In the last two weeks, I have written several posts about blogging. Blogging is a great first business to start. It’s a great way to learn what works and what doesn’t in a business.

Blogging teaches you a lot of lessons about human nature. You can use those lessons later in business and life. It helps you build an audience, which you can use to launch another business.

Even if you have another business idea, it’s a good idea to start with marketing first. What’s the simplest form of marketing? It’s a blog. At least that’s what I thought until I received a comment from a reader.

That is one more reason to start a blog. You receive valuable feedback and ideas from your readers. My reader pointed out that blogging wasn’t the best option for beginners. Reading their comment, I agree with them, but only partially.

The Advantages of Vlogging

My reader wrote that vlogging was the best option to document your process, because once you shoot a video, you can use it for different purposes.

Obviously, you could use the video on YouTube, but you can also edit it to use it on SnapChat, Instagram, and other social platforms that accept videos. Moreover, you can extract the audio and publish it as a podcast.

I agree with my reader that vlogging offers a lot of opportunities. However, I wouldn’t be so quick to say that vlogging is better than blogging. There are three questions that I’d like to ask to determine which one is better for you. (Remember, you need to ask the right questions to succeed.)

Question #1: Which comes natural to you? Blogging or Vlogging?

Some people can write effortlessly, but when it comes to talking, they run out of words. Then there are people who can talk fluently, but when it comes to writing their ideas down, they get stuck and don’t know how to express themselves in written form.

Obviously, you need to pick the format that suits your talents the best and in which you can create content on a consistent basis.

Question #2: Who is your target audience?

Are you targeting consumers or professionals? Is your project a B2B business or a B2C business? If you’re targeting consumers, you’re better off with the audiovisual format. If you’re targeting professionals, you’re better off with the written form.

Most managers can skim through a post in a minute, which would take them 15 minutes to listen to or watch. So, you won’t find many managers listening to podcasts or watching YouTube videos.

Question #3: Which format is the most suitable one for your project?

Some projects are better documented in written form, others in an audiovisual format. If your project is a technical project that requires a lot of charts, formulas, tables, and references, you’re better off documenting it in a written format. If your project is an entertainment project, you better use the audiovisual format.

My Choice

Here’s how I answer those questions for my project. First of all, I’m not a great talker. Writing comes more natural than talking to me. The target audience of my blog is professionals, entrepreneurs, and managers.

The answer to the third question isn’t that clear. Even though my blog is not a technical one, its purpose isn’t entertainment either. So, it’s somewhere in between. However, since the answers to the first two questions are crystal clear, I don’t need to think about the third question.

The best option for my project is to blog. That’s why I’m focused mostly on blogging in my posts and give examples about blogging. In either case, most of the core principles that I discuss apply to vlogging as well.

Conclusion

Blogging or vlogging is a great first business. You’ll learn a lot of lessons in business and human nature in both formats.

You might be better off starting with marketing first when you start a business. Blogging or vlogging is a great way to start marketing.

The question isn’t to start blogging or vlogging. The question is to start with which one, blogging or vlogging.

The answer depends on three criteria, what comes natural to you, your target audience, and your project.