‘Vlogging’ or video blogging has been building momentum over the past year or so, and is becoming increasingly popular amongst bloggers. Why? It is great content either for a dedicated ‘vlog’ or placed on your own blog, that is easily sharable. More and more, people are consuming content away from their computers and on their phones, and videos are great idea if you want more shares and social engagement. Here’s my advice if you are confused about what to do next:
1. Choose a niche
You may already have a blog, and are aware of what your readers enjoy, or you may be thinking of starting a vlog straight away. Make sure you have a clear idea about who you are speaking to, and stick to a specific theme or set of topics. You might have a broad lifestyle blog, so maybe pick a certain topic from your blog, such as ‘DIY Hacks’, or ‘Easy Cooking Tips’ and create your vlogs with a theme in mind. It is easy to get overwhelmed, so picking a theme to begin with is helpful.
2.Video SEO
Find that perfect title and use keyword tags when uploading to YouTube or Vimeo! Blogging requires you to be aware of your own blog’s SEO and Google analytics (see a useful post for more SEO info here). Like you would with your posts, do a bit of keyword research and research what types of vlogs in your niche get a lot of traffic. Make sure you pick a title that people on YouTube or on Google would naturally search for!
3. Research Popular Vloggers
There are loads of great vloggers out there across many genres. Do your research and write down what you admire about your favourite vloggers. Don’t copy their videos, but it is perfectly ok to emulate them. You might love the structure of a vlogger’s craft videos, or the how another matches music to their posts. Be inspired!
4. Short and Sweet
However well planned and researched you are, if you are starting out with a vlog, keep your videos short and sweet. People zone out after short while (like they skim read blog posts), so don’t overwhelm your viewers. If you have crafty, beauty, or DIY instructional videos, edit your video and make clear ‘stages’ that are easily scrolled through.
5. Lighting and Camera
You don’t have to buy a swanky top of the range DSLR camera to get your vlog started. As with blogging, using your ipad, laptop, or even smartphone can be adequate, and will give you time to get used to vlogging before investing in something more serious. If your video doesn’t have much light, remember to use lamps, or maybe try to record your posts in the day time. If you start enjoying vlogging, it may be time to invest in a good DSLR camera, and maybe a desk tripod to keep the picture crisp and still.
I hope you found this post useful if you are thinking of starting your own vlog channel. Any comments or suggestions for budding vloggers welcome!
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