Creating your vlog Establish a theme. Your vlog is a great way for you to share your passions, experiences, and knowledge with the world. To that end, think of a general theme for your vlog that people can relate to. This way, your videos will attract dedicated viewers who have the same interests as you. Some ideas for themes are: General theme Vlog ideas Travel and adventure Hiking/camping; spending a week in a new city Self-improvement Working out; cooking healthy foods; motivational speaking Music Analyses of your favorite songs; musical performances by your group or band; concert tours Fashion Makeup and hair tutorials; how to dress for success; interesting fashions throughout history Keep your videos consistent. After you’ve begun your vlog, your viewers will come to expect a certain level of artistry in your videos. This means that you should maintain the same editing styles, video quality, and content that your audience has become accustomed to. Regularly update your vlog with new videos. In order to do this with a minimum of stress, it’s a good idea to establish a posting schedule. Jot down in your calendar when you will write, shoot, edit, and publish each video and try to stick to your plan. MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY 9:30 am: Shoot B-roll for camping episode 2:30 pm: Finishing editing stargazing episode 10:00 am: Post stargazing episode 1:00 pm: Finalize dialogue and story flow for camping episode 10:00 —10:30 am: Record “Weekly Update” 11:00 am: Post “Weekly Update” Keep in mind the complexity of your vlog when deciding upon a posting schedule. If your videos are easy to film and edit, plan to post a new one every few days to a week. However, if your videos take weeks to finish, it might be more realistic to release a new video every month or so. DON’T: abandon your theme or abruptly stop creating videos without notice. Though you might become frustrated or stuck at a dead end, it is never a good idea to take a long, unannounced hiatus from your vlog. Your viewers will quickly lose interest if they don’t know what’s going on or when you will next post a video. If you find yourself stuck and want to change tactics, let your audience know in either a video or a text post on your preferred social media outlet. Your viewers will appreciate your honesty. Establishing your content Keep it interesting and have a plan. Before filming, it’s very helpful to establish a quick outline of your plan for each video. This way, you can easily gather materials or make any necessary arrangements in advance. Below is a sample template you can use: THEME: How much do people know about science? Date: April 1, 2017 Location: Times Square, NYC Topic/question: How does the human brain work? Special guest(s): N/A Keep your videos at a reasonable length. Each video should last between 10 and 15 minutes. Any shorter and you might not have enough time to say or show everything you want. Any longer runs the risk of dragging and becoming boring for your viewer. Remember that for Youtube, you will need to verify your account in order to upload a video longer than 10 minutes. DON’T: film without a plan. Unless your vlog is very casual or deliberately unscripted, you should have some sense before filming of what you are going to be presenting to your audience. An outline will help you gather and organize your thoughts. Filming the reactions of others. Make sure to get strangers’ consent to appear on your vlog. If your vlog is centered around the reactions or opinions of other people, it’s very important for you to clearly tell them why you are filming them, where your video will appear, and who will see it. Sometimes people are uncomfortable appearing on film, and you must respect their decision not to allow you to film them or use their image. Sample script: “Hi, excuse me. My name is [name] and I have a video series where I talk about [subject]. Are you ok with appearing on my vlog?” “Do you see that camera over there? My name’s [name], and today we’re recording stranger’s reactions to [this question]. Do I have your permission to publish this footage on Youtube?” Keep in mind that if your subject is controversial, people might refuse to allow themselves to be filmed. DON’T: publish images of people if they haven’t given consent, or insist that they speak with you. If they say no or walk away, you cannot use the footage of your encounter. Don’t try to change their mind or insist that they allow you to film. DON’T ask people inappropriate questions. You should never put people into a situation where they feel uncomfortable, afraid, or helpless. Avoid asking people about personal or sensitive information, and unless you know them very well, do not try to touch or manhandle people in order to get a reaction. Engaging with your audience. Your viewers are the people who ultimately have the power to make your vlog well-known and in many cases profitable. For this reason, treat your audience well and promote your work on various platforms in order to broaden your reach. Incorporate suggestions or feedback into your videos. A good way to interest and engagement with your vlog is to provide your audience with incentives to watch and/or subscribe to your channel. These could take the form of “call-outs” (saying something positive about an individual on one of your videos) or gifts for people who share your video with their friends. DON’T: Ignore your audience or respond negatively to feedback. Criticism, especially online and anonymous, can be nasty and hurtful. Resist the temptation to strike back at insults. Instead, focus on engaging with appreciative and encouraging viewers and soon, the positive comments will far outweigh the negative ones.