A vlog or simply a video blog is the daily routine activity of a person with visuals. It allows a person to show what he is about to do in his life with the audience he has got.
If you are thinking about making a vlog, you have come to the right place as in this article I will be going to explain how a newbie vlogger can start vlogging.
Basically, I will be dividing all things in small proportions so that they are easy to read and you don’t get bored.
So, let’s go ahead about how to start vlogging easily.
Here are the 6 chapters on (how to start vlogging)
Chapter 1 – Selecting Equipment for Vlogging
In this chapter, I will be explaining about what you should do if you are just thinking about making your very first vlog:
1. Selecting a Vlogging Camera
A vlogging camera is indeed the first and very basic step to make the first vlog. There are different vlogging cameras available in the market.
You will have to make sure that the vlogging camera that you are about to buy has got
- A compact size
- Full HD video quality or at least 720p.
- Wireless Connectivity
- Affordable budget and
- Durable construction
All these factors make the best vlogging camera that you should go for.
If you are facing difficulties in finding yourself an ideal vlogging camera, check out
- Best Vlogging Cameras with Flip Screen
- Best Vlogging Cameras Under 300
- Best GoPro Cameras For Vlogging
2. Selecting a YouTube Microphone
I know that you might ask a question that why would I need a vlogging microphone if the camera I have got has already a built-in microphone.
The answer to this question is very easy and simple.
Vlogging camera manufacturers will only focus on the video quality or photo quality of the camera. Even if your camera has got a built-in microphone, it won’t work in a professional way.
That’s why it is necessary to buy an external YouTube microphone if you want to start vlogging from scratch.
There are different microphones available on the market in affordable rates. I will recommend you to check out the best microphones for vlogging as it has got a huge variety of affordable and cheap mics.
3. Choosing a Tripod
A tripod is not that necessary if it’s just our start. You can take help from a pile of books to improve the stability and height of your vlogging camera.
But eventually, you will need a vlogging tripod to start making vlogs with a professional touch. So it is better to start your early phases of vlogging with a tripod as in this way you can also gain valuable knowledge about how to use it properly.
Summary
before doing anything, you will need to buy an HD quality video camera, an ideal microphone for recording audio and a good vlogging tripod for adding stability to your videos.
Chapter 2 – Selecting a Vlogging Niche
Now, that all of your equipment is ready, we will move to the next chapter where you have to select a specific area of work in vlogs.
Different Types of Vlogs
There are different types of vlogs and vlogging channels available on YouTube.
The most common ones that you can see are
- DIY Vlogs
- Daily Routine Vlogs
- Travel Vlogs
- Gaming Vlogs and
- Makeup Vlogs.
DIY Vlogs:
DIY means do it yourself. In this vlogging niche, a vlogger will tell you how to make beautiful things out of scratch or mainly the garbage products.
This kind of vlogging earns instant views. So if you have got a skill to make something new out of scratch, you should go for this niche.
Daily Routine Vlogs:
Daily routine vlogs are the most common ones. These type of vlogs actually revolves around the personal lives of vloggers i.e. what are they doing? how their day passed? What they did today etc.
If you are eager to tell the whole world about your personal routine, this should be the choice for you.
Travel Vlogs:
A large sum of vloggers are the ones who make vlogs whenever they visit a particular place of the world. Travel vlogs are actually ideal for people who are always on the move or who want to explore a specific city.
Do you also love traveling? Why not start making vlogs on them? Seems legit. You should try this one out if you are a travel loving person.
Gaming Vlogs:
The gaming industry has also been at the top for many years. Gaming vlogs are actually very popular in this community. You should pick it out if you are more interested in playing games all day.
Makeup Vlogs:
Makeup artists have been blooming on a platform like YouTube. They give different makeup tips in the vlogs they made and also share their personal stories.
If you are more interested in making makeup tutorials, you should pick up this niche.
Summary:
In short, you need to think about yourself that which niche is going to be more beneficial for you.
It is also good to have some knowledge about the niche that you are about to work on. So, choose it wisely as you will be uploading content on this specific niche for many years to come.
