If you’re looking for a side hustle that allows you to express your creativity and share your thoughts with the world, vlogging is an excellent option!
Vlogging has become increasingly popular in recent years, as more and more people are looking for ways to make money while doing something they love.
Whether you’re passionate about cooking, travel, fashion, or anything else, vlogging offers a platform for you to share your unique perspective with others. With a little bit of effort and the right strategy, you can turn your vlogging hobby into a successful side hustle.
In this week’s newsletter, we’ll walk you through the process of starting your own vlogging channel.
We’ll help you determine your niche and strategy, set up your equipment and space, create high-quality content, promote your channel, and even monetize your content!
Not only can vlogging provide a source of income, but it can also be a fun and fulfilling hobby that allows you to connect with like-minded folks and share your unique perspective with the world.
So let’s get into it!
This week’s newsletter brings you:
- Trends: How many people still watch vlogs these days? According to our research, a lot!
- Strategies: You’ll find everything you need to know to get started as a vlogger.
- Tool of the Week: TubeBuddy is a popular browser extension that helps vloggers optimize their channels and videos.
Trends
With the rise of video consumption and the availability of user-friendly technology, vlogging has become a popular medium for content creators to express themselves and engage with their audience.
In 2021, the number of active vloggers on YouTube alone exceeded 50 million, indicating the massive impact that vlogging has had on the digital landscape. Check out the data below for some more interesting statistics on vlogging!
Weekly vlog viewership by age and gender
A survey conducted during the third quarter of 2022 found that almost 37 percent of female internet users aged between 16 and 24 years watched vlogs. Overall, women were more likely to watch vlogs worldwide than men.
Vlogs are also a popular video format for influencers, with this type of video content reporting a global usage reach of approximately 25.5 percent in the third quarter of 2022.
Collaboration among vloggers
Collaboration may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but a significant number of creators have partnered with other content creators in the past year.
These statistics reveal that one in three creators actively seek collaborative opportunities, highlighting the potential of teamwork in a fiercely competitive landscape where creators strive to outdo each other.
Most popular video editing software
When it comes to video editing, Adobe Premiere is widely recognized as the industry leader and a preferred choice among creators because it has a user-friendly interface and seamlessly integrates with other Adobe Suite applications, catering to the needs of both novices and experts.
Following closely behind is Final Cut Pro, a classic video editing software developed by Apple and considered the second most popular option.
Strategies
If you’re looking to turn your love for creating content into a fun side hustle, vlogging might just be the way to go! Keep reading to learn everything you need to know to start and grow your own vlogging channel.
Determine Your Vlogging Niche and Strategy
When it comes to starting a successful vlogging channel, it’s crucial to have a clear understanding of your niche and strategy. This involves identifying your passions and interests, determining your target audience, defining your goals and objectives, and creating a content plan that aligns with your overall vision.
To begin, start by identifying your passions and interests. What topics are you knowledgeable about, and what are you passionate about? This will help you determine the type of content you want to create and will ensure that you enjoy the process of creating content for your channel.
Once you’ve identified your passions and interests, it’s important to determine your target audience. Who do you want to reach with your content, and what are their interests and needs? Understanding your target audience will help you create content that resonates with them and keeps them engaged.
Next, define your vlogging goals and objectives. What do you hope to achieve with your vlogging channel, and how will you measure your success? By setting clear goals and objectives, you’ll have a better understanding of what you need to do to achieve them.
Finally, create a vlogging content calendar that aligns with your overall vision. This involves brainstorming ideas for content, planning out your video topics, and creating a schedule for when you’ll release your content. By having a content plan in place, you’ll be able to stay organized and consistent with your content, which is essential for building an engaged and loyal audience.
By taking the time to determine your vlogging niche and strategy, you’ll be able to create a successful channel that reflects your passions and resonates with your audience.
Set Up Your Vlogging Equipment and Space
Having good vlogging equipment and a visually appealing vlogging space can make a significant difference in the quality of your content and the overall success of your vlogging channel. In this section, we’ll cover the importance of having good equipment, tips for choosing the right equipment, how to set up your vlogging space, and tips for creating a visually appealing space.
Good vlogging equipment
Having good vlogging equipment is essential to producing high-quality content that engages your audience. Good equipment ensures that your videos are clear, crisp, and well-lit, which is crucial to keeping viewers engaged. It also allows you to capture high-quality audio, which is essential for delivering your message effectively.
