Social Sharing

How to Start a Personal Vlog

Posted August 24, 2016

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Everyone dreams of becoming ‘YouTube Famous’. YouTube has become one of the most popular ways to connect with the X and Y generations, reaching over 100 countries in 80 different languages.

With over 1 billion users worldwide YouTube has now surpassed cable network reach in the U.S. That’s a lot of views! So just how do people start their own vlog and become so popular on YouTube? If you are wondering where to start, check out these ideas about what to vlog about. 

1. Comment

Does the mere mention of Pokémon Go give you a headache? Vlog about it. Turning your opinions into funny video rants can be a great way to relate to your target audience on a personal level. Vloggers like Caito Potatoe take their views on current affairs, news and events in the media, or just everyday life struggles and rant about it on video, in Caito’s case reaching over 209K subscribers.

2. Review

Have you purchased a product online that turned out to be vastly different from what you expected? Video reviews of products or services can help consumers make more informed purchase decisions and increase conversion rates by 1.7 times (Invodo). Leaving honest reviews about products you have tried can eventually lead to sponsorship by big brands. Take YouTube stars like Shani Grimmond and Bella Fiori, who use their influence to target young fameless by reviewing popular makeup products for example.

3. Cook

Gone are the days of attending cooking classes to learn how to cook like the best. Now famous chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver are joining the ‘Food Tube’ family to teach us their cooking techniques and skills. Why not try your best recipe on camera?You don’t even need to be a MasterChef to vlog about cooking. How many times have you watched a YouTube video to learn how long to cook rice for, or how to make the perfect poached egg?

@buzzfeedtasty has taken over our news feeds with 30 second to 1 minute vlogs about simple and easy recipes you can make yourself at home. Buzzfeed Tasty videos have reached millions of views due to their innovative methods of cooking using ingredients and utensils commonly found in the average home. You never know, your Food Tube vlog could land you a spot on MasterChef one day. An easy way to get started could also be to order a meal kit, for example from HelloFresh or Marley Spoon, and record yourself following the recipes and whipping up delicious (but simple) dishes.

4. Interview

Vlog interview

YouTube stars Adande Thorne, Destin Sandlin and Ingrid Nilsen sat down with President Obama to quiz the leader about the issues facing young Americans in January this year. Although appearing on the White House’s YouTube channel won’t happen overnight, you can start by interviewing someone interesting or knowledgeable in your niche. Posting the interview to both your channels can increase the chances of your vlog being seen, subsequently increasing subscribers and likes.

5. Teach

Remember when reading a manual was the only way to understand how to set up Ikea furniture? Relationships are no longer at stake thanks to YouTube vlogs. According to a Google study, “How-to” videos are growing by 70% annually and are watched by more than 91% of smartphone users in the middle of completing tasks. Publish a tutorial on a topic you are knowledgeable about. Whether you are a math genius, a yoga instructor or the master of random how-tos, YouTube is the best place to start your informational vlogs.

6. Prank

Pull a funny prank on someone you know and catch it on video to form hilarious vlog posts. Make your vlog stand out by pulling off original stunts in unique places. PrankvsPrank stars Jesse & Jeana created entertaining videos by pranking each other throughout the course of their relationship. Upload something like this near April Fool’s Day and give your viewers a good laugh.

7. Impersonate

Think Channing Tatum’s Lip Sync Battle 2016. Make a parody of a famous music video or song and post it to your blog, the more outrageous the better. The release of new mobile apps such as Dubsmash and Smule make it easy for anyone to create short entertaining clips. Asking for a challenge from your viewers can increase engagement while providing you with new vlog ideas.

8. Share

People like to watch videos about travel destinations to get a feel for the place before they make the decision to purchase a ticket, and there is a significant gap in the market for travel bloggers and vloggers compared to other topics. “Vlogumentaries” don’t have to be restricted to travel though. Whether you’re an expectant mother or a band creating a new album, a foodie or concert junkie, you can use vlogs to share your experiences with the world.

9. Learn

Feedback is an essential part of learning, and inviting viewers to make comments on your videos can help you learn what you are doing well, and what you aren’t. Why not ask your viewers to comment on your videos some topics or questions that they would like to hear you talk about in your next vlog? Creating a dialogue between yourself and the viewers will make your vlog more relatable on a personal level and keep viewers interested in what you have to say.

Be passionate about the topic are of your vlog

The thing in common about all popular vloggers is that they are passionate about what they are talking about. It doesn’t matter what topic you decide to go with, if you are passionate about what you are vlogging, you will have the motivation and energy to keep posting every week, and viewers will notice this and want to like and share your videos.

Whatever it is you choose to vlog about, creating a video that is high quality can make a huge difference to your viewer’s experience. Clipchamp provides the technology for you to easily record, convert, compress and share your videos using our online recorder so that you don’t have to waste any valuable creating time waiting for your video to upload. Check out our website and see for yourself how Clipchamp can compress your videos in just a few seconds without reducing the quality. Happy Vlogging!

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