Vlogging is the new normal. Do you know that there are over 200 hours of footage uploaded to Youtube every minute? Yes, vlogs are the content of the moment. You might be thinking of starting one. But are you wondering if it is too late to learn how to start vlogging? Do you know that you can earn an income out of creating videos? Is there training you should attend? How does Strikingly help you create your vlog websites? Take a look at this beginner’s guide to understand what is vlogging, what to say and how to make money vlogging.
What is vlogging?
Vlogging literally means video blogging. A vlog consists of creating a video of yourself where you talk about your life, routine, experience, and ideas. It means, instead of writing content on your blog, you speak to the camera about it. Just like blogs, you can vlog about any topic. You don’t need any technical training to become a vlogger. But it is not as easy as clicking on the publish button.
The major difference between normal video content and the vlog is “you”. For example, normal travel videos focus primarily on the destination, whereas travel vlogs revolve around the vlogger's ideas and experience about the place. Anyone can create a vlog, but only a few can actually be exceptional to make it a career. This guide will discuss all that you need to start your career as a vlogger.
What can you vlog about?
You can create videos about anything. But certain topics can work well with video content. Before you decide to start a vlog, the most important thing is to understand the different types of vlogs. The most popular vlogging categories are:
- Daily vlogs/ lifestyle vlogs
These are the most popular types of vlogs these days. You take your viewers along with you through your daily activities. While this may sound boring, subscribers and viewers like to see the everyday activities of their favorite vlogger. Few ideas for daily vlogs can be a day in my life or what I eat in a day or clean with me, or my morning/night routine. You can also talk about your life, share some funny incidents or stories, current events, and your hobbies.
- Travel vlogs
Travel vlogs are very entertaining. Traveling around the world is on the bucket list of many, but lack of time or money doesn’t let everyone achieve this dream. So people like to get an experience about different places by watching travel vlogs. One suggestion is to use a good quality camera for travel vlogging. Make sure to share your personal likes and dislikes, recommendations, and experiences.
Image taken from Strikingly User’s website
- Educational vlogs
People tend to search on youtube if they want to learn something. This can be anything from how to cook to how to sing. If you are good at a particular subject or if you are a musician or a language teacher, you can share your knowledge with your viewers. If your video is informative, you will get more views.
- Product reviews and unboxing vlogs
People like to get an experience about any product before buying. They want to know what is inside the box and get the look and feel of it. When the vlogger shares his/her experience about the product, it can influence the purchasing decision of the viewer. Whether it is about cosmetics, gadgets, kitchen accessories, or movies, be real and give an honest opinion to gain loyal customers.
- Fashion, beauty & fitness vlogs
This is the most demanding vlogging niche. Everyone wants to look beautiful, be healthy, and keep themselves updated about the latest trends in beauty and fashion. These videos usually cover how to do make-up, fitness videos, and the latest fashion trends.
- Prank vlogs
Everyone likes to watch comedy videos and the reactions of prank videos. Pranks can be from scary to funny. These types of videos have the potential to go viral.
- Food vlogs
You need to have good knowledge about food and cooking to create such vlogs. The vlogger should be open to trying different cuisines. To get a proper idea about food vlogging, go through multiple videos of some famous food vloggers like The Kalen Allen or OMKalen.
- DIY vlogs
The term DIY stands for Do It Yourself. Make some DIY and share it with your viewers. Everyone is searching the internet for DIY videos. So take them along when you sit down to make a craft. You have to be very creative to build, rebuild and modify things without getting professional help. You can create some exceptional videos like 5-minutes crafts or Pinterest or Tumblr-inspired DIY hacks, and so on.
Benefits of vlogging
A successful vlog can make you a celebrity overnight. It is actually ideal for businesses and individuals who want to conquer digital entertainment. Here are some benefits of vlogging:
1. Fame and fortune
Some of the famous vloggers have a huge fan following, and their videos are watched and shared by millions of people around the world. This has not only made them celebrities, but they have also made big bucks through advertisements on their vlogs. Big companies send their products to vloggers for promotion and pay them to review the products in their videos.
2. Build confidence
Vlogging can help you overcome the fear of public speaking and can boost your confidence. You will also improve your communication. There are chances that your video will get some negative reviews or comments. But you will eventually have the confidence to deal with criticism.
3. Reach a wider audience
Vlogging enables you to reach a wider audience. Your videos on youtube will be more accessible to the masses when the users search for them when compared to the regular blogs on a WordPress website. You can also use vlogs to drive traffic to websites, generate leads, sell products, and much more.
4. Healthy hobby
Through vlogs, you can connect with like-minded people from all over the world. You deliver a face and voice that people can connect with and deliver the brand message in an informal way.
5. Online career
Revenue is one of the main reasons why vlogging has become a full-time job for many people. It doesn’t happen overnight. Most vloggers still keep their job in the initial stages of their vlogging, because they know that it takes time and strength to create good quality vlogs and get noticed for them. Vlogging income can be made through affiliate marketing, sponsorships, and advertisements.
How to start vlogging?
It is not easy to create a vlog. It needs a lot of effort to make your video stand out in the crowd. It is recommended to use high-quality content. Poor audio or video might annoy some viewers.
Image taken from Strikingly Filmkik
These are the few essential things to get your vlogging career up and running:
- Understand your audience and niche
If you are looking to be a successful vlogger you need to focus on a particular topic rather than posting random videos. Successful vloggers are the ones who cater to the needs of their viewers. Few of them are PewDiePie, Nikkietutorials and Rclbeauty101.
- Familiarize with your platform
You need to have a good understanding of which platform you want to publish your videos. Knowing how the platform works and how to get more subscribers and viewers is very important. You have the option to either create your own website using templates from Strikingly or post your videos on platforms like Youtube.
One of the best website building platforms for designing your vlog website is Strikingly. The technical challenges are diminishing these days, and an increasing number of people are learning how to set up their own websites. You can select from a variety of Strikingly website models. Simply pick the one that best fits your brand and work on it.
Image taken from Strikingly
- Make a youtube channel
Creating a channel on youtube is easy and is free of cost. Consider creating a new channel from scratch. Take a look at any professional vlogger’s channel or vlogging sites and understand how they have presented themselves. Keep things simple, and make sure to use good quality videos.
- Invest in good quality gears
You don’t need to invest in a professional camera to start vlogging. Smartphone cameras are good enough for a beginner. Here is a list of a few things that can get you started.
1. A camera
2. Microphone
3. Tripod or selfie stick
4. A good location
5. Free video editing software
- Be consistent and patient
Very few channels see success in the early days or months. But you need to consistently post the videos. Youtube’s algorithm will definitely reward you for frequent posting. Show them that you are serious about your channel by posting good quality videos consistently, and they will give you more chances to be discovered.
Image taken from Ramsey Foundation
Can you make money from vlogging?
Yes, if not, why would there be so many people trying to become a vlogger. According to Forbes 2020, the highest-paid YouTuber was Ryan Kaji, a nine-year-old boy from Texas. As the number of views goes up, you will be able to make money out of Youtube advertisements. You can also make money through affiliate marketing, sponsorships, and setting merchandise.
Image taken from Inside Hockey
There are many ways to make money as a vlogger. Start now and be consistent and patient. You will get the returns for your hard work. There is always a way to market yourself, no matter what niche you pick. Start your vlogging journey by creating your own personal website portfolio with Strikingly today.
