Youtube is undoubtedly one of the biggest social media platforms in the world. According to statistics from the video streaming app itself, 2 billion logged-in users visit it each month watching over a billion hours of content each day. Youtube is responsible for sparking a trend for a new type of videography known as vlogging. This version of video content creation has become an audience favorite making a lot of people wonder about how to start vlogging on their own.
Vlogs are types of blogs where the written content is replaced by video narrations. There are hundreds if not thousands of vloggers on Youtube these days from all over the world who entertain, educate, review and even promote various brands to their distinctive audiences in their own unique ways. These individuals have become modern age celebrities with several TV and movie stars collaborating with them to create more relevant content for the modern digital-savvy generation.
Vlogging Today
If you belong to a group which uses social media these days, which is almost a quarter of the world’s population, there is a chance that you’ve heard about David Dobrik, Casey Neistat, Marques Brownlee, Lew Later of Unbox Therapy, PewDiePie, Smosh and Jeffree Star among numerous others. These people share millions of subscribers between them with PewDiePie alone having 108 million subscribers, the most of any individual creator on YouTube.
These people have inspired a diverse group of creators from across the globe to turn to vlogging not just as a creative outlet but also as a form of expression. Vlogging today is more than just posting random videos on the internet, it has become a complete lifestyle for people, brands, organizations as well as a variety of institutions working towards social causes. Moreover, vloggers are not just focusing on YouTube but a host of other platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and most recently Tik Tok. If you have been wondering how to start vlogging, here are a few tips which can come in handy.
Steps To Start and Create a Growing Vlogging Channel
Vlogging is much easier than most people think however it requires a few essentials. The purpose of this article is to shed light on some fundamentals which can help budding creators or beginners form a sound footing.
1. Find Your Niche
First and foremost when initiating a vlogging career is to find a niche or the relevant audience to be precise. This can have to do with what you are passionate about like tech reviews, sports, moto-vlogging or maybe something for which you can easily source the right tools like makeup tutorials, home decor tips or even cooking. It all depends on finding the right mix of passion and resources so that you can create engaging content. This will serve as the first step on how to start vlogging.
2. Get Inspiration
Chances are that if you want to start vlogging, you already have a few favorite creators in mind. These people can be anyone whose delivery or editing techniques you adore. It doesn’t have to be someone who sticks to one category because a lot of vloggers these days cover a variety of topics from their daily lives to things at which they are proficient. Find the person or group who inspire you and pick the things you feel that they do best to create your own unique style.
3. Create a YouTube Channel
YouTube is the premier platform to start your vlogging journey from, mostly because of the revenue opportunities it offers but that should never be your chief incentive. Find the social media site that works best for you and start from there. Creating the channel is the first concrete step towards uploading videos that will bring more people towards you. Pick a cool name, add a description and get set up for free. That’s the beauty of social media these days.
4. Invest in Some Good Gear
Now that you have a know-how of how to start vlogging, it is time to invest in some good filming and editing gear. It is paramount to know that gear is never the first priority, it is the content and passion behind it. Marques Brownlee or MKBHD, as he is more commonly known, made his first video using a web cam and the first laptop his parents bought him. Recently, he was named in Forbes 30 under 30 under social media. Similarly, Mr. Beast, known as YouTube’s biggest philanthropist today, started with a simple iPhone in his early days. Of course good gear will allow you to churn out much better content but at the end of the day, it is what you make that will stand out.
5. Film a Vlog
Once you have all the essentials, start filming. Get a variety of shots and do repetitive takes until you have enough footage to compare, sort and create a comprehensive video. The time you spend filming will give you greater ability to be flexible once you sit down and begin preparations for the next step.
6. Edit Your Vlog
Filming is only half of the job. It is the editing that will steal the show. Many vloggers have this ability to turn simple looking content into something extraordinary through editing. Modern software like Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premier allow extensive canvases for vloggers to work on. Make sure that when you search about how to start vlogging, watching and learning editing techniques has to be a key part of the process.
7. Promote Your Content and Build an Audience
Although good content will make a room for itself, in the beginning, you may have to promote your work through paid endorsements. Youtube and other social media platforms provide opportunities for posts to be boosted so that they can reach more people. If you have the resources for the purpose, it can help you get a much needed initial shove.
8. Stay Consistent
Consistency is key to sustainable growth in any field, even vlogging. You need to make a schedule and stick to it. You don’t have to post every day or even every week, just when you think you have the right content but it is important that you don’t leave your viewers hanging for very long or else they will begin to get bored and even abandon watching your channel altogether.
Conclusion
When you consider how to start vlogging it is like starting a new business. There has to be a proper plan behind it. Success, fame or money have failed to serve as prime factors towards building a great vlogging career but passion on the other hand helps you grow. With that in mind and the tips mentioned above, you can surely build a trendy path for yourself.
