How to Become a Vlogger

Do you want to learn how to become a vlogger and how to vlog correctly? Or how to start a vlog on Youtube? If so, then you have come to the right place. Pro Vlogging was created to help you with all your vlogging needs. Being a vlogger is more than just holding a camera and talking into it. What camera should I buy? What video editing software is the best? What do I even talk about or what is a vlog?

Vlogging Equipment

Vlogging Tips

Vlogging Tips for Beginners

Always Carry Your Camera

You wouldn’t think I need to say this, but I really do. You should always carry your vlogging camera no matter what. I carry around my phone all the time. It doesn’t matter what you carry with you all the time, just make sure it can shoot video.

You never know when something is about to happen that you want to film and if you don’t have a recording device with you then you can’t record it. So just remember, when you leave the house make sure a camera is with you.

Create Engaging Content

Something that we always like to do with our videos is to make sure the viewer is engaged in what we are saying. This can be done in many different ways, but what we have found is that stating what the video is going to be about will give the audience more engagement upfront.

Don’t make the mistake of hoping all your viewers are going to watch your entire video and see what you have to say at the end. If the video is not engaging enough in the beginning, then the viewer will never see all the great content in the middle and at the end.

Also, ask questions or ask for feedback about what you are doing. If you want more comments on your video, then questions and comments are a must.

Vlog Everything and Edit

Most people don’t do this, which is why they only have limited footage to use. What I highly recommend is that you vlog everything that you can and then edit it. The reason I say this is because you never know when something will be very valuable for your viewers. Maybe there is a funny moment that happens, maybe (but hopefully not) you get in a small vehicle accident and you want your viewers to see how it happened. These are things that might come up that you wish you could put in your video, but it will never happen if you weren’t recording in the first place.

Interact With Your Audience

Ask questions. Get viewers to tell you what they want to see. Be the person they see behind the camera, but ask like you are right there with them. What I see work really well when vlogging is when you interact with your audience. This might not seem like a big deal, but it is.

When you can answer comments your viewers have they really like that. When they ask you to see a certain part of your life and then you show them that, they will love you even more. Just be interactive and I guarantee that your vlogging career will be much brighter.

Post Frequently

How many times per month should you be posting vlogs? Well, you need to post new vlogs multiple times per week. We have seen many people’s vlogs fail because they only post when they feel like it. Don’t do this, post once a day if you can. From experience and research, we have found out that posting a new vlog 2 times a week is the best for Youtube Channel growth.

If your goal is to have a large Youtube following, then posting more frequently throughout the month is your best bet. The key is to make sure your subscribers/audience knows when you publish your vlogs so that they can be there to watch them as soon as they are published.

Have Your Own Style

It is important to have your own style and try to stick with it. By having your own style people will naturally like you or dislike you. It is easier for people to like you if they have a sense you are being real with them and not faking your style/videos.

Keep Videos Short

How short is a short video? Well, the most common video length for a vlog is actually 12 minutes long. This is a little long in our opinion, but it works well once you have an established channel. An established vlog doesn’t mean you have 1 million subscribers, it simply means you have a topic, you know what your audience likes, and you are getting consistent views. Being established will give you more credibility, which will keep viewers watching for a lot longer time. Don’t create a 40-minute vlog that talks about 20 different topics, if it is 40 minutes because it needs to be that long, then great, but don’t force it.

These are just some tips to create a successful vlog. On this website, you will find even more tips, tricks, and guides to put you on the right path. Remember, vlogging should be fun and entertaining, but it can also be looked at as an income.

How to Choose the Best Camera for Vlogging

Selecting the best camera for vlogging can be a daunting task. Without the proper knowledge, you will get confused between thousands of cameras. Let’s take a look at the things which you should pay attention while selecting your vlogging camera:

Image Quality – The quality of your video totally depends upon the image quality of the camera. You should always go for the camera with at least 1080p capability. These days most of the vloggers are uploading their videos in either 1080p or 4k. Therefore the ideal choice if 4k but if you are on a budget then you should go for 1080p us.
Form Factor – Ensure that the camera is small and pocketable. It would very convenient for you to use a pocketable camera on a day to day basis.The weight of the camera also matters, the lighter the better. Hence if the camera is light and small, it would be very easy for you to shoot by yourself and carry it around everywhere.
Optical Image Stabilization – This will help you stabilize your video when shooting while doing activities. If you are vlogging while riding a bike, walking, etc. Built-in Optical Image Stabilization will stabilize the whole video without compromising the quality of the video.
Wide Lens – Most often vloggers are recording at an arm’s length away. To avoid getting yourself out of the frame every now and then, select a camera with wide lens. A wide lens will allow you to focus on a closer range and create high-quality video.
Audio – The audio of the camera matters as much as the video. Nobody will like a video where they are not able to hear you properly. Most of the cameras have a great built-in microphone and an extension port too. So you can attach an external microphone for high-quality audio. Though for starters it’s not essential.
Flip screen – A camera with a flip screen will help you see the frame when recording to avoid being out of focus. It’s just a small feature but a huge time saver. Imagine a camera without a flip screen. It will take so much time just to set up the camera in position and what if you want to shoot at a different angle?
Aperture – The aperture of the camera will help you to shoot good quality video in low light. Nobody will like to see greenish videos shot by you in low light. Good aperture in a camera is a must for vloggers who want to shoot in low light more often.
Good battery life – Good battery life of the camera will help you in shooting non-stop for hours. Otherwise you will have to charge the battery every couple of hours. But this depends on your usage too, if you are mostly going to shoot indoors then this probably won’t affect you so much.

