A Newbie Vlogger's Tips for Video Blogging From Ashley Maker

Hi and thanks for having me! Beth invited me to talk about vlogging via YouTube, and so I thought I’d tell readers out there about my (somewhat limited) experience so far.

When I first thought about getting into vlogging, I thought it would be easy. They’re short videos, right? How hard can that be? Well, it’s definitely harder than it looks. The videos can be short, but there’s still a lot of time and effort that has to go in to making them as effortless as they appear.

Here are some a few tips I’ve learned along the way.

1.       Find a decent camera. I’ve recorded myself on a phone video camera and a real video camera. In comparison, the phone video camera was very much lacking in light and audio quality.

2.       Download or purchase video editing software, and spend time getting familiar with it. I confess to being in way over my head when it comes to editing software. I usually do the best I can, then call for help from my much more tech-savvy husband. He helps trim my videos down and make them more polished.

3.       Be sure to check out YouTube’s terms of service. Know what you’re getting into. Also learn about monetized videos. If you choose to go that route (to make money off your videos by ads being placed in them), you need to understand what is and isn’t allowed.

4.       Check out and support other vloggers. Like many other social media avenues, there is a fantastic online community of vloggers. Go subscribe, watch, like, and comment on videos. It’s a great way to get to know people, study different vlogging techniques, and get your name out there. You also might make some new friends, and connections are invaluable in any industry.

5.       Find a style you are comfortable with. As a good friend and vlogger told me, this might take a while, and that’s okay. Just getting comfortable talking to a camera can take a while. Try different approaches until you find one that works for you.

I’m still really new to vlogging, but I’ve found making videos both enjoyable and challenging. Utilized correctly and consistently, vlogs can be a powerful marketing tool. Good luck in all your vlogging endeavors!

If anyone would like to come chat with me on social media, you can find me in these places:

YouTube: youtube.com/ashleydmaker

Facebook: facebook.com/authorashley

Twitter: twitter.com/ashleymaker

Author Bio:

Armed with a keyboard, microphone, and an energetic imagination, Ashley Maker is a combination author/songwriter from Oklahoma with a passion for all things creative. UNDER THE TREES, a Young Adult blended historical romance, is her debut novel, releasing from Cliffhanger Press, LLC in the fall of 2014. Songs inspired by the book can be heard from Seeking Never, the recording band she sings in with her guitar-playing husband Corey. A newbie vlogger and former editor, Ashley spends much of her time writing, procrastinating on social media, and waging a revision war against pronouns. The rest of her time is spent doting on her daughter and cuddling with a myriad of family pets, most notably Johnny Cash, cat writing buddy extraordinaire.