by Kendall Morgan Rhodes,
Ladies Who Launch member, Los Angeles

Have you ever dreamed of producing your own television show? Do you have a Katie Couric side of you that yearns to report daily news events to the world? Do you long for a more personal connection with your customers, or do you want to use more tech-savvy ways to promote your company? Then video blogging may be for you. It’s easy, immediate, cost-effective, and can even be profitable.

Since 2006 video blogging has increased considerably, and sites such as YouTube have become substantial players in the national media world. Politicians are exploiting it, the world is obsessively watching it, webcams and video cameras are more accessible and easier to use than ever, and advertisers are catching on and cashing in. YouTube alone has 71 million unique users each month and boasts the sixth largest audience on the Internet. Online video is not something in the future—it is one of the most powerful mediums today.

How Can Video Blogging Help Your Business?

Video blogs are great marketing tools. They allow you to be the producer of your own show and connect in a face-to-face way with the rest of the world. You can create videos to explain what you do for your customers, show customers how to use your product, and personalize your interaction with clients. By publishing your videos in numerous places and platforms, you can bring in new audiences as well as increase your search engine optimization. And finally, video blogs with lots of hits can make money. You can sell ads on your video content that can generate revenue for your business.

What Exactly Is Video Blogging?

Assuming you know what blogging is (if not, see “How To: Blog” ), video blogging (sometimes shortened to just “vlogging” or “vlogs”) is simply blogging using video. Vlogs are usually two- to five-minute-long videos and can be as simple as a person talking directly into their webcam daily about anything their heart desires. Or they can be more entertaining, elaborately edited pieces that offer news, how-to’s, information, and more. Vlogs are published or posted on your own Web site, blog, or a video platform like YouTube that allows other people to see it, comment, post it on their own Web site, e-mail it, and subscribe.

A 24-year-old from Paducah, KY, named William Sledd started a video blog on YouTube about asking a gay man, himself, for fashion advice. His “expertise” is merely his opinions. He records funny, two-minute webcam pieces where he talks to you directly about what he thinks is hot or not. Today, he is a global Internet fashion personality with over 3 million channel views, 99,000 subscribers, and a deal with Gap!

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