All About Vlogs
What are vlogs?
Let’s start at the beginning – what exactly is a ‘vlog’? It’s simpler than it sounds – a vlog stands for a video blog. Whether you’re talking directly to the camera or providing a voiceover for video content, vlogs can be entertaining, insightful, educational – the possibilities are endless.
What to vlog about?
As with all social media, it’s important to be authentic. It sounds cliché but nobody wants to watch someone who isn’t true to themselves. It works both ways: if you are true to your audience, your audience will be true to you. If you want to voice about topics that you are passionate about, you will capture an audience who relates to you and your passions. In turn, you build a personal connection and maintain a loyal audience.
Sometimes it is hard to know what to vlog about. If you’re out of ideas, try starting by documenting your week. View other vloggers’ content that you enjoy. Think about what made you want to start vlogging in the first place.
What makes a good vlog?
Have a think – what would you take time out of your busy day to watch? For example, did you enjoy being lectured by your teacher? Most likely not. This is because you couldn’t relate to them and it was probably boring. A vlog must be fun and engaging. Try and keep your videos chatty and upbeat, like you are speaking to a friend.
You should also have a theme in mind, so make your vlog about something. When you vlog, try to keep to your topic. You rarely see content creators going off topic too easily or for too long. Keep your vlog short and simple. Gone off on a tangent? Luckily, with vlogs you can edit afterwards.
Knowing how to edit or when to edit is a crucial skill to have to make your vlog more engaging. Even if it is a small change, it can make a big difference. For example, if you have used a time-lapse segment in a cooking video, would you keep your vlog silent or put some music over it? Would you speed it up or keep it the same?
What do I need to start vlogging?
Creating a successful vlog does require some practical elements to help boost your interaction with your audience. Using a Rode microphone allows people to hear you clearly. You can easily get these from Amazon – you don’t need something expensive!
You want people to see you clearly as well! A HD webcam is a great low budget option. Having a good camera is great… but only if you have decent lighting to keep your video high quality. A ring light is commonly used for vlog production as it creates a uniform source of light and eliminates distracting shadows that can make your video look unprofessional.
If you always vlog in the same place, having a well-presented background is a nice touch. A plain or subtle background will keep the focus on you. If you have a busy or moving background your audience’s attention will naturally be drawn elsewhere. This of course does not apply if you’re vlogging something other than just yourself talking, like cooking demonstrations or holidays, for example.
Implementing these easy tips and tricks will help you get to grips with vlogging for your business. Setting up your own YouTube Channel is simple and provides a home for all of your vlogs, making them searchable and easier for new users to find. Our founder Katherine George has her own channel, so you can see examples and learn more about social media and business at the same time!
