Video blogs

Video blogs are a natural progression from text based blogs and audio blogs (podcasts).

Video blogging is also known as vlogging or vidblogging.

With fast broadband connections now commonplace, server space cheaper than ever before, and recording equipment within the price range of virtually everybody, there's never been a better time to record and upload personal video for the web.

The arrival of YouTube on the scene in 2005 created a complete change in the way we all use video on the internet, and since then there's been an explosion in the way people use it and pass it around.

Add to this the convergance of mobile phone and PC technologies and the integration of video and cameras in virtually all mobile phones, and there's never been a better time to try video blogging.

How YouTube set the standard for video blogs

Prior to YouTube, you had to pay to upload video - or you were severely restricted with file sizes - and it was difficult to share and pass around.

Look how far we've come since those days:

YouTube made a number of great tools available which we all consider standard requirements now:

# Embed video in other websites

# Share video via email

# Subscribe to video feeds via RSS

# Comment on videos

# Monetize videos by integrating adverts

# Customized privacy options

What's more, it's a free service though of course there are still restrictions on file size and video duration.

What are video blogs?

A video blog is exactly the same as a blog, but with moving pictures.

It's a personal take on the world, regularly updated, distributed for others to see, share and comment on ... but using video, text and pictures.

It is distributed via an RSS feed just like a regular blog, and it is very different from an advert, a programme or a show.

Video blogs are used for a number of purposes:

# To document everyday life, much as you would a diary

# To explore and discuss hobbies and passions, from sport and cars to arts and crafts and children ... you name it, someone will be blogging about it!

# To make money ... there's a financial dimension to everything that can be done on the web

# To share information, either as a business or an individual, for educational or commercial purposes.

Video blogs: essential websites to get you started

There are many different ways to get started with video blogs, so I'm going to focus on a couple of good ways using reliable and proven services.

There are two basic methods to get vlogging:

# Get a regular blog and add video to it

# Use a dedicated site for video which allows you to set up an RSS feed.

Option 1: Regular blogs

Check out how to start a blog and you'll see that I generally recommend using Wordpress or Blogger in the first instance.

They're free, easy to use, well supported and do everything that the average blogger needs.

With Blogger, you'll need to use Google Video to post your video files so that you can easily bring them into your blog.

With Wordpress it's usually just a case of cutting and pasting the 'Embed' code into your HTML.

If that's not possible, search in Wordpress Plugins for the solution.

Custom video blogs

Like most areas on the web, this boils down to a few major players, and I've excluded YouTube in this list as it's been covered already.

At its simplest though, you'd create a channel for your YouTube blog videos and site users could then subscribe to your feed to see all your latest posts.

Flickr

You'll see that I keep returning to Flickr throughout this website, simply because it's a good site, has decent support and a good community, and if you use it successfully for one thing (ie photos) why not video too?

Videos are limited to 90 seconds in length and 150MB in filesize, so you've got to keep it brief.

Flickr has a function which allows you to post videos directly to your blog from your mobile phone, so I'd suggest using Flickr if you want to use short video to illustrate an existing text blog.

Vimeo

Vimeo is a large video community with free and paid for options.

The basic set-up is for non-commercial use only and you're limited once again in the number of files and file sizes that you can upload.

It's a supportive community however, and a great place to learn.

A word of warning about video sites.

They tend to close down because there's so much competition and due to the bandwidth and server space issues involved, many great companies just can't come up with a profitable model.

I used to use eyespot.com, which I really liked, but it closed down.

Jumpcut has done the same, closing down in June 2009.

That's probably a pretty good reason for commiting to the big players like YouTube, Google Video and Yahoo! video.

However, you should also check out DailyMotion, MetaCafe and Viddler as potential places to store your video.

Essential tool for video blogs

Shozu.com is a great tool to use if you don't opt for Flickr.

Like Flickr, it will allow you to post video (and photos) directly to your blog via your mobile phone ... no human intervention is required.

FreeVlog is a useful tool if you need some basic 'how to' guides.

Interestingly, YouTube has very little quality material on video blogging whereas this website has some friendly, useful information about making video blogs.

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