Blogging Vs Video Creation - Which One is Better?

As someone who wants to be a content creator, I’m trying to decide between two exciting options: writing articles and making videos. I’d love to do both, but I know I need to focus on one to start. In this article, let’s explore each option and figure out the best way to begin together. We’ll look at factors like ease of creation, editing, publishing, and maintenance, along with some insights into the costs involved.

Ease of creation

Writing is easier than you might think. Nowadays, computers and smartphones come with note-taking apps, or you can easily download one. You can just start typing your ideas and later copy and paste them into a blog post.

Smartphones also have much better cameras now, which makes it easier to create high-quality videos. You might need to learn a few tricks to make your footage engaging, but if you’re making tutorial videos where you mostly share your screen, it’s less complicated.

I don’t think there’s a clear winner between writing and video creation. Don’t worry too much about making things perfect when you start. For blogging, jot down some bullet points on your topic. Then create a title from those points and write a paragraph or two for each one. The same goes for videos: outline what you want to talk about. Start with shorter videos if that helps. The key is to build your confidence.

If you’re not ready to publish something, you can save it as a draft or keep it private and move on to your next project. I’m okay with publishing even if I don’t think it’s perfect because feedback from my audience gives me a chance to improve.

Let's try giving a score to compare. For the creation part, I would like to give 1 point each for both blogging and video creation.

Ease of editing

When it comes to editing, writing and video creation offer different experiences. Editing a written piece is often straightforward. You can easily revise sentences, rearrange paragraphs, and delete or add information without losing the overall flow. Most text editors have features like spell check and formatting options, making it simple to polish your work.

On the other hand, editing videos can be more complex. While there are many user-friendly video editing tools available, you might need to learn how to use them effectively. Cutting clips, adding transitions, and syncing audio can be time-consuming, especially if you want to create a polished final product. If you make a mistake, it may take longer to fix than it would in a written piece.

Overall, writing tends to be easier to edit, allowing for quick changes and adjustments. Video editing requires more effort and technical skills, but it can be rewarding once you see the finished product. Both mediums have their challenges, so it’s important to choose the one that fits your style and comfort level.

From my point of view, I will give 1 point to blogging.

Audience engagement

Videos usually engage people better than articles do. That's just how our brains work. When we think of something, we picture it in our minds. For example, if I say "cat," you likely imagine a cat from a video or image you've seen before, not the letters "c," "a," and "t."

But that doesn’t mean blogging doesn’t attract an audience. People have different preferences; some prefer reading. While videos can be quicker to understand, they can be harder to refer back to later since you might not remember exactly where to find a specific point. In contrast, written content is easier to look back at when you need to find something specific. Plus, browsers have built-in search features, so even if you only remember a word, you can easily find it again.

Another point to consider is the longevity of engagement. Blog posts can be updated and promoted over time, ensuring they remain relevant and continue to attract readers. With proper SEO practices, a well-written article can bring in traffic for months or even years after it’s published. This contrasts with videos, which might have a shorter shelf life unless they go viral or are regularly promoted.

I’d like to break down audience engagement into two key aspects: speed of engagement and longevity.

1. Speed of Engagement: Video creation often excels in quickly capturing the audience's attention. The visual and auditory elements of videos can draw viewers in right away, leading to immediate reactions and interactions.
2. Longevity: Blogging has the advantage when it comes to lasting engagement because you can improve your post over time. Well-crafted blog posts can continue to attract readers over time, especially if they’re optimized for search engines. This means that while videos may generate quick views, blogs can sustain interest and traffic long after they are published.

Ease of post-publication update

Updating blog posts is generally easier and clear winner, whether you self-host on your domain or use platforms like Medium or LinkedIn. There’s always an "Edit Article" option available, allowing you to make changes while keeping all the engagement and comments intact, no matter how many times you update your content. This flexibility means you can correct errors, add new information, or refresh outdated content without losing your audience's interaction.

In contrast, when you upload a video to social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, or TikTok, you can’t edit the video once it’s live. While you can upload a new version if needed, the view counts will reset with the new upload, and all engagement stays with the original video. This means that if you need to correct a mistake or update information, you might lose the traction your original video gained.

Moreover, blog posts can easily incorporate links to external resources, images, or new sections, enhancing their value over time. You can also adjust SEO elements, like keywords and meta descriptions, to improve visibility in search engines. In contrast, video content, while visually engaging, may not allow for the same depth of information or quick updates.

Ultimately, the ability to update content easily is a significant advantage for blogging. This feature not only helps maintain relevance but also fosters a more dynamic interaction with your audience, as they can see your content evolving.

Blogging is a clear winner for post-publication updates.

Ease of control

When it comes to ease of control, blogging has a significant advantage when hosted on your domain. With your website, you have full control over your content, layout, and how you engage with your audience. No external influences are dictating what you can or cannot publish, allowing you to create and manage your content freely.

