Are you thinking of moving from blogging to vlogging? While the mechanisms may differ, the basic principle of creating engaging content remains the same.
There are a few stumbling blocks along the way – from the need to tackle nerves for the first time to the technical concerns associated with editing software; here are five top tips for creating your first vlog.
Tips For Making Your First Vlog
Table of Contents
1. Tackle the nerves
Talking in front of a camera can be intimidating for everyone, even for those who are full of confidence. If you find the camera off-putting, practice first without the camera rolling.
Also make sure you have enough time to practice and practice again. You should not feel rushed, as you may trip up your words and your audience may be disoriented by your message.
Above all, imagine that you are talking to a close friend, rather than an inanimate object, and everything should fall into place.
2. Inspiration from the blogosphere
Choosing the subject of your first blog can be as difficult as writing the first word on a blank page. The pressure to “start with a bang” can be overwhelming.
However, you don’t need to think too much. It’s good to start with the basics – who are you? Why do you blog? And what are you passionate about?
Once you’ve got your first vlog under your belt, you need to think about what your vlogs will be like in the long run to ensure consistency.
Viewers like consistency because they want to know what they get when they log in. This predictability creates a loyal audience that feels like they know you and share your passion.
In the long run, personal stories, expert advice, and product reviews are extremely popular vlogging ideas.
3. Choosing the right place
We talked about it in our article “Where to find a vlog and why it’s important”, but we’ll cover it briefly here, because location is an important element to consider when you create your first vlog.
First of all, you need to keep in mind that the location you choose for your first vlog could become the backdrop for all your future vlogs – so choose well!
Unless you’re a travel vlog, most vloggoers shoot their videos in the same place to ensure consistency. When making your decision, you need to consider the practicality of the location, as well as how it looks in front of the camera.
There are three things you should look for: lots of natural light, a plain background and a quiet place. In general, an indoor location is easier because you can control the lighting and noise levels – and you don’t have to worry about the weather.
Also, you need to make sure you’re in the center of your vlog, so a cluttered and distracting background won’t do you justice.
4. Tips for editing
Unlike blogging, vlogging comes with technical considerations, such as how to edit the videos you produce. Fortunately, video editing software is widely available, with different programs to suit varying degrees of knowledge.
iMovie or Windows Live Movie Maker is obvious (and free!) choices for beginners, but there is also YouTube Editor.
All these programs are designed to make the editing process as simple and fast as possible. This is ideal for most vloggers, as the goal is usually not to draw attention to the editing techniques, but simply to tell the story as simply and clearly as possible. For this, you don’t need sophisticated software.
This doesn’t mean that there are no other options for more serious videographers. You can see a list of the best free editing software here, but there is also much more advanced (but more expensive) software. For more tips and guides on editing better videos, visit Techmong.
5. Promotion
“If you build it, they will come” is perhaps the least truthful saying when it comes to promotion. If you are launching a vlog, it is essential that you promote it.
No one starts a vlog with an audience of 1,000,000 enthusiastic fans, so you have to work on promotion before you see results.
If you already have an established readership on your blog, you have a head start. Use the readers who already know and like your blog by promoting your vlog on social media, write about it on your blog and newsletter and also consider adding a YouTube icon for social media in your sidebar.
If you’re as new to vlogging as you are to blogging, a good place to start is to get started by
