YouTube is the second most popular website and social media platform on the planet. Every day, more than a billion hours of video content are seen on YouTube. The economy of creators is booming. If you’ve been thinking about starting a vlog, now is the moment.
This guide will show you how to vlog if you’re interested. If you’re not yet ready to take the plunge, maybe this comprehensive guide will assist you in doing so.
Let’s get this party started!!
Table of Contents
Get Equipped: Camera, Microphone, Lighting and others
Do you want to learn how to make a vlog but aren’t sure what equipment you’ll need? Here are some of our top picks:
Camera
The Sony ZV-1 is the greatest tiny vlogging camera on the market. It doesn’t have a viewfinder, but it can shoot 4K video and has excellent autofocus.
If you need a viewfinder, the Fujifilm X-S10 is a good option. This mirrorless camera also records 4K video, has a viewfinder, and is lightweight. It isn’t weatherproof, which is the sole drawback.
If you’re on a tight budget, the Nikon D3500 is a good choice. It’s a 1080P-capable novice DSLR camera that’s easy to hold.
Microphone
The Rode Video Micro Compact microphone is available for roughly $60. It may be used with either a camera or a smartphone, making it a versatile tool. It provides excellent sound quality without bulking up or weighing down your camera.
Lighting
Try this LimoStudio Photo Shooting equipment for a stationary arrangement. With umbrella and softbox lights, it’s a three-point lighting setup. The Lume Cube Wireless Light is available for a bit extra. It’s a 6.5-foot-tall 18-inch ring light with a strong 18-inch ring light. It can also be used for 90 minutes wirelessly. Choose the Joby Beamo Ring Light 12″ for a portable solution. It’s a low-cost alternative that works with either a phone or a camera.
Muffler for the Windscreen
Try the Movo WS10n Universal Furry Outdoor Lavalier Microphone Windscreen Muff for even clearer audio. It’s cheap (just $15) and will protect the wind from ruining the sound quality you’ve worked so hard to get.
How to Improve Your Vlogging (using just your phone or laptop)
Fortunately, smartphone video quality has improved significantly in recent years. If you have a modern smartphone, the video quality will almost certainly be superior to that of your laptop. Try them both out to see which one you like. You can also use an external webcam with your laptop.
It’s advisable to use an external microphone as well to increase the sound quality. You can connect these to your clothing, phone, or laptop, or choose a tabletop version.
If you don’t have a lighting setup, recording in front of a window with natural illumination is a good option.
When vlogging on the fly using your phone, the footage can be shaky. Using a tripod or stabilizer can help you avoid this.
It’s all about the content once you’ve got the quality as good as you can. Display your true self, show your personality, and generate stuff that your audience will enjoy.
9 essential practices for starting a vlog
YouTube is a crowded platform, but so is the rest of the world. There’s a crowd out there ready to hear what you have to say. All you have to do now is look for it. These tips will show you how to get started vlogging and how to find an audience.
- Identify your target market.
The key to growing an audience is to know who you’re talking to. The material for your channel is inspired by mapping out the desires and needs of your target audience, and keeping with content that your audience will appreciate is a critical step for growth.
Start sharing content and infusing your genuine personality into your films. Keep an eye on the analytics as your audience expands, and pay attention to what viewers ask for in the comments. You’ll gain a better grasp of your audience and what content encourages growth as you publish more material.
- Create a list of video content themes.
It’s time to plan out video content topics once you’ve figured out who your audience is and what kind of material you want to make. Define a few content buckets to choose from to make the procedure easier. Each content bucket should have a broad theme from which you can draw inspiration. Change up your content themes to keep your channel fresh.
Content themes for a beauty channel might look something like this:
- Makeup demonstrations.
- Favorites and blunders.
- Hauls of makeup.
- Makeup difficulties.
- Maintain a high video quality.
YouTube is a crowded environment. According to new research, when young children were asked what they wanted to be when they grew up, the most popular response was “YouTuber,” which was three times more popular than “Astronaut.” The situation is simply going to become worse. What a difference a generation can make.
While authenticity is the greatest method to stand out, maintaining a high video quality is also crucial. It demonstrates that you’re serious about your business and prevents consumers from leaving due to poor video or sound quality.
Fortunately, smartphones these days have excellent video quality, especially if you use a natural light source. You can use a tripod and even an extra microphone to increase the sound quality.
