Vlogging Tips for Travel, iPhones, Filming in Public, & More

Vlogging is a way for entrepreneurial-minded individuals to show people around the world their passions in an exciting and creative way. Maybe your passion for traveling could be a video blogging endeavor? Do you want to film on the go and make your audience a part of your video? Then read on. We’re going to give you all the tools you need to get started.

Having tips for vlogging when it comes to travel, using iPhones, filming in public, and more are important to have.

This blog post contains vlogging tips on:

In this guide, we are going to give you the knowledge and tools to get your video blog off the ground and using it to achieve the financial freedom that you are looking to achieve. Follow the rules outlined in this guide to learn what is necessary starting your vlog, traveling, using iPhones, filming in public, and growing your blog.

Tips for Travel Vlogging

Travel vlogging is an interesting niche that can help a video blogger engage with something nearly every audience member wants to do at some point–travel. If you are a frequent traveler and would like to share your escapades with the world, this is a great niche that you should consider. With the right tips, you can be a hit in no time!

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With that being said, we are going to cover some good information here and give you some tips to get you going and help you get started with your travel vlog.

Travel Vlog Tip 1: Invest in the Proper Equipment

When it comes to vlogging of any type, especially travel vlogging, having the right equipment to start creating content is important. You will need to invest in the right type of camera, audio equipment, and lighting equipment to ensure that you are putting out high-quality videos that are enticing to watch instead of a video that has poor audio quality or lighting, which can make it difficult to see and hear.

When choosing a camera, it is important to know what type of filming you plan on doing. In the case of the travel vlogger, it might be in your best interest to invest in a smaller discreet camera, like an action camera, for example.  The GoPro cameras are the most popular and trusted action cameras on the market right now—both reliable and discreet.

Other equipment you need to look into is some type of audio equipment. While cameras are capable of recording sound, it is not their primary function, which is reflected in their design. You can have the best quality video on YouTube or Tik-Tok, but if people can’t hear what is being said in the video, you’ve wasted their time and yours.

As a travel vlogger, you are probably going to want to keep your equipment as discreet as possible. When looking at discreet audio recording options, try investing in a lapel/ lavalier mic. This type of mic is pinned onto your clothing and won’t be extremely noticeable in your production. Even though they are small, they also produce great audio quality, which is why they are favored by DJs who film weddings.

Travel Vlog Tip 2: Capitalize on What Makes You and Your Experiences Different

This is important because there are a lot of travel vloggers out there right now. That means a lot of competitions.  How are you going to be stand out in the crowd?

Take some time to truly think about what makes what you different than everyone else. Express yourself and let that personality of yours show! Don’t fall into the trap of doing what another travel vlogger is doing.

You will do your best work and release the best content when you follow your vision, not try to imitate someone else. Focus on yourself and your defining qualities, and you build an audience just by being yourself.  It sounds like a cliché, but that doesn’t make it right.

Travel Vlog Tip 3: Keep Your Videos Short and Simple

In other words, this means that you don’t need to film everything. In today’s online world, people have extremely short attention spans. That said, you need to make sure that information is given to people in chunks. If you happen to film a longer video, cut out what truly isn’t necessary and building value.

If you don’t shorten the videos, then you run into the issue of losing viewers and subscribers to the next travel vlogger just because someone got bored and moved on. Here are a couple of rules to keep in mind when posting your travel vlogs:

  1. Don’t film everything you see. That can easily bore the viewer and cost you a member of your audience.
  2. If it doesn’t add value to your video, cut it out from the production. Even if a video is a reasonable length. Be mindful of fluff in the video. If it doesn’t provide information pertaining to what the video is about, you need to get rid of it.
  3.  Don’t let your videos exceed 20 minutes in runtime. People have short attention spans.  A lot of times, the length of a video is one of the first things people look at when deciding whether to watch something.

Travel Vlog Tip 4: Take it Seriously and Post Regularly

When it comes to posting content for your travel vlog, you need to treat it as you would a traditional career. If you aren’t posting regularly, you aren’t going to build an audience. If you aren’t building an audience, then you aren’t getting subscribers, which means you aren’t building an income.

The biggest problem with people who want to start YouTube channels is that they expect to become an overnight hit and don’t put in the necessary work to grow their fan base. If you want to actually succeed as a travel vlogger, you need to be prepared to put in the necessary work and post content on a regular basis.

Tips for Vlogging With Your iPhone or Smart Phone

There will be times that you may want to shoot a video for your vlog and don’t have your usual equipment set up available to you. Don’t worry. You’re not out of luck. Thankfully, in today’s world, everyone has a smartphone, and right now, the most popular one out there is the iPhone.

It is a great alternative to your normal camera set up due to the advancement in smartphone camera technology with the availability of different filters and camera clarity. However, before you start shooting videos with your iPhone, here are a few pointers.

iPhone Filming Tip 1: Remember to Use Your iPhone’s Landscape Mode

Landscape mode is when the iPhone is being held in a horizontal fashion. It is extremely important that you utilize this feature of your iPhone because it provides the best picture. Portrait mode does not provide the best formatting when it comes to filming and posting videos.

