Before you do a vlogs: 12 tips you should know

You plan to open a Vlog channel to satisfy your passion, and share useful information with everyone.

But you are hesitant and afraid no one wants to view your channel, your content is not appealing, and you also feel embarrassed to appear in front of the camera.

Also, because you are a newbie, you don’t have any experience or skills to create attractive videos like famous Vloggers.

You’re not lonely cause even popular Vloggers have been struggling with the same problem. No one was born to be a successful Vlogger.

And that’s why this blog post is here, with a bunch of tips to help you prepare and collect the best Vlog skills right from the very beginning.

Are you looking forward to finding them out? Keep reading to see what they are!

What is Vlog, and what does it mean?

Although Vlogging has gained popularity over the past few years, a lot of people are still unfamiliar and don’t really know what Vlog or Vlogging means.

Vlog stands for a video blog or video log. It’s a kind of blog in which the content is video.

Vlogging refers to the Vlog creation process, usually video recording.

What’s the difference between Vlog and other Youtube videos?

Before making the first Vlog, you need to know how to distinguish between Vlog and Youtube videos.

Everyone who uploads videos to Youtube is a video creator. However, not all of them are considered Vloggers.

Vloggers appear personally to share their attitudes, stories and journey via video to connect with their audience.

1. Pick up your Vlog topic

What do you start doing Vlogs for? Do you want to try it out, or do you want to do Vlog as your career?

You should define a short-term goal and a long-term goal of doing a Vlog.

For example, you’re scared of talking in front of the camera, and you want to Vlog to overcome that fear. So, this is your short-term goal.

How long do you want your video channel to reach 100,000 followers? 6 months or 1 year? When would you like to be mentioned as a Vlogger, etc? This is your long-term goal.

Set yourself a few short-term and long-term goals to define what you need to do or adjust to become a successful Vlogger.

Some people imitate the same thing that other famous Vloggers are doing because they think it will bring them fame, followers, and money.

However, this is a big mistake! If you do something that you really don’t like, can’t afford, don’t have passion for, viewers will forget your Vlog channel sooner or later.

Someday, you won’t be motivated to continue Vlogging because you realize what you’re doing doesn’t belong to you.

To find out the best fit Vlog topic, ask yourself, “What do you really like?”

Do you like playing games, cooking, or sharing your perspective about fashion, beauty, or travel, etc?

2. Refer to other Vloggers

Before building your Vlog channel, consulting other competitors is an excellent way to overview what and how other Vloggers are doing.

It doesn’t mean that you do exactly what others do. As mentioned in section 1, imitating what you are not good at, not knowledgeable, or don’t really like will only lead to uncreative Vlogs.

You should refer to other Vloggers for your initial orientation and never 100% imitate them

This is also your chance to explore your target market. What your target viewers like and pay attention to.

3. Build a Youtube channel

To increase the success rate of your Vlog, you need to create a YouTube channel for people who have the same interest.

A Youtube channel will facilitate subscribers’ organization and arrangement.

Moreover, according to different lists, Youtube has optional content categories, which helps viewers know where to find the content they are interested in.

Whenever you want to post your content in these groups, that categorical list comes into play.

4. Create a banner and logo for your Vlog channel

Building a Vlog channel is like starting your own business. And to have a professional, prominent method to connect with your community, you first need to create a banner and logo. They are your Vlog channel’s brand image.

Think of logos or branding of products you like—they’re likely a singular image that sticks in your brain.

5. Choose an appropriate username

It’s easier to engage with your audience if you choose your channel a good name so that people can easily find you among thousands of other Vloggers.

Consider capital letters, short, understandable, rhyming, and relevant words to create a friendly Vlog channel’s name that can make sure to impress your audience.

6. Use the right equipment to do a Vlog

You can start with any video recording device such as a smartphone, tablet, or webcam. However, we recommend using a professional camera to make high-resolution videos that may commit to views and subscriptions.

Thanks to a professional camera, you can record sharper videos with good sound quality as well.

In particular, most cameras today have built-in image stabilization, which helps your Vlogs have better quality.

7. Shoot your Vlog

Now, you have a good camera and YouTube channel to record and post your Vlogs. It’s time to start recording.

In case you don’t know what topic to talk about, we suggest you record your routine activities, personal preferences, attitude, or challenges you join, etc.

Some tips to improve your first Vlog engagement.

Apply the 5-second rule

This rule means you only have five seconds to get viewers’ attention! Why is it so little? Because people now have shorter attention spans than ever. Research has demonstrated that people only have an eight-second attention span. It’s even lower than a goldfish!

Therefore, you need a tough hook to reinforce your audience. Whether you’ve created your Vlogs or short-form marketing ads, you’ll want your viewers to stick to your message as long as possible.

So, try to convey your message within 5 seconds.

