Share It With the World: How to Start a Vlog

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Why haven’t you started your vlog already? No, really.

It’s easy to come up with excuse after excuse about why you can’t start to vlogging. But the truth is, the only thing stopping you is you.

The best piece of advice we can give you is to go for it. It doesn’t matter how worn down your equipment is or if your computer can only run Windows Movie Maker.

If you have an idea for a vlog and a good personality, you already have everything it takes to make it big.

To get started, here’s a fun exercise:

Film yourself for two minutes. Don’t worry about lighting, location, or wardrobe — just film. You don’t even need to have a YouTube channel yet.

Use this short as an introduction. Tell the world who you are, your business, and why you want to vlog. Now save the video on your phone or computer for later.

Voila, you’ve officially filmed your first vlog post. Once you find the right editing software and content platform, you can edit and upload! It’s that simple.

If you’re not happy with what you filmed, you can use this exercise as the basis of your first video once you have better equipment. What matters is that you start acting on your wish to start a vlog.

Finding The Proper Equipment

Though you won’t need a Hollywood backlot full of equipment, there are a few essential pieces of gear you’ll need to start a vlog.

Here are some finding and using the best equipment.

Camera

The exact type of camera you’ll want to use will depend on your needs. If you’re an individual or a small company, you may not need to buy anything at all.

Smartphone, tablet, and webcams are sophisticated enough that you’ll pick up clear video without having to drop a fortune.

If you’re looking for crystal-clear video or you’re vlogging for your business, you’ll need something a bit more professional. The Nikon D5600 is a good entry-level camera that should provide the picture quality you’re looking for.

Don’t forget to pick up a few lenses, too. For the most part, your stock lens will do the trick. But if you’re shooting outside or want to show off size and scope, a wide angle lens can help you capture your surroundings in their entirety.

Microphone

Your audience will forgive lackluster video quality. But bad audio? That’s a cardinal sin of video production.

If you’re planning to vlog at your desk, a cheap Yeti mic is sufficient.

For field pieces and interviews, you’ll want to invest in a set of lavalier mics. Fortunately, wireless lav mics tend to cost less than $133 online.

Lighting

For the most part, natural lighting won’t do your videos any favors.

While you can purchase more expensive and sophisticated lights, they won’t serve much purpose other than taking up space. Instead, invest in a set of small, portable LED lights.

They’re affordable enough that you can buy several without spending much money but versatile enough that you can replicate the standard three-point lighting technique.

Editing Software

You’ve picked a great time to start a vlog. Editing software used to cost hundreds of dollars, only to become obsolete a few years later.

These days, companies like Adobe and Apple provide free, regular updates to their editing software so you only have to buy software once.

As of now, a subscription to Adobe’s Creative Cloud is the best deal. One subscription grants access to Adobe’s entire suite of software including Photoshop, Lightroom, Stock, and Premiere Pro — the latter of which is the industry standard for video editing.

Of course, you may not need to buy anything at all. If you’re working on a small scale, you shouldn’t have any trouble getting by with Windows Movie Maker or iMovie. They’re surprisingly sophisticated pieces of software that come free with your laptop or desktop.

Structuring Your Video

With your equipment in tow, it’s time to create your first real vlog.

Most videos follow a basic, easy to follow structure. As you begin to formulate your ideas, use this structure to shape your videos.

Start With a Cheerful Intro

If you have the resources or expertise, begin each video with an animated logo as an easy way of boosting brand awareness.

With your title card out of the way, greet viewers with a hearty, cheerful introduction. Smile and introduce yourself, making sure to keep your gaze focused on the camera to mimic a real-life interaction.

Now, introduce the topic of your vlog and get to the heart of it.

Don’t Forget Your Call-to-Action

The goal of your vlog is to inspire more people to watch your content or check out your business. A great way to make sure they do so is by using what’s known as a call-to-action.

Your CTA is just a quick, simple statement that encourages the viewer to take action. Something like “Like, comment, and subscribe!” or “Check out our website for more” will work in most cases.

Editing Tips

Editing is where all of your clips come together to form a video cohesive vlog. It can be a tricky and time-consuming process, so here are a few tips to help you get started.

Find Royalty-Free Music

Next time you’re watching your favorite TV show, movie, or YouTube video, pay close attention to the background. Notice how there’s always some form of background noise, such as music playing.

The right piece of music can enhance your video. For instance, a happy, jaunty tune can give a video a cheerful feeling. Meanwhile, a slower, somber song makes it more serious and sad.

To find the right song, search for royalty-free music. If a song is royalty-free, you can use it as much as you’d like without having to pay for it.

Keep it Interesting

To keep viewers’ attention, you’ll need to keep your vlog visually interesting. Be sure to find plenty of graphics and clips to splice in and break up the monotony.

Get Creative

If nothing else, use your editing time to experiment and have fun. Play around with clip length, sound effects, transitions, and more.

Learning your editing software will ultimately help you produce videos more quickly in the future.

Where to Post Your Videos

You’re almost ready to go! Your video file is converted and ready for upload, now it’s time to find the right video hosting platform.

Here are some of the most popular choices along with their pros and cons.

YouTube

YouTube is by far the most popular video platform in the world. As you saw earlier, hundreds of thousands of hours of video are uploaded to YouTube each day.

YouTube is easy to use and has a massive built-in audience, making it a no-brainer.

Facebook

Facebook may not be as popular as YouTube, but plenty of people share and watch videos on the social media site each day.

And with the company’s recent addition of Facebook Watch, you can expect video hosting to become a bigger priority in the coming years.

Twitter

Admittedly, users can’t upload full videos to Twitter. But you can use Twitter to promote your video via short clips or GIFs.

Spreading the Word

Your vlog is live and ready for the world to view. Here are some ways you can make sure your vlog gets in front of your audience.

Your Website

Posting your vlog to your company’s website is a great way to add to your site’s content library.

Not only are visitors more likely to watch a video than read a blog post, but your video will also help your company’s SEO efforts.

Social Media

With billions of people on social media, putting your new vlog on these platforms is a surefire way to attract attention.

Posting your vlogs to your company’s social channels is a good way to keep audiences engaged, too.

Word of Mouth

Wherever you post your vlog, make sure that others can help you spread the word.

Include social buttons on your website for easy sharing, and encourage your social media audience to leave a comment and share the video among their friends.

How to Start a Vlog: Final Tips

Well done, you’re well on your way to starting a world-famous vlog! Now that you know how to start a vlog, it’s time to put these tips into practice.

Have fun and start creating today. The addition of a vlog can be an engaging and fulfilling way to get the word out about your business.

Want to add a professional touch to your videos? Contact us today for a free quote and learn how our video production services can boost your business.