Blogs have been very popular since the mid-90s and the rise of internet use. Until about 5 or 6 years ago, blog were the main, and even the only thing, where you can write a kind of public diary. Or to write about whatever you want and think people will be interested in. Yet as the internet became faster and video platforms more accessible, vlogging took precedence over blogging.
It is known that people’s concentration is getting weaker due to the modern way of life and this is another factor that has influenced the popularity of vlogging, because it is easier for people to watch and listen to video than to read post.
If you too have decided to start your own video blog, you need to know what mistakes to avoid, otherwise your venture will be doomed from the start. Whether you start because you want it to be your hobby or plan to make it a source of income, you need to avoid the same following mistakes.
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Starting without a niche
Just like when it comes to blogging, if you don’t have a niche, you probably won’t achieve success. The reason is very simple, and that is huge competition. Even when you choose niches, it will be very difficult to break through and have a lot of followers because there are already a lot of successful vloggers in each niche.
It should not demoralize you and therefore make you give up. But if you start without a niche is it unlikely that someone will be interested in listening about general things from you. So plan in advance what your niche will be. It is best to be something where the competition is not so great, although it usually means that the topic is not so popular either.
So that the choice is solely up to you and what you know best, it is only important that you do not start without a niche. It is best that if your niche is, for example, sport, to talk about different sports, but also that within that niche you additionally be expert for one specifically – for example football.
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Imitating someone
It is certain that you have watched some vlogger who served you as inspiration and because of him or her you start making your own vlogs. And that’s perfectly fine, whatever we do, we have an idol who is our inspiration. But that doesn’t mean you should imitate that person. You have to be completely unique for people to start following you.
It is equally important what you say to be unique and interesting, it is also important that you do not imitate behavior, manner of speaking and the like. As soon as people notice you are imitating someone else, they will stop watching you video and if that is your first one, they will never return to your profile/channel. So be unique, even if it means a little weaker content in the beginning. But it is important to build your own style by which you will be recognizable.
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Fail to invest in social media marketing
Although you think it may be too early to invest into social media marketing because you are just recording your first vlog, exactly then is the right time for something like that. Later when you have a larger base of followers, it will be much easier for you.
But the hardest part is getting to the first few hundred followers. Then you need different marketing tools to be off to a good start. Social media has become the world’s main media these days, so you have to advertise as much as possible. Check this out and find ways to promote yourself.
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Bad video editing
Video editing is not easy, nor is it too complicated, but it is certainly very important. You have to find your place among tens of millions of deposits on YouTube alone, not to mention other platforms. Video editing will definitely help you with that. Master video editing software before shooting your first video, as this is what can bring you a lot of viewers. Until your video editing skills are at least at an acceptable level, don’t get started. Practice as much as you can and remember that you need to have good hardware for it.
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Not paying attention to equipment
It doesn’t mean you need to invest a few thousand dollars in equipment to begin with, but don’t use the cheapest equipment either. Invest money in a camera that should be at least HD quality, then in the microphone, as well as in the lighting.
These are the most important things. If the sound or image is blurry or the image is too dark, it is likely that everyone will stop watching in the first minute. Also, it would be good to have some of the flagship smartphones as they are your all in one tool for recording outside.
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Too little or too much special guests
Special guests are a very good strategy, whether they are fellow vloggers or just people who have something to say about your topic. If they are colleagues, then you will advertise each other on your channels and that will bring viewers to both. But many make a mistake.
While some bring in special guests too often, others do it too infrequently. It is important to find a balance. If you almost never have special guests, you can bore people. Also, if you have special guests too often, then people may lose the feeling of watching your channel, but they rather feel like they are watching some talk show.
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Too long video
Although there is no rule that suggests to us what is too long and what is the best duration, it is certainly not good to make too long ome. And this is especially the case for the first post. Then it would be best to record just a few minutes, but to make it very interesting and effective and thus attract people to come back to your channel.
Conclusion:
These are some of the mistakes you must not make. After the first video, it is important to be regular and to post vlog at least once a week, preferably at the same time, so that people do not forget.