Download ArticleLearn how to create videos and become a vlogger
Download ArticleX
This article was written by Beth Cormack and by How.com.vn staff writer, Jack Lloyd. Beth Cormack is a Social Media Manager based in Washington, D.C. With five years of experience, she specializes in multi-channel social media marketing and storytelling. She earned her Master of Professional Studies from Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies and her BA in Communication from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
The How.com.vn Tech Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work.
This article has been viewed 666,133 times.
This How.com.vn teaches you how to create video diaries (or "vlogs") for publication. Vlogging is a fairly free, open-ended form of entertainment, but there are a few components of any successful vlogger's routine that you should use.
Things You Should Know
- Anyone can be a vlogger! Simply figure out what you want to feature in your vlog or do some research to see how others do it.
- Film great content by asking your audience questions and including interesting events.
- Use any video-editing software to edit your vlog.
Steps
Research existing vloggers. Before you create your own vlog, take a look at some existing content to get a feel for the format. Popular, high-end vloggers include people like Casey Neistat, Zoella, and Jenna Marbles, but try to find less popular vloggers as well—popular vloggers tend to have massive budgets for each vlog, so their end presentation isn't feasible for a first-time vlogger.[1]- Virtually every vlogger has some form of tutorial or advice on how to break into the world of vlogging.
Identify the type of vlogger you want to be. While vlogging is often considered to be a video summary of one's day or week, that doesn't have to be the case. You can vlog about anything you like, but common examples include the following:- Food — "What I Eat in a Day" videos are extremely popular. As you might guess, this type of video involves showing your food preparation and final product for a day.
- Activities — If you don't have particularly eventful days, vlogging when you do something exciting (e.g., go hiking) is a feasible outlet.
- Beauty — Many vloggers have makeup- or cosmetics-based sections of their videos. If you like experimenting with different makeup looks, you can record your process as a vlog a few times per week.
Advertisement
Make sure you have the necessary equipment. Vlogging is fairly accessible in that it doesn't require a studio or intensive lighting, but you'll still need the following:- Video camera — Anything from a smartphone to a full-blown video camera is acceptable. Make sure that your chosen video option supports HD (1080p) footage.
- Tripod — No one likes shaky footage. Buying a tripod for your camera, regardless of the camera's size, is crucial.
- Lighting — Not entirely necessary, but strongly recommended if you're filming anything indoors. A simple overhead lamp or a makeup light will usually suffice.
- Microphone — A directional microphone that attaches to your camera will pick up audio from whatever your camera is pointing at. This is optional if you're recording with a smartphone, but recommended for audio clarity's sake.
Figure out your intent before filming. It's important to know what you're trying to accomplish prior to pressing the "Record" button, so determine your goal for the finished product before you proceed.- If your goal is simply to document your day, you can skip this step.
Advertisement
Make sure you film yourself in addition to your surroundings. Your vlog should contain both commentary and content shots, so it's a good idea to get your face in the shot from time to time.- Vlogging is personal, so you may wish to keep your vlog free of commentary and face shots. If so, just keep future vlogs consistent with this presentation.
Ask questions. One way to keep your audience engaged is by walking up to strangers in the street, asking a question, and filming their responses. This isn't necessary, but it's a good starting point if you don't know what to film.- Make sure you have consent to post any responses you receive before filming them.
- Keep your questions appropriate. You don't want anyone to think you're harassing them.
Include interesting or exciting events. Unless your commentary is interesting enough to keep your audience engaged throughout the entire vlog, you'll need to include shots of funny, pretty, or otherwise stimulating content.[2]- For example, if you're filming a hike, take a few minutes of footage of wildlife, scenery, or similar.
- Including cute animals or dramatic events in your vlog will almost always keep audiences engaged.
- Wandering around any city while recording for long enough will always yield something interesting.
Edit your vlog. How you edit your finished vlog is up to you; however, the goal should be to cut it down to a reasonable length (e.g., between 8 and 15 minutes) while making some of the longer parts more interesting to look at.- Jump cuts, which involve identifying two interesting, back-to-back points in the vlog and then cutting the content between them, are essential when editing vlogs.
- You'll want to add music to virtually all of your vlogs.
- Speeding up sections to create a "time-lapse" effect can keep people interested during a lull in the action.
Upload the edited video. Where you upload your vlog is entirely up to you, though YouTube is a popular choice due to its prominence in the video community. Other choices include Facebook, Instagram, and Vimeo.- If your vlog is over 10 minutes long, you'll need to verify your YouTube account before you can upload the vlog to YouTube.
Advertisement
Try to incorporate feedback into future videos. After posting your vlog, you may get some feedback from viewers. While not all feedback is useful (or actionable), pay attention if you notice a common theme among the feedback; this demonstrates that enough of the people who saw your vlog felt the same way that you should consider using their feedback in future vlogs.- For example, if a few people mention that the music was too loud or obtrusive, try lowering the volume of music in future vlogs.