While using other blogging platforms like Medium or writing articles on LinkedIn also carries some risk—since these platforms can set rules that might impact your content—self-hosting eliminates that concern. You maintain ownership and control over your work, ensuring that your content is safe from the uncertainties of platform changes or decisions. This control can provide peace of mind, allowing you to focus on creating and sharing your message without fear of losing access to your audience.

In contrast, video creators often rely on social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, or TikTok, where the platform has ultimate control. These platforms can change their policies at any time, affecting how content is shared, monetized, or even whether it remains accessible at all. Sometimes, creators have lost their channels due to sudden policy updates or violations they may not have been aware of, leaving them without recourse.

Of course, you can host your videos on your domain, but building an audience can be more challenging. Unlike established platforms, where viewers are already engaged, self-hosting means you have to attract and grow your audience from scratch. While blogging also requires audience-building, it can be easier due to Google indexing content online, which helps your posts get discovered. My point is when people want to read articles, they will Google it but when they want to watch videos, they will think of existing platforms like YouTube instead of Googling.

There is still a risk of your blog going unnoticed or neglected by search engines, but that risk is generally less intense compared to the uncertainties of social media platforms changing their policies because you can edit an article as many times as you want even after it is published so you can make adjustments to optimize for search engines. Policy change didn't happen frequently but a few times I see videos of creators heartbroken due to the sudden loss of their hard work. Overall, self-hosting a blog provides more control and stability, allowing you to focus on creating valuable content without the fear of losing access to your audience.

I would like to give blogging as a clear winner for ease of control.

Cost to operate

When considering the cost to operate, both blogging and video creation have their expenses, but blogging tends to be more budget-friendly overall. But that doesn't mean video production is expensive. I will explain why.

For a self-hosted blog, the primary costs include domain registration, web hosting, and possibly a premium theme or plugins. These expenses can be quite manageable, especially for beginners.

When I started my blog, I purchased a domain for about $17 per year and chose Ghost.org for my content management and hosting at $108 per year. Ghost is an open-source platform, so if you have some programming knowledge, you could host it yourself for less. I’m happy to pay for Ghost.org, and that’s all I spend. I use free themes, I rely on Unsplash, for images which is already integrated by the Ghost platform. I’m perfectly fine with the free images available. So, my total annual cost for blogging comes to around $125.

In contrast, video creation can involve higher costs, especially if you invest in quality equipment like cameras, microphones, and lighting. Additionally, video editing software can be expensive, and some creators may need to hire professionals for editing and post-production.

I tried my hand at building a YouTube channel by creating faceless videos using AI tools. I experimented with InVideo AI, which costs $240 per year. This tool lets you input prompts to generate complete videos with AI voiceovers and royalty-free footage. The accuracy of the content is impressive, and it offers premium footage from platforms like iStock, though there are some limitations on usage. However, I found that the footage I preferred wasn’t available through InVideo AI; I discovered much better options on iStock but it will be a separate purchase. If I were to subscribe to both InVideo AI and iStock, my costs would add up quickly. iStock charges at least $20 for a single clip, so using five iStock clips for each video would amount to $100.

There are also subscription-based platforms like Artlist.io, which costs around $480 per year and gives access to all their footage. If I were to choose both InVideo AI and Artlist.io, my annual operating costs would total $720. While that’s not too bad compared to the $100 per video option, it still holds me back from investing further.

But video creation doesn’t have to be expensive. You can create videos by recording your voice, downloading images from Google, and combining them using tools like CapCut by yourself, adding transitions along the way. This approach can keep your costs at zero, which is why I hesitate to say one medium is definitively cheaper than the other. It comes down to how high-quality you want your content to be.

For me, the cost of the domain and Ghost.org subscription gives me a level of quality I’m satisfied with for my blog. In contrast, a zero-cost video production wouldn’t meet my standards. To achieve video quality that I’m happy with, the costs are higher than I’m willing to invest.

Ultimately, while both mediums have associated costs, blogging generally allows for a more economical approach, making it accessible for individuals and small businesses looking to share their ideas without breaking the bank. But I don’t want to declare a clear winner in terms of cost because it depends on how much you’re willing to invest.

So although blogging is economical for my particular case, let's give 1 point to each option.

Also, count on your soul

Everyone has their way of expressing themselves. Some people shine in front of a camera, while others feel more at ease when writing. For me, I’m a better writer than a speaker—not because I excel at academic writing, but because I’m used to jotting down my thoughts and taking notes in my everyday life. When people around me see how I organize my thoughts on paper, they often give me positive feedback. Some of my notes even help others! However, when it comes to making videos, I am not so comfortable with it. I barely take photos of my own. However, I am comfortable with the faceless video production option.

In conclusion, blogging vs video creation – Which one is better?

According to the points we have given, it seems blogging is a winner over video creation. If you can think of other points to add, please let me know in the comments.

From my point of view, I’ve tried both as each offers its benefits and experiences. But if I had to choose a starting point, I would go with blogging. Regardless of where you begin, it can be challenging at first, but leveraging the skills you’re already comfortable with can make a significant difference in your progress.

What do you have in mind? Is this article helpful? Let us know in the comments and thank you for reading.