Video content has been gaining a lot of traction over the last few years. In the U.S. alone, 85% of people watch videos daily. And global video consumption is still growing rapidly. Cisco predicts that video will comprise 82% of all online traffic by 2021! That is why now is the perfect time to start a video blog!
If you always wanted to try your hand at creating videos but never managed to get to it yet, perhaps it’s high time you began. That is where video blogging or vlogging comes in! We all know that blog posts have been the most popular type of online content for years now, but that has recently changed. According to HubSpot, video content currently trumps all other formats in terms of popularity. So what better way is there to engage your audience than by combining the two most popular content formats — video and blogging?
That is why we decided to make a step-by-step guide to help you start vlogging in no time. But first, let’s take a look at more info on why video blogging is the right call for you!
Why Video Blogging?
Video blogging is an incredibly potent way of building meaningful connections with your audience, and it does that better than any other blogging format. We believe this fact alone is enough of a reason to give vlogging a try. However, it is far from the only one!
As we have briefly mentioned above, the popularity of video content is snowballing. So regardless of whether you’re a business looking to grow or interact with its audience or an independent content creator in search of their perfect content niche, video blogging is worth considering. After all, videos are one of the most engaging and captivating content formats out there. Nearly 50% of people aged 18–34 would be ready to drop what they were doing immediately to watch a new video from their favorite content creator! So why not use this power to your advantage?
But the best part is that the benefits of video don’t end there! Aside from driving engagement mentioned above, videos are incredible at boosting your SEO efforts. Google loves videos, so if you’re someone with an already existing website looking to enhance your content and search engine optimization efforts, vlogging is perfect for you! Oh, and let’s not mention that blog posts with videos in them drive three times more links than those without!
With all of the above in mind, we believe you’d be remiss not to utilize the power of vlogging! Let’s proceed to teach you how to start a video blog successfully!
4 Steps Necessary to Start a Successful Video Blog
There are four primary steps on your journey to becoming a vlogger:
- Get Adequate Recording Gear
- Pick the Right Platform
- Take Care of Post-Production
- Create and Distribute Your Content
Let’s check each of them in-depth!
1. Get Adequate Recording Gear
First and foremost — how can you even consider starting a video blog without having adequate recording gear? That’s right — you can’t! Alongside a quality microphone, lighting, and camera, having the right video editing software is equally crucial. Choosing easy-to-use video editing software for beginners can significantly streamline the post-production process, allowing you to create professional-looking videos without the need for extensive technical knowledge. So here are the essentials that you will need to get started, including both the physical gear and the software tools.
Quality Microphone
“Why did you put a microphone first when you’re going to be recording a video?” you may ask. The answer is simple — audio quality is paramount, even more than video quality. Why? Because the entire point of a video blog is for your users to hear what you have to say. Video is only a supportive medium here!
With that in mind, don’t try to cut costs on your mic! If you have to compromise, better it be on video quality than audio. Oh, and did we mention that even if you get an unsatisfactory video, you can still use the audio elsewhere? That’s correct! You can upload it to your site as an audio recording or even decide to change your gig into a podcast of sorts.
Adequate Lighting
Lighting can make or break the quality of your video, so you must keep it in mind when preparing. Ideally, you will have plenty of natural light, so you won’t need anything. But as soon as the gloomy seasons come, sunlight will be lacking. That is when artificial lighting comes in handy!
You will have plenty of choices, but here are just a few:
- Key Lights — The primary light you’ll be using. It’s usually placed just above the camera lens, a few feet above your eye level.
- Fill Lights — This is the light you will use to fill the shadow cast by the key light.
- Back Lights — As the name suggests, you will put these lights behind yourself.
Depending on the quality of these products and how many you purchase, your overall lighting quality can significantly differ. However, do remember that nobody expects to see a movie-quality production on your video blog, so don’t worry too much; as long as you’re not sitting in a dim-lit room, you’ll be fine.
Potent Camera
Naturally, since you’re making a video blog, you will need a quality camera to film yourself with. You could record your vlog with something as simple as a phone, but we wouldn’t recommend it. The better the quality of your video, the more professional your vlog will be. That will influence your audience’s perception of you, which can help you quickly earn the title of their favorite video blogger.
You don’t have to go overboard with your camera choice, but keep an eye out for something decent. Here are a few things to look for when picking a camera:
- Supported video formats (the more, the better)
- Storage (SD card support is preferable)
- Batteries (the best option are USB-rechargeable camera)
- Size (the more practical it is, the better)
We recommend going for a device in the mid-price range for your camera choice as you don’t want to go for a budget version (trust us) but also don’t need to overspend.
Extras
Aside from the items mentioned above, there are two extra things you could get to take your vlogging game to the next level. We are talking about a pop filter and a green screen. You can use the former with your mic to enhance your sound’s quality by eliminating any excess noise from your mouth. And when it comes to green screens, you can spice up your backdrop by using the chroma key technology if you have one.
Do note that these items are in no way mandatory but are excellent to have if you’re going to make video blogging your career or are earning substantial revenue from it as a marketer.
