12 months of consistent effort before google starts giving you even an incline of traffic and support. So be patient and apply effort consistently.
#3 Steep Learn Curve
Compared to Youtube there is a Steeper learning curve especially on the advanced stuff – You will level up your skills as a blogger, you will learn strange alien words like search engine optimization, keyword research, wordpress plugins.
These will slowly mean something to you and every blogger eventually will have to learn a little more than just writing, but don’t let that put you off, it’s all achievable.
I find with the more advanced stuff around blogging that’s where it gets more technical and complicated.
I recently purchased some blogging training and the way some of the people on the course speak is like a different language – but don’t worry, you don’t even have to take it that serious if you don’t wish.
Blog Vs YouTube – Summary of Blogging
Writing a blog is an amazing way of expressing yourself and for me comes with a tonne of benefits including the mental considerations, as well as the more obvious ones like financial rewards.
Blogging is very accessible to people and has low barriers to entry but you need to be prepared to dig in for the long haul. When you’re not getting traction and it feels like your words are echoing around an empty room it can be demoralising, but push through, you’ve got this.
Good Things About YouTube Channels
Youtube, on the other hand, is that terrifiying monster of video marketing, a platform reserved only for the brave, handsome, intelligent, strong…..ok ok who am I kidding, anyone can get started on YouTube, and heres why you should consider it too.
#1 Cost
Do you know how much it costs to start a YouTube channel – sweet FA – nothing – nadda – not a bean. Oh actually, I’m assuming you’ve got a camera phone here. Which most of you will have, so just flip it around and record your videos.
Boom your a YouTuber now – welcome to the club…
Again over time you can add lighting, cameras, pay to outsource certain tasks.
#2 Simplicity
When you first get started it’s going to feel like you have a zillion things to learn…no exaggeration…but you quickly level up your skills and get comfortable with the different tasks, and create your own routines. I believe YouTube is simpler and perhaps less technical than advanced blogging which makes it a big factor when we look at Blog Vs YouTube Channel.
#3 Make Money
YouTube is an amazing platform to earn more money (Click here to find out how).
Again there are options, depending on your niche, adverts can pay well, even as a small YouTuber I make a few hundred a months in ad revenue, now there is a huge downside to this too which I will explain shortly.
You can also add in affiliate opportunities, merchandise, membership options like Patreon. And use the platform to build out and sell your own digital courses which a number of influencers do.
#4 Be You
Dr Seuss once told me that there is no one youer than you, and YouTube embraces this philosophy.
By running a channel and putting your face and voice out there you are attracting people who like you for being you and pushing away those that don’t.
With over 2 billion monthly users on YouTube, this allows you to really connect with people and they get to know and recognise who you are and what you stand for
#5 Confidence
I started my youtube channel because it scared me the most.
I thought it was only for the bold and brave, outgoing extroverted personalities. What I found was that actually us quieter introverted types can really excel on youtube.
Whilst it’s about putting yourself on video and to show yourself to the world, most of the creation side is actually a lonely task, something introverts like myself often relish.
You script, record, edit on your own. So really youtube is actually a great platform for anyone, it’s just that some of us find it harder to overcome our own self-consciousness.
#6 Growing Trend
Whilst blogging isn’t going anywhere, an important consideration when we look at Blog Vs YouTube Channel, is that the stats show we consume way more video each and every year.
Technology changes and the fact we permanently use mobile devices is a big reason, but we also have less patience, when we want to learn something we want the visuals. We want to see with ou own eyes exactly how to do something. Instead of reading about it and having to imagine what we are reading.
Negatives Of YouTube
Haha so now your wobbling, you had pretty much named that blog and now here you are all ready to announce your youtube channel to the world. Well before you do, let me share some of the downsides of youtube with you.
#1 Time Consuming
Unless you master the ability to press record and just go without having to edit 500 takes like me, then again you will find youtube time-consuming.
As you start making money you can help automates this in the same way you can with blogging. Hire people to create thumbnails or edit your videos. Another good tip is to batch your content so you produce lots of it in one go.
#2 Control
YouTube can shut you down at any time. You are playing by their rules, so there’s always a risk that you could lose everything. It doesn’t happen often but make sure you keep copies of your videos should you ever need them on a different platform.
#3 Exposed
There’s no denying it, when you press publish you do feel a little exposed, what if my work colleagues or boss see this video. Would they laugh? Would they ridicule me?
Now you have options here, one is to get thicker skin and don’t let fear dictate your own dreams.
Two, is that many channels create content without showing their face, so it all depends on what you wish to achieve? I’ve several videos on YouTube channels that don’t show their face – check them out here:
Blog Vs YouTube Channel Summary
So that’s all the pros and cons and here’s something I recommend if your feeling brave, what I like to do is both.
Write your script for your YouTube videos but at the same time repurpose that script into a blog post.
This saves time and gives you two shots at ranking content on google. You can also then embed your video into your blog so some readers will prefer to watch the video from inside the blog and this favours your blog stats as google likes it when people spend time on your site.
It also allows you to build a connection and ultimately trust with those who prefer to read and those who prefer to watch.
The best of both worlds, not to mention that you have two potentially income-producing assets out in the wild.
And if you want to learn exactly how to make money from YouTube and social media then checkout the training here…