On video posting
by Sapphire (March 14, 2008)
I second everything Stu recently said about why he doesn’t like video blogging. It’s not quotable. It’s not skimmable. For a lot of us, it uses up more time than reading does.
But there’s one more thing that bugs me: it comes across as vain. There’s a certain sense that the blogger spends evenings at home singing “I’m too sexy” into the mirror in his/her underwear, and this video is only the tip of the magalomania iceberg.
Now, before you get upset, I don’t actually think video bloggers are doing it for vanity. I think most of you are marketers like me who would just as happily do something that couldn’t possibly be construed as vain if you thought it would help your sites. I get that.
I’m just saying that when people stick their faces on my computer screen, they’re presuming I want to look at them while they talk. I get this feeling that the person is more interested in being a supah-stah than being a leader in their topic.
In short, it makes me less inclined to take someone seriously. AGAIN, FOR THE RECORD, I don’t really think that when it comes to affiliate marketers. I haven’t seen any delusions of grandeur among the bloggers I read. But in another niche than marketing, I wouldn’t hesitate to assume, “This person is more full of herself/himself than Oprah.”
Of course the question is: does anyone else feel like I do? Maybe I’m the only one (wouldn’t be the first time). Could you actually be turning people off by video blogging, particularly outside the internet marketing niche?
Something to consider. What are your thoughts?
Posted in Blogging
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March 15th, 2008 at 9:43 am
I HATE VIDEO! There I’ve said. It’s slow to download and if my connection is slow, then it runs in fits and starts. It’s noisy and as you said, I can’t skim it to see if I even want to read it.
I think you can turn people off by always video blogging. I subscribed to one blog because I liked what was said but there were too many videos which meant I was never reading anything so I unsubbed.
I’m working for a marketer that wants me to do some videos on camista studio, so they are just tutorials–showing screen shots of how to do something. People will have a reason to choose to watch or not. I can always make sure we have written information as well.
March 17th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Honestly, I’m not a big fan of video blogging. For the longest time I’d just skip the videos and go read what they’re posting. Some RSS feed readers don’t show the video is even on the post - I’ve got one of those, so if they don’t write “I’ve got a video” - I miss it completely.
Over the past few months though, I’ve been watching a few more videos from Mark at 45n5 and Jim Kukral - when the topics sound interesting.
Sometimes I think there are people out there video blogging - and filling up space with crap. I guess that’s like the Internet in total. There is no quality-control… and that can be a bit frustrating (no I’m not into censorship.) It’s just annoying at times to realize that there is a lot of nothing out there.
We always have the choice to watch or not, as Bonnie said above - it’s just sometimes harder to know when to watch it and when to skip it. So I save myself the hassle most of the time and not bother watching.
March 17th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
I personally do not like the video blogging either. With a written blog I can scan and determine if I want to read the full blog. With a video, I have to watch it or trash it. Decisions, decisions!
March 18th, 2008 at 11:03 am
@Bonnie, I can’t STAND it when the only instructions available are video. I just leave the site when that happens. Bloggers are one thing, but I can’t believe companies offering a service don’t get the need for an option other than video.
@Empress, that’s another good point: if you can’t skim it to see if it’s worth watching, you might tend to just skip it. So video bloggers really have to maintain a higher quality to keep the audience coming back.
@Sahara, that’s precisely how I feel.
April 16th, 2008 at 8:45 am
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