The vlogging world is highly competitive and can be tricky to get into. However, getting it right can make for a lucrative online career, with many famous YouTubers making millions from their channels. You can do a few things to help you create high-quality videos and reach a wider audience. Read on for our hints and tips on how to start vlogging.
Have a Target Audience in Mind
The first step you’ll need to take is establishing who your target audience is. The beauty of vlogging is that you can cover any topic you choose, from makeup to train spotting! If your subject area is quite a niche, then you’ll need to come up with ways to help you reach the intended audience. For example, the titles, thumbnails, and topics you cover in each video have to appeal to what your audience wants to see. Research keywords related to the area of vlogging you’re getting into so that viewers can more easily find them when searching the internet.
Invest in Some Good Quality Equipment
Whilst it’s possible to get started in vlogging with something as simple as your cell phone, your videos will look higher-quality and more polished if you use a specialized vlogging camera. Viewers are more likely to follow and subscribe to you if your videos are of higher quality and seem well put together. You will also need good lighting, such as a ring light, especially if you’ll be filming yourself. For your sound quality to be clear and crisp, invest in some decent audio equipment to go along with your camera. You will also need a stand for steady videoing of static content.
Create a Unique Visual Image
You want to try and hit more viewers than other similar vloggers, so you need to be able to stand out and become recognizable. To do this, you’ll need to develop a unique way of branding yourself and your vlogging platform. For example, could you come up with a catchy nickname or phrase that will become your signature? Do you want your face to be your brand image, or will you come up with a logo?
You then need to make sure that this is carried through to your content, and that you include videos that have your unique branding on them. This might mean editing your video content to reflect your brand’s style. Free video editing software can help you keep up with producing regular vlogging content for your page. Editing your videos also helps to improve sound quality smooth transitioning and allows you to add things such as text and graphics. This means that you can create cohesion in your work and build a brand that stands out.
Keep Track of Trends
In order to help you reach new viewers and keep existing ones interested, you need to be keeping up to date with the latest trends for content. For example, there could be a trend occurring for the particular area of vlogging you’re specialized in and that your viewers would want to see. Monitoring social media and watching videos from vloggers with similar content to yours will help you catch on early to any new trends.
Post Regularly
Vloggers that post regularly tend to achieve a higher number of followers or subscribers. If you don’t post for a while, it’s easy for your viewers to forget about you and turn their attention to other vloggers. Posting regular videos will help keep the attention and interaction of your viewers and create a loyal following. Try to mix up your content if you’re posting quite often, so your content doesn’t become too repetitive.
Engage with Your Audience
Interacting with your viewers is a great way to keep viewers interested and make yourself and your brand more familiarized with them. Viewers will be more likely to become fans of you and your content if you give them your attention and make them feel recognized and appreciated. Be sure to regularly thank your viewers for their support and encourage them to watch future content.
Use Feedback from Viewers to Design Future Videos
Asking your viewers what that want to see from your vlogs will not only give you inspiration for more content, but it will also help to establish a rapport with your viewers. You’ll have the guarantee that you’re making videos your viewers will be more likely to enjoy, as well as helping to make loyal followers feel seen and appreciated.
Create Achievable Goals and Milestones
To help keep you motivated and focused, it’s good to come up with common goals and milestones along the way. Monitoring your views and follower numbers is important and will help drive you forward. You could even help to achieve this by offering a giveaway for your followers when you reach your target number.
Use Eye-Catching Video Titles and Thumbnails
Videos with noticeable titles and thumbnails are more likely to gain viewers’ attention when they’re searching through videos. Try and come up with imaginative and unique titles that are more likely to grab attention. For example, you could use shock titles, capital letters, and exclamation marks. Using keywords associated with current trends is another way to get viewers’ attention from your video title.
Work On Your Speaking Skills and Confidence
Especially if you’re going to be speaking directly to the camera and narrating videos, you need to come across as confident through the camera. Practice recording yourself a few times and note how you come across. Do you sound confident and approachable? Are you speaking clearly, so the audio is clear for the audience? Is your body language expressive and natural? Refer directly to your audience by doing things such as asking them questions or asking them to comment their opinions on something mentioned in your video. Although you might be able to film your videos in a private space, you should also get used to filming in public spaces and around others to help build your vlogging confidence.
Ultimately, vlogging can be a fun and potentially lucrative side-hustle, but only if you do it right. Use these tips to help you get started on the right track and launch your vlogging career the right way.
Ella Woodward is an entrepreneur who has built a career as a freelance writer and building a business from her skill with words and understanding of the needs of corporate readers.
