Vlogging for Beginners
Over the years, vlogging has become a very popular and sought-after practice for numerous people around the world. Not only has it helped individuals to express themselves but has also enabled them to connect with their viewers and make money in the process. Vlogging today has been seen as more than just a hobby. More and more people have started adopting it as a part of their lifestyle and are seeking techniques to improve their vlogging skills. There are also different varieties of vlogging gear for beginners that are available in the market today which help offer new and upcoming YouTubers the best vlogging experience.
Vlogging Tips
1.Find your passion and choose a niche
One of the most important tips for successful vlogging is to identify a niche that you’re passionate about and be clear about the message that you wish to convey to your viewers. Once you have identified your niche, it is now important that you create videos pertaining to your niche without going off-track.
2. Set a target for yourself and stick to it
If you wish to see your vlogging channel grow, then starting a vlog isn’t enough. It is necessary that you create a posting schedule and stick to it! Most beginner vloggers often get disappointed when they notice that their first few videos haven’t got as many likes or views as they had expected. However, remember that being consistent in your posting will help attract viewers to your vlog. Setting a target for yourself definitely helps a lot in this regard!
3. Level up your editing skills
If you want to become a successful vlogger, then the quality of your videos is as important or rather more important than the number of videos that you manage to create. It is thus essential that you start exploring new editing techniques. However, at the same time, remember to keep your vlogs professional and avoid cluttering your videos with too many effects!
4. Regularly interact with your viewers
It is essential that you regularly interact with your viewers by answering questions, replying to comments, and accepting feedback. Remember that each comment adds value to your channel and without your audience, your channel cannot grow! So stay humble and express your gratitude!
5. Create a weekly theme or series
A simple trick to attract viewers to your channel is to set up a weekly theme or series where you can either go live, organize a quiz or hold a Q/A session. This will give your audience a clear idea about what to expect from your channel every week.
6. Participate in the latest trends
Keeping up-to-date with the latest trends and challenges that are going viral on the internet is one of the best ways to keep your audience engaged! Taking part in these challenges by creating short videos or having these as a part of your vlog is a good idea to help your channel grow.
7. Collaborate with fellow YouTubers
One of the most recommended tips for vlogging on YouTube is to collaborate with fellow YouTubers who are running a channel of a similar niche and have a similar number of subscribers as you. This will be mutually beneficial and will help both channels get exposure and grow.
8. Keep your vlogs unique and interesting
In order to retain your viewers’ attention, it is most essential that the content you create is unique, interesting, and capable of keeping your audience entertained. If not, you will not have your viewers coming back for more! So make sure to vlog in different locations or with different people!
9. Be confident
Beginner vloggers are often nervous and worry about what people think of them while they vlog outside. One of the most important tips for vlogging in public is to overcome your camera shyness and build confidence. Don’t fear judgment since the people you come across while vlogging may never cross paths with you again! Your audience on the other hand, who love and enjoy your videos will definitely admire and appreciate you for your determination to step out and create vlogs!
10. Promote using social media
Promoting your vlogs on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter will help your channel gain maximum exposure, support, and subscribers. It is always useful to create a page dedicated to your vlog channel and publish posts and stories on a regular basis.
11. Use copyright-free music
Using only copyright-free music in your vlogs will prevent your videos from being taken down by YouTube due to copyright violations. After all, you wouldn’t want to lose views and likes on all those videos you’ve worked so hard on! Using songs from Soundcloud or YouTube’s music library also greatly helps!
12. Add calls-to-action
Reminding your viewers to subscribe, like, and comment by adding a call-to-action at the end of your vlogs is a good way to get more subscribers and improve your ranking on YouTube.
13. Comment on other vlogs and blogs
Commenting on other vlogs and blogs will help attract attention to your vlog! If your comments are interesting and receive a lot of likes and replies, then people would automatically be interested in checking out your profile!
14. Complete your YouTube profile
Completing your YouTube profile is crucial to the growth of your channel! Make sure to add a description as well as attractive channel art to help your channel stand apart. This will also help your channel rank higher and appear in the ‘Up Next’ section.
15. Join vlogging communities
Becoming a part of vlogging communities on platforms such as Reddit helps to expand your brand, build your network and get useful feedback from other vloggers and content creators.
16. Keep your videos short and sweet
Sometimes, you may get too comfortable with your topic and tend to rant on! This makes your vlog long and boring and is usually common when you record on your phone. This is why one of the most important tips for vlogging with an iPhone is to keep your vlogs short and sweet!
17. Add a watermark
Adding a watermark to your videos is a great way to promote your brand and also helps you claim copyright in case someone tries to copy or reupload your videos.
18. Use custom thumbnails
Did you know that custom thumbnails tend to grab more clicks and attention? This is especially true for those who have faces and texts on them. So next time you’re uploading a video, make sure to create your own thumbnail, rather than allowing YouTube to choose it for you!
19. Organize using playlists
Using the playlist feature on YouTube to organize your videos based on their respective category or series helps your videos rank higher on YouTube. This practice will also make it easier for your viewers to find and watch related videos.
20. Keep practicing!
Lastly, in order to become a pro at vlogging, it is always important to keep practicing! Remember that the saying “Practice makes you perfect”, wasn’t made without reason!
Vlogging Equipment
As we all know, YouTube is a highly competitive platform. Hence, although you may have a charming personality coupled with great editing skills and the ability to create unique content, you may still find it hard to get ahead of your competitors if you don’t have the right equipment in hand! However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you end up spending a fortune buying the most expensive vlogging equipment!
Vlogging camera
Most beginners usually ask the question: “What equipment do you need to be a vlogger?” Well, to start with, it is always important to pay attention to the visual quality of your videos. A GoPro may be one of the most popular vlogging cameras out there! However, if you’re on a budget and looking for a cheap vlogging camera for beginners, a camcorder might sound like a good option! You can also consider buying lightweight and compact cameras like the Canon G7 or the Sony ZV-1 which have a high-definition lens. Moreover, modern-day smartphones such as the latest iPhone models have a camera quality similar to a DSLR camera and are also great for vlogging!
A microphone
A microphone is another essential vlogging equipment required to create a successful vlog channel. Remember that the audio quality of your video is as important as the video quality! Examples of good microphones for vlogging include USB microphones, shotgun microphones, and wireless lapel microphones which can be pinned to your clothes.
A tripod
As you can guess, the next essential vlogging equipment is the tripod. One of the cheapest and best tripods for vlogging includes the Gorillapod. However, if you happen to own a lightweight camera, you might want to consider buying a handheld device such as the gimbal stabilizer. This also functions as a tripod when fixed onto a stand and helps to balance your camera and enables you to create smooth videos.
A lighting kit
Last but not the least, buying a good quality lighting kit for beginner vlogging is essential, especially if you’re shooting your vlogs in low light conditions. One example is the ring light kit which is most popular among vloggers. Other examples include umbrella lights and SoftBox. All three of these are lightweight, portable, and provide efficient lighting without producing any rugged shadows.
Now that you’re aware of these tips and techniques, it is time to put them into practice and create a successful vlogging channel!
