To get started vlogging there are only two things you really need, a camera and an internet connection. You don’t even have to own these things yourself, you just need access to them in some capacity.
At its core, vlogging is a way to tell a story about you using video. You’re taking a camera, recording a story for that day, and uploading it to the internet for everyone to see. And since the main objective of vlogging is to tell an interesting story, the equipment you use should not matter.
Video Cameras
You may think that because people like Casey Neistat use big fancy DSLR cameras to record their vlogs, that if you can’t afford one, then you can’t vlog. This couldn’t be further from the truth. As long as you have some sort of camera that takes video, and the ability to get that video off of the camera and onto a computer, then you can vlog. Hell, you don’t even need to be able to get the video off of the camera if you use your smart phone to vlog with.
Yep, you can absolutely use a smart phone or iPod Touch to vlog just as well as the other guys. You may not have fancy drone shots, or steadicam shots followed by super wide angle close-ups, but you will have pretty decent quality video that you can edit together to tell a story. You don’t even have to take the video off of your phone or iPod, you can edit the vlog directly in apps like iMovie, and upload them directly to YouTube.
So no matter what you read, or what you think, you don’t need ridiculously fancy equipment in order to be a successful vlogger. Success from vlogging comes from persistence and storytelling… and a whole lot of discipline.
Editing Software
There are a ton of different options out there for editing video, but you should use whatever software you are comfortable with.
If you plan on editing your vlogs directly on your iPhone or iPod Touch, we recommend using iMovie. If you’re using your computer to edit your videos, then there are a slew of other options out there.
Software like Final Cut and Adobe Premiere are great if you are comfortable using them and can afford them, but iMovie can do the exact same thing when it comes to basic vlog editing. Now, if you’re trying to get into fancy animations and effects and things like that, iMovie will only take you so far. But we focus on the story first and foremost, and if that story will play out better with fancy effects, then by all means add them, but don’t just add them in for the sake of adding them in.
Whatever software you are most comfortable using, and whatever you can afford, is sure to be fine for your vlogging needs. Basic digital timeline editing is the same no matter where you do it, it’s just the way different softwares handle the interface that could be slightly different.
Uploading to YouTube
Once you have your vlog shot and edited, the last thing you need to do is upload that video to YouTube and share it with the world.
It is free to make a YouTube account, and I’m sure if you’re reading this you already have one. If you wish to start vlogging under a different channel, be sure to create that channel from within your main account so you can easily switch back and forth if need be.
Uploading a video is as easy as dragging and dropping the exported file from your video editing software, into YouTube and watching the status bar go up. Once the video is uploaded it will process and then it is live to the world. You may notice that even though you’ve uploaded an HD video, it may not be in HD as soon as it’s finished processing. Give it a few minutes and you’ll eventually see it playing in HD. It’s because of this short lag time that some people schedule their vlogs to publish at a later time so that YouTube has enough time to process the videos, but that’s up to you.
Once your video is uploading make sure to come up with a catchy title and description for your video. Make sure to include links to your other social media profiles so that you can start to build up a fan base.
Patience and Persistence
Nobody became a YouTube star overnight, it takes time and a lot of uploads. The key to building a fanbase is to post consistently and frequently… this is where the discipline comes in. If you plan on starting a daily vlog, make sure that you are publishing new videos every single day. If you miss even a single day, it could turn your viewers off to your channel. Once you get more popular you can get away with letting a few days slip here and there, but if you’re just starting out you want to give people a reason to subscribe, so don’t give them an easy reason not to.
It is going to take a lot of work to become successful on YouTube, but don’t give up. Engage with commenters, comment on other videos (do not promote your own channel in comments, add to the conversation), engage people through social media, and market the hell out of yourself. If you’re interesting enough, people will eventually find you and want to see what you’re up to, so just keep at it.
Stay tuned for more in-depth guides on the above information. This was just a general overview of the things you need to do in order to get into vlogging.
