Vlog Superstar: How to Kick start Your Vlogging Career

If you’re a blogger and want to start venturing into creating vlogs (video blogs), there’s no better time to start than now. Though vlogging has been around for years, it’s still considered a popular medium for many aspiring bloggers who want to create interesting and relevant content. But what does it take to become a successful vlogger?

When YouTube was launched in 2005, many content creators started to shift toward developing more video content to be able to reach their audience. These early vlogs set a precedent by drawing audiences to follow individual creators and influencers. Through the years, vlogs have increasingly become an outlet for personalities, passions, and hobbies as it fostered a deeper and more meaningful connection between the creator and its audience. Today, vlogging has catapulted many young individuals into internet stardom and continues to serve as one of the chief platforms for both personal and commercial content.

While it seems fairly easy and simple to become a vlogger, there are a few things you need to consider before getting into it. If you’re already a seasoned blogger, you might have an advantage over someone who has no experience but you still need to factor in the changes that come with transitioning to video. Bear in mind that vlogging, compared to blogging will require you to be more spontaneous and candid as you will be in front of the camera most of the time. It helps that you have an outgoing personality but many vloggers claim that they were able to overcome their lack of courage when they started vlogging. In the end, vlogging should be meant to share information, entertain, and inspire positivity. If you want to be part of the vlogosphere, here are some tips on how you can kick start your new passion:

Choose your niche – this relates to your passion. Among your many passions, determine that you want to share and focus on developing a realistic outline for it. Since your vlog will be centered on something you truly love, it shouldn’t be too difficult to do more research. However, it is still better to work on a plan so you can deliver consistent content. In addition, this will help put you top of search results.

Prepare the right equipment – of course, it’s never about the price tag of your gear. All in all, it’s still always about the quality of content. If you’re a beginner, most vloggers would recommend using a smartphone camera or a laptop’s built-in camera. However, the type of equipment will ultimately depend on the kind of content you’ll be creating. If you’re going for the "talking head" type of videos, a web cam will suffice, but if you’re filming outdoors, or shooting while mobile, then you’ll need a compact camcorder or entry-level DSLR or mirrorless camera that can acclimate with the weather and background noise.

Focus on quality – as mentioned earlier, quality content is king. Your topic does not necessarily need to be complex or sophisticated, but you need to make sure that it is interesting enough to sustain your audience’s attention and that they will return for another one. Don’t worry about the likes or subscriptions just yet. These will come when you’ve established yourself in the area. Some vlogs take off because of the vlogger’s personality, some gains hundreds of instant likes because of the video quality itself, while many vlogs are popular for its relevance with personal experiences, cultural accuracies, and current issues.

Be yourself – while it is cliché, it’s always better to be natural and candid with your audience. People are keener than we think and can easily tell if you are trying too hard, or worse, faking it. If you find yourself struggling in front of the camera, you can take a break, review your script, and start again. If you can’t pull it off, choose another topic until you’re comfortable enough to maintain your confidence.

Join vlogger communities – this could be anything from commenting or liking other vloggers’ work, or joining groups and events. This is especially crucial for those who are starting out without any connections. By being active and visible, people will remember you and associate you with the vlogging world. It’s also a good opportunity for you to meet like-minded people and stretch your horizons.

Engage – whether you’re unknown or super famous, it’s good to build a genuine connection with your audience. If you receive comments or questions or compliments, make sure to leave a response. Being virtually friendly is great, but if you can engage with your audience by continuously interacting with them, you can cultivate an authentic following and better relationships.

*This article was originally published in Fujifilm Philippines website for the benefit of educational purposes. The information in this article is meant soley to educate users.

Hi I'm Mirasol M Ojena aka Mira, a coffee junkie. Striving to become a better person. Who also finds passion in traveling,reading, adventures, baking, cooking and eating. Now, helping in the world of Digital Marketing - a SEO/SEM Specialist.