Should I Start a Blog vs YouTube Channel for Extra Income?
Do you know that every side hustler has a common question in mind, i.e., blog vs YouTube? Which one should I start?
Many people want to make money on the side, so almost everyone is considering these two options. On the other hand, they have become popular because of the freedom to work from anywhere and the popularity of blogs and YouTube.
But which one is the better choice? Well, they both have pros and cons.
Both blogging and YouTube can generate healthy extra income streams. People earn six and even seven figures with each! It is all about consistent effort over time.
So, today, let me help you make a better decision regarding my real-life situation and how I chose one for myself.
Keep reading as we explore what it takes to succeed as a blogger rather than a YouTuber.
Why Blogging is Awesome?
If you want to start a blog and earn from it, you will need very little investment to build your website for domain name and hosting.
But the most important aspect of blogging is choosing your niche/topic. For this, I recommend identifying your interests and building a niche. To stand out in the blogging crowd, you will need something unique, and with your passionate niche, you can easily create content in the long run.
Blog posts allow you to share your personal stories, knowledge, and opinions. One big advantage of blogging is that you can write at your own comfortable pace whenever you have free time. However, if you want to build your blog as a business, I recommend you create a schedule based on your routine and stick to it.
As your blog grows an audience, there are plenty of ways to monetize, such as advertising, affiliates, sponsored content, etc.
Also, you can launch your courses and products in your niche, which can benefit your audience to learn from you. However, building an audience takes patience and consistent effort.
Another great thing about blogging is that it allows you to connect deeply with readers through your writing style and voice. Loyal readers enjoy following bloggers whose thoughts and experiences resonate with them. You can easily share your stories to connect with your readers through writing.
The coolness of YouTube
These days, video content has become a king and an extremely engaging way to share information and connect with an audience.
Starting a YouTube channel is simpler than a blog. You just need an email address to create an account and a camera or even a smartphone to film videos on subjects you are knowledgeable about.
YouTube offers faster growth potential by going viral. Hence, if you have an energetic on-camera personality, you will benefit from building a great following. Also, the information reaches people faster; you just need the right skills to explain things and talk to them.
However, creating quality videos requires a lot of background work. So, if you want to grow your channel, you will need videos that educate, entertain, or provide value so your viewers can click that “subscribe” button. You can earn well from YouTube advertisements and sponsorships as your channel grows.
Blogging vs YouTube: The Good & Bad
Both blogging vs YouTube have their unique advantages and drawbacks when it comes to being a side income source.
A big pro for blogging is that it is affordable to start with just domain and web hosting costs. However, building a large audience takes significant time and effort. For this, you need to consistently produce high-quality content and provide value to your audience.
So, in blogging, you can create great content with basic writing skills and the right tools.
On the other hand, YouTube videos have more potential to be discovered and go viral rapidly. Compared with blogging, making high-quality videos requires more skills.
Initially, you need to invest your time learning basic editing skills, writing scripts, and speaking well in front of the camera. Also, you must have decent equipment to get started making videos.
So, I hope you have a detailed idea about both platforms. In the next section, I will share my experience about why I chose blogging instead of YouTube. Thus, you can make a better choice and understand which is better: blogging or YouTube.
Picking the Right Side-Hustle for You
First, I found my interest in writing from my daily journaling experience. I wrote pages together daily in a notebook to clear out my thoughts and feelings.
Although I am a full-time employee at Amazon, I decided to do something out of my passion as a side hustle to support my main income. Then, I discovered my interest in writing, which comes easily to me.
This was one of the reasons I started blogging in 2023. On the other hand, when I began my blogging journey, I had a 2 to 3-month-old baby.
She needed constant attention from me, so keeping a small baby and recording videos seemed impossible for me then because of continuous interruptions.
Thus, I could not imagine recording videos in a quiet environment. Moreover, you should consider your environment when deciding on your side hustle journey.
My environment did not support me, and I was a camera-shy person. For this reason, I decided to start blogging. Even with my baby, I could write easily with interruptions while narrating to her sometimes when I could not write.
Finally, to start with the side hustle which is right for you, understand your:
Goals
Environment
Skillset
Interests and passion
Time to be able to dedicate each day
Comfort levels facing the camera
When choosing between blogging and YouTube, the most important factor is considering which medium allows you to create content more naturally and effectively.
Writing blogs or presenting on video ultimately depends on whether you can express yourself more skillfully and comfortably.
You can choose between blog and YouTube by carefully analyzing these points.
Double Up for Maximum Profits
The ideal solution could be leveraging the strengths of blogging and YouTube as content platforms. So, if you want to start a blog and a YouTube channel, you can start with whichever medium you are naturally stronger at - writing or video creation.
Then, slowly add elements of the other format, too. As I said earlier, my environment does not support video creation, and I, too, am uncomfortable with a camera.
But video content is on the rise, and people can connect with it deeply. In this AI world, it can become essential to include videos inside blogs to engage more with our audience.
Hence, keeping the future in mind, I also wanted to start creating videos. However, I do not want to immediately jump to a YouTube channel.
I let my blog and audience grow, so I focus on creating short-form video content on social media platforms. With this, my audience can benefit, and I will come out of the fear of the camera situation.
Similarly, bloggers can start incorporating more videos into their posts. YouTube creators can share blog posts expanding on video concepts.
Creating a presence across blogs and YouTube allows you to reach the widest potential audience and multiply your income streams in the long run.
Final thoughts
To conclude, there is no one-size-fits-all answer for choosing between starting a blog vs YouTube channel for extra income. The right choice depends on your unique situation, interests and skills.
So, like me, blogging is the easier entry point if you have a passion for writing. If you are very camera-friendly, YouTube offers big income potential.
The smartest path could be to start with one but eventually incorporate both formats to maximize the benefits.
Finally, whichever platform you choose, you should be able to consistently create high-quality content. Consistency matters for you and your audience to grow.
Hence, carefully analyse your daily routines and schedule to see which best suits you so you can dedicate enough time to them.
Manogna Lakshmi is the author of this blog and you can read more of her work here: https://www.designandpen.com/