If you don’t have a lot of money to invest upfront, we recommend starting with a decent microphone. Viewers will often forgive bad video, but they won’t stick around if the audio is bad too. You can get a good quality Lavalier mic for under $100. Plug it into your phone, and you’re good to go!
Once you’ve established your channel and are up and running, then you can invest in a better camera down the track.
How to set up your vlogging space
When setting up your vlogging space, there are several things to consider. First, choose a location with good lighting, preferably near a window or another source of natural light.
Next, think about the background of your videos and choose a location that reflects your brand and niche. Finally, ensure that your vlogging space is free of distractions and clutter, as this can detract from the quality of your videos.
Tips for creating a visually appealing vlogging space
To create a visually appealing vlogging space, consider the following tips:
- Choose a color scheme that reflects your brand and niche
- Add decor and props that enhance your content and make your space look visually interesting
- Consider adding plants or other natural elements to bring life to your videos
- Use good lighting to create a bright and inviting space
- Ensure that your equipment is properly set up and that cables are hidden from view.
By following these tips and setting up a visually appealing and well-equipped vlogging space, you’ll be able to create high-quality content that engages your audience and helps you achieve your vlogging goals.
Create High-Quality Vlogging Content
Creating high-quality vlogging content is essential for building an engaged and loyal audience. To create high-quality vlogging content, consider the following:
- Be authentic and true to yourself. Your audience will be able to tell if you’re not being genuine.
- Be creative and find unique ways to present your content.
- Deliver your message in a clear and concise manner.
- Use humor, when appropriate, to keep your audience engaged.
- Use good lighting and sound quality to ensure that your videos are clear and easy to understand.
How to plan your vlogging content
Planning your vlogging content is essential to creating high-quality content consistently, but don’t overthink it! Simply make time to do the following on a regular basis:
- Brainstorm ideas for content based on your niche and audience.
- Create a content calendar that outlines your topics and when you’ll release your videos.
- Consider incorporating seasonal or topical content that is relevant to your niche.
Tips for scripting and storytelling
Scripting and storytelling are key components of creating engaging and compelling vlogging content. They help you to plan out the structure of your videos, convey your message effectively, and capture the attention of your audience. Here are a few tips to consider when it comes to scripting and storytelling in vlogging:
- Start with a clear message: Before you start scripting your video, it’s important to have a clear message in mind. What do you want your audience to take away from your video? What’s the main point you’re trying to get across? Starting with a clear message will help you stay focused and ensure that your video is both informative and engaging.
- Plan out your structure: Once you have a clear message in mind, it’s time to plan out the structure of your video. How will you introduce your topic? What key points do you want to cover? How will you conclude your video? Mapping out your video’s structure ahead of time will help you stay on track and make sure that you cover everything you want to.
- Use storytelling techniques: One of the best ways to engage your audience is to use storytelling techniques in your vlogs. Whether you’re sharing a personal anecdote or using a hypothetical scenario to illustrate a point, storytelling can help bring your message to life and make it more relatable to your audience.
- Practice your delivery: Once you’ve scripted your video, it’s important to practice your delivery. Read your script out loud several times to get comfortable with the wording, and try recording yourself speaking to get a sense of how you come across on camera. This will help you identify areas where you may need to tweak your script or delivery for maximum impact.
- Don’t be afraid to improvise: While scripting is important, it’s also important to be flexible and willing to improvise when the situation calls for it. If something unexpected happens during filming, don’t be afraid to adjust your script on the fly or take a different approach to your topic. Being able to think on your feet and adapt to changing circumstances will help you create more dynamic and engaging vlogs.
Optimize Your Vlogging Content for SEO and Social Media
Optimizing your vlogging content for search engines and social media is crucial to expanding your audience and growing your channel. Proper optimization allows your content to be more easily found by people searching for topics related to your content.
To optimize your vlogging content for SEO, you need to use relevant keywords, optimize titles and descriptions, and tag your videos correctly. By doing so, you increase the chances of your content appearing in relevant search results.
To optimize your content for social media, you need to use attention-grabbing titles, engaging descriptions, and relevant hashtags. Using these tactics increases the visibility and shareability of your content, making it more easily discoverable.