Chapter 3- Filming a Vlog
Now, that we have selected a specific niche, we will move towards the next chapter which is filming the vlog.
There are some important steps that you must follow before you start filming videos for your vlogs.
Let’s have a look at them:
1. Writing a Script:
This is the most important step in starting a vlog. Before you do anything, sit down and think about the ideas which are able to impress your audience.
Write down the key points that you want your audience to know. Better note them down in your diary or journal so that you won’t forget them.
If you are not a professional in writing a script for yourself, you should hire a storyteller or a professional writer to write a script for you.
2. Good Lighting:
Good lighting source is also very necessary for shooting your first vlog.
For perfect lighting, you can either get lighting kit by spending no more than 50 bucks or you can take advantage of the natural light source.
You should set up your system in a room which has got a large window to make sure that there is enough natural light to facilitate you in making vivid vlogs.
3. Filming Your First Vlog:
Now, is the time to act upon the scrip and film your first ever vlog.
Remember the points that you have noted in your journal and try to describe them in your vide with a clear accent.
Also, your video should not exceed more than 5 minutes in the start as the audience is not much interested in watching your vlogs if you are starting a channel from zero.
4. Video Editing:
After you have filmed different footages for your vlog, now is the time to do some video editing with them.
Crop all the footages that you think are unnecessary as they will put a bad impression on your viewer.
For basic video editing, you can use free softwares such as Windows Movie Maker. You can also get some premium softwares such as Camtasia or Wondershare Filmora on trial basis.
After proper video editing, save your project and render your first video.
Summary:
In a very simple way, you should write the script perfectly. Keep focusing on key points in your vlog and add sufficient light for ideal video footage. Proper video editing should also be done to make your vlog a straightforward one.
Chapter 4 – Uploading Your Vlog on YouTube:
Now, the final product is in the shape of a video file.
Follow the below mentioned steps to upload your very first vlog on a YouTube channel easily:
1. Create a YouTube Channel
Go to YouTube and create your new channel. It will only take an email address to make your first YouTube channel.
Keep in mind that the default YouTube channel name cannot be changed, so you should make another YouTube channel.
2. Choose a Username
This is where things will go a bit sassy. You should choose a unique and simple username of your channel so that people can remember it easily. For instance, PewDiePie is a channel with a unique name.
You can also try out usernames which starts with your name. Keeping a username short will portray a perfect impression of your channel on your video.
3. Customizing Your Channel
Your channel must look unique and simple at the same time. Hire a graphic designer to make a professional logo for your channel as well as the YouTube clip art.
Also, verify the channel with your number to enjoy extra features such as uploading live videos and long videos.
Add the social links of your profile in the channel customization area so that it may have a positive impact on the YouTube algorithm.
4. Upload the Video
Now, that you have made a channel, go to it and click on upload button. Upload the file that you have saved on your device to your channel and wait for it to upload and process completely.
Chapter 5 – Customizing Your Video
Now that your video is uploaded, first keep the privacy settings to unlisted as you have to do a lot of work in the video as well.
Some key points in this regard are as follows:
1. Write a Catchy Title:
You should write a catchy title for your YouTube video with a unique touch and the keyword must be included as well.
For instance, if your vlog is based on gaming and you are playing a specific game let’s say PUBG, your title should look like, “Playing PUBG with Friends – Excited Moments and Epic Fails 2021”.
YouTube allows you to make a title as long as 100 characters. You should make full use of it so that it may clearly depict the main idea of your video.
2. Writing Description:
Now, when you are done with the title, you should move on to the description section. The description of your video should be simple and depicting that what are you going to describe in your video.
To write an awesome description, you should also take a look at your competitors that how are they using the description video.
You should be given a large space for the description area. Make sure to add your social media links in the description area.
If you are using music which demands proper credit, you should also mention it in your video or else there is a chance that you will get a copyright notice on your vlog.
3. Giving Tags:
After you are done with the description, the next step is to give tags to your video. Try to make a trap of tags around your main keyword.
