Blogger vs. vlogger: What are their key differences?

Want to transform the online presence of your business into a revenue machine? Many entrepreneurs are taking the web by storm, building dedicated followings through captivating content. But the question remains: Should you work with a YouTube video whiz or a blog writing maestro?

This blogger vs. vlogger guide breaks down their significant differences so you can decide which creative outlet suits you best, especially if you’re looking for someone to improve your branding.

What is a blogger?

A blogger is someone who publishes written content on the Internet on their own website, known as a blog. The word blog is a shortened version of weblog, an online journal chronicling information around a central theme.

Bloggers create various types of content, ranging from personal thoughts to opinion articles, product reviews and recommendations, industry analyses and insights, and advice.

The first blog content was published in the mid-1990s when Justin Hall reviewed HTML examples he found online. Over the years, the activity evolved into a popular means of sharing ideas and expertise. Many bloggers even earn money from advertising, sponsorships, and sales.

What is a vlogger?

A vlogger is someone who creates and publishes video content on the Internet, typically on platforms such as YouTube. The term vlog is a portmanteau of video blog or video log, making it a blog in visual form. Some of the most common types of video content include everyday life updates, gaming playthroughs, and travel videos.

Vlogging traces its roots back to the early 2000s when bandwidth increased to allow video streaming. The first vlog featured Adam Kontras uploading a video of his LA journey on his website. By 2005, Google launched YouTube, and vlogging exploded in popularity.

Today, thousands of influencers and professional vloggers find massive success by building a YouTube channel. Vlog income usually comes from brand sponsorships, ads, and fan funding. Others have ventured into bigger businesses, such as merchandise sales and digital marketing agencies.

Vlogger vs. blogger: Which is better for your needs?

At first glance, it seems the major vlogger and blogger difference is content. Bloggers write while vloggers make videos. If you just dig deeper, you will discover they vary in many ways, from platform coverage to software and hardware requirements.

As someone wanting to grow a personal or business brand online, who is worth your time and money? Compare bloggers and vloggers extensively below!

In terms of content variety

A critical difference between a blogger and a vlogger is content variety, particularly in how they present information and engross the audience.

A blog post is commonly long-form, with a word count between 700 and 3,000 words. For this reason, it works best when you want to boost sales by promoting products. Content can be a comparison guide, a case study, or a comprehensive brand review or introduction.

Vlogs, meanwhile, are visual content. They are ideal for demonstrating techniques and processes in a conversational way. Someone teaching an online course might resonate more with audiences than a step-by-step blog post.

The personality-driven approach to creating vlogs also tends to connect better with those seeking entertainment and commentary rather than purely informational content. Vlogs allow creators to showcase their passions in an unfiltered way that written content cannot always encapsulate. The visual medium lends itself to humor, emotion, and raw on-screen moments.

In terms of platform coverage

Vloggers publish all video content almost exclusively to their YouTube channels. The video search engine offers convenient sharing and analytics features. Vloggers also earn money when they run ads with their content.

The most successful vloggers may upload to additional video blog sites, such as Instagram or TikTok, to broaden their reach and even earn more income. However, YouTube remains the best option for hosting longer videos to maximize viewership.

Unlike vloggers, bloggers leverage a combination of platforms to share written content. They push the copy across social media, such as X, Facebook, and LinkedIn, to drive traffic. Email newsletters, Pinterest boards, Reddit threads, and Quora spaces also highlight key blog content.

In terms of hardware and software requirements

When it comes to creating content, vloggers have more extensive hardware requirements and software needs than bloggers.

At the most basic level, bloggers need a computer and an Internet connection to write and publish articles online. Most create content directly on platforms such as WordPress or Medium using native editors. Some use software like Microsoft Word or Google Docs to write posts before transferring them. However, dedicated editing software isn’t mandatory for blogging success.

In contrast, a vlogger needs a computer powerful enough for video editing besides cameras and microphones for content creation. High-quality cameras like DSLRs with external mics help them produce professional-grade footage for their YouTube channels. 

That said, advanced smartphones and simple editing apps can already capture audio and video nowadays. Critical software for vloggers includes FinalCut Pro or Adobe Premiere Rush for chopping clips and adding graphics prior to video upload.

Vloggers also often invest in studio lighting, green screens, and sets to elevate production value. Top bloggers often include images and videos in articles but rarely maintain full studios to create the visuals. Simply focusing content around writing gives them more flexibility.

In terms of training and skill level

As expected, vloggers need to study videography, such as framing shots, lighting scenes, and capturing crisp imagery through a mastery of cameras and lenses. Microphone expertise is also necessary. Learning how to layer B-roll footage, insert graphics and animations, and mix music is just as crucial. These technical capacities take months, if not years, of hands-on education.

Bloggers can pick up the software side of publishing online relatively quickly. Most platforms have intuitive interfaces. Thus, bloggers often learn to format text, insert images, and embed multimedia in weeks. All these are for honing their craft. The best ones take courses in researching, outlining stories, editing, and seamlessly inserting SEO keywords.

Generally, vlogging and blogging require digital marketing training once the core skills solidify. Vloggers may study YouTube algorithm optimization and social media growth. As for bloggers, they embrace email marketing and content marketing. Regardless of the medium, long-term content creators take the time to stay updated with industry standards through workshops and networking.

In terms of service cost

Another difference between a vlogger and a blogger is their service cost or how much they charge. The average base pay of US bloggers is $41,000 to $54,000, depending on many factors. These include experience, type of blog post, and rate per copy or hour. Usually:

• Bloggers who live in New York and Washington, DC, are likely to earn more because of their higher cost of living.

• Bloggers who also function as editors can take home nearly $65,000 because of the technical knowledge the job entails. 

• Bloggers who are also adept in social media charge an average of around $20 per hour.

Vloggers can earn $48,000 to $65,000,  but the actual cost of hiring their services is often based on their popularity, following, or page views. Usually, they charge a fee for every x number of views. The more popular their channels are, the more expensive they get.

Most vloggers generate income from the views, but others make more money through affiliate marketing, ads, brand collaborations, and sponsorships.

In terms of availability

Writing blog content is typically faster and easier to scale, allowing bloggers more flexibility to take on multiple clients with quick turnaround times.

Vlogging takes more time to create content, from filming to consistent video editing and visual and sound production. This limits how many client projects they can handle simultaneously.

Most popular vloggers also focus on passion projects for their brand rather than client work. Their income often comes from sponsorships, ads, merchandise, etc., with less time for customized video creation for clients.

Lastly, the Internet seems to have more active bloggers, ranging from hobbyists to professionals. However, vloggers who create quicker, easy-to-produce videos (such as the day-in-the-life video form) may have better availability than those who produce heavily edited, visual-effect-driven ones.

Streamline your content calendar with Airtasker

Crafting stellar blogs and vlogs is no walk in the park. It eats up valuable time that could be spent growing your business. But what if there was a way to streamline the process without compromising your brand’s authenticity? Airtasker connects you with a talented pool of writers, videographers, and other professionals who can handle content creation from concept to completion. Here’s how it works:

1. Create a free account.

2. Post a task detailing the services you need and your budget and timeline.

3. Receive quotes from Taskers and select the best one for your needs.

If you want to have more time for other business operations, make content production easier with Airtasker.