In fact, portrait mode is incompatible with online posting as it leads to problems with the visual presentation and can skew your video if you post a video in such fashion on the internet.

iPhone Filming Tip 2: Keep Your iPhone’s Image Stabilization Enabled

A common issue that occurs when filming with iPhones is that longer videos are extremely sensitive to camera movement. What this means is that the video can appear to be shaky and bouncing around even if you believe that you are standing completely still while filming.

This is where the iPhone’s image visualization comes in handy. It keeps your videos more stable and prevents that jostling images that can be created when filming. When filming, even if you are using a video app or utilizing a tripod, and especially when filming on the move, be sure to keep this feature enabled.

iPhone Filming Tip 3: Use the Right Video Apps

While you can indeed record video with the built-in video function on an iPhone, it is best to invest in downloading the appropriate app to get the most out of your iPhone camera. iPhone cameras, while reliable, don’t always provide the best quality videos depending on the situation and can struggle with face capture.

A great app to look into and get the most functionality out of your iPhone’s camera for vlogging is Filmic. These types of apps provide a variety of functions that allow for the adjusting of the picture, tracking action, the adjustment of frame rates, along with many more applications.

If you want the best quality video produced with a professional look, a video app that allows for editing is a must-have addition. It will take some time to learn how these apps work and become accustomed to them, so don’t be too stressed out when learning the app’s controls and functions.

In the case that you aren’t too keen on downloading a new app on your iPhone and you happen to have a Mac computer, you can move your videos from the iPhone and edit your videos with iMovie after you have completed recording.

Tips for Filming a Vlog in Public

There are a lot of misgivings and things you need to know when it comes to shooting a film in public, even as a vlogger. This is due to today’s environment and the reaction to people filming in public in terms of someone’s privacy or whether or not people want to be seen in a video. Follow these tips, and you should be good to go no matter where you decide to film.

Filming in Public Tip 1: Know Your Rights

If you’re fortunate enough to live in America, then you know that recording in public can be a touchy subject. Don’t worry about it! As an American, you have the First Amendment on your side.

The First Amendment guarantees freedoms concerning religion, expression, assembly, and the right to petition.  It forbids Congress from both promoting one religion over others and also restricting an individual’s religious practices. And it means you have the right to assemble, which is what happens when a group of people is in public.

This essentially means that if you are in a public location and you can see something, you can record video of it. It doesn’t matter where you are, whether it is a police station, a public park, or a government building of some sort.

However, everyone, including police officers, doesn’t know the stipulations of the courts’ decisions on this subject. To learn more, visit https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights/#i-want-to-take-pictures-or-shoot-video-at-a-protest. While you may not be shooting a video at a protest, this is still invaluable information for the American video blogger.

If you happen to live in another country, look at your countries laws regarding filming and taking photos in public to prevent any potential ramifications.

Filming in Public Tip 2: If You Need it, Get a Permit

While the First Amendment does protect filmmakers when creating video content in public, there are some things that you need to be aware of. If you are shooting a video for the purpose of monetary gain or if the production is large enough, you may need a permit.

Typically speaking, if the equipment for the production will impede the right of way for others or is used for commercial (profit) purposes, you will need a permit. Check your city’s laws and regulations revolving around filming in public to determine whether or not you need a permit and to determine the cost.

If you require a permit for your production, you should know that the permit does not control what you can film. If you can see it, you can film it. If you are a vlogger in another country, the tips above may not be of very good use to you. Check with your local government’s laws and regulations to avoid unnecessary legal problems.

Filming in Public Tip 3: Do Not Abuse the First Amendment or Your Permit

Just because you have a permit and the First Amendment on your side, it does not give you the right to do whatever you want in the name of production. People still have a right to privacy. If you are filming onto someone else’s property without their permission, you are invading their privacy.

Another thing to consider is attempting to include people into your videos without them actually wanting to be in the video. If an individual says that they do not want to be a part of your production or be filmed, that needs to be respected.

Not adhering to these guidelines while filming in pubic can have some costly ramifications. You can potentially be arrested and fined for disturbing the peace. Keep this in mind, and if you are not sure if something is okay, don’t do it.

Tips for Building an Audience With Your Vlog

Building and maintaining an audience is a crucial feat to accomplish if you are going to be a video blogger. It is the lifeblood of your channel. Without an audience, you are filming for no reason, and you cannot promote your product, service, or ideas without one.

Here we are going to take a moment to talk about the importance of building an audience and give you some tips on how to do it and also what you need to do to maintain your audience once you have one.

Building an Audience Tip 1: Be Consistent in Posting Content

Content is king and is also how you are going to build your audience on your channel. It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to make sure that you are regularly posting content. In fact, making sure that you are regularly creating and posting content is so important that YouTube actually provides an algorithm to encourage vloggers to post content regularly.

Post at least once a week on YouTube to maintain consistency.

When you regularly create and post content on YouTube, your chances of the videos that you are creating being viewed greatly increase. The more you post, the more likely someone is going to look at your content.

