One day, it happens. After hours and hours spent watching Youtube videos, the idea hits you. What if I start my own Youtube channel? With the freebies, fame, and fortune that it comes with, creating a video blog, or vlog as we call it, is an alluring idea for many.
With a camera, editing app or software, and a steady internet connection, practically anyone can make a vlog. Making money and launching a career from vlogging, however, requires more than just these three ingredients. If you’re serious about creating and growing your own vlog channel, let us warn you now that it takes time, dedication, hard work, and quite frankly, a swell amount of money. If you feel that it’s your passion and are ready to take the extra mile, here’s our three-step guide on how to launch your Youtube career.
Equip Yourself
You can film yourself with your handset, sure, but ain’t nobody got time for that! Good video quality is essential if you want to start a successful Youtube channel. Sell your iPhone and instead invest in a good vlogging camera. It doesn’t have to be a top line model if you’re just starting out but a compact camera with 720p HD ready video quality is the minimum requirement. A built-in image stabilization feature is a great bonus, too.
If you’re working with a tight budget, the Canon VIXIA HF R800 Camcorder is a great place to start. Many budget vloggers would prefer to start with a cheap DSLR or mirrorless camera because of the image quality and larger sensor. If vlogging is your sole purpose though, the Canon R800 is the best video recorder you can get at the $200 mark. Unlike with entry-level cameras, it can shoot a 1080p full HD video at 60 fps in an MP4 video format and features a lot of image stabilization capabilities. The 3-inch flip-screen is a touchscreen LCD monitor which you can use to control the extra functions. It’s easy to use, lightweight, and even offers a mic port so you can upgrade to clearer audio. It’s not the best with low-light though so consider this if you think you’ll be doing a lot of indoor vlogging.
If you have a little more to spare in the bank, the Canon PowerShot G7X Mark II is our top recommendation. The G7X Mark II features a 20.1 MP CMOS sensor, a fast f/1.8-2.8 zoom lens, a flip-up touchscreen, and a 5-axis stabilization feature all in a light, compact build. The 1.0-inch sensor allows for superior image quality for a compact camera even in low-light settings. The 31-point also AutoFocus works great under decent light. It’s still relatively affordable at $650 and is the go-to travel vlog camera of many Youtube stars.
Plan Your Content
Once you’ve equipped yourself, it’s time to prepare your content. Will your vlog be about your day to day life or will it focus on more niche content like beauty, food, travel, or fashion? Knowing and planning what you want out of your channel will keep your content consistent with your identity. When you stick true to your interests, tour authenticity and passion will show through and attract more audiences as they usually would.
Create a content calendar so you never run out or forget your vlog ideas. It helps to keep watching your favorite channels for a healthy dose of inspiration as well as to keep tabs on what’s trending and what audiences enjoy. You may also seek advice from friends who may have started vlogging before you.
3-2-1, Vlog!
Once you think you have a solid vlogging plan, it’s time to make it happen! Shoot your first video and see what flows from there. Even if you’ve spent all your money on purchasing a vlog camera, there are thankfully a lot of options for free video editing software. Invest the time to learn video editing skills with the help of Internet tutorials so you can take your content to the next level.
It also helps to know how to market your videos. Using effective titles and thumbnail photos will be a great way to attract first-time audiences to click on your video. You want to give them an idea of your content and make them curious, but you also don’t want to sound clickbait-y! You can also explore the use of tags and links in your video description for search engine optimization or SEO.
For a lucky few, it takes just one viral video to put them on the map of Internet stardom. For the greater percentage of vloggers, however, what it takes to grow your following is a commitment to producing videos of both quantity and quality. Remember to be patient and consistent! Work hard to build a channel that you’d personally watch but don’t forget to foremost enjoy what you do. Best of luck and happy vlogging!
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