Gone are the days when Vlogging was just a silly hobby. It is now popular not as a hobby but as a legitimate career. Did you know that each person watches over 200 videos per week? YouTube is the 2nd most popular search engine on the internet. There are upwards of 100 million viewers on YouTube per day. Smart vloggers see these viewers as potential business opportunities. How is that, you ask? Let us discuss vlogging and how to become a successful vlogger.
What is Vlogging?
Vlogging is a portmanteau for Video Blogging. A vlogger is a person who creates interesting videos of happenings or discussions and posts them on a video platform like YouTube. Almost every video on YouTube is posted by a vlogger.
Vloggers are divided into two; business vloggers and personal vloggers. Business vloggers promote products on their videos. Their main objective is to drive traffic to their site in order to increase sales.
Personal vloggers talk about personal issues like their views on politics, celebrity gossip, and diets among others. The main objective for personal vloggers is to grow their list of subscribers.
Why Become a Vlogger?
The benefits of vlogging transcend making money. For one, it is a chance for you to see yourself as others see you. You will learn the quirky things about you that need to change or stay.
As you practice being on camera, it will be a self-awareness journey. You will get better at public speaking, gain more confidence, and learn to take criticism in stride. It’s a good idea to attend online media training workshops to make sure your chops are spot on.
Vlogging will boost your site’s Google rankings. This is because people respond and retain visual material better than written content.
How to Become a Vlogger
- Choose a theme
The single most important decision when starting out as a vlogger is choosing the right niche. Select a subject that you are passionate and knowledgeable about. Viewers are drawn to vloggers who know their stuff and are creative in the way they present it.
- Do your homework
Take time to research on other successful vloggers; their themes, schedules, and best practices. Most vloggers have instructional videos on how to get started. Soak in the information but resist the urge to copy. Endeavor to create your own unique brand.
- Open your Vlog channel and give it a catchy name
Set up your vlog channel. If you don’t have a website, go ahead and create a simple but catchy name for your channel. If you have a website, incorporate your domain name in the title of your channel. This makes it easier for your viewers to find it and remember it.
- Prepare your material beforehand
Before going online, practice being on camera severally. This will ensure you weed out anything unappealing that you’ve been doing unaware. Make some notes of the things you want to cover during the vlog. This helps in keeping you on topic and prevents you from rambling.
Find a good location with adequate lighting. I recommend that you invest in an iPod. No one likes shaky videos and you might lose viewers because of it.
- Invest in a quality Microphone
Noise and wind interruptions are a serious issue to consider when shooting your vlog. Although most cameras come with an in-built microphone, it is better to buy a separate one. There are basically two types of microphones to choose from; Lavalier and Shotgun microphones.
A Lavalier microphone is a tiny microphone that clips onto your shirt. Although it is slightly visible, you can move around without losing the quality of sound. Lavalier microphones are perfect for shooting instructional vlogs and outdoor vlogs. They are typically called wireless though you will have to do a bit of wiring.
Shotgun microphones are commonly mounted just above the camera. They are cheaper than Lavalier microphones but they are restrictive. Shotgun microphones are ideal for shooting indoor vlogs that don’t require you to move around much. When using a shotgun microphone, always make sure you stay in front of the microphone. The upside of a shotgun microphone is that it never shows up on camera which gives your vlogs a more natural, laid-back feel.
- Shoot your first Vlog
When shooting your vlog, ensure you stay on topic. Talk about what you intended to and be done with it. Do not fill the time with meaningless banter; viewers will get bored. Engage your viewers by asking questions and requesting feedback. This way your viewers will feel a personal connection to you.
It is advisable that you have several videos to post consistently following the first video. Consistency sets a pace for your viewers which is useful when building a client base.
- Engage other Vloggers
Vloggers benefit greatly from promoting each other’s channels. Commenting on other vlogger’s videos, inviting them to watch your videos, and even messaging them to create a good rapport is integral to the success of a vlogger.
You could also engage the viewers on other vlogger’s message boards by answering their questions with one of your own videos as long as it is relevant. This is a great way to funnel traffic to your channel.
- Talk to your viewers
As your vlog gains popularity, there will be comments from viewers concerning your videos. Make time to reply to the comments on your channel. Reading the viewers comments helps in knowing the areas that need improvement.
Vlogging is steadily replacing content in marketing. Statistics say videos are 40 times more likely to go viral than content. Over 50% of all material posted on social media is in video form. It is time to capitalize on this trend and build your brand through vlogging.
thanks friend for helpful article