The new normal has definitely pushed people to utilize having reliable internet plans as a moneymaking platform – unusual and atypical as it may be. What was once shrugged off had people turning heads recently as numbers proved for it to be a viable financial pursuit. (Sorry MLM, it’s not you!) Enter content creation – one of the world’s more unusual jobs that can easily turn hobbies into a sustainable livelihood. There are no pre-requisite or actual requirements for one to start getting in on vlogging and streaming. All you’d really need is some creativity and determination, with fast and reliable internet connection and equipment secondary once things start to hit off.
Vlogging and streaming era: an unexpected turn of events
People have started giving both vlogging and streaming its overdue attention when early content creators on platforms such as YouTube and Twitch started earning more than a 9-to-5 salary could ever give. This of course takes into consideration the balance between the effort one would put into the job and the earnings that they take from it, making it seem as if content creation is a more lucrative and satisfying job than being stuck in something clerical that provides little to no space for growth and improvement. People have been attracted to the idea of how content creation exponentially expands when done right – with the right tools, audience, and imagination to create something that would be very hard to resist.
The only limitation is one’s mind
There’s definitely a lot of things you can put in front of a camera for you to call yourself a vlogger or streamer – since more or less both jobs are the same, with the only difference being that streaming requires real-time content creation while vlogging undergoes more processes (i.e. editing, sound mixing, visual effects, etc.). Nonetheless, anything and everything that is of interest to you that you think can also be a point of interest to others can be churned out as content. If you’re good at cooking, feel free to share it as a weekly upload or as a livestream. If you play games, you can do it live and even follow up on uploads of your day or week’s highlights. If you want to share your prowess in your hobbies such as sports or arts, you can also go with the same principle all follow suit. The only limit here is your imagination and how you’d come up with an intelligent way to make sure that you’re keeping people interested and hooked.
With all these in mind, here are ten tips we’d like to share with you for you to be able to jumpstart your content creation career – vlogging and streaming.
1. Before vlogging or streaming, figure out what you want to talk about.
Photo by – Photo by Millo Lin on Unsplash
A vlog and stream cannot be an amalgamation of many things under the sun, as it would only confuse and turn people off, rather than attract them. The content you’re about to put out would need some structure, plan, or, layout – making sure that you’re always trying to make new content from one general idea or topic. This could range from something as niche as hobbies (with content circling over every nook and cranny of it) or something as broad as yourself and your interests. Keeping in mind what you want to talk about makes sure that your channel or site wouldn’t be all over the place and it also gives viewers an idea on what to generally expect from you in the long run.
Aside from knowing the type of content and what topics you’d delve into, it’s also wise to be aware of the crowd you’re bound to talk to. It’s always one thing to be knowledgeable (and borderline omniscient) of the things you’re looking to share and spread. But knowing the kind of audience you’re talking to helps you figure out a voice and delivery that’s suitable to not only get their attention but to also keep them coming back for more.
2. Find your crowd that will be the target of your vlogging or streaming.
Once you’ve figured out what you want to talk about and who you’re planning to talk to, you may now opt to narrow it down to a group of people or demographic that you may consider being your target audience. By “niching down”, you’d be able to pinpoint and highlight several concerns and core problems that they may be facing on a daily basis. This in turn would allow for you to become a bridge to solutions, as you’d be able to provide them with information on services or products that would alleviate this aforementioned target audience of their pain.
Much like a call and response, knowing what your target audience ails for on a daily or weekly basis would allow you to create and publish content that responds to the target audiences’ needs. This would ultimately make up for a conducive cycle that makes people know you’re a valid source of information and answers for their questions, which would of course give you more viewership and repeat watchers of your published content.
3. Figure out a catchy and unique branding for your vlog or stream.
Photo by Alice Donovan Rouse on Unsplash
There’s no point in trying to come up with great content if you’re not able to give yourself a name or brand that sticks to people. This should be something that’s easy to remember, has great recall, and is hard to forget. The easy thing about here is that you’re only trying to sell yourself as the product, with no intention of actually trying to push goods and merchandise.
To help you out even more, we have devised some things you may want to keep in mind when trying to brand your channel. First off, you’d want to get yourself a name that’s genuine, relatable, and most importantly, unique. From here it would be easier to figure out a logo since the name’s pretty much the bulk of thinking here. Get something that’s eye-popping and fit to your overall general aesthetic. Once you get the logo done, you need to follow with some internal branding such as banners, intros, transitions, and other things you may need to keep on promoting your content and brand. Lastly, have several social media platforms ready for you to be able to interact with your fans and general audience better!
