Blogging vs YouTube: We may follow different paths, but most of our motives are the same- to achieve financial security and independence. Speaking of which, starting a blog or opening a YouTube channel are two of your best, effective options since both the mediums promise amazing money-making potential.
You can’t put your focus in many different places at once. For instance, it would be really hard for you to do blogging and study for your upcoming tests at the same time. Whether you want to start a blog or open a YouTube channel, a substantial amount of lot of hard work, time, and undivided dedication is mandatory. Thus, it is always recommended to focus on any of the mediums at least for a season.
Now the question is: Which one is more suitable for your niche- blogging or vlogging on YouTube?
Take a look at all the upsides and downsides of both the mediums so that you can make an informed decision for yourself. The factors you should consider to get out of the dilemma are:
Blogging vs YouTube: Do They Mean The Same Thing?
Table of Contents
Blogging
A blog is an online journal or diary that is located on a website. Blogs are usually textual content but can consist of scans from old physical offline journals and other hard copy documents. You can share your thoughts in a blog just like I did in the one you are reading right now.
YouTube
YouTube is about video making and filmmaking. You need to have good knowledge about editing software, cameras and how to deal with the cameras to create impressive video content. Pouring down your thoughts via alphabets and images in a blog is one thing. But, doing the same on video is VERY DIFFERENT.
I won’t lie. YouTube is a lot more fun if that’s what you are looking forward to. From positioning the lights and setting the actors on stage to shooting scenes and editing the essential parts, vlogging on YouTube is a whole other experience.
Pros Of Blogging And YouTube
Since this article explores the financial rewards of blogging and YouTube, let’s explore their advantages in terms of earning as much money as possible.
Blogging
Starting a blog used to be a huge undertaking, but a lot of website tools and software today can help you ease that difficulty. If you’re looking for a side hustle that could establish your online reputation and potentially earn the trust of bigger clients, blogging is the way to go!
Blogging is a low-cost investment as it requires around USD$30 to USD$50 of start-up costs for domain purchase and website hosting. Thanks to its flexibility, you can work on your blog anytime you’d want without being pressured on a deadline. Most importantly, you can earn money in different ways:
- Affiliate marketing
- Ad revenue
- Sponsored content
- Offering personal services
- Selling blog merchandise
YouTube
If starting a blog is affordable, YouTube is free for every aspiring vlogger! You can create, publish content, and maintain your channel without paying for YouTube unless you’re engaging in ads and sponsorships. Also, you can access video editing resources and tools for free, such as a YouTube converter, editing software, and the like.
The best thing about YouTube is when you establish yourself as a popular and reliable vlogger who offers valuable content to your chosen niche and have amassed a considerable following and view count; earnings will start to flow.
Facts You Should Know About Blogging vs YouTube
Blogging
Control and ownership are two significant factors when it comes to generating wealth. And blogs provide you with both. You own your blog along with all the pieces of content in it. All you have to do is host the blog and buy the domain to make it yours. You needn’t have to depend on somebody to approve your posts or worry about your posts (hardwork) disappearing without any prior notice.
YouTube
You may own the content on YouTube but not YouTube as a whole. That means, Google or YouTube still has the right to bring down your content if you violate their terms and conditions for some reason. It is important to understand that the ownership of your YouTube channel is not entirely within your grip.
Also Read: Google Local Guides Benefits and Perks and know How to Join!
Start-up Costs: Which One Is More Affordable?
Blogging
It is way easier to get started with a blog. You need a hosting plan, a domain and a computer or laptop to build your very first blog. The costs vary depending on the plans and the type of blogs you opt for. For instance, the first year of blog expenses may be around $34.50 to $65.40 in 2021.
The basic costs of starting the following types of blogs are:
- Hobby blogs– $34.50 (These are solely for fun or can also be used as a creative outlet)
- Side hustle blogs- $65.40 (This help you build a business slowly while you work full-time)
- Full-time blogs– $941.40 (These are the blogs who work on as a full-time business)
You need to have a different threshold for the costs if you are starting your blog for the first time. In case of an existing blog that already generates income for you, you can think of some premium expenses such as plugins, themes, faster web hosting, etc.
