So, you want to start a vlog? Millions of people watch vlogs every day with an astonishing 44% of internet users watching vlogs each month. Vlogging has become increasingly popular and famous vloggers like PewDiePie and Jeffree Star have become household names.
People make vlogs on a range of different things from menial everyday tasks like unboxing packages (yep, you heard right) to thrilling adventures like jumping off the Grand Canyon.
No matter what your goal of starting a vlog is, whether it be to have a hobby or in hopes to become a rich and famous influencer, there is a short list of things to check off before rolling the camera.
If you have gone through YouTube, you have probably come across some pretty boring, sub-standard content. This comes from vloggers who are not familiar with the platform they use.
Since YouTube is free and can be accessed by anyone, many people dump almost everything they have there, hoping to attract an audience. On the other hand, millions of people may decide to follow an individual content creator. Why so?
If you want to know how to start a vlog, you need to first understand that vlogging is a business on its own. Therefore, if you want to be successful, you need to figure out your niche and get a better understanding of your target audience. Your niche should be the core theme of the content. It is the topic you want to focus on.
From your niche, you should be able to create a username that will identify your channel. This is an essential part of starting a vlog as your viewers will search your name to find you. From there, you can think about branching out and learning more about how you can fit your content into the YouTube landscape.
Get vlogging inspiration
When launching a vlog, you increase competition for some of the most successful vloggers in the industry. So why not take some inspiration from the giants? Look for someone who inspires you and understand how they go about their business.
Most importantly, get someone whose vlog relates closely to your niche. But you have to keep in mind that the goal here is to get inspiration and not become a copycat. Your authenticity matters a lot.
However, that does not mean that you have to come up with a completely new idea. Just add some personal touches to help your content stand out. If you’re a business owner and starting a vlog for your company, you could ask your customers what they want to see from you.
You could use an online form builder to create a questionnaire or quick survey inviting customers to have their say on what content they want you to create. This will also help to ensure you’ll attract more views and engagement by producing relative material for your audience.
Choose to offer an open-ended questionnaire or you could offer respondents a few options to pick from such as product demonstrations, tutorials, or showcasing features.
Get familiar with the platform
One of the gravest mistakes people make is failing to learn how YouTube operates. Therefore, for your vlog to stand out, consider taking some time to familiarize yourself with how the platform works. Use search engines to see how you can optimize your titles.
Go through the channel pages, create thumbnails that drive clicks, and keywords. When watching videos on YouTube, focus on how other vloggers promote other videos through interactive links and subtitles.
You should also try to take some time and learn the technical side of vlogging. In this case, you can look at the YouTube Creator Studio. This is a platform where you can upload your content.
The YouTube Creator Studio has some essential vlogging tools, including an audio library and video management system that will help you make your content more appealing. Most importantly, find out the video formats supported by YouTube.
Invest in good equipment
You do not have to spend thousands of dollars on a camera to get started. Many successful vloggers may have some of the high-end cameras that professional filmmakers use. However, that is not where they started.
Take your time to go through a list of DSLR cameras and find one that fits well in your budget. Alternatively, you can use your smartphone for a start. Some phones have 4K video capabilities and work just as well.
Apart from a camera, if you want to make your videos look more professional, you could invest in a ring light and a tripod.
In terms of lighting, you don’t really need to splash out on buying softbox or umbrella lighting, you could just use natural lighting or your room light. But for a consistent and professional look, some sort of lighting setup would be beneficial.
Create an outline
Do not confuse this with a script. Creating an outline may be as elaborate or as simple as you want it, but it does not have to be a script. Some of the best videos you see on YouTube were made spontaneously or with limited planning.
Remember, you also have to focus on authenticity, which memorizing a script is never going to give you. Instead, an outline should just be a brief run-down of the topics you hope to cover so you can make sure you’re on the right track and don’t miss anything.
It would be pretty annoying if you filmed and edited a whole video only to realize you left an important part out.
Edit your content
Editing your videos is an important part of vlogging. Some vlog channels are entirely about quirky video editing.
You do not need an innovative or cutting edge editing style to make it in the industry. However, you need to ensure that your content looks clean and professional.
Read more: Best Video Editing Software for Beginners
Market yourself
After uploading your content, you need to optimize it to ensure that it is seen. There are many ways that you can market your content. For instance, treat your videos like a webpage and use search engine optimization to increase visibility.
You can use social media platforms for marketing your vlog. Try to engage people on Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram and refer them to your videos.
Alternatively, you can ask friends and close associates to promote your content by including links in their websites and blog posts or you could go the extra measure and use a content promotion tool.
And lastly, you can use analytics to improve your content. As your channel grows, you need to adjust. Using analytics to monitor your progress by gaining important insights like views, video reach, traffic and identify what is working.
If you’re making videos for your business, you might like to include these tools in your marketing plan if you aren’t already.
Need help with video marketing? Contact our strategists. We’d love to help you achieve your goals with video content.
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Read more: 15 Simple Tips to Increase Your Video Views on YouTube
Wrap up
People start vlogs for many reasons like wanting to simply document their life, share their knowledge, bring attention to their business or make money. You name it, and there’s probably a vlog out there about it.
But before diving straight into making videos, finding your niche and having the right equipment is important. And if you want your vlog to be a hit, then marketing your content is another important step to improve your video views.
Happy filming!
This piece was written by Tegan Tedd. She is a digital marketer and content writer at Paperform. Tegan loves writing about product marketing, technology, and workplace productivity.
If you’d like to contribute to our blog, email your pitch here: maria@motioncue.com