Using keywords effectively is a crucial component of optimization. You can use tools such as Google’s keyword planner to find relevant keywords, use them in your titles, descriptions, and tags, and employ long-tail keywords that are more specific and less competitive to rank higher in search results.
Promote Your Vlogging Channel
Now that you’re making killer content, it’s time to spread it around the digital world!
Promoting your vlogging channel is essential for attracting new viewers and building a loyal following. Without effective promotion, it’s challenging to gain visibility and grow your audience. By promoting your channel, you can increase the likelihood of your content being discovered and shared by others.
There are several ways to promote your vlogging channel effectively. Collaborating with other vloggers or influencers in your niche, participating in online communities and forums related to your niche, leveraging email marketing, and running social media ads are all effective ways to grow your channel.
Other successful promotion strategies used by vloggers include offering exclusive content to subscribers or patrons, hosting giveaways or contests, cross-promoting content on other social media platforms, and leveraging the power of YouTube’s algorithm by creating content around popular or trending topics.
By using these strategies, you can promote your vlogging channel effectively and increase your visibility to attract new viewers and build a loyal following.
Monetize Your Vlogging Channel
Finally, let’s talk about monetizing your vlog.
Monetizing your vlogging channel is a great way to turn your passion for creating content into a lucrative side hustle. To monetize your vlogging channel, consider the following:
- Advertising revenue: You can earn money from ads that run on your videos.
- Brand sponsorships: You can collaborate with brands to promote their products or services.
- Affiliate marketing: You can earn commissions by promoting products or services and providing a unique link to purchase them.
- Merchandise sales: You can sell branded merchandise, such as T-shirts or mugs, to your audience.
How to set up and manage your monetization strategies
Setting up and managing your monetization strategies is the next essential step if your goal is to turn your vlogging channel into a profitable source of income. Here are some tips to help you effectively monetize your content:
- Meet the eligibility requirements: The first step to monetizing your vlogging content is to ensure that you meet the eligibility requirements for monetization on your chosen platform. For example, on YouTube, you must have at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the past 12 months to be eligible for monetization. Be sure to check the requirements of your platform to ensure that you’re eligible.
- Choose the right monetization strategies: There are various monetization strategies available for vloggers, including ads, affiliate marketing, sponsorships, merchandise sales, and more. Choose the strategies that best suit your niche and audience. For example, if your audience is interested in fitness, you may want to consider affiliate marketing for fitness products, while if your audience is interested in fashion, you may want to consider sponsored content for fashion brands.
- Implement your strategies and track your earnings: Once you’ve chosen your monetization strategies, it’s time to implement them and track your earnings. This involves setting up ad campaigns, affiliate links, sponsorships, and merchandise sales. Be sure to track your earnings and monitor your progress regularly to determine which strategies are working and which ones need improvement.
- Be flexible and adjust your strategies: As you start to monetize your content, it’s important to be flexible and willing to adjust your strategies as needed. If you’re not seeing the results you want, try changing your approach or experimenting with new strategies. By being willing to adapt and change, you can maximize your earnings and make the most of your vlogging channel.
Tool of the Week
TubeBuddy is a popular browser extension that helps vloggers optimize their channels and videos. The tool offers a wide range of functionalities that can help vloggers manage their YouTube channels, optimize their videos for search engines, and increase their subscribers and viewership.
Some of the features of TubeBuddy include:
- Keyword Research: TubeBuddy offers keyword research tools that help vloggers find relevant keywords to use in their video titles, descriptions, and tags. The tool provides data on search volume, competition, and suggested keywords.
- Video Optimization: TubeBuddy offers various video optimization tools that help vloggers improve the quality of their videos, including the ability to add end screens and annotations, optimize video tags, and create thumbnails.
- Competitor Analysis: TubeBuddy provides data on the performance of other channels and videos in your niche, allowing you to track your competitors and identify opportunities to improve your content.
- Promotion: TubeBuddy allows vloggers to promote their videos on social media and other platforms, helping to increase views and subscribers.
- A/B Testing: TubeBuddy offers A/B testing tools that help vloggers test different versions of their video thumbnails and titles to determine which performs better.
TubeBuddy is available as a free browser extension, but it also offers a premium version that includes additional features such as bulk processing and advanced analytics. The tool has been used by thousands of vloggers to improve their YouTube channels and grow their audience!
