​1. Research & Prep

First things first, you have to do some prep work. You can’t make a vlog if you don’t know what your vlog or your content will be about. It is important to have plans for your vlogs and video content because it can define how well you perform on YouTube.

That being said, before doing any recording, outline your vlog ideas. If you need inspiration, go ahead and watch some already seasoned vloggers or vloggers you personally enjoy. Study their intro, the music they use, the length of their videos and how they edit. Take note of these things, but be mindful to not copy. Instead, use these things as inspiration for how you design your own vlogs.

2. Create A YouTube Channel

After you have designed your vlog channel and outlined your vlog ideas, you can move on to actually creating a YouTube profile. Obviously, once you finish creating your vlogs, you need a place to Upload and share those vlogs.

To create your channel, go to YouTube and follow the directions to create a channel.

3. Get a Good Vlogging Camera & Equipment

Despite popular belief, you don’t have to spend hundred and thousands of dollars on expensive equipment to film a quality video. You can easily film a vlog on your smartphone, tablet, or webcam.

However, if you want to get the best quality, we recommend investing a good quality camera. Viewers naturally gravitate more towards high-definition videos over bad quality videos. By investing in a best vlog camera, you will not only get high quality picture resolution, you will also get good audio and image stabilization.

After finding the right camera, don’t forget to also look into finding a microphone set, good tripods, and lighting setups. Granted, these can be purchased along the way as you grow your channel. So start with the camera and go from there.

4. Record Your Vlog

Now that you have all the preparation work out of the way and have the right equipment in hand, you can move on to actually filming your video.

Here are some tips to help you make your first vlog:

Be natural and don’t overthink it: You can have a script for your first vlog if you want, but don’t plan it out too much. Just start the recording and say what naturally comes to you. Remember, a huge part of vlogs is allowing the audience to connect with you on a personal level. They won’t be able to do that if you are putting up a facade.

Be interesting and interact with your audience: It is important that you always try to bring your energy and enthusiasm to your vlogs. If you look bored and uninterested, your audience won’t connect to your content. On that note, also make an effort engage with your viewers through your vlogs. Ask them questions in the video and always be sure to respond to their comments. This way your viewers know how much you value their input.

Have good lighting and good audio: Like we said, bad video quality can really put a viewer off. As such, always make an effort to set up quality audio and lighting. However, if you have a high quality camera, this should not be an issue.

Have a unique personal sign off: It seems like such a small detail, but how you sign off has a huge impact on the tone and personality of your channel. Moreover, if you think of a really unique sign off, people are more likely to remember you and revisit your channel.

5. Edit Your Vlog

Now it is time to put the footage together and make it look professional, clean, and ready to go. Many people will tell you that editing is probably the most laborious part of making videos, but fortunately, there are a number of editing programs out there that can help you through the editing process.

For Apple users, iMovie is a great editing program that is easy to learn. For Windows users, there is Windows Live Movie Maker. Another popular choice is Adobe Premier Pro, but this program is not free.

Also, if you have any issues using any of these programs, you can easily look up some tutorial videos online for help. Additionally, it should be noted that editing takes a lot of juice out of your computer. As such, make sure you have a laptop or computer that has a upgraded system and is not slow.

After you are finished editing, it is time to export the video. Exporting essentially takes your edited video project and turns it into a video file that can be easily uploaded to YouTube. YouTube has specific video settings, formats, and resolutions for whatever you upload, so be sure to check those out.

6. Upload Your Vlog

Now that you have your vlog looking as good as you want it to, it is time to upload the vlog. Fortunately, YouTube has made it extremely easy to upload.

First, log in to your YouTube account and click on the upload icon in the top right corner of the screen. After this, click on the big YouTube icon and drag your exported vlog to the upload box. From the there, the video will start its upload, which, depending ont he length of the video, should not take long. From there, YouTube will ask you a few more questions about the listing of your video. After that, the upload should be complete.

However, take note, just because you have uploaded the video does not mean people can see it yet. On YouTube, you have to hit “Publish” in order for your video to go public.

7. Choosing a Title and Thumbnail for Your Vlog

After uploading, it is time to input the listing details of your vlog. The first detail is your title. Try to make your title short, but catchy and relevant to your vlog.

You can try to use eye-catching words and titles, but do not mislead your viewers. That is a sure fire way to chase viewers away from your content. Moreover, misleading titles can also lead to YouTube banning your content altogether. So as much as possible, stay transparent and honest.

Next, choose or create your vlog’s thumbnail. A thumbnail is what people see when they are scrolling through video listings. As such, it has a huge roll in determining whether or not people actually choose to watch your video or not.

That being said, your thumbnail does need to be well-made. It needs to pique people’s interest so they immediately want to click on your video. You can easily just take a clip from your video and use it as the thumbnail or you can go the extra mile and design your own thumbnail.

8. Write Your Video Description

This is the part where you describe your vlog or video. The description you use lets YouTube know how to rank you in their search engine.

When you write your description, try to use a good amount of keywords to ensure your video gets near the top of the listings. Keywords also help YouTube share your video with the right audience.

9. Promote Your Vlog

With your video uploaded and all the details properly listed out, it is time to promote it so people actually watch it. The simplest way to do this is to share it through social media. Share a link to your vlogs on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or any other platform that you use. Also, make sur e you reach out to other creators or to people you know personally who might be interested in watching your video.

10. Keep On Growing

Now, your first vlog might not get as many views as you would like, but don’t let that discourage you. Instead, let that motivate you. Set up an uploading and filming schedule and stick to it as much as possible. The more content you have the better.

Additionally, continue to network with other vloggers or YouTubers. This will inform how you create your own content and provide the opportunity for collaborations. Moreover, connecting with other vloggers will also help you widen your audience.

Lastly, stick to what you know. You will get a lot of negative comments, but don’t let them outshine the positive comments. Just focus on your work and keep growing.