Beyond that, brands are constantly watching to see you can promote their products. If you post on a regular basis and build an audience, they may reach out to you, giving you the opportunity to monetize your vlog.

Building an Audience Tip 2: Become Credible to Your Audience

Building credibility is important. You need to become an authority on a product or subject in the eyes of your audience. Actually, it is so important, in fact, that people actually care more about what you, as a vlogger, has to say on your channel as opposed to someone on TV or a magazine editor.

How do you become an authority? You need to view your audience as impressionable. They are going to do whatever it is that you are telling them to do or whatever you are doing. They need to see you actually using the product or implementing the idea that you are trying to motivate them to use. If they see you doing something, they will do it too.

Building an Audience Tip 3: Engage Your Audience

Keeping your audience engaged with your video blog may seem like a confusing and daunting task, but it really isn’t. When creating content and posting it, you need to know what your audience thinks, what they want to know, and how they currently feel about the content that you are releasing to them.

How do you do this? Just ask! You can keep your audience engaged and interested in your channel by simply setting up a poll in the comments section, responding to questions, asking questions, and taking suggestions to find out what people feel and what they want to see.

Doing this not only helps you figure out what to do in the future to maintain your audience and build up your subscriptions, but it will also let the audience know that you are interested in their opinions. Engaging with your audience is the best way to keep them interested, and people love it when you show that you care about what they are thinking.

Building an Audience Tip 4: Creating Content That is Engaging and Useful to Your Viewers

This ties into the last tip but deserves to stand out on its own. In order to build an audience, you need to be able to provide content that is useful to them. The only way to do that is to engage with them. But instead of asking outright what they want to see, ask for criticism.

Feedback from your audience in the way of constructive criticism is going to help you produce better content that your audience wants to see and also help you work out the kinks in how you produce your content, especially if you are just starting out as a video blogger.

This is a great way to find out what does and does not work for your particular channel and will also provide you with the means of tweaking your production strategy to get more attention to the videos that you are posting.

Building an Audience Tip 5: Create a Social Media Community

Social media is an essential tool for growing your audience and building content for your video blogs. When you have a social media page set up just for communicating with your audience, they feel more involved in your productions and are more likely to watch what you are going to upload the following week.

Furthermore, having a social media community increases your online visibility. This means that you are going to develop more followers and generate more views for your productions. While it may take a bit of work on your part to get the community put together, the work involved pays off immensely.

Tips for How To Monetize Your Vlog

Everyone who starts a YouTube channel does it for one reason: to generate an income and potentially replace their current one. When you are able to turn something that you are passionate about into a money-making machine, it gives you a sense of freedom that you did not have before.

There are multiple ways of turning your video blog into a moneymaker, but all of them are going to take a bit of work. Don’t let that deter you, though! If you stuck around up to this point, you know that anything worth having and being successful at takes a bit of work.

Monetizing Your Vlog Tip 1: Know Your Demographics

Knowing who your target audience is important in any type of business venture. Even vlogging. Identifying the type of people you want to follow your productions is important if you are looking to start getting your video blog generating a revenue stream.

For example, say that you are promoting a toy on your YouTube channel. That’s fine, and it may generate some views. However, think about who your audience is going to be in this scenario. Most likely children. Good for views, bad for revenue. Children do not have a disposable income, and parents probably won’t buy something most of the time because a child sees something on the internet.

However, say that you promote lawn care tips and are promoting a new lawnmower or gardening products. Your audience is going to be drastically different. You are going to attract men, women, and those with landscaping businesses to your channel and they have a disposable income. Whatever your passion, that’s the type of audience you want to have.

Monetizing Your Vlog Tip 2: Drive Traffic From YouTube to Your Website

A lot of businesses and websites were severely affected by Google’s Penguin update. What worked in the past for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) no longer works, and a lot of people lost online visibility and traffic to their websites due to Google’s update.

YouTube is a great way to drive traffic to your site and get potential customers where you need them. By taking old content from your site and structuring it into videos and also creating new content to answer questions people might have, utilizing YouTube in this respect will definitely get your website ranking back up organically.

Monetizing Your Vlog Tip 3: Promote Other Products on Your Vlog (Affiliate Marketing)

Affiliate marketing is a great way to monetize your video blog. You are promoting and selling the product of another business or individual. The benefit of this is that you don’t have to carry any inventory, keeping your space open and cost low.

When you operate as an affiliate marketer, you get a part of the proceeds that result from a sale due to your influence. If you show yourself using a product and provide a link or a code for someone to visit that product’s website and they buy an item, you receive a commission for it.

Many of the channels we watch on YouTube utilize this money-making business model. If you want to generate revenue for your YouTube channel, this is one of the most effective ways to do it.

In Conclusion

This guide was created with the purpose of helping new vloggers get on the right track to reaching vlogging success and growing their online brand. There are so many tips and guidelines out there, but if you follow the information provided in this guide, you are bound to see results after putting in the necessary work. Good luck and happy vlogging!

Dan Sanchez, MBA

Dan Sanchez is a marketing director, co-host of the B2B Growth show, and blogger. He holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) and BS in Marketing Management from Western Governors University. Learn more about Dan »

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