How to Become a Successful

Vlogger on YouTube
Explore this ArticlePreparing Your StrategyPreparing to RecordBuilding Your
Vlogging BrandQuestions & AnswersRelated ArticlesReferences
Being a vlogger - or video blogger - seems really cool, but gaining and
audience is harder than it sounds. Preparing before becoming a
vlogger can really help you along your path to becoming a successful
vlogger and a good YouTuber.

Method 1
Preparing Your Strategy
1.
 1
Be yourself. When you are being yourself in your videos, you begin to
become comfortable with yourself.
o The danger of not being yourself is destroying trust with
your subscribers. If you try to be someone else in your videos, that
means you'll be acting in front of the camera every day. That can
become tiring and boring.

 2
Consider your audience. Are you reaching out to the younger people?
Older people? What are you going to be vlogging about? Consider
these questions before making your way onto YouTube.

 3
Don't hide emotions in your videos. Vlogging is like your diary. You
show your emotions and tell your audience how you feel. Don't get on
camera and act happy when you know you are feeling bad. Tell your
viewers how you're feeling.

 4
Surround yourself with positive people. Allow people into your life only
if they are there to motivate you, not bring you down. When people are
always criticizing you, sometimes that can effect your day and
potentially ruin your mood. Talk things through with your family. See if
they want to be in your vlogs. Ask them questions and see if they are
okay with you letting them on the vlogs.

 5
Consider the relationship you're in. Sometimes, putting your life on
the internet may not always be suitable for your partner. Talk it
through with your partner and see if it's okay!
o There are dangers of vlogging your life on YouTube when
you are in a relationship, because viewers are prone to criticizing it
whether or not they know it. It will sometimes make you doubt your
relationship.
o Another danger is "not knowing." Sometimes, having a
relationship with a person while on camera can become confusing.
 You will end up trying to figure out if you really love that person, or if
your love for that person is only for the camera. Consider your
relationship before making the step to become a vlogger.


6
When you first start your vlogs, don't expect to gain one million
subscribers in one day.
o Technically, when you first get on YouTube, you're probably
like, "Oh my gosh, I'm going to be famous now!" This isn't really true. It
takes years to gain that many subscribers, and once you realize that
 you don't have as many subscribers as you intended, you get
frustrated easily.
o Set realistic goals for yourself. Maybe in one video, try to
get just five views on that video. Then on the next video, try to get ten
views. Improve yourself and gradually build your views and
subscribers.


7
Don't compare your subscribers to massive YouTubers.
 o First of all, it took those YouTubers years to get to their
current position. Even they were limited in supplies when they first
started YouTube. But they stuck around and continued to set realistic
goals for themselves.


8
Invest time and effort into vlogging because you are passionate about
it. Don't be in it for the money. Because when you realize that your
vlogs aren't getting you money, you can get pretty upset.

Method 2
 Preparing to Record
1.

1
Prepare your equipment. You don't have to buy the best equipment or
cameras for your vlogs. Most you should focus on is getting a camera
with good HD quality, and one that provides good sound quality for
your viewers. These can be found at any store near you.
2.
 2
Plan catchy titles for your vlogs. They don't even have to be catchy. It
can just be a title that can trigger a particular memory in your
audience. The title can be fun. The title can be wild. The title can even
be mischievous! Here are some examples of fun titles:
o A Trip to Peru!
o I Went Sky Diving!
o You Won't Believe What I Found / Trip To Peru pt. 3

 3
Get the right lighting. Usually, the best time to vlog is around 8:00
A.M. to 3:00 P.M. Those are the times when sunlight is most present.

 4
Have a simple, but usual background. This is for if you are not
vlogging around the house or in public.
o You can even purchase a green screen. Later, when you've
finished your video, you can edit a picture or background onto
the green screen.

Method 3
Building Your Vlogging Brand
1.
 1
Learn to use social media. When you start YouTube, you'll have to
keep your audience updated on your life. That means you'll have to
know how to use Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, etc.
o If you don't know how to navigate any of the above social
media websites, Google it and see if you can fine some detailed
instructions.

 2
Learn to edit videos. This is a major thing you have to know how to
use. Understand what you can to do to improve your videos.
o At the time, you might be using Windows Movie Maker.
That's fine. As stated above, you won't really need the best equipment
to vlog. Eventually, you can find a better editing software of your
choice.

 3
Upload your videos around your job. When you join YouTube, you're
not going to automatically make money. Unless you're getting a good
amount of views on your videos, don't quit your day job just yet.

 4
Listen to your audience. Ask them for suggestions and make them feel
apart of your life. If you're looking for name suggestions, say, "Guys,
I'm looking for a good name for my hamster (or whatever the case may
be). Let me know in the comments below what you think."

