The public’s appetite for relatable and inspiring content on YouTube has only continued to grow. Vlogs are a great way to present this type of content, and we see more of them popping up every day. So how do you make yours stand out above the rest? Once you’ve chosen your niche and know what you want to do, there are a few things to pay attention to that can make the difference between a decent vlog and a great one. Check out these 5 tips for a better vlog.
Want to be better at vlogging? Check out these 5 simple tips.
1. Keep Up On Trends & Current Events
Part of being a successful vlogger means keeping up on the current happenings, both in social media and in the world. New trends and challenges are always sweeping across YouTube, and your best bet to getting noticed is by paying attention to them. Watch to see what other popular vloggers are doing that’s getting attention and create your own vlogs that follow those trends that are attracting viewers. Since you’re putting video content out there for everyone to see, it’s very important to be aware of current events. You don’t want your content to come off as insensitive based on the current social climate. With all that is currently going on in the world, vlogger Hallease Narvaez made a decision not to contribute to the noise, but rather to help calm it. She created this vlog to let her audience know that they are not alone. Give it a watch for several minutes of relaxation – something we could all benefit from. (You can also read more about Hallease's success as a vlogger here.
2. Collaborate With Other Creators
Not only is it fun to work with other creators, but it’s a mutually beneficial way to be seen by an audience outside of your own. If you haven’t already done so, research those who you might want to collaborate with and reach out. With the possibility of your subscriber traffic coming from another channel, your community can only grow from there. Keep meeting and working with other vloggers for a hopeful boost in creative content and boost in traffic...a win-win for everyone. Vlogger Justine Ezarik (iJustine) does a great job collaborating with others, like in this video below where she tries out science kits with another popular vlogger, Dianna (The Physics Girl). The video gets posted to both channels, training their audiences to overlap and be fans of both.
3. Post More Consistently
This one is important if you want to attract an audience and keep them. You have to regularly post in order to train your viewers that they can expect to see something from you. If you keep providing solid and consistent content, your audience will know to keep coming back for more. Create a content calendar for your vlog and include deadlines for recording, editing, etc. Then stick to it to ensure you’re cranking out quality content on the regular. You should always have a few videos in the lineup that are ready to be published so you have a built-in buffer should one video end up taking longer than expected. This way, even if your production schedule gets thrown off, it’s likely your publication schedule can regularly resume. Vlogger Jenna Ezarik posts several times each month, keeping her content fresh and her audience engaged.
4. Get A Good Vlogging Setup
No one wants to watch shaky camera footage or listen to audio that’s too soft or cutting in and out. This is why it’s important to invest in the proper vlogging gear to produce results that your audience will enjoy. In addition to audio and video quality, things like battery life, stabilization and lens aperture can be extra important for vloggers. You can learn more about what makes a good vlogging camera <here>, and see what vlogger Jason Vong thinks of using the new ZV-1 camera as his vlogging setup in his video below.
5. Practice, Practice….And Then Practice Some More
Like most things in life, to get better at vlogging you have to practice. You might make quite a few videos before you have one that you like and feel good enough about to publish for the world to see. The more you practice talking to the camera and recording your footage, the better you’ll get. Practice keeping your words clear and concise, and when you edit keep everything very tight. Editing your blog to maintain viewership also takes practice. Just remember that we live in a world with short attention spans, so anything too slow will lose viewers. Keep things moving!