Investing in filming equipment is a good choice if you want that clear clarity. You can shoot with good lighting whenever you want with a professional lighting setup, and combining a vlogging camera with an external mic can allow you to create amazing quality videos at home or on the move.
- Always include a call-to-action.
Don’t be hesitant to ask your viewers to subscribe to your channel and turn on the notification bell. Try to include this at the start and finish of your videos. Some people are unaware of these characteristics, while others who would benefit do not consider using them.
At the end of the day, your audience will benefit from these characteristics. They make it easier for your audience to keep up with your material and access your videos. You’ll earn more video views if more people subscribe and hit the notification bell. This will aid in the growth of your audience and the monetization of your content.
- Share excerpts and teasers from your blog on other social media platforms.
Use your other social media channels to promote your YouTube material if you already have an audience. The idea is to turn your Twitter followers into YouTube subscribers. However, not everyone will subscribe to your YouTube channel simply because you urge them to. Post snippets and screenshots from your YouTube videos to show people what they’re missing out on.
- Focus on a certain audience; don’t try to please everyone!
Vloggers are expected to have a point of view. Your audience is interested in what you have to say, thus they are watching your content. Don’t be concerned about what others will think if you speak directly to them. Some people will connect with what you’re saying, and others will not. Make content for those who do it. That’s who you’re talking to.
The most popular YouTube vlogs have either stayed true to their niche or evolved it to meet the needs of their audience. Take, for example, LauraDIY. She began as a DIY vlogger, but as she (and her audience) developed new hobbies, her content shifted to lifestyle.
Choosing a niche makes it easier for your audience to locate you. Vlogs, beauty, lifestyle, DIY, mukbangs, storytimes, and so on are all possibilities. Your audience should be able to identify your niche just by looking at your channel’s branding and content. People that discover your channel and understand your niche are aware of what they’re getting themselves into. As a result, you’ll get less negative feedback.
- Maintain a regular posting schedule.
Success on YouTube necessitates perseverance and devotion. You won’t become famous overnight, and you won’t achieve success if you give up. Make a blogging schedule that you can stick to. The more content you publish, the better your chances of expanding. However, you must post high-quality content for this to function. Determine how many times a week you can produce high-quality material, then choose your posting days and stick to them.
This will help you stay on track while also allowing your audience to anticipate your next upload.
- Plan ahead of time to edit
Some creators adore editing, while others despise it. Regardless of how you feel about the editing process, it is a time-consuming requirement. You may find yourself rushed if you wait until the day before or the day of publication to edit your movie. The goal of starting a vlog is to enjoy what you’re doing. The never-ending cycle of editing and posting videos one by one can quickly lead to fatigue.
Avoiding this by editing ahead of time is a smart approach to do it. Preparing your movies for posting ahead of time reduces stress and makes the editing process more fun. This method allows you to create a library of ready-to-post movies that you can use to stay ahead of the game at all times.
You can also engage a freelance video editor to help you with the project. Of course, this is a monetary expenditure that gives up some creative freedom, but it can be a terrific alternative for those who despise editing and have the financial means to do so.
- Remember to include tags, cards, and end screens.
Extra steps such as tags, cards, and end screens can help you get the most out of your video footage. This is the next stage in getting more video views once you’ve improved your quality.
Tags are words or phrases that describe your video to YouTube and your viewers. They use the algorithm to give your video a boost, linking it with similar videos so that it can be recommended in the right-hand column. Tags are limited to 500 characters. Use as many of them as you can, but make sure the tags you use are relevant to your film.
Cards are the small boxes that appear in YouTube’s video player’s right-hand corner. They are available in a variety of styles:
- Links to other channels can be found on channel cards (could be someone you mentioned or collaborated with).
- Poll cards: use a poll to get feedback from your audience. You can ask a question and give five options. After voting, viewers will see the poll results on the card.
- Promote relevant videos or playlists at a specific timecode with video or playlist cards.
- Card with a link to a website (must be in the YouTube Partner Program).
End screens are visual representations of cards that display after your video and must last at least 25 seconds. They can also encourage consumers to subscribe to your channel or follow your social media profiles by promoting other videos they might enjoy. Using a tool like Canva, you can create a personalized end screen that leaves room for the recommended films to show.
Conclusion
That’s all! You now have everything you need to start your vlog! You do not need to purchase expensive equipment straight away. Start small, and remember that the most successful method to increase your following is to continuously provide niche content while remaining true to yourself. People enjoy vlogs because they can identify with the producers. Make an effort to relate to your audience.