Avoid using short keywords in the tag section if you are just starting a vlogging channel. Some long tail keywords may help to get ranked easily.
Using a mixture of both short-tailed and long-tailed keywords is what I do for most of my vlogs.
Summary:
I will explain this in more simpler words by example. Let’s say I have got a keyword as, “How to Start Vlogging?”
Title: How to Start Vlogging – 5 Simple Ways to Start Vlogging From Scratch – 20211 Updated Strategies
Description: Hey Guys! Today my video is based on how to start vlogging from scratch. Follow these simple steps to start making your very first vlog. Don’t forget to subscribe for more updates.
- Like My Page On Facebook: [Your Facebook page link]
- Follow Me on Twitter: [Your Twitter Profile Link]
- Follow Me On Instagram: [Your Instagram Profile Link]
- Music Credits: [The Music that you are using. Give the credit to that author.]
Tags:
- How to Start Vlogging
- Vlogging Basics
- How to start vlogging in 5 simple steps
- Beginners vlogging guide.
- Ideal way to start vlogging
- 5 Simple steps for vlogging.
- vlogging
- How to do vlogging
Chapter 6 – Branding for Your Video
The work is not done yet just after you have uploaded your video on YouTube. You will now have to do the branding of your video. In simple steps, one can say that you are marketing for your video.
Some steps to follow are as follows:
- Share Your Videos on Social Media Sites:
One of the best ways it gets traffic and subscribers is through social media sites.
The giant websites like Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, and Twitter etc. play an important role in promoting videos without any paid promotion.
Make your profile on each of these sites. Customize it. Give it a professional look and you are good to go.
- Asking Your Friends and Family:
I would recommend you to stop vlogging if you are a shy person. I mean it’s not for people who are afraid to ask their friends about taking a look at their video.
Ask your college or university friends frequently to watch your videos and if they are liking it, they will leave a subscribe for sure.
In the same way, family members such as siblings, parents, and cousins can play an important role to boost up your YouTube video in your early days.
- Collaboration with Famous YouTubers
This process can also boost your channel easily. Message the YouTubers who belong to your area of work to make a collaboration video with you. In this way, your vlogging channel will easily gain a lot of views and subscribers.
- Adding Intros and Outros:
To make a brand out of your video, you should add proper intros and outros to your video.
If you are not very good at advanced level video editing, you should take the help of a videographer as he will make you a proper intro and outros easily.
Adding intros and outros will make a perfect impression on your audience as well.
- Follow For Follow:
This process also works like a charm. You should follow back the people who are following you on social sites to make engagement with them.
You will need this process in your early days as it will help you to increase your fan following easily.
Summary:
In short, by doing proper branding, you are also making sure that you are introducing yourself as a brand.
FAQS About Starting a Vlog
- Can I Start Vlogging With A Camcorder?
Yeah, for sure. As long as the camcorder is providing you HD video quality, you can use it for your video needs.
- How Do You Start a Successful Vlog?
I make vlogs by following a proper pattern. Some important steps that I follow are:
- Brainstorming for ideas
- Writing a proper script for my video.
- Filming my video shoot in proper lighting.
- Using proper title, description, and tags.
- Sharing my video on social platforms.
- How Do You Become a Vlogger?
Becoming a vlogger requires determination and steadfastness at the same time. You should:
- Produce great content,
- Be consistent,
- Produce full HD videos,
- Joining Vlogging related communities and
- Work hard to become a successful YouTube vlogger.
- How Much Can I earn from Vlogging?
It depends on the type of work you put into your videos. If you are using Google Adsense, you can get 3 to 10 dollars per 1000 views if you have got traffic from premium countries.
- What Equipment Do I Need To Start A Vlog?
Only a vlogging camera can do most of the task for you if you are in your early phases. However, adding a microphone and a vlogging tripod can make your work a lot easier and professional.
- Who is The Highest Paid Vlogger?
Right Now PewDiePie is ruling YouTube with the highest number of subscribers (82 million) and a net worth of 22 million dollars. Roman Atwood comes at second number with a gross worth of 8 million dollars.
