Blogging, whether it is on behalf of a business, or for your own personal projects, is getting tougher.

The internet is becoming more and saturated with written content each day, and as a result, 91% of blog posts get zero organic traffic.

Adding videos to your blog posts can greatly increase their chances of being read as they both increase the quality of the article and make effective promotion far easier.

If you are a blogger or content marketer with any ambition, video content is a must going into 2021.

Here is why:

1. A video can make the difference between your blog and the 100 others on the same topic

Let’s face it, there are very few topics that have not been covered dozens of times already online.

Why would anyone want to read your article over the 100 others on the same thing?

Well, for the right type of topic, having video embedded in your article could be the difference-maker.

This is true for any type of how-to post. When it comes to teaching people something new, the combination of text and video is always going to trump text alone.

Google themselves realize this, which is why they have started ranking videos at the top of the results for a lot of how-to searches.

With some investment into quality video content this could be you.

2. Having videos in your blog opens up YouTube as a traffic source

YouTube is the second most used search engine after Google. 

If you are putting time into ranking articles in Google search, you’re missing an opportunity by not creating video content to rank on YouTube.

This is particularly true for smaller brands and startups. Google gives exposure to known brands over smaller businesses, therefore it can be hard to compete even with world-class posts.

YouTube is more of an even playing field. If you have a video that is significantly better than what is currently out there on a given topic you can get to the top of YouTube regardless of your size.

YouTube allows you to link back to your blog in your video description, meaning that a regularly watched video can drive traffic to your website in addition to giving your brand extra exposure.

3. Videos allow you to run cheap ads to your blog

It can take over 6 months for a blog to start ranking organically, therefore paid traffic should probably be one of the ways that you start sending your first visitors to your post.

You want your ads to be as cheap as possible. Video ads allow you to do this.

Using a snippet of a video embedded in your blog to “preview” your post to targetted social media users results in a very low cost per click. This is because video is far more enticing than text and images could ever be.

Social platforms like Linkedin and Facebook favor video content to text-based posts, so your ads will have a wider reach, and at less cost, if they are video based.

4. Video allows you to brand your company’s blog

Blogs only start reaping a true ROI when the blog itself becomes its own distinct brand.

When this happens, people start viewing your blog as a go-to resource in your industry and start looking forward to the next blog that hits their mailing list.

This can only really happen when the blog itself has names and faces associated with it. People want the advice and opinions of specific thought leaders, rather than just a company.

While it is possible to attach a personal brand to a blog with text alone, this can take years of creating outstanding articles week in week out.

Videos allow you to shortcut this.

With just a few videos featuring the thought-leaders in your company, you can attach a personal brand to your blog, fast-tracking your website to becoming a go-to knowledge source in your industry.

5. Videos make your blog much more PR friendly

Publishing unique statistics and insights on trending topics can make your blog newsworthy.

Pitching your posts to relevant journalists could lead to them being cited in newspapers and magazines.

Posts with videos are much more likely to end up in the press.

Why? 

Well, an increasing number of newspapers and magazines are requiring a video in each article as part of their editorial guidelines. 

Videos can be hard to make, so providing journalists with them can lead to their being featured in stories.

More often than not, a journalist will credit this use of your video with a link back to your website, driving traffic and building your authority in Google.

6. Videos are FAR more likely to go viral than written posts

Growth-hacking your blog often requires a little bit of luck.

A small team can only create and promote so much content, viral growth is needed.

Having your content “go viral” is essentially a numbers game. If you are creating the right kind of content regularly, the chances of something going viral is far higher.

Written posts rarely go viral. Videos do All. The. Time.

Regularly creating video content increases your chances of going viral. This is especially true if you’re willing to take risks and make videos that are funny, controversial and (most of all) different.

7. Video puts your blog ahead of the game

Google, the gatekeepers of the internet, promote video content ahead of written posts.

This trend has grown in 2020 and looks let to do so in the future. 

Video is easier to monetise with ads. If it makes Google more money, they will push it.

As a content creator, you need to take advantage of this or be left behind. Work with the search engines, not against them.

This article was written by Oli Graham, Marketing Manager for digital content agency RightlyWritten.