Gadgets
Vlogging for Beginners
Sep
Vlogging is a great way to connect with your online audience and find new followers by creating and maintaining a vlog that consists mostly of videos. Vlogging is a fantastic way to showcase your businesses and brands in this time and age. With vlogging, you get to show your audience what you can deliver verbally and sometimes practically.
A vlog, sometimes called a video log is a visual representation of a blog. With a vlog, a story or an event can be captured in a more captivating manner. As we know, not everyone can be great at writing but it is always pretty easy to show originality and just be yourself in front of a camera whether you are showing your audience a DIY craft, a makeup tutorial, dance tutorial, life hacks, product or movie reviews or a simple video podcast.
The History Of Vlogging.
The first vlog was uploaded on the internet by Adam Kontras on January 2nd, 2000. Back then, Kontras shared a 15 seconds video of himself sneaking a cat into his apartment. He also filmed his everyday life for friends and family in Los Angeles to make it in show business. Adam has since then continued vlogging which has made him the longest active vlogger on the internet today. Luuk Bouwman, however,was the first to use the term “vlog” when he then uploaded a video of his post-college travels in 2002.
Difference Between Blog And Vlog.
A blog is basically an informal way of drafting a write up. While a vlog is simply the recorded representation of a blog. Blogs and vlogs basically involve putting your ideas out there.
Both blogs and vlogs are about content creation but the only difference being the platform they feature on. Some of the commonly used platforms for blogging are WordPress, Wix, Tumblr, Blogger, etc. While YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Vimeo, DailyMotion, Flickr, TikTok, and many more are the platforms for vlogging.
The purpose of blogging and vlogging basically is to gain a lot of traffic on the site and to also generate revenue in the process. Blogging is putting what you have in your thoughts into writing while vlogging is an opportunity to show creativity and originality by making videos and connecting with the audience in a way that is close to being impossible for blogging.
Where Is Vlogging Applicable?
There are many platforms where you can showcase your talent and build your identity. But with so many online platforms available at our finger tips, it can be quite confusing to decide the perfect one that best suits you.
Here, we’ve rounded up some of the very best vlogging platforms for you to become a successful vlogger.
YouTube
With YouTube being one of the leading online platforms that supports video uploads in the world today, it can be said to be one of the platforms in which a successful vlogging career can be attained. With its algorithm favouring lengthy videos, it is just perfect for vloggers who do not have interest in making short videos. An unverified account gets up to 15 minutes on video length but with a verified account, you can get over 12 hours to connect and share your content online. However, you should know YouTube with its popularity is quite competitive with billions of viewers from all around the world spending time on the platform. It can be a little overwhelming getting attention from viewers from your first uploaded vlog but with consistency and creativity, you are sure to make a name for yourself. Asides content creation, you can also include some paid Ad’s in your videos to generate revenue from each vlog post, which almost seems like a win-win situation because you are basically putting yourself out there and in the same way earning from it.
Instagram, a popular and growing social media platform used by celebrities and Youtubers is one of the social media platforms perfect for vlogging. It started out as a photo-sharing social media platform but currently has a lot of people beginning a career in vlogging on the platform. However, with the introduction of Reels and Instagram videos, it became more and more a platform perfect for vlogging. With Instagram Live, you can easily connect with followers from all around the world either by joining your live video and giving their two cents or simply by posting live comments. Instagram also has the Instagram stories feature which allows you to shoot all your content and upload as many 15 seconds stories you want to push out in a row.
Pages are easily created on Facebook. It is easy to gain followers and running paid ads helps increase activity and visibility on your page. Facebook also allows live streaming with Facebook Live which enables you to connect with your followers. Uploaded vlogs on Facebook can also be shared by your followers on their profile which in turn increases the views you get.
TikTok
It is more easier to gain a lot of popularity on TikTok than other social platforms. Getting views and follows can sky rocket within a few weeks of consistency. In fact, with TikTok, one great video could be ‘It’ for you. TikTok started out in 2016 but it has taken the world by storm with more than a billion users. Short video vlogs ranging from 15 seconds to 3 minutes can be created on the platform. Soundtracks and the right Hashtags also helps you gain more engagement on your content. Filters and amazing effects can also be added to your videos for special effects and to also increase the quality of your videos.
Vimeo
As a vlogger, Vimeo is a great platform to showcase your creativity. Vimeo is known for it high-quality videos. The platform also features tutorials that can help you make better videos.
You can track how your content performs using the analytics dashboard as a vlogger.
Dailymotion
Dailymotion is another platform that also focuses on professional, high-quality video content. It would be a good platform if you already have some vlogging experience or use expensive vlogging equipment.
Dailymotion has similar user interface with YouTube its oldest competitor making uploading your vlogs to the site straightforward. Revenues can also be generated on Dailymotion. But it is paramount to take note of the restricted time duration and storage capacity of the videos you upload
Basic Gear For Vlogging
Camera
The kind of camera you decide to use for a vlog depends greatly on the type of content you intend to push ou. That being said, in order for you to record a vlog, it is pretty obvious that the first and core tool you will be needing is a camera. But before deciding to purchase a camera, be sure to know that it is not important to buy the most expensive DSLR. You can pretty much make use of anything that can record high-quality videos. Quality camcorders or webcams would just do the trick if you’re just starting out. Cameras like the Pocket cinema cameras which is pretty easy to use and can also be easily moved around as well as DSLRs and mirrorless cameras are considered a very good investment when looking into an upgrade.
Microphone
Basically, nothing ruins a video more than having a bad sound quality so after a camera, the next most important tool to have for vlogging is a quality microphone. The authenticity and quality of your audio has to be as high as that of your video because while recording a vlog with the most durable and expensive camera having a bad sound quality would never checkout. Putting it simple, keeping your viewers interested in what you offer would be terribly difficult if the sound is horrendous. It is advised to use external microphones like the Rode VideoMic Pro If you are planning on being in close proximity with your camera. Also, for voice-over work or sitting in front of a computer to record your vlog, USB microphone is a simple and effective way to capture quality audio directly to your computer.
Camera Support
To support your camera, you’re going to need a tripod. If your camera will be mounted on a table or desk CKMOVA SAS-2 would do the trick but If you have a heavier camera, you could go for a tripod like the JIEYANG JY-0508. But if you intend to film on the go, you might also consider using a selfie stick.
Lighting
Lights, camera, action like its popularly said. Lighting equipment are necessary if you are recording indoors or in places with low lights. With vlogging, you don’t need the fanciest lights but effectiveness actually matters. Your main concern is to be the focus of the viewers’ attention so it is quite important that the viewers can see who is behind the camera to effectively connect with you and not just a blur. Good lighting equipment’s changes the whole atmosphere and feel of a video while also adding quality to your video., I personally recommend purchasing a basic soft-light kit, such as the Sony HVL-LBPC, SWIT CL-120D or Annection CN-LEDG to add a professional look and touch to your vlog.
Final Thoughts
A quality camera, good lighting, and an external microphone would go a long way to helping you create quality content for your vlog. Having the best video and sound quality wouldn’t matter if your videos are not getting the right amount of traffic it should get online. A thorough marketing plan should also be of great importance while planning to begin a successful vlogging career. So, what are you waiting for? Get up, get cracking and bring your videos to the next level. Its Go time!
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