The Final Word:
How to start a vlog is a term asked by many newbie vloggers and that’s why I tried my best to deliver my experience that how I started as a newbie vlogger.
Better take your first time today than tomorrow and you will be happy in your coming days.
Vlogging Tips : 20+ Easiest tips to Become a Successful YouTuber
Vlogging is making its mark among many people and they try to be a successful vlogger. In order to be a successful Youtuber, you should follow some vlogging tips which are going to help you in near future.
Today, I will be sharing all these vlogging tips that you should implement in order to be a successful vlogger.
Before we move further, if you don’t know anything about vlogging, you should check out this article to start vlogging from scratch.
To buy an ideal video camera in case you don’t have one, visit best vlogging cameras with flip screen.
Some General Vlogging Tips
The general tips that you must implement to make an influencing impression on your audience are as follows:
Setting a Goal:
Indeed, you should make your goals clear first. Ask yourself questions like where do you want yourself in next year or maybe in the next few years.
Setting a goal is also important for vlogging as in this way you will be completely focused on what is it you are providing to your audience.
In order to achieve a bigger goal, you should also add some short goals to work hard on them from time to time.
Only then, you are going to succeed as a vlogger if you have a goal or ambition in mind.
Finding Your Passion:
Another important aspect of becoming a successful vlogger is to find out what your passion actually is and work on it.
You would have seen many people making vlogs only on those topics which are gaining hot views like pranks or gaming vlogs etc.
This is a huge mistake and you will only waste your time because a time will come when you will get bored of working on the topic you don’t like anymore.
So I will recommend you to find your passion. Making vlogs on your passion will convert your work into an enjoyable experience.
You will enjoy and entertain your audience as well as yourself.
That’s why finding your passion and sticking to it is a very first strategy that you must implement to be a successful vlogger.
Selecting a Niche:
Yet another important tip is to find related niches to your passion. For example, if you are more interested in traveling, you should find different niches related to this area of work.
Selecting a niche in the start keeps you focused on your work and you will work in the right way rather than just a rolling stone which indeed gathers no moss.
Understanding Your Audience:
This is very important for your vlog especially when you are in the initial phase of your vlogging career.
Understanding your audience will help you to make your future vlogs more user-friendly.
Once you have got an idea that what your audience wants, you will hit their weakest points to grab more views and subscribers on your channel.
Consistency:
Consistency is required in every field of work and it is required in a higher percentage especially when you are not getting views in your early days.
You might face an inferiority complex when you see that people are doing better than you but this should never let you quit your work.
Indeed, you should remain calm and focus on your work.
Consistency does not mean that you just upload a vlog on your channel and wait for it to get views the rest of the month.
No! Consistency is when you are regularly uploading your vlogs on a fixed schedule no matter what happens.
With this consistency, I assure you that you will be able to build yourself as a brand in a matter of time.
Adding a Regular Theme or Segment to Your Vlogs:
To keep your audience engaged, you should organize regular themes depending upon different things.
You can give answers to the viewer’s comments, you can start a special episode series of your bloopers or behind the scenes to provide something interesting to your audience.
Adding a regular theme is a popular strategy and many famous vloggers are implementing it to keep their users engaged.
What Can You Cut Out?
I have seen many vloggers who only think from their perception and in this way, they are adding a lot of rubbish to their videos which is not liked by their audience.
To avoid this issue, you must ask your audience to give their feedback on your videos and to ask them about changes they want from your videos.
In this way, you can build a trustworthy relationship with your audience easily and they will be happy to contribute to your vlogs as well.
Follow Trends:
You should remain updated with the latest trends related to your niche to add more creativity to your videos.
The videos that are based on recent trends have got a higher chance of getting ranking rather than the old fashioned ones.
Take the example of PewDiePie for instance. The guy is literally making vlogs on the recent memes trend and people are actually liking him for producing something new every day.
Focus On Quality Rather Than Quality:
Many vloggers have got this issue that they are making very long videos to gain more watch time in less period of time.
This huge mistake then costs them when the audience starts disliking the videos of these vloggers.
