How to VLOG 2023 : Complete Beginners Course +YouTube

Vlogging! This is what you will learn on this course. What is a vlog? How to vlog, how to plan, shoot and edit a vlog; how to work out what to make your vlog about for maximum views and growth; how to make money; upload (and where to - options) and so much more! I have a vlog, I currently run a successful channel and I'll show you my analytics and grow to see exactly what I did, how I did it to start making money within my first month and how to continue to grow.

Is it still possible to start a vlog now? YES! Now is a better time that ever, I am seeing crazy growth with my students of all ages and in all niches. More people are watching online video more than ever and that's growing everyday, don't miss out, start now.

Slow me down, change your resolution if you have slow internet and how to download the course resources!

Working out exactly what you should make your vlogs about is difficult, I was there. Use this sheet to be able to work out your strengths and passions to narrow down your vlog topic (and a hybrid channel might work.. I explain here) and how to systematically work out what to make your vlogs about.

If you're stuck still working out what to make your vlogs about here's a quick guide to Google Trends to see what people are organically searching for. use this tool (and make sure you select "YouTube") to see what is popular to get you the most views.

"What equipment do I need to vlog" is the number one question I am asked. PLEASE don't worry about this, you don't really need anything you don't already have and actually that can make your vlog even more successful. I explain all here... keep it real to grow faster!

What camera do you need to start a vlog? Don't obsess over this, I have tried and tested and the answer is more simple than you think, start with this and move on after, don't run before you can walk.

Audio is often over looked but crucial, get this right! When making your vlogs, it's more excusable to make a poor image quality (to an extent) but if the viewer can't hear clear and properly then they will stop watching, ruining your watch time and affecting your videos growth (impressions given). get this right, see all the options I use here.

If you are filming inside, good lighting is the best way to up your videos production quality. Even the simple things to think about, facing a window, no natural light behind you but also soft box options and ring lights... let me explain in this lecture.

People always ask what software I am editing on (Adobe Premier Pro) but it DOES NOT MATTER. All editing software can do the same things, cut, add music, add text... it's not as if using a set piece of software will magically make your vlogs good, it's on you as a creator. There are free and paid versions, see here...

I think by far the number one reason people will watch, keep watching and watch you again.. is you. There are tricks here, no one is a good presenter straight away, impossible. There are practice methods i'll show you but also think about your presence and energy on camera. Speaking as you would to someone across a table looks boring on camera, you need to work on the tempo and style and be critical; i'll explain all step-by-step here

Before we get going talking about your vlog it's important to think about these things: branding, thumbnails/titles (packaging) and your style. You NEED to get this right and have a clear vision before you begin!

All top vlogs and vloggers have a brand, an identity. What's yours? What does your channel colors, text, font, style say about you and does it match what you want?

The most important thing with your vlog is not actually the vlog itself but the packaging... if no one clicks it doesn't mater what the video is about. Lets explore some packaging here and what you need to do!

Having a clear style and structure for each vlog is crucial. If a subscriber subscribes for one thing, don't change it or they won't come back and watch future videos. Keep your style consistent and long term viewers are guaranteed.

So... how do we actually put this is to a practical setting, how do you film a vlog?

Planning your vlog/video is crucial! It'll make it so much easier to shot, make sure you don't miss anything and make the edit perfect; here's how I do it, copy this!

Come and vlog with me in real time. Here i'll show you what i'm thinking, using my shooting plan, go and film, talk about the shots and shoot the shots and then we'll come back and edit this and you'll see exactly what I do.

How to edit your vlog! See the vlog we just shot, how I place these in order, see what I meant with quick edits and cuts and see how I edit and what you should be thinking about for when you are shooting and editing.

Let's package this vlog together! Thumbnail and title... lets make this get results

See the final vlog we made. See how we went from idea, edit, packaging and how the final result.

There are many places to put your vlog for views. Your own site, Facebook, Instagram, tik tok... but why YouTube for maximum success and the easiest way to make money.

This is how YouTube works, the notorious algorithm. What will make you get views and grow?

Step-by-step lets learn how to set up a YouTube Channel

Step-by-step guide on setting up your channel with Gmail

Adding your channel art. How big should it be, what should it include and how important is it?

The channel description and tags help YouTube and viewers know what they are getting from your channel... but there are important things you should add to help get discovered

Most viewers will discover you from their browse features, but when they land on your channel most will never click VIDEOS at the top, they'll stay on your front page, so having a good layout like this is a must!

This is a great tool to convince someone to subscribe... what should it include and how do you set it up?

Let's set up how to make money! You'll want to submit for monetisation as soon as possible, here's how.

The YouTube Studio suite is vast and can be overwhelming. It doesn't have to be though, follow this overview to get your bearings for each part.

The most important thing with your vlogs is how you "package" them. The thumbnail, title, tags and description play a huge part if if they get clicks or not. It doesn't matter how good the video is, if it doesn't get clicked then no one sees it!

How to title your video to get both clicks (in suggested) and found (though search) is an art I have tested time and time again. Learn from my mistakes and wins here

Get your video discovered with compelling and SEO driven description to help platforms share you (namely across Google and YouTube for discovery).

Tags are mega data that helps platforms know what your video is about and whom to show it to. They are especially important when you first launch a channel.

Cards are an amazing tool to keep viewers either on your channel or to push them to other products like affiliate links or your own merchandise. us these to get amazing click-throughs to your content!

YouTube wants viewers to stay on the YouTube platform and you want them to stay on your channel. You'll be rewarded for suggesting videos that keep viewers there, see how

It's the first thing a viewer sees and in the nano-second decision making time a viewer decides to watch your video, the thumbnail is the key to generating a click. It's a complete art and the most important part of your packaging

Everyone wants to use external social medias, multiple to grow their vlogs/channel... but they are designed to not make it easy to go from a google product (YouTube) to another (Facebook for example). It's better to use these platforms separately... let me explain

You'll want to get as many clicks as possible on your videos to help YouTube see that the video is worth sharing to a wider audience, the time your release your video is crucial for this. Use this tool in your analytics to see when that is.

Follow this for a step by step exactly how to upload a video to YouTube, don't miss a single step with this tutorial.

You NEED to know how to navigate your analytics to know how to grow. Each persons channel is personal to them and their followers. See and work out what went well on your channel, what didn't, what you need to change and use your wins to be able to grow your channel fast! 

There are many ways to monetise your vlog. Views in the main one and the most commonly thought o. How much YouTube will pay you depends on your CPM and views (and location of the viewer watching). See here

Affiliate links allow you to monetise your vlog through links to other companies products. There are simple to add and no extra time to you and can easily bring in additional revenue. See which affiliate links I use and where you can get yours.

Selling products of your own on your vlog is so important! The viewers become fans so being able to monetise your following with physical merchandise or digital products is a must - here's how I do it!

Getting sponsored products sent to you and being paid for reviews will happen. You will be contacted or you can reach out and they are a great way to generate additional income. Here's an example of one I'm about to review.