10 tips to feeling less awkward in your vlogs

Has your favorite YouTuber inspired you so much that you have decided to give vlogging a try? “I need to be well-equipped,” you think, and order a brand-new vlogging camera and gorilla pod. But hold on a minute! It is interesting to watch vlogs on YouTube, but have you ever wondered what it feels like to stand in the middle of a busy street and talk to your camera? Sounds unnerving, doesn’t it? Just the thought of it gives you shudders! “How to vlog without being awkward?” you ask yourself.

Well, whether you are an aspiring vlogger or someone who is just curious to know how vloggers do what they do, you will find the answers here!

Why do I feel awkward in front of the camera?

Even the most experienced YouTubers have felt out of place at some point during their vlogging journey! Keep in mind that social anxiety has nothing to do with this. In fact, even extroverted people wouldn’t enjoy being stared down at while talking to their cameras in public!

Another common reason for awkwardness would be the number of takes involved in the making of a perfect vlog. In fact, creating a vlog and shooting for a movie have more things in common than you may realize! That 20-minute vlog that you watched on YouTube the other day would’ve surely taken a lot more than just 20-minutes to create! Camera angles and lighting matter too, and nothing comes perfectly in a single shot! Standing on a busy street repeating yourself while trying to avoid those icy stares doesn’t sound all that appealing, does it?

How to reduce awkwardness and become a confident vlogger?

Becoming a confident vlogger doesn’t happen overnight! It requires dedication, practice, and most importantly, a carefree attitude that allows you to be unconcerned about what people think!

Here are 10 tips that will help you overcome your awkwardness and make vlogging a fun experience for you

1.Choose a quiet location

“Where can I vlog?” you ask. Do large crowds overwhelm you? Worry not! Choosing a quiet location such as your neighborhood park with less or no people will help build your confidence while vlogging. Timing matters too! Wait for a time when the crowds are thinning out. Early morning or late evening would probably be the best time to start your vlog if you’re a beginner! The fewer the people, the fewer the distractions, and the better you can hear yourself!

2. Speak your mind

Scripting is one of the most common mistakes that first-time vloggers usually make. It is important to have a plan and rehearse before starting your vlog. However, relying entirely on a script while vlogging will make you lose your train of thought and cause you to stammer, stutter and end up losing confidence. If you’re feeling too awkward, imagine your friend is in front of you. Talk to your camera, like you would talk to your friend. Keep it casual and speak your mind!  

3. Be yourself!

Remember that vlogging doesn’t make you a different person! So, be yourself, both in speech and appearance. Dress smart, but at the same time, stick to being comfortable. Unless you’re a beauty or makeup vlogger, people will mostly care about the message that you are trying to convey through your vlogs, rather than your appearance. So, show the world who you are, rather than pretending to be someone that you are not! 

4. Don’t fear judgement

It is quite obvious that people will stare, laugh or make faces at you while you’re out there trying to shoot your vlog. It is more likely to happen when you’re at a place where people are not familiar with vlogging. But, let’s be clear – people have more important things to worry about than you talking to your camera! So, let their reactions not distract you!

The plus side of this is your opportunity to connect with them and build your network. It’s always good to carry a bunch of business cards, which you could hand over to people who you notice are reacting to your vlogging. Who knows? They could actually end up becoming some of your most loyal subscribers! 

5. Vlog with a friend

Feeling awkward? Why not take a friend along? If being socially awkward is what bothers you the most, then vlogging with a friend will definitely make it a lot easier for you! You could either ask your friend to be a part of your vlog or let him/ her hold the camera for you while you speak. Well, if you don’t want your viewers mistaking you to be sharing a channel with your friend, you can simply consider these as practice videos and make them private on YouTube! Remember, this is just one of the many tricks which can help you build your confidence!

6. Find your motivation

Question yourself: ‘Why do you want to be a YouTuber? What message would you like to convey to your viewers? What is your motivation behind wanting to create a YouTube channel?’ Once you start addressing these questions, it becomes a tad bit easier for you to align yourself with your goals and start your first vlog on YouTube. Keep in mind that if you’re motivated enough, you should never let anything or anyone come in your way and spoil it for you!

7. Find your niche

If you’re planning to grow your YouTube channel, it is important to start with a niche. Making videos on random topics, no matter how good the content, might earn you a few extra likes, but will take you nowhere in the long run. Make sure your niche is a topic that you’re really passionate about, something that will get you excited to wake up and vlog every morning! This will also help you become more confident in the way you present yourself in your videos.

However, keep in mind to always keep your videos short and sweet! Having found your niche might urge you to keep talking, but no matter how interesting the topic is, nobody would want to sit around all day hearing you rambling on!

8. Stop overthinking

Before starting out with your first vlog, you decide to take a few practice shots, and a sudden thought crosses your mind. “Why do I look awkward on video?” you wonder. “Am I doing it right? Will my channel be successful enough? What if my content is not as good as that of other YouTubers?”

Overthinking is just another form of pessimism that can kill your motivation and prevent you from moving forward. In order to become a successful vlogger, you need to start focusing on the positives! So, push those negative thoughts aside, just grab your camera and start vlogging!

9. Step out of your comfort zone!

They say ‘Great things happen only when you step out of your comfort zone’. It takes an ample amount of time and dedication to start a YouTube channel! So, when you actually take a step forward and start doing it, you realize that you have conquered one of your biggest fears! Putting yourself out there on a massive public platform such as YouTube will expose you to a lot of criticism, which will eventually make you stronger and enable you to handle the toughest of situations that come your way!

10. Practice!

‘Practice makes perfect’ may sound like a cliché, but it is most definitely a truth that cannot be denied! Whether you decide to upload your videos or not, it’s always best to carry your camera with you wherever you go, even grocery shopping!

“Can you vlog in stores?” you wonder. Well, some shops do allow vloggers to film inside as long as their filming doesn’t cause a nuisance to the general public. However, many high-end fashion and shopping stores don’t allow filming within their premises. So, to be on the safer side, it’s always best to take permission from the store owners before walking in with your camera!

If you’re passionate about vlogging and wish to build your YouTube channel, it’s always a good idea to vlog when you can. Over time, you will forget your nervousness and notice yourself becoming more confident and comfortable while vlogging in public!

What goals will I achieve by overcoming awkwardness?

Awkwardness is temporary. Overcoming it will make you appear more confident on camera and attract more people to your vlogs, which will eventually help your channel grow! Most importantly, you will start enjoying your vlogging experience! Remember that your enthusiasm, optimism, and energy will reflect in your videos. This means that the more excited you are, the more excited your viewers are!  So, quit waiting around! Just get out there and start vlogging!