How to Vlog: A Guide to Start Vlogging in 2020
The popularity of YouTube has skyrocketed in recent years, with the number of active monthly active users now surpassing a staggering two billion.
And while there are plenty of effective small business marketing ideas you could use, few have seen such a rapid surge as vlogging, mainly because of the opportunity to get in front of that massive audience that is always craving fresh content.
Even though the number of vloggers worldwide and the competition keep increasing, there’s still enough room for new voices to provide their own insights on almost any subject imaginable.
But how can you use vlogging to grow your business and increase your online presence? And how to make sure that your efforts actually attract an audience?
Well, let’s go over some of the most critical aspects you should consider below.
Target a Specific Market
When people imagine vlogging, they usually think about YouTube superstars with millions of subscribers who talk about a wide variety of subjects, seemingly building their brands around their personality rather than the topics they cover.
However, while personality certainly plays a vital role in the development of high-quality video content, you shouldn’t expect to gain online popularity by simply getting in front of the camera and talking about random subjects.
In fact, if you want to maximize your chances of success, you will need to be very deliberate about the audience that you choose to cater to and the topics that you’ll cover.
If you run a business, you will likely want to center your vlog on your niche or industry topics. You probably have quite a lot of experience in your field, so sharing valuable, actionable, and engaging information is an excellent start to garner attention quickly.
To maximize your reach, think about who your ideal customers are and consider what problems they are facing that you could help solve. When you address urgent issues and provide specific answers, you can instantly turn yourself into an authority figure, which will not only increase your viewership but will also help you turn those viewers into customers.
What’s more, operating in a specific niche will help you stay focused and dive deeper into various subjects, helping you build a more responsive and narrow audience that will respond to your content more consistently.
Take Care of the Technical Stuff
Many people that would like to get into vlogging are put off by the fear of filming and editing videos, imagining having to learn how to use complicated equipment and software before they can even post their first video.
However, one of the best things about vlogging is that it’s designed to be as user-friendly as possible, giving people no prior experience or access to expensive equipment a chance to get in front of a camera and share their opinions.
Many people start off using their smartphone or laptop to film, which can work if the camera is newer and can create high-quality videos. However, if you want to have more control over the quality that you produce, using an external webcam might be a better option.
You do need to make your videos look professional, especially since vlogging is becoming quite competitive. So, investing in a quality camera and an external microphone will serve you in the long run.
Depending on the types of videos that you do, you might also need to consider a specialized camera. Shooting in a room is quite simple, but if you are doing how-to videos with demonstrations, or need to shoot outdoors, opting for a GoPro might give you more flexibility and add production value to your vlogs.
The good news is that you don’t need to worry about complicated software for editing your videos. There are numerous solutions that allow you to combine video clips into one video easily and without the need for prior experience.
Using these tools, you can just shoot your video clips one by one, upload them to your computer, and use a simple tool to sequence them. Then, you can cut off unnecessary parts, and add effects or overlay text when necessary.
If you want the editing process to go smoothly, make sure that you plan your videos in advance and create a storyboard that will help you quickly go through the clips that you need in a logical order.
That way, your video will make much more sense, and you can add transition sequences, sound or music, and overlay text when it’s necessary to make your videos more engaging and informative.
Choose the Right Platform
When starting a vlog, one of the first decisions that you will need to make is what platform you will want to be using. Switching platforms, later on, is a pain because your audience isn’t likely to migrate with you, so it’s crucial to base yourself on a platform that suits your situation best.
Obviously, the massive user base of YouTube makes it the most popular option by a wide margin. Once you upload a video on the platform, you will find viewers in almost any industry and will have the most room for growing your audience as time goes by.
What’s more, YouTube actually rewards its content creators by sharing ad revenue, so you could not only attract leads for your business but create an additional income stream solely from the views that your videos get.
However, even though YouTube has many advantages, there are drawbacks as well. For one thing, when you’re dealing with a platform of this magnitude, breaking through and getting your videos seen can be a challenge.
With so many videos uploaded every second, your content will need to be exceptional and well-promoted if you are going to stand out.
What’s more, YouTube sometimes can exhibit seemingly random behavior towards its content creators, demonetizing channels for arbitrary reasons and potentially offsetting all the hard work you put in when building up your audience.
Because of that, some people are exploring alternatives that might have a smaller audience but offer other benefits to content creators.
Vimeo is a growingly popular alternative with a smaller number of users but a clean and functional platform that’s convenient to use. If you can attract an audience using other marketing methods, Vimeo could provide you with more flexibility and freedom in terms of the type of content that you upload.
Finally, if you have a strong social media presence, you could consider hosting your videos directly on Facebook or Instagram, growing your audience there, and giving yourself the opportunity to create a more diverse range of content.
Facebook alone has 2.6 billion monthly users, which means that there are plenty of opportunities for growing your audience. And with the convenient built-in advertising platform, driving traffic to your videos becomes convenient and straightforward.