Kick-Starting Your Own Vlog

Firstly, I’ll like you to know, or if you know already, to be reminded, that vlogging is both an art, and a technology. Where does the art lie? In the ability to CREATE. And the technology lies in the capture of the movement, electronically. However, you do not have to know everything about videography, to begin a vlog. So, do not be scared when you hear ‘technology’.

With electronic media, such as cameras, or videotapes, it is possible to bring vlogging  to life.

In this article, we want to talk about how one can start a vlogging career. It’ll be an interesting read, stick with me.

Having defined vlogging in a rather fundamental way; saying it is an art of creating a video, and a technology of using electronic media, we now want to get to know the history of this art.

What Is A Vlog?

A vlog (shortened form of video blog) is a blog in the medium of a video, otherwise called a video log. It can either be a whole video, or made in parts.

History Of Vlogging

The advent of vlogging is said to be dated to the early 2000s, where the first vlogger in the name of Adam Kontras, sent a video and a blog to his family, upon his cross-country movement to Los Angeles. This was followed by another Adrian Miles, who posted a video of changing text, on a still image.

In 2002, Luuk Bouwman started a site as video diary for his post college travels. That his now defunct site, happens to be one of the first sites where the term, ‘vlog’ originated.

As at 2005, vlogging saw an increase in popularity, due to the emergence of YouTube.

With the presence of YouTube and other video blogging sites today, the relevance and popularity of vlogging remains almost unbeatable.

Some Vlog Post Ideas Today

As it is when an activity becomes a norm, many people have taken the vlog activity to a whole new level. It is even safe to say now, that some people live their lives for the internet. How do they do this? Yes, by vlogging. Here are some vlog ideas, if you’re looking to start a vlogging career:

• Cooking shows
• Educational tutorials
• Marketing and economic shows
• Vocational training shows
• Lifestyle reels
• Documentaries (can also be called vlogumentaries)
• Entertainment (music, movies, comedy)
• Physical fitness, and a lot more others.

How To Start A Vlog?

Nowadays, it’s almost as easy as a reflex, to start a vlog. However, there are some steps to take in order for a vlogging career to be a success. Eager to know, I see. Let us get to it:

• Firstly, like every other business anyone ventures into, one has to plan. What type of content do you intend to serve the public? Do you have a certain audience in mind, that you want to reach out to? If yes, how can they discover your vlog?
• Research. If you want to launch a vlogumentary, or maybe an informational or even a health talk show, you might want to make in-depth research, so that you do not share misleading information.
• Think. Ask yourself if you’re doing it right. The internet is full of very different people from yourself. What might interest you, might not interest others. Ask yourself if people like your vlog, and understand the information in the videos that you want to put out.
• Be creative. Nobody wants to watch a melancholic show, when it is not supposed to be a burial. Nobody wants comedy for a financial analysis tutorial. Make sure that you are creative, and your videos entice the right audience.
• Create. Now, it is time to take your planning, thinking, and creativity into action. Make alluring videos of whatever it is that you want to share with the world. How do you create? Easy! Brings us to our next step.
• With just a phone that has a good camera, one can begin his vlog. Some people who want to go the extra mile, get cameras, videotapes, and other electronic media, for creation of their videos.
• Now, you share your information in form of videos, with the world, by creating an account on any vlogging site you deem fit, and begin posting!
• Indulge. When you begin a vlog, it is possible that you may not have the much  engagements that you want, at first. However with time, people will begin to engage, and you would want to indulge them. Read their comments, and provide useful and helpful replies, where need be.

Easy peasy, right? You can do it.

Some Advantages Of Owning A Vlog

Now, you have started vlogging. It feels good, that you can share what you know, without having to write much. I know that feeling. Let us now look at some advantages of starting a vlog:

• You get to share it, exactly as you want to say it. Could be emotions, could be legit information.
• It is possible that your viewers may get to know you, through certain impressions they get from your vlogs. Those impressions gotten by your viewers, may also glue them to their screens
• You get to relate with a crowd that relates with what you’re giving to them in your videos.
• You get to educate people. When you have an informational vlog, you teach people, and most of the times, people learn things from vlogs!
• Your confidence increases! Let me tell you how: supposed you were too shy to stand in front of a camera, and one day you decided to start a vlog, wouldn’t you need some confidence to start? You would, definitely. And as time goes by, you become more confident than you were, in the beginning.
• Your vlog may be the reason someone smiles. Your comedy, can make someone laugh. Your educational tutorials can teach someone, and relieve the person the stress of a hectic research. Your emo-vlog can encourage someone!
• There is the monetary advantage that comes with vlogging. Apart from your love to share your activities with viewers, you may also be interested in monetizing your vlog.
• Did you know? An average YouTuber with at least 100,000 subscribers, makes up to $2,000 to $4,000 monthly? You should look that up, and begin considering getting your cameras ready!
• Vlogs are a great media for advertising one’s business. You know what a great copy can do? Yes, a vlog with expert advertisment, can do that too. Do not snooze, friend.

Why haven’t you started a vlog?

Few Vlogging Sites You Can Start Your Vlog Career On

Today, although YouTube is effortlessly the most used vlogging site, there are other sites where one can begin his vlog. Want to know? Let’s dive right in!

1. Firstly, for sake of hierarchy, we have to acknowledge YouTube. I believe you know that YouTube is a school on its own? Do yourself some good with that information.
2. Tik-tok. This platform has a tremendous variation of audiences, and therefore, accommodates so much vlog ideas.
3. Facebook. Yes, with Facebook, you can begin a vlog. With the presence of Reels on Facebook now, this has been made even easier, and more lucrative.
4. Instagram. Did you know that just like Facebook, you can also start a vlog on Instagram? I knew you knew. I mean, people live their lives for the gram, now. What is stopping you?
5. Likee. This platform is fast rising, and in no time, would be as large as Tik-tok.

Are there other vlog platforms, or sites that you know? I would be more than glad, if you knew more!

The Downsides Of Vlogging

We have spent so much time talking about the advantages of starting a vlog. While the advantages are really enticing, we should not forget that there are downsides to this, as there are to almost everything with an advantage. Let us now look into them:

• Starting a vlog might is expensive. One has to have high quality cameras, in order for their vlogs to come out crispy.
• Unlike blogs and articles, it is impossible to edit a video after it has been posted on a vlogging site. One either has to delete the video and begin from scratch again, or leave the video as it is. That’s a little inconvenient.
• Creating a vlog can be really time consuming. It is during the creation of the videos that one edits and tweaks whatever is needed to be changed. It would definitely take a lot of time.
• Another downside is that unlike blogs where search engines can index the written articles, vlogs cannot be indexed by search engines. But learning SEO for YouTube, can be of advantage.

These will be all for now. Are there any other disadvantages you have faced as a vlogger?, Or any other disadvantages you think might stand to impede starting your vlogging career?, You should check which outweighs the other; the advantages or disadvantages, and do the math by yourself.

We have come to the end of this article. I hope you learnt something, and I hope also that you are considering starting your own vlog, if you have the means.