A blog can be described as an online page consisting of journal entries which is regularly updated with popular topics or stories, and then shared with readers. There is a variety of online platforms such as Tumblr, WordPress and YouTube channels which can be used to create blogs for free and share with subscribers. Blogs also allow for users to leave comments at the end, with the opportunity to comment on what they liked/disliked or leave further questions for the blogger. (BBC. 2003)
If executed correctly a blog can initiate conversations or generate a buzz around a topic. (Baxter and Connolly. 2013) It is thought that a blog can give your organisation a personality as well as another method of communication and interaction with your target audience. In addition to this, a blog is more likely to be shared than a ‘dull press release’ (Maxwell. 2013)
Some examples of retail business blogs and what they do :
Postings from the different boutiques and suppliers showcasing their latest range available on ASOS.
Insights into new upcoming products soon to be released, with images & descriptions.
Recipes and culinary ideas using Tesco products & ingredients.
So blogs work well – But what engages an audience to promote an idea or message in a more effective way visually than any words can…. A video! (Evans. 2012)
One step up from a
standard blogis a VLOG…
This is where a video is used for each entry of the blog as oppose to text and pictures. The global video blogging world is fast growing, with some Vloggers experiencing huge success such as :
Vlogs about : Beauty Products, Fashion,
YouTube Figures :
- 7,816,260 subscribers
- 409,752,109 views
Vlogs About : Beauty, Fashion & Lifestyle
YouTube Figures :
- 2,903,356 subscribers
- 203,357,609 views
Vlogs About : Anything and everything including sports, pranks and activities with friends.
YouTube Figures :
- 3,604,132 subscribers
- 211,349,170 views
These are just a selection of three of the top vloggers online at the moment (De Grunwald. 2014)
So what can an individual business vlog about?
* Company updates – latest products and changes in the business
* Industry and world news – hot topics which will make interesting reads
* Instruction or experience – tell people how to use products or talk about experiences with products
(Siegchrist. 2015)
The benefits that any business can reap from using this form of social media are :
* Staying informed – finding out what your customers really think about your product or service
* Raising your profile – the more wide spread you are, the more people will know about you
* Building your brand nature awareness – the way in which you interact with consumers and deal with issues will build an image of your company in a person’s mind
* Influence consumers – tell them the benefits and why they should buy your products
* Viral effect – if people share your blog/vlog this will have a Word Of Mouth effect for your product
(Damian and Calvin. 2012)
It has been claimed that Vlogging is changing the face of advertising and marketing, and setting the shape for the future. (Chawla. 2014) Sharing videos on social media sites is expected to grow in the U.K by nearly a quarter every year for the next five years…. making this predicted to be the FASTEST growing form of advertising. (Williams. 2014)
So surely it would make business sense to start vlogging…?
Maybe Not…….
This survey aimed to illustrate how consumers become aware of new products
Please click the link below to see the full article and result –
The findings of this survey would suggest that for a brand, vlogs are perhaps not as effective as other channels and therefore should not be a key focus or take priority in a digital marketing strategy… perhaps even a waste of time.
There are also many considerations with regards to creating a Blog or Vlog in that ;
* They are time consuming to create
* They need to be relevant and interesting to the target audience
* The comments allow for negative feedback
* Who is the writer – the business ? consumers with experience? industry experts?
References
Baxter, G and Connolly T. (2013). The ‘state of the art’ of organisational blogging. The Learning Organization. 20 (2), p 104 – 117.
BBC. (2013). About social networks and blogs. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/0/22717886. Last accessed 8th April 2015.
Burr, T. (2015). About Tanya. Available: http://www.tanyaburr.co.uk/?p=about.tanya. Last accessed 4th April.
Butler, M. (2015). About me. Available: http://www.marcusbutler.co.uk/how-it-all-began-marcusbutlertv. Last accessed 4th April 2015..
Chawla, D. (2014). The Young Vloggers and their Fans who are changing the face of youth culture . Available: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/sep/28/vloggers-changing-future-advertising. Last accessed 4th April 2015
Damian, R and Calvin, J. (2012). Social media and online consumer engagement. In: Understanding Digital Marketing: Marketing Strategies for Engaging the Digital Generation. Online: Kogan Page Ltd. p 156.
De Grunwald, T. (2014). Meet the youtube big hitters : The bright young vloggers who have more fans than 1D . Available: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-2656209/The-teen-phenomenon-thats-taking-Youtube.html. Last accessed 4th April 2015.
Evans, D. (2012). Week 3, Social Content – Text, Photos, Audio, and Video. In: Murphy, A. and Gaughan, P. Social Media Marketing. 2nd ed. Canada : John Wiley & Sons Inc. . p225-227. p70.
Maxwell, C. (2013). Blogging for Business. Director. 66 (7), p 67 – 73.
Siegchrist, G. (2015). Video Blogging for businesses . Available: http://desktopvideo.about.com/od/videoblogging/p/businessvlog.htm. Last accessed 4th April 2015.
Williams, C. (2014). Online video ads to lead UK media market growth. Available: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/digital-media/10873372/Online-video-ads-to-lead-UK-media-market-growth.html. Last accessed 4th April 2015.
YouTube. (2015). About : Zoella . Available: https://www.youtube.com/user/zoella280390/about. Last accessed 4th April 2015.
YouTube. (2015). About : Tanya Burr. Available: https://www.youtube.com/user/pixi2woo/about. Last accessed 4th April 2015.
YouTube. (2015). About : Marcus Butler. Available: https://www.youtube.com/user/MarcusButlerTV/about. Last accessed 4th April 2015.
really wonderful posts and site
For a retail business, the decision to blog or vlog hinges on your audience’s preferences and your brand’s unique voice. With insights from an advertising agency internet marketing, you can determine whether engaging written content or dynamic videos will better captivate your audience and drive sales, ensuring your efforts are strategically aligned with your goals.