Concentrate on quality (not quantity)

You’d better focus on quality than quantity when doing Vlogs. Many vloggers try to adhere to a daily vlogging schedule, even though they don’t have enough footage or have no new idea to carry out.

This only results in bad Vlogs and your audience will soon leave you.

1-2 videos per week are enough because it allows you to concentrate on creating quality Vlogs that hook your viewers’ interest.

Don’t overthink about it, relax

You don’t need to plan too detailed Vlog content.

Record a video and say whatever is on your mind. Nature and honesty are two main factors that make your Vlog more friendly and attractive.

Ensure good light and sound quality 

If you’re confident with your Vlogging camera, this is not an issue anymore. Then, make sure you speak clearly and don’t leave any long silence in your Vlog.

Interaction with the audience

The difference between Vlog and other videos is that it allows you to interact with your audience personally.

So, don’t just focus on Vlog content; you should also try to engage with your audience by asking for their opinions and be sure to respond to their comments.

End your Vlog with an “made-by-me” conclusion

Lots of successful Vloggers end their videos with unique personal phrases, and so should you. This improves your impression even more.

Don’t push yourself

It’s a bit obvious, but the more you practice, the better. Before you even start uploading your videos on YouTube, you can practice Vlogging.

If you want a fun, entertaining, and informative video to watch, you shouldn’t be too rushed to release it. Take your time and practice until you’re sure you’re ready to do an official Vlog.

8. Edit your Vlog

To make your Vlog more professional, you should edit and cut out anything you don’t want to include in it.

There are many free (and paid) software available to assist you in editing videos.

If you have a Mac, you can use iMovie. If you have a Windows 10 computer, you can use the photos app or any video editing software you like.

There’re many tutorial videos on how to use that software on YouTube. You will certainly not have much difficulty getting used to it.

9. Upload your Vlog on YouTube

Now that you’ve finished the Vlog, it’s time to upload it to YouTube.

Access to Youtube.com and hit the Upload video button in the top right corner. Follow the Youtube guide to complete the whole upload process.

Remember to choose a good title for your Vlog, and don’t forget to include a description, then tag it to help your audience find your Vlog.

10. Promote your Vlog

Now that your Vlog is on YouTube, you should promote it to attract more viewers to watch your video.

You can start by sharing your Vlog on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, or any other social network you are active on.

Also, reach out to other people or Youtubers who might find your Vlog interesting.

11. Don’t give up

Your debut Vlog may not have thousands of views, but don’t let that bother you.

Make a plan of producing new Vlogs and post them to YouTube weekly, stick to that schedule no matter what happens.

Stay connected with YouTubers, bloggers, and people on social media. You can also cooperate with other Vloggers to grow your Vlog channel’s popularity faster.

As your Vlog channel gets more views, there might be some negative comments. Don’t mind being judged.

Criticizing others is easy, but you are much braver than those who criticize you and feel scared to do video, introduce themselves on YouTube.

Don’t lose your mind on negative comments; focus on the positive comments.

12. Enjoy making money

As your Vlog channel’s subscriber increases and you get more views, you can make money from it. Sign up for the YouTube Partnership Program to start making money from the ads played before or during your videos.

Note: YouTube doesn’t allow you to make money from Copyright infringing videos. So don’t use any songs, videos, images, etc. You don’t own copyright.

Instead, you can use YouTube’s free music library.

What can Vlog bring to you?

Build a community of loyal followers

Vlog is all about community.

Vlogs bring you closer to your audience and create a stronger connection that builds on trust. Vlogs are like face-to-face conversations between you and your audience.

If you care about them, they will respond by watching and responding to your videos to show their interest in you.

Connect people from all over the world

Vlogs help you reach out to a broader community because your audience can be more diverse if you don’t limit your topics.

Produce a Vlog is not that difficult

Without expensive cameras or perfect preparation, you can do Vlogs anytime, anywhere with your smartphone or just a normal camera.

Vloggers are bloggers, but instead of writing, they make videos to present their ideas, attitudes.

Vloggers tell their own story that has a specific value. They know how to connect, build and entertain their community.

Making a living by working as a Vlogger is not easy. In fact, there are only a few outstanding Vloggers.

Even famous Vloggers have lost their fame after times doing Vlogs. The more successful and at the top a Vlogger is, the more he/she might fall and lose everything.

However, suppose you really want to build yourself a proper Vlog channel that shares helpful information to everyone. In that case, you will realize that investing and taking care of your Vlog channel in a positive way is essential.

Review again the 12 tips listed above, start your journey with the first advice and. If you’re patient and consistent enough, surely you can achieve your goal and become a true Vlogger.

Refer to a great video subtitling tool to expand your channel to a wider range of audience.

Read more:

• Should I shoot a video at FullHD or 4K?
• Should I quit my job to do Youtube?
• How to add chapters to your video?