If you’re reading this, chances are you’re considering starting a vlog. Well, you’ve come to the right place! Vlogging is a fun and rewarding hobby that anyone can enjoy. By influencing followers and promoting specific goods and services, you can also turn this side hustle into a full-time job that pays well. For example, food vloggers can make some extra money by promoting their favorite food outlets out there.
There’s no one right way to start a vlog, but there are a few things you should keep in mind if you’re just getting started. In this post, we’ll provide you with a step-by-step guide on everything you need to know to start a vlog of your own. But before that, let’s review a few questions like what a vlog is and why you should start one. By the end, you’ll be ready to set out on your own vlogging journey!
What Do You Need to Start a Vlog?
How to Start a Vlog: Step By Step Guide
2. Choose a Catchy Name for Your Vlog
3. Set Up Your Vlogging Equipment
What is a Vlog?
A vlog, short for “video blog,” is a type of online content that consists of regular video updates. You can compare it to a TV show where the vlogger himself/herself serves as the show’s producer, director, cameraman, and cast member. Vloggers typically film themselves, their friends, families, or pets in the vlogs. In the videos, they talk to the camera about their day-to-day lives, thoughts, and experiences.
Vlogging has become increasingly popular in recent years, thanks to online platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. From food to beauty, you can find a vlog related to every niche. If you’re creative and interesting enough, you can also start a vlog and build a following of loyal fans who tune in to your videos on a regular basis.
Why Start a Vlog?
There are many different reasons why one might want to start a vlog. Some of these are the following:
- Maybe you’re looking for an outlet to showcase your creativity or a distinct lifestyle to the people.
- You may want to start a vlog to connect with people who share similar interests with you.
- You might also start a vlog as a way to build your personal brand or grow your business.
- If you’re a talented vlogger with a strong point of view, you can use your platform to promote others’ products or services.
- You may want to share your specific experiences with people that are sure to help them in their daily lives.
Whatever your reason for starting a vlog may be, just make sure it’s something you’re passionate about. After all, you’ll be spending a lot of time filming, editing, and promoting your videos, so it should be something you enjoy doing.
What Do You Need to Start a Vlog?
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a lot of expensive equipment to start a vlog. In fact, all you really need is a smartphone with a good camera and a good internet connection. That said, there are a few other things you might want to invest in, like a tripod, a microphone, and some editing software. But don’t worry if you can’t afford all of that right away. You can always start with what you have and upgrade your equipment as your vlog grows.
How to Start a Vlog: Step By Step Guide
Now that you know what a vlog is and what you need to get started, it’s time to understand all the steps. Here’s a quick overview of the steps you’ll need to take.
1. Choose a Niche
Before you actually start filming, the first step to starting a vlog is figuring out what you want to vlog about. You’ll always need to develop a niche for your vlog. Only then will you be able to understand your target audience and create content that suits their tastes. Think about what you are passionate about the most. What do you want to share with the world? This can be anything from your daily life to a specific interest or hobby like painting, cooking, and eating.
At first, you’ll surely struggle to come up with a specific niche. If you’re not sure what you want to vlog about, that’s okay! Take some time to brainstorm a list of potential ideas. Once you have a few ideas, pick the one that makes you excited and motivated the most. For this purpose, you can also check out other vlogs for inspiration.
2. Choose a Catchy Name for Your Vlog
Once you know what you want to vlog about, it’s time to choose a catchy name for your vlog. This is important because it will be the first thing people see when they find your vlog. Your audience can reach you only by searching for your vlog’s name on the respective platform. Think about what makes you unique and use that to come up with a name for your vlog. You want something that will stand out and be easy to remember.
As a beginner vlogger, you can choose a name that is more closely related to the type of content in your videos. For example, you can use words like food, foodies, eats, kitchen, etc., in the name of a food vlog. Make sure the relevancy of your name is detailed enough for people to know what they will receive when they locate you online. A long and fancy name is also likely to put off any onlookers who might be interested in your videos.
3. Set Up Your Vlogging Equipment
Now it’s time to set up your vlogging equipment. If you don’t have a lot of money to spend, don’t worry! You can start vlogging with just a smartphone, a good internet connection, and free video editing software. As you get more comfortable with vlogging, you can upgrade your equipment according to your budget. But to start, all you really need is a way to record yourself and a way to upload your videos.
In case you have a good budget, you can even kickstart your initial vlogging experience by using high-quality gear. Some of the items which you can consider buying are:
- Vlogging camera
- Tripod
- Lighting equipment
- Video editing software
4. Film Your Videos
Once you have your equipment set up, it’s time to film your videos and actually start vlogging! When you’re first starting out, don’t worry too much about filming perfect, polished videos. Just stabilize your smartphone or camera somewhere, hit the record button, start talking, and share your life with the world.
You can begin your vlog by filming your daily routine first. As you become more comfortable in front of the camera, you can start to experiment with different types of videos, like product reviews, how-tos, challenges, and more. Remember, there are no rules when it comes to vlogging. Just be yourself and have fun!
5. Edit Your Videos
After you’ve filmed your videos, it’s time to edit them. This is where you’ll add any titles, transitions, music, voiceovers, and other special effects to your videos. If you’re new to video editing, don’t worry. There are plenty of free and easy-to-use editing software options out there. Some of these are:
- KineMaster
- Lightworks
- OpenShot
- Adobe Video Editor
- iMovie
- VideoPad
- DaVinci Resolve
- VSDC Free Video Editor
- Vimeo Create
6. Upload Your Videos
Once you’ve edited your videos and they are ready to go, it’s time to upload them to your chosen platform. If you’re vlogging on YouTube, you’ll need to create a YouTube channel first. Right after your YouTube channel is all set up, you can upload your videos and start building your audience.
Remember, YouTube is not the only place to get noticed as a vlogger. The choice of vlogging media is expanding as video content is becoming more and more popular these days. People are turning more towards videos to get information about all kinds of stuff. So, other media which you can use for vlogging are:
7. Promote Your Vlog
Once you have a few videos up, it’s time to start promoting your vlog. You might be thinking, why is it necessary? Well, just because you’ve uploaded your videos doesn’t mean people will magically find them. You need to promote your videos if you want people to watch them.
There are a few different ways you can promote your vlog, like SEO, email marketing, and paid advertising. You can also share your videos on social media platforms and tell your friends and family about your vlog. The more people who know about your vlog, the more views you’ll get. And the more views you get, the more successful your vlog will be!
Ready to Start Vlogging?
So there you have it! Now you’ve learned everything you need to know to start a vlog of your own. If you follow the tips we gave you earlier, you’ll be well on your way to vlogging success. Vlogging is not only a great way to share your life with the world, but it also helps you connect with others who have similar interests as you. Just remember to be creative, have fun, and be yourself. Believe us, you’ll be vlogging like a pro in no time. Happy vlogging!
