Darren Rowse of Problogger.net fame posed this question to his readers last week: “What are the Benefits of Adding Video to Your Blog?”
So far, the response has been intriguing. While benefits of using video on blogs and web sites are indeed being discussed, people are also sharing their personal feelings about it. Surprisingly, it appears that there is no middle ground. These folks either love online video or hate it with a passion.
I get pretty excited when bloggers get feedback like this from their readers. The insight they provide can be a real eye-opener for web site owners and bloggers like you and me.
In this case, the comments Darren received from his simple question can help us determine whether or not we should use video in our blogs or on our web sites, and if so, what we can do to make it a pleasant experience for everyone.
(As a side note: While Darren specifically asked about video on blogs, I believe that a great deal of what his commentators shared can also be applied to video on web sites. See if you agree).
Let’s dig in and take a look at some of the gems I extracted from Darren’s faithful readers.
3 Things People Love About Online Videos:
- Provides a break from reading. Several people noted that having the ability to listen rather than read was a nice break for their tired eyes.
- Adds a personal touch. People enjoyed seeing videos of the blogger in person and felt it provided a personal connection as well as added credibility.
- Shows rather than explains. People particularly saw value in “how-to” videos, where there is a clear benefit in illustrating how to do something using video rather than attempting to explain it with words or still pictures.
3 Things People Hate About Online Videos:
- Takes too long to load. Even on a high-speed Internet connection, many people felt impatient with the loading time of online videos. And those that don’t have access to high-speed Internet simply don’t have the bandwidth needed to watch videos online.
- Difficult to watch in public. Because watching video requires sound, those using the Internet in a library, café, school or even in the vicinity of their own home were unlikely to watch video online because they felt it was intrusive and disturbed those around them.
- Poor accessibility. People with a hearing loss are often left out when it comes to online videos, because few provide captioning or subtitles. In addition, those with normal hearing complained of instances of not being able to understand the speaker in the video due to regional/foreign accents or poor audio.
So Should You Use Video on Your Blogs and Web Sites?
Taking the above considerations to heart, I believe using video can be beneficial to web site/blog visitors if it:
- Educates through the use of visuals.
- Demonstrates how to do something.
- Increases credibility.
- Provides an alternative to reading for those with vision issues or tired eyes.
With that being said, I firmly believe that you need to provide a written transcript for those without high-speed Internet, folks with a hearing loss, and for people who simply prefer to read.
Leaving these people out of the mix conveys the message that they are not important to you. And if they believe they are unimportant to you, then you will become unimportant to them. If that isn’t motivation enough for you, then take into consideration that video currently provides no search engine benefit. Written words in a transcript, however, do.
I think the bottom line here is common sense. Don’t jump on the video bandwagon just because it seems like it’s the popular thing to do right now. Keep your goals and your customers at the forefront of your mind and it will quickly become clear as to whether or not you should use video on your blog or web site.
Remember – it’s always about the customer.
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I’ve used video on my blog once because it did show something rather than me just writing about it. I didn’t receive any feedback on the post. I, personally, like it when people use video. I wouldn’t want it with every post, but, like you said, if it gives a good demonstration and teaches something in the process, I’m all for it.
Karon, Video can certainly be an asset and an attraction when used properly with an audience that loves it. It will be interesting to see what the future holds.
I am pretty new at all of this, but I could see adding a very short video of our puppy on the picture album site that I have made for her.
But on the other hand, I dislike looking at long YouTube stuff.
And third, I really benefit from video learning sites, You can either purchase them on a DVD or watch them online. Watching something will clarify something that Ive been trying to learn by reading in some instances.
This is an interesting topic.
Thank you,
Jane
Jane,
A picture album site would be a great place to post a video. Everyone would be able to enjoy the still pictures, and those who want to could watch the video.
Like you, I also benefit from online learning video. There are many things that are so much easier to learn by actually seeing how it’s done, rather than trying to figure it out with words and pictures.
Great points, my friend!
Viki
Hi Viki,
Thank you, I’m pretty new at this and I love it.
Though I have to figure out how to get the little videos edited on my Mac, iMovie is very complex. Have to get my yukky voice out of the puppy videos.
I have a tutorial of how to get them up onto my site.
Ive not the time now, but perhaps will give this a whirl this winter, thanks for the encouragement.
I will be looking for classes that would be for this type of fun stuff.
Jane
Jane,
Ahhhh, yes! Getting video edited and posted to a web site can be a challenge in itself! When you get your puppy video up, come back and let us know so we can admire it.
Viki