Video blogs, popularly known as “vlogs,” are significantly becoming a huge trend nowadays. People who are into traveling, fashion, beauty, gaming, etc. choose to turn on their cameras and share their insights through social media platforms such as YouTube. Moreover, there is more to vlogging than just filming videos and sharing them on the internet. Vlogging is the bread and butter among so many people in today’s digital world.
On the other hand, vlogging is not as simple as busting out a camera, hit record, and then talk. You need to consider a lot of things. This article will provide you with just that, breaking down all there is to know about vlogging:
Source: Digital Examiner
Contents
Choose Your Niche
When starting out, the first thing you need to do is search for a niche or two which you are most interested in. Choosing your niche can help you build a solid following a lot easier as compared to when you choose just any random topic to vlog. People who have the same interests will eventually find your vlogs and may start to subscribe or follow you on your social media accounts.
Invest in a Good Quality Camera
Source: Digital Camera World
You can start with any device that records videos such a tablet, a computer webcam, or a smartphone. However, if you want to create good quality videos from the get-go, it is highly recommended to invest in a good vlogging camera. Follow 33rdsquare to get Top Picks. People are more likely to be interested in watching vlogs with crisp quality.
Here is a list of top-quality cameras suggested by Shelfreport:
- Canon SX620 – Best overall camera.
- GoPro HERO7 Black – Great for live streaming.
- Canon PowerShot G7X Mark II – Great value: a top pick among many vloggers.
- Canon PowerShot SX740 Digital Camera – Best for vloggers on a budget.
- Sony DSC-RX100 V – Best 4K quality.
- Sony a6500 Mirrorless Camera – a firm-favorite among vloggers who prefer mirrorless cameras.
- Canon EOS 80D – Best DSLR camera
- Canon EOS R – A top-pick among professionals.
Learn the Basics of Vlogging
Once you’ve figured out your niche and you have your camera ready, take time to learn the basics of vlogging before diving in. Familiarize yourself with the functionalities of your camera. Additionally, you must also learn how to properly record, edit, and upload your videos.
Create a YouTube Channel
Source: Digital Trends
Although there are other video streaming platforms such as Vimeo and DailyMotion, YouTube is still the most popular place when it comes to vlogging. You can also browse other vloggers who are within the same niche as yours on YouTube and learn new techniques and gather inspiration from them.
To create a YouTube channel, all you need to do is have a Google account, sign in to YouTube using your Google account, and choose the “create a new channel” option.
Film Your First Vlog
Now that you’ve got everything ready, it’s about time you filmed your first vlog.
You can easily feel overwhelmed with all the video ideas you have in mind for your first vlog. However, your first vlog doesn’t have to be epic right off the bat. You may film just your regular day, a simple self-introduction, or a popular challenge everyone seems to be doing. The key is to film something you find comfortable showing the public.
Promote Your Channel and Videos
Source: Adorn Softech
Since you are still starting your vlogging journey, gaining views and subscribers can be a slippery slope. A lot of smaller YouTube channels struggle in getting their name out there, however, even big and famous YouTubers had to go through the same thing.
The key to getting your videos noticed is by utilizing various social media platforms. PewDiePie, the most subscribed independent influencer on YouTube, promotes his videos and interacts with his followers through social media when he was still starting to this date.
Plan and Schedule Your Videos
Your videos may not get thousands of views right away, but don’t let that stop you. Planning your videos and setting an upload schedule is important since most of your subscribers will expect a video on your upload day. Consistency is crucial for gaining and sustaining a following.
Monetize
Once you start gaining more views and subscribers, might as well make money off your vlogs. Majority of YouTube vloggers monetize their videos through ads and affiliate programs. For ads, you may apply for the YouTube Partnership Program. Affiliate programs, on the other hand, involves third-party businesses where you get a portion from every sale of a product you promoted on your vlogs.
Tips for Creating Good-Quality Vlogs
Source: iZotope
A good-quality vlog is definitely the key to catching people’s interest. No matter how relevant and interesting your content is, people are not going to stick around if the quality of your videos is sub-par.
Here are a few tips to help you create top-notch vlogs:
- Invest in a Good Camera and Microphone – as mentioned earlier, video and sound quality are the main reasons why investing in a good vlogging camera and microphone is vital. If your videos are of poor picture and sound, your viewers are unlikely to subscribe or even finish watching one of your videos.
- Relevance – regardless of your chosen niche, you must always look into relevant and interesting topics to attract viewers and subscribers. Your content must be something people will find useful and informational.
- Cut-Out Uninteresting Bits – Obviously, no one is interested in watching you staring into space for 5 seconds. When people are bored, they will eventually click out of your video without even subscribing. This is why you must only keep all the important and interesting parts of your vlog and edit out all the unnecessary ones.
- Be Yourself – you can be inspired by other vloggers and learn something from them about vlogging, but never try and copy other people in your videos. Everyone has their own personality and while you might not have half of the views famous vloggers are gaining, being yourself is what will get your name out there.
That’s A Wrap!
Vlogging is a constant learning process; you are not guaranteed to gain tons of views and followers straight off the bat. You may stumble upon a number of hurdles, but don’t be discouraged as it will potentially help you improve your content and filming abilities more.