Tip: You should avoid this mistake even if it costs you watch time.
Add only relevant content according to the main ideal of your video or channel. For instance, if you are talking about travel, talk about it for the rest of your video. Don’t get yourself started on gaming for the sake of a long video.
Making high-quality content will take time for sure but it will also work like a tortoise which wins the race in the end.
Avoid shortcuts and make your vlog as stable as possible in your early days as these are the pillars of a new vlog which you should maintain to make a powerful building.
Upgrading Your Hardware:
After you start earning money from vlogging, the next best step will be to upgrade your hardware.
You should make sure that you have got an upgraded vlogging camera, a high-quality microphone and other extra accessories such as a vlogging tripod to give a professional touch to your videos.
This will only improve the quality of your video. Imagine shifting from a 720p camera to a 4K one. It will make a huge difference as you will be shooting videos with crystal clear quality.
That’s why it is very necessary o keep upgrading your hardware rather than sticking on old fashioned vlogging equipment.
Telling a Story:
Yet another favorite technique of vloggers is telling a story in their vlogs. You will always see a certain pattern in vlogs made by Casey Neistat. Why is that?
The main reason for making a story like pattern of your vlog is Human likes stories. Same is the case with your audience.
You can make your audience more immersed in your videos by telling them a story in your vlog.
Now, this depends upon your creativity skills that how are you going to make a story out of your daily routine.
Keep Uploading:
Finally, you should never quit. Keep uploading until you start getting results. There will be many points where you will feel like God, I am wasting my time on this vlogging thing.
But believe me, by negating these feelings you are going to shine one day. That’s why I will always recommend you to keep uploading videos on your vlogging channel.
Tips for Recording Your First Vlog:
Now that I have mentioned some general tips, guess I should also talk about some tips that you need to implement in order to make an impact in the vlog you make:
Let’s have a look:
Make Your Impact in First 15 Seconds:
As time passes by, the human attention time period is getting low day by day. According to research held in a University, human attention is reduced to only 8.25 seconds which is also less than a goldfish.
That’s why you have got only first 15 seconds to make your impression on the viewer. If you have got something interesting in your vlog, better make an overview of it in the start so that the audience remains engaged.
It depends upon your creativity that how you keep your viewers engaged after the first 15 seconds.
So, count this time as the most precious one in your vlog and outsource it as much as possible.
Be Unique:
You should not copy other vloggers. Who knows that a technique that is working for him might not work for you. What will you do then? You will just sit there and watch him getting famous day by day.
What you need to do is to implement a unique pattern in your videos. Only then you are going to make yourself a unique brand among other vloggers.
Talk to Camera Like You Are Talking to Friends:
In order to be more comfortable in front of the camera, you should assume as you are just talking to your friends over a simple matter.
Assuming your cameras as your friends will enhance your morale and boost up your confidence at the same time. You will be then able to convey your message or idea easily.
Using a Friendly Tone and Words:
Your vocabulary should be as simple as a native English speaker. You don’t need to be over efficient by pronouncing such words which are hardly understandable by your audience.
Also, your tone needs to be user-friendly. You should not talk like a computer machine and not like a rude person as well.
Treat your audience as you treat your own family. Only then you are going to gain their trust.
Looking at The Camera Lens Instead of Screen:
Nowadays, cameras with flip screen come with a large screen in which you can clearly see yourself.
However, it is not ideal to look directly into the screen. In fact, you should use the flip screen only for adjusting yourself.
The rest of the time, you should be talking by looking at the lens of a camera and not at the screen to look more professional.
Tips to Promote Your Vlog:
Now, that you have made your first vlog and it has been uploaded to your YouTube channel, you will have to promote your video.
Some tips I would like to give in this regard are as follows:
1. Commenting On Other Vlogs and Blogs:
The best way to know your niche better is to keep engaged with them. How can you do so? By commenting regularly on the relevant vlogs and blogs.
Participating in the comment section will not only make you relevant it will also provide a positive impact on other vloggers in the community.
People who follow vlogging communities can easily find your work if you are appearing in almost every comment of a particular post.