Create distinct vlogs every time. You can keep the same general formula for your vlog, but make sure you aren't simply copying your steps from the previous vlog.- For example, if your last vlog involved going to a coffee shop in the afternoon and then visiting food carts, try to avoid both of these activities in the next few vlogs.
Establish a theme. Once you've created a few vlogs, you'll probably begin to see a trend taking shape. At this point, it's good to determine what that trend is and figure out how to continue it in future vlogs. This will ensure that the people who view your content know what to expect when you upload something, and you'll have a general framework for your content going forward.- As with any form of expression, your vlogs will likely change over time. Knowing your general theme will help make this transition more gradual than if you're uploading without knowing what the overarching theme is.
Promote your vlogs. Once you have a few vlogs uploaded to your platform of choice, begin talking about them on other forms of social media (e.g., Facebook and Twitter). This is a good way to grow your vlogs' collective audience.[3]- An easy way to do this is by creating a Facebook page for your vlogs and then posting links to the vlogs there.
- You might even want to notify a few close friends whenever you post; if they enjoy your content, they may share it with their friends as well.
Advertisement
Vlogging Equipment and Dos and Don'ts
Expert Q&A
Search
- QuestionWhat should you do to become a YouTube star?
Beth CormackBeth Cormack is a Social Media Manager based in Washington, D.C. With five years of experience, she specializes in multi-channel social media marketing and storytelling. She earned her Master of Professional Studies from Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies and her BA in Communication from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
Social Media ManagerWith social media in general, you definitely want to stay on top of things that are trending, not just in terms of hashtags and sound but also general things that are trending. Make sure you're staying on top of what's relevant and quickly creating content and reacting to that. That's a great way to gain followers on YouTube. - QuestionHow should you choose your content when making videos?Beth CormackBeth Cormack is a Social Media Manager based in Washington, D.C. With five years of experience, she specializes in multi-channel social media marketing and storytelling. She earned her Master of Professional Studies from Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies and her BA in Communication from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
Social Media ManagerAuthenticity is really important on social media. Your audience is going to connect with you more if they feel like you're connected with the content that you're creating. It also makes it a lot more enjoyable and easier for you to create content since you're already connected to that subject matter. - QuestionHow do I get a job on being a vlogger? Who gives me the money?
Community AnswerYouTube pays you. They put money in your account each month if you have a bank account. The amount paid is dependent on the amount of views. Don't quit your day job, as it's a very small amount unless you are incredibly popular.
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
SubmitAdvertisement
Video
Tips
- The sky is the limit when it comes to vlog content. If you feel comfortable being yourself in front of (or behind) the camera and you don't mind trying new things, you'll have the recipe for a great vlog.Thanks
- If you monetize your vlogs on YouTube, you can make money from any ads that play on it. You will have to become a YouTube partner in order to cash out.Thanks
Tips from our Readers 
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of How.com.vn readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on How.com.vn, please submit it in the field below.
- Most audiences really enjoy Q&A videos, and you can also do makeup tutorials, hauls, and outfit of the day videos.
- Take advantage of natural light sources to make your videos look clean and crisp.
- Do tag videos once in a while so your audience can get to know you better.
Submit a Tip
All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
Advertisement
Warnings
- Never film in areas in which recording is prohibited.Thanks
- While most public spaces are okay to film in, make sure you respect the privacy of the people around you.Thanks
Advertisement
References
About This Article
Social Media Manager
This article was written by Beth Cormack and by How.com.vn staff writer, Jack Lloyd. Beth Cormack is a Social Media Manager based in Washington, D.C. With five years of experience, she specializes in multi-channel social media marketing and storytelling. She earned her Master of Professional Studies from Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies and her BA in Communication from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. This article has been viewed 666,133 times.
How helpful is this?
Co-authors: 61
Updated: May 29, 2023
Views: 666,133
Categories: Featured Articles | Video
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 666,133 times.
Reader Success Stories
"I've been quite a nobody at school and home. Then I discovered a huge platform for the display of talent with no restrictions. That platform happened to be YouTube. But I didn't know how to start. I mean, you can't just make a random video, publish it, and hope to get 1 million likes and a thousand subscribers. I chanced upon this site looking for ideas, and it helped a lot. I just think that it could have had a few topics and stuff to help make the videos. But what's there is solid advice."..." more
Is this article up to date?
⚠️ Disclaimer:
Content from Wiki How English language website. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License; additional terms may apply.
Wiki How does not encourage the violation of any laws, and cannot be responsible for any violations of such laws, should you link to this domain, or use, reproduce, or republish the information contained herein.
- - A few of these subjects are frequently censored by educational, governmental, corporate, parental and other filtering schemes.
- - Some articles may contain names, images, artworks or descriptions of events that some cultures restrict access to
- - Please note: Wiki How does not give you opinion about the law, or advice about medical. If you need specific advice (for example, medical, legal, financial or risk management), please seek a professional who is licensed or knowledgeable in that area.
- - Readers should not judge the importance of topics based on their coverage on Wiki How, nor think a topic is important just because it is the subject of a Wiki article.
Advertisement
