Vlogging in 2022: To Vlog Or Not To Vlog

A lot has happened in the past 20 years, and many ways, what’s old is new again. 

Tech may or may not be in a bubble. 

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are a couple.

And vlogs… well, those peculiar little video posts which have been our constant companion since they first kicked off in 2000 are still hanging around.

Coupled with access to cheaper technologies, these little videos found their way online, helped in 2005 by the launch of YouTube. Since then, making and watching videos has only gotten easier. As recently as 2021, data shows that 85% of Americans have a smartphone, a device capable of both recording and watching videos from nearly anywhere.

With more videos being recorded and uploaded each day (720,000 hours, or 82 years) than most people could watch in a lifetime, the same little videos we could’ve made for our friends and family years ago are now facing a lot more competition.

So, if you’re wondering if you should start vlogging in 2022, it’s reasonable to look at the numbers and to think there’s not much to be gained.

And yet, there is still a wide audience that’s regularly watching all this video. To help you with your decision, we’ve gathered some arguments on both sides of the 2022 vlogging debate.

To Vlog!

1. It’s Accessible (And Fun!) - Whether you have professional or personal goals, vlogging doesn’t require some fancy gaming computer or expensive editing suite to help you achieve them. With the phone you already have, you can start making and posting videos. The barrier to entry is as low as it’s ever been.
   
   
2. Connect More Deeply - If you have a business or a specific profession, vlogging may be one of the best ways to demonstrate your expertise and authority about a subject to your potential clients or customers. These videos give you a platform to increase trust and provide value.
   
   
3. Thanks For The Memories - Regularly making videos about your life or your business is not just a nice way to engage with people now, it’s a way to capture a record of what’s happening in your life. While photos are great, having a video record ensures you’ll capture more - and with sound, too.

Not To Vlog!

1. It’s Not A Get-Rich-Quick Scheme - Despite the stories of YouTubers making millions, starting out now and recording regular videos means you’re up against an increasingly savvy group of video producers. If making quick money is your main motivation, this may not be your ideal medium.
   
   
2. Takes Up Time - Vlogging takes a serious effort, from thinking of ideas to record, actually filming them, and then getting them online. Time spent doing one thing is time not spent doing something else. Like other hobbies or skills, you’ll get out what you put in, so if you’re looking for a sustained impact, you’ll have to commit. A short video every day may be short, but it adds up over the long haul.
   
   
3. “About” Instead Of “In”- As Vickey Maverick writes in 7 reasons I do not vlog, feeling the pressure to create regularly is hard to ignore. That pressure or that need to create may leave you thinking about your experiences instead of living in them. This applies to personal content as well as professional content - whether you’re more interested in filming your new puppy than playing with it or more focused on what you’ll talk about after your client debrief than actually on your client’s needs.

In 2022 vlogging somehow seems like both a throwback and a necessary part of how we’ll communicate going forward. If you have reasonable expectations about what you can put into your effort, as well as reasonable expectations about the benefits, it could be a good way forward (plus, it’ll help you unlock a Get Out There IRLA Pack achievement, which is important, too!).

So, what’ll it be? To vlog… or not to vlog? And if you choose vlog, let us know where we can check out yours!