Online videos have been especially popular since the rise of smartphones. Now users can watch videos on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and just about anywhere else on the web right from their mobile device.
While the rise in video consumption, which makes up nearly three-quarters of all online traffic, may make it seem like blogs will quickly be falling to the wayside, that isn't the case. People still turn to blogs as a trusted source of information. In fact, research shows that blogs have been rated as the fifth most trusted source for accurate online information.
But, if you want to drive more traffic to your blog and get even more loyal fans, you should consider combining your blogging strategy with online videos and other forms of visual media. By providing both content formats to users, you'll be able to introduce your blog to people who might not have given you a chance before as well as improve engagement from the readers you already have.
There are four key ways you can transform your blog with visual media, including:
Adding screencasts for tutorials
Including GIFs for entertainment
Showing “behind-the-scenes” with vlogs
Turning your full blog post into a video
Here's more on each strategy.
Add screencasts for tutorials.
If you're teaching your readers how to do something in your blog posts, instead of only providing written step-by-step instructions with screenshots, include a video tutorial. A video tutorial can show your readers exactly how to complete a task, making it much easier for them to follow your instructions. After all, your readers are likely heading to your blog to learn something, so make sure they get what they're looking for by providing detailed video lessons, along with helpful text.
Creating a video tutorial is especially easy if you're teaching your readers a computer-based lesson, like how to create featured blog post images or how to create a budgeting spreadsheet with Google Sheets, because all you have to do is record your screen. There's a lot of affordable, even free, screencasting software available on the market that allows you to easily record activities on your computer screen.
Plus, if you're selling a product, video tutorials can help your audience understand how to use the product better. When they have a better understanding of the product and how it works, they'll be more likely to buy. In fact, according to statistics, 82 percent of consumers have bought something after watching a video. Creating video tutorials is one of the easiest ways to incorporate videos into your blog posts.
Include GIFs for entertainment.
Not all of the videos you include in your blog posts need to be for educational purposes, you can also add in videos for entertainment purposes as well. It might not seem like an effective tactic at first, but adding videos or GIFs into your blog posts will make your blog posts more fun, which in turn will result in more engaged users who are willing to stick around longer.
For instance, if you have a funny line in your blog post, you can make it even funnier by adding a relevant GIF. Or, if you're trying to convey a certain emotion, adding in a GIF related to that emotion can make users connect with your content better. In fact, according to Time, 36 percent of millennials say that GIFs and emojis better communicate their thoughts and feelings than words do. So, start connecting with your readers by speaking their language.
There's a lot of talk online about whether using someone else's GIF in your blog post is a cause for concern though. While consumers can use the original content of others to create a GIF and share it on social media as many times as they want, many think that businesses should be a bit more careful. While there's no standing legal decision regarding the use of GIFs made from copyrighted material, if you want to err on the side of caution, just remember to add a link to the site you got the GIF. Alternatively, you can also create your own for free using a site like Giphy.
Show behind-the-scenes with vlogs.
Readers want to get to know the person behind the blog. When they get to know you, your readers will feel like they have a connection with you. This will help them trust your opinions and check in on what you have to say daily. In addition, they'll be more likely to share your posts and leave comments. All of this is great for blog engagement, but it can also help boost your sales too.
According to research, for millennials, brand authenticity is second only to loyalty discounts in importance when choosing companies to support. So, you need to show readers the real you. And you can do that by adding behind-the-scenes vlogs to your blog posts.
A vlog (short for video blog) gives viewers a peek into your daily life. Vlogs are some of the most popular content on YouTube and vloggers can show anything from grocery trips to walking their dog. How does this relate to your blog content though?
Well, instead of showing your blog readers your groceries, you can give them a behind-the-scenes look at your business. For instance, if you blog about blogging, your audience is filled with aspiring bloggers who would love to see your daily routine and process. Vlogs can add an engaging, personal touch to your blog posts and allow you to form a stronger connection with your audience.
Turn your blog content into videos.
Aside from inserting videos into your blog posts, you can also turn your entire blog post into a video. Repurposing content, which is basically recycling existing content, is a great way to stretch your content further. This saves you time and helps you reach new audiences.
Think about it: Not everyone likes to learn from reading, some people prefer to listen to podcasts or watch videos. So, by repurposing your written content into video content, you can attract more people to your website who might have previously passed you up because you didn't offer the type of content they enjoy.
Remember, when transforming your blog posts into videos, don't just sit in front of the camera and read your blog post word-for-word. Instead, summarize the main points of your blog article in the video. This will keep your video shorter, which is perfect because shorter videos – up to 2 minutes – get more engagement.
Share your videos on YouTube and embed them directly in your blog post so readers can choose how they want to consume your content. And don't forget to link your blog in the description of your YouTube video so that you can introduce a whole new audience to your blog.
Blogging is still one of the most popular forms of content on the internet, but video is becoming more and more popular every day. So, why not merge the two to get the best results? With these tips for how to transform your boring blog with video, you can impress the readers you already have and attract even more users to your website.