What’s a vlog and how can it be part of a B2B web marketing strategy?

A vlog is a set of videos that someone regularly posts on the internet in which they record their thoughts or experiences or talk about a subject. (Collins)

A vlog (Video Blog) could be defined as a blog but in the form of videos instead of articles. In general, vlogs have a conversational and spontaneous approach.

If you are a B2B you probably run a blog where you put relevant content, news and updates on your brand and products. You should consider to supplement your blog with a vlog containing videos about the posts of your blog.

Why YouTube for your vlog

YouTube is the ideal place for posting your vlog. Why? Because it contains all the tools required for creating, editing and registering a vlog video. YouTube is still the most favourite place where to publish and find video content:

  • YouTube is the second most visited website on the web after Google. (Google Data)
  • It is the second most used search engine after Google too. (Google Data)
  • More than 1.9 billion logged-in users visit YouTube every month. (YouTube Data)
  • These users watch over a billion hours of videos daily generating billions of video views. (Google Data)
  • Viewers spend over an hour a day watching YouTube on their mobile devices alone. (Google Data)
  • 80% of views are from outside the United States. (Google Data)

Not even Facebook and Instagram can compete with these numbers.

Vlog Strategies

The YouTube Academy contains specific resources for “vloggers“.

In this section aspiring vloggers can find some advices on how to implement a vlog strategy:

  • Personal or General Topic: would you like to use the vlog to document a day in your personal life or would you prefer to be more impersonal (product reviews, tutorial, travel video…)?
  • Storytelling: would you like to be conversational by telling your story in front of the camera?
  • Fictional Character: will your vlogger be a real person or a virtual one (VTubers). Usually, vloggers are real people who speak directly into the camera to their fans. But in the past year they have had to contend with “VTubers” like Japanese VTuber Kizuna Ai. Even if VTubers seem to be popular mostly in Japan, we’re seeing more comfort in interacting with digital avatars in place of people outside Japan too. Companies cashing in on the VTuber trend follow a similar pattern to those creating Instagram models to showcase various fashion brands.

This is changing expectations. Our kids will be more comfortable to be communicating with avatars – Alexandre Pechev
  • Supplemental videos: supplemental videos are videos created for your vlog but separated from the main video content you produce. You can implement this strategy when you do not want your main videos to be part of your vlog but you still need to create some more conversational content. These can be separate from your main content, or attached to the beginning and/or end of videos. 

Vlog Technical Advices

The vlog section of the YouTube Academy contains some technical advice as well:

  • Location: choose the right location
  • Lighting: use bright, full lighting to maximize image color and sharpness
  • Frame your shot: Consider placing the camera as close as you’re comfortable with but keep in mind that many of your viewers will likely be watching on small screens. 
  • Be close to the mic: start with a clean, clear recording since sound is sometimes more critical than the picture quality. 
  • Choose your tone: Your tone is your general attitude, and it’s directly tied to your brand.