2. Use of Social Media:
In this era, the world has become a global village. People are now interacting through different social media sites.
Make use of them. Sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Quora are a huge source of traffic.
Make your profiles on these sites and work on them so that they can look professional.
Along with sharing links to your videos, you should also add relevant information and knowledge about your vlog to keep it alive.
3. Collaborate With YouTubers:
This is basically a mutual benefit relation between two Youtubers. If you have got a good audience you should message some of the famous vloggers from your community to make a collaboration vlog.
Many won’t respond you in your early days. Upon trying several times, you can also get a famous vlogger who can make a collaboration vlog with you.
The end result will be a lot of subscribers and views on your vlogging channel.
4. Keep Hustling:
Keep trying and trying and trying. Don’t care if things don’t work out for you in the start and they probably won’t.
What you should do is to make a motive that I will gain this much subscribers by the end of this month.
Keep working on these short term goals to finally achieve the bigger goal of becoming a successful YouTube vlogger.
5. Build Your Own Brand:
Think of yourself as a brand. Now how will you promote yourself as a brand? You are going to implement your own ways for sure.
The three factors which make you different from others as a brand will be:
Your Videos: That is, how they are edited and what kind of material they have got.
You: Of course, you are the brand. What you do in your daily routine should be different from others.
Your Channel: How it is customized and how your thumbnails plus titles etc look like.
6. Complete Your YouTube Profile:
Don’t leave your YouTube profile like no one is going to visit it ever. The channel’s profile is its identity. It’s how you make yourself look among others.
You want to be unique right? So, customize your YouTube profile to be as unique as possible as it makes a positive impression in the eyes of YouTube.
7. Attractive Titles and Thumbnails:
After your video has been uploaded on YouTube, the only way you can force a viewer to click on your video is by catchy title and an attractive thumbnail.
By making an attractive title and thumbnail, your video has now an 80% chance that the user will click it for sure.
8. Looking For Feedback:
Nobody is perfect in this world. But it depends on the person that how he improves himself in a small period of time.
Same is the case with a vlogger. A vlogger who keeps improving from negative feedback is one to improve.
You should accept the negative criticism on your vlogs with an open heart. In fact, make this negativity your inspiration and motivation that you will perform better than your previous video no matter what the situation is.
Checking or YouTube analytics report regularly can also play an important role as you will be keeping an eye on what audience want from you or why are they disliking your videos for future improvement.
9. Trying Other Mediums:
Although vlogging should be your own motive but that doesn’t mean that you can just focus on it.
Try to find relevant mediums to build your profile there in order to make an influence on your audience.
For instance, you can try out Instagram to gain more engagement from your Instagram profile.
10. YouTube Fan Finder:
Another awesome platform which is unknown to many vloggers is YouTube fan finder. This program allows YouTubers to create their own advertisements about their channel and upload it on YouTube.
YouTube will do rest of the job by finding potential fans who are able to promote a vlogging channel.
In order to know more about how it works, simply visit YouTube Fan Finder.
11. Call-to-Action:
Don’t forget to ask users to subscribe to your channel or like your video or to leave a comment for better engagement.
You should make it a habit in every video because most of the times, a viewer forgets to click on subscribe button even if he is liking your content.
This helps to increase the subscribers, likes, and comments on your video which is perfect for your vlogging channel.
12. Using Royalty-Free Music In Your Videos:
To make your vlogs more attractive, you should use royalty free music as provided by YouTube library.
Use of copyrighted music is strictly prohibited and you will either receive a copyright notice from YouTube or your video will get demonetized.
That’s why you should use royalty free music only. You should also give credits to the real artist in the description of your video to avoid getting a copyright strike.
13. Test, TEST, and Test:
Well, adding a variety in your patterns will make you unique. You should not only implement a specific type of strategy in your vlog.
Try doing different experiments in your videos by changing different things. You will eventually succeed in making your vlogging channel, a popular one.
The Final Word
Implement these simple tips in your vlog and you will achieve your aim of becoming a successful vlog with hard work and determination.