 5
Become a "yes man." If your subscribers want you to do something, try
to do it! It will build their trust in you.
o Know when to say no. Some things that people will want
you to do may not be healthy or good for you. Nicely tell your viewers
in one of your vlogs how you feel about it. Remember! Your viewers are
your family, so you must talk it through with them.

 6
Don't listen to the haters. Sure, you might notice a few dislikes here
and there, but you should focus on what brings you joy. You should be
too focused on making a difference than the negativity that is thrown
at you.

7
Build a vlogging community. Comment on vlogs that address similar
topics to yours. Subscribe to YouTube channels and invite vloggers to
watch your content. Make friends with them!
 Want to become a vlogger but have no idea how to start your own vlog?

Our step-by-step guide will help guide you on how to start your own vlog. We’ll
cover everything you need to know about equipment, youtube, provide you
with vlog ideas and tips and help you get your first subscribers.

Let’s help you become a vlogger!

Table of Contents
 Step 1: Preparation
 Step 2: Create a YouTube Channel
 Step 3: Get The Right Equipment
 Step 4: Prepare Your Video
 Step 5: Film a Vlog
 Step 6: Edit Your Vlog
 Step 7: Upload Your Vlog to YouTube
 Step 8: Promote Your Videos
 Step 9: Keep Going!
 Step 10: Monetize
Step 1: Preparation
The first step we recommend is to look at your favorite vloggers. Watch a few
of their vlogs multiple times and analyze the details.

Do they use an intro and what does it look like? What type of vlogging
music do they use? What do they record and how do they edit it? How long
are the videos?
Write down the things you like and dislike about each vloggers’ videos so you
know what to do (or avoid) in your own vlogs.

Remember, getting inspired is fine but don’t blatantly copy other vloggers.
Create your own vlogging style!

Step 2: Create a YouTube Channel

If you don’t have a Youtube channel yet, go ahead and create one. It’s
completely free and only takes a few minutes.
To start creating your YouTube vlogging channel head on over
to: https://www.youtube.com/create_channel.
 

Step 3: Get The Right Equipment

Getting the right equipment will help you make high quality videos.

You don’t need to spend thousand of dollars on expensive camera equipment

but having a good camera is a must. Use our buyer guides if you need help
finding a vlogging camera. A feature that is nice to have for vlogging is a
camera with a flip screen. You can find the best options in our flip screen
camera guide.
If you have enough budget, you can also consider buying a microphone,
tripod or other equipment such as lighting. Most youtubers start without these
and they are not a requirement to create good videos.
 

Step 4: Prepare Your Video

Now that you are all set for recording your (first) vlog you need to think about
what you want to do in your vlogs in more detail.

What are you going to do in your vlogs and what are you going to say?

If you find it difficult to come up with video ideas. Look at other vloggers and
draw inspiration from their vlogs. If you are completely stuck, use our
list vlogging ideas or YouTube Video Ideas.
Once you know a video topic, you can make preparations for the video like
writing a script.

Be careful you don’t read straight from the script if you have one. If it feels like
you are directly reading of a script in your vlogs, they will be monotonous and
boring.

It’s better to write down some topics you want to talk about and some
important keywords. This way, you’ll have a back-up in case you black-out
without being tempted to read off the script.

 
 Step 5: Film a Vlog
Once you have a good idea of what you want your vlog to look like, it’s time to
start recording.

Some tips for recording your first vlog

1. Don’t overthink it, relax: Don’t plan it out too much. Just start recording
and say whatever is on your mind. Being spontaneous is a good thing for
vlogging.
2. Good lighting and Audio quality: Make sure to speak clearly and don’t
leave any long silences in your vlog. Try to record the video in day light or with
indoor lights for better image quality.
3. Interact with your audience: vlogging is great because you can connect
on a more personal level. Engage with your viewers, ask their opinion and be
sure to respond to comments on your vlogs.
4. Sign off with a unique personal phrase: this helps you personalize your
videos and a lot of successful vloggers have their own unique phrase they use
to end the vlog.
For more tips and tricks, check out our full list of 25 vlogging tips.
Make Your Vlog Interesting
People watch vlogs for their own entertainment so it’s very important that your
vlogs are interesting.

It’s difficult to define what makes a vlog interesting but here are some general
pointers:

 Be original: if your vlogs are the same as thousands of other vloggers it

will be difficult to attract a lot of viewers

 Be interesting: Always make sure you are energetic/enthusiastic in your

vlogs, smile a lot and tell interesting things. If you are looking bored or sad,
people won’t like to watch your vlogs.