YouTube
Speaking of the start-up costs for starting a YouTube channel, there is good news and bad news. The good news is it’s completely free to start a YouTube channel. The bad news is its way costlier to create your video content to be uploaded on YouTube. The basic cost of buying video production equipment is between $1300 and $10,000.
Earnings: It’s All About The Money In The End
Blogging
You may hear some digital marketers say “blogging is dead.” Please, don’t pay heed to such rumours because top blogging networks still earn about $30 million revenue in a month from 13 million visitors. Here are the top blogs and their monthly earnings to give you a head start about the profitable benefits of blogging:
- The Huffington Post– $2,330,000
- Techcrunch– $800,000
- Mashable– $600,000
- Perez Hilton– $450,000
- Noupe– $200,000
- Smashing Magazine– $190,000
All in all, blogging is not even close to being dead. There are people who love to read blogs only if you know what they would love read even amid their busy schedule.
YouTube
It’s fun to watch soothing videos or funny animal videos on YouTube hours after hours, especially when you can’t get enough sleep at night. But, did you know that for every minute that you watch the video, the channels are making a significant amount of money?
How much the channel makes per view?
As per a wide variety of sources, YouTube channels make anything within $0.01 to $0.03 per view with AdSense. Here the factors that YouTube takes into consideration before paying your channel the money:
- The number of clicks received by your video
- The number of clicks the ad receives via your video
- Quality of the ad
- Adblockers
- Length of the video
How much does the channel make every 1000 views?
As per Forbes, YouTube channels can make about $5 for every 1000 video views. That means your channel must attract a large audience if you want it to be a great side hustle.
How many views does your YouTube channel need to get paid?
You have to reach a balance of $100+ from the views on your YouTube channel. If you receive $5 for 1000 views, you have to garner 20,000 views for $100 so that you can get paid through the advertisements on your channel. YouTube even introduced an exclusive Partners Program to make the distribution of money fair between the channel and ads.
Monetisation: Which Medium Is Easier To Monetise?
Blogging
Whether you pick blogging vs YouTube, a considerable amount of traffic is what you need to reap the benefits of your effort. You can try monetising the blog once it generates at least 1000 visitors per day. Here are the popular monetising strategies:
- Offer a coaching service– Sources have revealed that the life coaching industry generates revenue of $2 billion if done correctly. You can try merging blogging with study so that students are excited about it. They can come to your blog when they need tutoring or coaching help.
- Start as an in-demand freelance blogger– Nearly 19% of freelancers earned at least $50,000 last year and 5% of them even earned six figures. 62.5 freelancers do blogging full-time without having to rely on a side job.
- Create and sell online courses- You don’t need a lot of customers or leads to earning money. Students may come to your blog and say ‘help me do my homework’ and all you have to do is provide them with relevant course material.
- Place ads-Placing ads is one of the most popular ways of earning money from blogs. There are two types of ads, such as CPC and CPM ads. CPC ads are banners that you place in your sidebar or content. Every time a reader clicks on the ad, you get paid. CPM ads pay you on the basis of how many people viewed the ad.
YouTube
YouTube monetisation works based on the ads placed inside or near the videos. You need to enable the monetisation tab on your channel. On doing so, your videos will be submitted and approved for monetisation. You need to merge your AdSense and YouTube account to earn the revenue generated from the ads.
Your videos should comply with the worldwide commercial rights along with the copyright laws to be eligible for monetisation. Visit YouTube’s Copyright Centre, Terms and Conditions and Community Guidelines to gather more information concerning this area.
Blogging vs YouTube: Which one is the winner?
Honestly, both blogs and YouTube channels require traffic, good content (textual or video) and ads to be profitable enough for you. No matter which one you choose, skipping the hard work is not really an option.
Blogging is more suitable for you if you have a knack for writing or playing with words. You might also want to start your online career with blogs since they do not require any additional expenses to be set up. Your blogs also earn revenue if your target audience sees an ad displayed on the blog or clicks on it.
On the contrary, YouTube channels require proper video making equipment like cameras, crew, etc. and all of that doesn’t come cheap. Moreover, you get money from your videos only if your target audience clicks on the ad or watches the video for at least 30 seconds.
You can start with a blog since that’s cheaper and focus on it to garner traffic from all over the world. Once it has enough traffic, you can open up a YouTube channel and share the link on your blogs. Fair enough?
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