In recent years, vlogs – short for “video blogs” – have become a popular means of creating engaging digital content to share via YouTube and other social media platforms. The success of the vlogging format can be attributed in large part to their candid nature, in which vloggers share snippets of their everyday lives with users.
But in order to become a successful vlogger, there is one crucial component that must be taken into consideration; what kind of camera to purchase? One of the most popular and highly rated vlogging cameras is the Sony a6000. It’s compact, portable and relatively inexpensive, making it an accessible, foolproof option for novice vloggers.
Now that we’ve established that the Sony a6000 should be the camera of choice for those entering into the world of vlogging, the next conundrum vloggers-to-be will often face is how to create content which will help them grow their channel.
What entices viewers? What deters them? How much content is too much? These are all valid questions to which there are not necessarily “one size fits all” answers. In the following article, I will provide clarity to these questions and more, through 5 vlogging tips which are crucial for vlogging newcomers to follow to ensure they are only producing content of the highest quality.
Vlog Your Passion
When foraying into the world of vlogging, it is often tempting to create content based on what you think may get you the most views or garner you the most subscribers in the quickest amount of time. However, it is exactly this kind of fame-hungry, opportunistic mindset that tends to drive potential viewers away from your content.
One of the most important questions you must ask yourself before you start creating content is, “What am I passionate about?” Once you can identify what exactly it is that makes you tick, create your vlogs around those hobbies and passions to reflect just how much they mean to you.
The nature of the passion – whether it be painting, cooking or playing video games – matters much less than the enthusiasm you exude while vlogging it on your Sony a6000. Viewers will be more likely to gravitate towards the vlogs of a content creator who shows a genuine enthusiasm and passion for what they do. What’s more, you will be more likely to create more high-quality content when you receive support in the form of more views, likes and subscribers.
So, while it may seem like a good idea to base your content off of what you think people want to see, it is a much better idea to base your vlogs around your hobbies and passions. Ultimately, it is this kind of content that will be sustainable for you to produce in the long-term.
Consistency Is Key
Making sure you are consistent with how often you upload vlogs, as well as their quality, will help you to grow the popularity of your channel. Many of the most successful vloggers on YouTube are those who have been on the platform for many years and are still uploading high-quality content at a consistent pace.
By being able to establish yourself as a reliable vlogger, it’s much more likely you will gain more subscribers than if you were to have no uploading pattern at all. Viewers enjoy watching and supporting the content of creators whose uploading patterns are predictable.
By using the Sony a6000 to vlog your content, you can ensure that the content you are producing is of a high quality visually. It is up to you to make sure the vlogs you produce are up to a certain standard, and that they are being delivered on a regular basis. Vloggers who upload videos sporadically are less likely to gain a loyal following. What’s worse, you may even begin to lose subscribers if you cannot establish a consistent upload schedule.
For some viewers, your content may be the highlight of their week, and it is your responsibility to give back to those who support you! This point ties into my previous tip of creating content you are passionate about, because if you genuinely enjoy filming your vlogs, you’ll feel more motivated to create more content for your viewers.
Create Targets ; Goals
As with anything in life, when starting out as a vlogger it is important that you set goals for yourself. Setting goals will help give you a sense of direction and guide you towards the actions you need to take to achieve your targets, whatever they may be.
You should begin by asking yourself questions like; What meaning/message am I trying to convey through my vlogs? What is my motivation for creating vlogs? Is it personal or professional growth that I am trying to achieve? Or both? These are just a few examples of questions that will force you to think about your motivations for vlogging.
One helpful framework to keep in mind when trying to formulate your goals is the ‘SMART’ criteria. When evaluating a goal of yours and how feasible it is, you must ask yourself whether it is:
- Specific,
- Measurable,
- Achievable,
- Relevant and
- Time-bound.
A SMART goal should fulfil all five of these criteria.
Another factor to consider when creating goals for yourself is their size. I recommend setting a combination of small, short-term goals and larger, long-term goals for yourself to give yourself a sense of direction no matter what stage of your vlogging journey you are in.
But no matter your goal, having a good vlogging camera is essential for any kind of success. The Sony a6000 will help you to create high-quality, HD vlogs, and allow you to focus more of your time and energy on achieving your personal goals and targets!
Quality Beats Quantity
While it is important to make sure you are uploading vlogs consistently, this does not necessarily mean you need to be doing so at a rapid rate. What is more important and valuable to viewers, in the long run, is the quality of your vlogs.
One pitfall many vloggers encounter is getting so wrapped up in thinking they have to stick to their vlogging schedule (whether it be daily, every other day, etc.) that they end up creating vlogs which don’t have enough interesting or engaging content.
How ‘interesting’ every day of your life is will vary, so you should take that into consideration when creating vlogs. If you haven’t captured enough quality content on your Sony a6000 in one day, allow yourself another day or two to film enough footage to create a vlog up to your channel’s standards.
Your viewers will appreciate you coming out with higher quality vlogs, even if it means they may only get a video or two a week. They will be more likely to stay loyal to a channel that uploads entertaining, insightful vlogs over a channel that churns out content for the sake of it.
So, while it may be tempting to upload vlogs every day in an effort to keep your viewers engaged and get more views overall, this is a strategy which almost always ensures both vlogger and viewer burnout. Finding the right combination of quality and quantity is crucial to ensuring your long-term success as a vlogger.
Be A Storyteller
Vloggers who embrace the medium of storytelling often create more appealing content and as a result experience more success on YouTube than those who don’t. As a vlogger, you have complete control over how you show your life to your viewers, so it is critical that you frame your life in the most engaging, appealing, and relatable way possible.
Vloggers who don’t try and tell a story with their vlogs are those who record clips in various locations throughout their day and edit them into a jumbled montage which ultimately lacks cohesiveness. Viewers are not just interested in seeing you in ‘point A’ and ‘point B’, as this is not an accurate depiction of real life. The footage you may cut out because it seems mundane could be the same content that allows viewers to relate more to you on a personal level.
As a vlogger, you want to tell a story with a visible timeline and narrative. With a Sony a6000, you will be able to take your viewers along with you on your day, and really make them feel like they are coming along for the ride.
Little touches like filming yourself opening a shop door, or you driving in your car on the way to your destination help create a sense of closeness, and consequently create a more cohesive experience – it makes the viewer feel like they’re just a part of your day. In conclusion, when vlogging, your ‘journey’ is as important as your destination.