Pro Tip: If you’re interested in finding the best products for your budget, read our article on making the best professional video studio setup for all budgets. There, you’ll find different options at varying price points for all of the above items.
2. Pick the Right Platform and Video Host
The next step on your journey would be selecting the right video platform or video host for your business goals. You have two primary options in this regard.
Use Video Platforms With Existing Reach
In today’s growingly digital world, there are many social video platforms with substantial existing viewer bases to choose from. Getting your video blog on one of these would be an excellent idea to start building an audience. YouTube is perhaps the most famous of these platforms and has over 2 billion active users. With such massive potential for exposure, it should be unsurprising why one would choose one of these platforms as their primary distribution channel instead of finding a web host and starting a website.
Aside from YouTube, you have plenty of other options like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc. All of these platforms enjoy substantial viewer bases (some less than others, though). Overall, any of these could work for you, depending on your needs.
Here is a graph illustrating how many marketers plan to use these platforms for their content:
So if you’re looking to start a video blog for your marketing needs, the above data should give you an excellent idea of which channels to focus on.
Get a Video Hosting Service and Make Yourself a Website
The other option you have is to launch a personal website and post your videos there. It is harder to get noticed online and attract an audience, but it is a much better choice over the long haul. When you have a website, you enjoy full control over your video content, including monetization. That is precisely why this option pays off more in the long run. The more traffic you accrue for your site, the more money you will earn.
However, you will need a reliable video hosting service or a video platform to achieve that. Fortunately, there are plenty of free video hosting services out there if you’re on a budget. Or, if you’re prepared to invest extra in your video blogging career and include the ability to monetize content, you can pick between some of the premium video platforms out there.
But how do you recognize a quality video platform, especially if you’re a beginner in the industry? We can help — read this article on how to recognize the best video marketing platform to learn more.
And while you’re at it, why not check what we at TargetVideo have to offer? Who knows? Perhaps our video platform and monetization solution can meet all your needs.
3. Take Care of Post-Production
The next invaluable step after picking the right platform for your needs is to deal with your post-production needs. That’s right — if you thought all you had to do was record a video and publish it, you were mistaken!
Video editing is an essential part of the process, and that is why picking the best video editor for your needs is crucial. Whether you are looking to start a video blog as an independent creator or a marketer, your video editor of choice may vary drastically. Luckily, you have plenty of options to pick from. Here are some excellent video editors for various budgets:
Free:
Paid:
The primary difference between the free editors above and their premium counterparts is mostly the number of features. So if you’re a beginner video blogger, any of the free editors will be perfectly fine choices. However, if you want to get your vlogging game to the next level or are already a seasoned video whizz, you’d be better off cashing in some extra money for one of the premium choices.
4. Create and Distribute Your Content
Last but not least, it’s time to create and promote your content! Let’s begin by throwing in a few vlogging tips.
Tips for Making Your First Video Blog
If you’re looking to make quality videos for your blog, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Include captions — A survey done in the U.S. showed that 92% of mobile users and 83% overall enjoy videos muted. That is why including captions is an essential part of catering to this part of your audience.
- Be genuine and entertaining — If you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, nobody will like watching you; that’s a fact! So when you go in front of the camera, unleash your enthusiasm and don’t sulk. If you do, you’re going to have a hard time creating a loyal viewer base and making a profit from vlogging.
- Encourage users to engage in the comments section — This tip applies to all forms of content creation, and video blogs are no different. User engagement is one of the most potent ways of getting social shares and increased exposure. So you’d be wise to use that!
- Listen to feedback — Are you too quiet in your videos? Is the lighting off? Did you get something wrong in your presentation? Were some of your sources wrong? User feedback, including insights gathered through anonymous feedback tools, can be invaluable as long as you know how to recognize constructive criticism. So make sure to take it into account and keep honing your craft.
- Be persistent — Nobody ever started with a vast audience — they all had to work for it. We know it can be a long and dreadful process, but the key to making it big is not giving up. So soldier on, and you’re bound to succeed!
Tips for Content Distribution
Distributing your content is as crucial to your success as making it, if not more! How do you expect people to find your video blog if you don’t promote it? That’s right — they can’t.
So what can you do? For starters, you should announce any new content on social media! Social platforms exist for a reason — they provide an easy way for independent and professional creators to reach massive audiences. So use that to your advantage!
The second thing you could do is try video content syndication. That would entail reuploading your videos on another platform to expand your reach. That doesn’t take long to do but can get your content to a significant number of new eyes quickly. Luckily for you, you have plenty of video syndication platforms to choose from, such as Facebook, Reddit, LinkedIn, and more.
It’s Time to Start Your Video Blog!
Starting your video blog isn’t hard, and anyone can do it. As long as you follow our above tips and acquire adequate gear, settle for the right video platform, handle the editing process like a pro, make quality content, and distribute it, you’re bound to make it in the vlogging world. All you have left to do is be patient! So just stay persistent, and success will come.