4. Figure out your main channel (and if you’d ever need other channels).
Given the array of choices one may opt for in distributing content, it’s better to stick to one or two of them to easily corner airing premieres and overall view count. Having the same thing repeated over and over in different platforms tends to confuse more than it’s supposed to be helpful, so opt to choose one big platform for all of your content instead. Extra tip: most platforms specialize in specific niches, so be on the lookout for the one that fits and works best for you!
5. Pick out the recording equipment that best suits you and practice with it
Don’t get intimidated by the setup of others, everyone works at their own pace and time. As long as you have something that can record both audio and video then you’re good to go. Conveniently, smartphones have gone far enough to provide videos that are publishable and content-worthy. This alleviates the need to buy a professional camera to start out with this endeavor. Aside from a camera and mic, lighting equipment is also advised, making sure that the content you’re capturing can be seen very well with no shadows or dark spots. Lastly, there’s the video editing software which allows you to edit and finalize your content that you want to publish.
Photo by Aleks Marinkovic on Unsplash
6. Start thinking of fun (and relevant) content that you want to make
Since you’re a bit past halfway down the list, this is where things would start to take into fruition. With everything else in tow, it’s time for you to start thinking out and planning on the specific content you’d want to present. This is the part of the journey where things need to take some structure – with you determining upload dates and times, content calendars, and other logistics that you may want to arrange. Of course, the key element to make here is the content calendar since it helps you think out topics for your platform in a structured manner and with proper deadlines. This extra level of professionalism not only makes sure that you have content out, but it also helps you develop good work ethics and practices.
7. Make the first episode
We’re highlighting this specifically since it’s crucial that you get this one video out with great quality and in record time. Some people tend to get intimidated and overly anxious at this point, with them failing to get the first video out as they’re overwhelmed with fear. Take this step as a reminder that you can’t start with this endeavor until you push this first video out, so might as well pour your heart out into it and power through into making your first ever video for your channel.
Also, please don’t forget to introduce yourself in this video! Since this is your first ever video, people would be very interested to know more about you and why you are doing this. It gives people more insight into what you can offer. It allows viewers to know why they should support you and stay updated with your uploads and happenings.
8. Have some digital marketing mixed into it
Photo by Adem Ay on Unsplash
You’ve more or less managed to learn about your audience from the past steps that we have mentioned here. Of course, we don’t want to let that go to waste so we figured it’s best if you throw that research in over to a marketing mindset and standpoint so that it helps you push the numbers up on your channel or platform. A little promotion never hurts anyone, and thankfully social media and other internet platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok have been more than accommodating when it comes to spreading out promo videos. Of course, this means that you might need to shell out some cash, but it’s necessary expenses that allow for you to have content creation as a stable and lucrative hobby and business.
9. Get that hard-earned bread online
Having some clout and following allows for you to start monetizing what you are doing. This means you can earn beyond what YouTube gives you for the views and ad revenue you give them. Some monetary ventures you may want to dabble on include promoting sponsors, selling merchandise, or even collaborating with other vloggers for better views and also managing to tap into an audience you previously may not have been exposed to.
10. Grow and keep on expanding your reach
Content creation is a type of work that requires people to have non-stop networking, promotion, and marketing. There’s always a part of the world that may be interested in what you can give but you just haven’t managed to reach them yet. This type of job entails a never-ending type of engagement, with you being able to reach out to anyone and everyone as long as they’d be willing to go for it. So keep on adjusting your goals as necessary and keep on reaching for the top!
BONUS TIP: Get high speed and reliable internet plans
There’s no point in keeping on creating content if you can’t get it out into the world—and for that, you need fast and reliable internet plans. With fiber internet being more prevalent nowadays, it’s best that you subscribe to one of the best internet providers in the Philippines. There are ISPs out there that have no data, which means that there’s unlimited internet for everyone to enjoy! This is perfect for when you scale up because there’d be no limit to the amount of times you can post content online! So if you’re looking for fast and reliable internet in the Philippines, check out Streamtech.
They provide fiber home internet that will best suit your online needs. They also offer cable and internet bundle perfect for home entertainment. Additionally, they have various amazing add-on products. They have subscription bundles for both vlogging and game streaming, with each bundle coming with a home internet plan, optional cable TV, and peripherals for your streaming and vlogging needs. How convenient!
For more information, check out their Official Facebook Page.