These are the main features you need to pay attention to while deciding on which is the best vlogging camera for you. For more information see our: Guide to Choosing a Vlogging Camera

Vlogging Cameras

Canon 80D

The Canon 80D is truly amazing. This camera has interchangeable lenses, which makes shooting with it very fun. It has a flip-out screen to make recording very easy. This DSLR camera also has a touch screen with one of the best auto-focus’ on the market today. This camera also has a side port so that you can connect an external microphone too, not to mention it has built-in wifi to make transferring files a breeze.

Canon Powershot G7 X Mark II

If you want a middle of the line costing camera that does almost everything that Canon 70D will do, then the Canon Powershot G7 X Mark II is the camera for you. This truly has everything that you will need when vlogging. The best part about the Canon Powershot G7 X Mark II is that it has a flip-up screen. I refer to this camera as the best vlogging camera with a flip-up screen.

Canon PowerShot SX740

We believe in the entire Canon Powershot line as they are built very strong. One of the best budget vlogging cameras is the Canon PowerShot SX740, although any of the Powershot range will work for vlogging. All the Powershots do not have a flip-up screen though, so just know that you won’t be able to see yourself while filming.

GoPro Hero 8

Do you want to shoot more action style vlogs? If you do then using a GoPro Hero 8 is the best option for you. The best part about the GoPro Hero 8 is that you can mount these to just about anything, you can purchase accessories to protect this underwater or in the hot sun, and they take very smooth video even though you could be moving around a lot. When on the run or cruising around in a car, the Go Pro Hero 8 is what you want to be using.

These are only a small amount of vlogging cameras that you can use. There are literally hundreds of other cameras out there. If you’re interested in finding more vlogging cameras then see our guides:

Now that you have an idea of what kinds of cameras are out there, let’s talk about your vlogging topic. There are millions of different topics that you can choose from, but below are some of the most popular vlogging ideas.

Youtube Vlog Ideas

Travel

Some of the most popular vlogs online revolve around travel. Whether vloggers are traveling to Europe, the United States, Africa, Australia, or anywhere else in the world, they vlog their travels. If you like to travel or want to travel, then get your trips on video. Decide what you want to record and start recording.

Fitness

Workouts, dieting, sleep habits, cardio sessions, and goals are all things vloggers talk about when shooting fitness related videos. The best part about these fitness vloggers is that you don’t feel like you are simply learning, it is much more interactive and engaging.

Cooking

Do you like to cook? Maybe you have some recipes that you want people to know about. Cooking is something that I know I personally go to Youtube for. I am a terrible cook, so following along with somebody as we both prepare a meal is a great idea.

Business

A good example of a business vlog is the Homemade Entrepreneur youtube channel, it is almost all about business. He teaches people how to make money as a reseller, how to pay off bills, dealing with licenses, and how to make money doing almost everything online. This is a business channel that you could start if there is something that you could teach your audience.

Photography

Taking a picture is not as easy as many people think it is, especially if you are using a DSLR camera. With each camera there are different features and functions, so teaching people how to use all those features and functions would be a good idea. Not only that you can teach them how to setup the perfect shot, and how to use Photoshop.

Fashion

Do you like clothes? Do you have an eye for the next big fashion trend? Maybe you just want to show off your style and clothes that you make? Being a fashion vlogger is great for people that are into that. Something that I have seen a lot lately with fashion vloggers is they take their cameras into a mall and try to find the most stylish outfit while staying under a specific budget. This could be something that you would want to do.

Beauty

How to apply makeup, what kinds of eyeliner should you be using, how to properly condition your hair or color it, and dealing with dry skin. These are all great topics that you could talk about when running a beauty vlog. The best part about a beauty vlog is there are millions of different products out there that you could try.

Life

Life is a topic that ends up being included in most vloggers videos naturally. When you are talking into a camera on a daily or weekly basis it is just a matter of time before you show more of your life. I don’t recommend talking about life, in general, all the time, but this is a perfect mix to blend with another one of the ideas.

Conclusion

I am sure you can figure out which vlogging idea is best for you. Determine this based on what your interests are, what you do on a daily basis, who your friends are, and what makes you happy. Vlogging is meant to be fun, so choose a topic that will be fun for you.

I know you are ready to start vlogging, so I am not going to hold you up any longer. Take some time and browse Pro Vlogging to see all that we have to offer because I guarantee you that a few minutes on our site will educate you on vlogging more than any other site around.