Blogging vs. Vlogging

I've been watching a lot of vlogbrothers lately, which, apart from being insanely entertaining and giving me lots of time to play Frecell, has also made me think about my [non-existent] history as a vlogger.

So today I am going to be comparing the two forms of internet journaling and partaking in both. First I'm going to write this blog post, and then I am going to talk about the same thing in a vlog. It should be interesting. Should is the key word in that last sentence.

You should note that I've tried vlogging a few times and never found my niche. Also it always felt a bit awkward to me, talking to a camera. I'm willing to give it another shot, but I make no gurantees about the end result...

From my experience, I've compiled this list of things you need to be a successful* vlogger:

1. A topic/point of view
2. Basic video editing skills
3. Some place that you can be alone and talk to yourself/the camera
4. Creativity
5. A good quality camera

You also need some confidence. Putting a video of yourself on the internet is easier said than done. In theory, people are going to be watching that video, and you have to believe you aren't wasting their time.

To be a blogger you need less things, in my opinion:

1. A topic/point of view
2. Writing ability
3. A computer

Again, you need confidence in yourself. Making you inner thoughts known the the internet at large? It takes an ounce of courage. Especially if you realize that maybe no one will ever read it.

After that, everything else is bonus points.

My point here is that, for me, vlogging is harder. I'm sure it's different for everyone, depending on your personality, but it's much easier for me to type quietly at a keyboard than try to charismatically capture attention with a video camera.

When people read my blog, I'm not on display, gesturing my hands and stumbling over my words. If I don't know what I'm about to say next, my fingers pause over my keyboard. Vlogging seems a lot more personal, and with that a lot more scary. Maybe sticking to blogging is a it cowardly, but if you're good at it, why not?

*By successful, I don't mean insanely popular. I just mean being a good vlogger. I'm sure there's lots of under-watched, under-rated, yet awesome vlogs out there. Bonus points for views.