Hi, my name is Jason Vong and this is Vivianne
and together we run a Youtube channel where we do camera reviews and provide
free photography and videography tutorials.
Over the past couple of years, we have grown over 200,000 subscribers and have successfully made vlogging our full-time career.
So in this three-part series, we would love to share with you guys a glimpse of
what it's like to create videos for the internet and how you can get started in vlogging.
In episode 1, we're going to define what vlogging is, what is the secret formula to create a successful vlog,
how to grow an audience and how to generate income from vlogging.
Then in episode 2, we're gonna focus on how to shoot a vlog; the actual process how to talk to a camera,
especially when you're an introvert like I am and how to vlog in public.
And finally, in episode 3, we're gonna go over how to edit for engagement,
how to package your content like titling your video and creating a thumbnail
and part with you some long-lasting advice to keep that vlogging momentum going.
So first off, what is a vlog? What is vlogging?
Generally when people hear the word 'vlog' or' vlogging', they tend to picture someone talking to the camera like this in public.
That's definitely one aspect of vlogging, but it doesn't have to be done in public.
It can be as something as simple as this a sit-down style video in the comforts of your own home,
talking about whatever you want.
If we break down the word 'vlog' essentially, it's two words: video and blog combined.
And like blogging, you can write about whatever you want. So vlogging, you can vlog about whatever you want, however you want.
So what kind of vlog should you make?
You are the creator, you have a lot of power in your hands, so I would say start off with something that interests you.
Maybe it's your passion or your hobby. For me personally, I love talking about camera gears.
I started my YouTube channel, talking about the different cameras that I use, the different lenses that I buy,
but the important thing is you want to make sure that you are making the videos that you want to watch.
Now, this is important, because that's how we're gonna build an audience.
Think back to the time where you found an inspirational video or a funny meme that you shared with your friends.
And they've also reacted positively to it likely there were hundreds thousands hundred thousands other people
out there who've also found that video inspirational or that image
funny as well by keeping that in mind by making the videos that you want to make
there are other people out there who would want to watch it as well
now what do a lot of these vlogs have in common ultimately they foster curiosity
let's break this down think about the videos that you like to watch
do these videos help answer a question or teach you something
as a creator you can help foster the viewers curiosity
by making these types of videos like tutorials this is commonly seen in
beauty and makeup channels and even cooking channels but don't
worry you don't have to be an expert to be a creator
you can also bring the viewers along with you as you explore your own
curiosity take the viewers along with you on your
journey of learning something while documenting the process
this is commonly seen in product review channels gaming channels and even travel
channels ultimately a vlog piques curiosity
through objective thumbnail and titles and by the end of
the vlog it should answer a question anyways i'm getting a little
parched right now i'm gonna get vivian in here to continue sharing a little bit
more about what we do
hey now we talked a lot about youtube but i want you to know that a lot of
these principles we're going to be covering in this series
can be applied to other social media platforms like instagram or facebook
ultimately you should work with the platform you know best because you are
going to be creating a community so how do you create a community you
create a community by engaging with your audience
making videos is half the fun but engaging with your audience is also
really fun too at the start you may only have one
person watching your vlogs but it can evolve to two
4 8 10 50 100 500 1 000 people you want to foster that
community and you want to grow it you can do that in a number of ways you
can reply to their comments you can go live to engage with them read
their suggestions or even shout them out in your videos
ultimately your community is going to be supporting you and the content you make
now this is starting to sound like a lot of work it actually can be
so it's important to have fun while you're doing all this however
it's also work that could pay jason and i were able to make youtube
our full-time career but it can also be a great supplemental income
so how a youtuber makes money actually comes from various sources
so the most common one is adsense so this is a small commission that youtube
pays you for letting them run ads in your videos though honestly it's
not that much nowadays so the second one is affiliate marketing
so if you're planning on making videos that future products or lifestyle
you can actually earn a small commission from stores if you link your viewers to
the website where they can purchase the products from
third is merchandising so you can create items to sell it could be physical
things like bags hats tote bags shirts or even
digital merchandise lastly sponsorships and brand deals so
companies can approach you to create videos for them that live on
your channels or to feature their products and your videos
this is a touchy territory for some viewers so just make sure that the
companies you want to partner with are trustworthy aligned with your brand
and make sense for you to partner with this is actually a great way for you to
work with some of your favorite brands so now that you got a little peek behind
the curtain how can you get started in vlogging
there's really no secret to it just simply start
i often hear people say they'll start making their first vlog when they have
all the right gear or when work slows down for them or when
they get into a better shape but truth be told
as generic as this sounds there is no better time to start
than now those are just excuses keeping you away from making your first vlog
but trust me your first vlog it may not be perfect it may not have a lot of
views but you will learn a lot from it and you
can take what you learned to make your second video better
and your third video better and your fourth video better but most importantly
i want you guys to have fun if you guys enjoyed making the video and had fun
making the video then that's a win so if this all sounds
very interesting to you and you want to learn more then tune into the next
episode where we talk about how to shoot a vlog some tips and tricks
to talking to the camera and how to vlog in public which can be
daunting for some folks like myself thanks for watching guys
we'll see you guys in the next video peace