 Do interesting things: If you sit on the couch all day your vlogs won’t be
interesting. Go out to cool, interesting or scary locations.

Be Yourself
Even though you should always try to be as interesting, unique and
entertaining as possible, you should always be yourself!
Just relax, put on a smile, be enthusiastic and let your own personality shine
through in your vlogs.

Step 6: Edit Your Vlog

When you have recorded enough footage to make a vlog. It’s time to edit your
raw footage into a finished video ready to be uploaded on YouTube.

They are quite a few different video editing programs available for Windows,
Mac, iOS and Android. Most Mac and Windows computers even come with
free video editing software.

Use our vlog editing software guide to find the best program for you (free or
paid).
When you are editing your vlogs you can pick out the most interesting parts
and edit them together. You can also add an intro or outro to your video if you
have one.

In general, your vlogs should be at least 5 minutes and not exceed 20

minutes.

Note: If you want to upload videos longer than 15 minutes to YouTube, you
will need to verify your account with your phone number.
Export The Finished Video
Once you are done editing your vlog, it’s time to export the video. Exporting a
video is the process of rendering the video project to a finished video file you
can upload to YouTube.

Reference Youtube’s recommended video settings before exporting so the

video is the right resolution and the right file type for uploading.
 

Step 7: Upload Your Vlog to YouTube

Now your vlogs is recorded, edited and ready to be uploaded to YouTube, it’s
time to get the vlog online!
Log into your YouTube channel and click the upload icon located on the right
of the search bar or go directly to youtube.com/upload.

Upload video button

Then select your exported video file or drag your video file directly into the
upload box.

Your video will now start uploading and you can follow the next few steps to
complete your video listing. Your video will only go public after you hit the
“Publish” button.

Choose Your Video Title

You can now enter a title which will be used for your YouTube listing.

Your title should be short (under 50 characters), catchy and related to your
vlog.

It’s okay to make the title attention grabbing but don’t make the title
misleading! Viewers don’t like this and will leave dislikes and negative
comments.

If you often use misleading titles YouTube might even ban your account for
violation of their rules.

Choose or Create a Video Thumbnail

You are also able to choose or upload a thumbnail for the video. Your
thumbnail plays a big role in someones decision to click on your video so
make it visually appealing!

Your thumbnail should make people curious so they want to watch your vlogs.

You can either choose a still frame from your vlog after uploading the video to
YouTube or create a custom thumbnail.
Just remember that all thumbnails must follow YouTube’s guidelines or
YouTube will disable your ability to upload a custom thumbnail.
Write Your Video Description
The final part of your video listing is your video description.

Your video description plays a big role in telling YouTube what your vlog is
about so they can rank it in their search engine.

Try to write a description of 300 to 500 words and include some keywords (but
don’t go overboard). This helps YouTube understand your vlog better and
recommend the vlog to the right audience.

Step 8: Promote Your Videos

Now that your vlog is uploaded to YouTube you are done right? Not yet! Every
minute, over 300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube. If you want to get
views you’ll need to promote your vlogs to get noticed.

Share Your Vlog on Social Media

The easiest way to promote your new vlog is by promoting it on your own
social media. Share the link on your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any
other social media websites you use.

Build an Audience
Try building an audience that regularly watch your videos and leave a like
and/or comment. This helps build your reputation on YouTube so your vlogs
will be ranked higher and appear in the ‘recommended videos’ section of
YouTube users.
 Collaborate With Other Vloggers
You can also collaborate with other vloggers to cross promote each other but
this only works after you have your own following.

There are a lot more ways you can promote your YouTube channel and
vlogs: 71 Ways to Get more Views and Subscribers on Youtube
 

Step 9: Keep Going!

Your vlog will probably not have thousands of views at first but don’t let that
stop you. Set a schedule for how often you want to upload new vlogs and stick
with that schedule no matter what.

Keep networking with other youtubers, bloggers and people on social media
and maybe do some collaborations with others. That way your youtube
channel will grow a lot faster.

Don’t give up! Every vlogger that now has millions of subscriber has at one
point started from zero too!

Keep getting better at vlogging and editing, keep uploading and keep
promoting. You never know when your big break might come.

Step 10: Monetize

Once your subscriber base grows and you start getting more views it’s time to
make some money off of your vlogs.

Apply to the Youtube Partnership Program so you can start earning money

from ads shown before or during your videos.
To become a partner you need to meet two requirements:

1. Have more than 4,000 public watch hours in the last 12 months.

2. Have more than 1,000 subscribers.

Beware: YouTube does not let you monetize videos with copyrighted material
so don’t include any songs you don’t own the rights to.

Good Luck