Getting Started With Video Blogging Fast

Vlogging is not so much of a novelty these days. Most blogging superstars have jumped on the videoblogging bandwagon. But for a long of folks, starting a videoblog is a challenge. If you have checked videos on YouTube, you have probably seen that for every one great video there are 1000s of worthless crude items out there. A lot of folks don’t know how to work the camera, and some don’t know what to say once they get in front of the camera. These are very real challenges, but videoblogging is not something you can’t master.

Here is what I learned from my experience with videoblogging which I believe will be helpful to a lot of folks who are trying to get started with their video-blog:

• YouTube is only part of the game: a lot of folks buy these books and master YouTube as if YouTube can make you look good on camera. Knowing how to do things on YouTube is great, but it doesn’t make you a good video blogger.
• You’ve got to have a story: you’ve probably seen those boring videos that folks struggle to talk about anything interesting for 10 minutes. That’s what happens when you get in front of the camera with no plan of action. There was a time that I would go to my presentations without preparation, believing that I would ace them due to familiarity with the subject at hand. But proper preparation not only makes you more confident but it can get you out of some hairy situations. The same concept applies to videos. Prepare and have a story to tell or you are doomed.
• You’ve got to be able to tell your story: you know what’s the difference between a salesman and a scientist? A salesman can come up with all kinds of stories to convey things to prospects. Scientists, on the other hand, often struggle to convey what they know with others. Having great videos is not about who’s the smartest in the room but about who can tell their story the best.
• You’ve got to engage your audience: just because you are in front of a camera doesn’t mean folks won’t see you. Your video will be viewed by real folks so you want to pretend there is someone there. Imagine your camera is a living breathing person. That’s key!
• Know what you are getting yourself into: Video-blogging is a more intimate form of blogging. People are going to see you and hear you, and your video can be distributed, downloaded, and shared all over the web (depending on your success). Make sure you behave, and be ready for criticism.

YouTube is a great testing ground for your ideas. Pitch your ideas on YouTube and see if there is an audience. You learn a lot about your video-blog idea from YouTube and other video sites. Take the feedback on the chin, and remember that no one is perfect right out of the gate. The sooner you get started with video, the better off you are. It’s not too late to get started with videoblogging. Not yet!

Did I miss anything?