How to Create Video Vlogs and Build a Brand

Video vlogs help bring the human element to your brand, build customer relationships, and raise brand awareness.

The rise of automation and artificial intelligence (AI) is pushing online shopping to another level, and we are seeing a change on the high street; self-scan till points are replacing sales personnel, automated calls have replaced switchboard operators, technology is evolving, and the world is changing fast.

Using and embracing video vlogs is a way to maintain the human element in your brand; seeing and hearing another human being adds to your brand’s personality; video vlogs make you relatable; they show your imperfections, honesty, and vulnerability; and this makes you easier to connect and work with.

When you post and share your video vlogs to social media or YouTube, you are in the hands and homes of your customers. In a world full of AI and automation, breaking the fourth wall is now the way to promote your product or services without selling hard.

The video vlogs that track well on YouTube are personal stories, unboxing, behind-the-scenes, and how-to videos. Unboxing videos are viral on TikTok and behind the scenes, mixed with tips and tricks, track well on Instagram. If you want to create crazy videos of you trying out the latest dance phase using all the filters available, go for it, but ask yourself if it is appropriate and aligned with your brand standards. Does it educate and inform? Do you think it adds value, and what result do you want to achieve?

Another hidden benefit of creating Video vlogs is the knock-on effect on your search engine optimization (SEO). You give yourself an extra SEO boost when you have spoken your key messages and added subtitles to your vlog, and you can add more SEO when you add your key messages to your video description.

Now think about how and where you can share your video vlogs, One of my favorites is to turn a video exert into a blog; this is precisely what I am doing here; this blog was inspired by Katrina Mili when she asked me a question on The Wise Why Episode 57. This article blog post will be shared across social media; I will post it to Pinterest and take exerts to use it in my copy for my social media posts, thereby creating a content loop of SEO.

Now that you know how and why to repurpose your video vlogs, where do you start? Speaking to a camera on your own is not natural; it is not something you do every day, it takes time to be comfortable and confident to post what you have recorded, and even then, it is challenging to develop new content ideas, let alone keep your content relatable, on message, and brand.

Tips to Help You Create Video Vlogs

1. Think about how you serve, what you do to help, the problems you solve, and how someone feels when they work with you. You want your video vlogs to educate, be of use and entertain.

2. Watch how your competitors execute their video vlogs, see what you like, what you do not like, and what you can do better. You’ll be able to start with what you can talk about, know what to say, and know what style you want to use for your video vlogs.

3. You do not need expensive equipment; your smartphone is good enough to start creating video vlogs; at the same time, investing in a good microphone, tripod, and lighting or buying a vlogging kit with everything included is a great way to start. I used a USKEY Vision one, which was simple and easy to use; there is a myriad to choose from online.

4. Practice, practice, practice! The more video vlogs you create, the better you will be. Remember you only post something immediately if you have pressure from someone else; take your time, get comfortable talking to the camera, and practice what you want to say.

5. Do not try to be anyone other than you, don’t fake it until you make it, believe you can, and you will, and know you are and have made it because you are doing it.

7. Don’t watch yourself back; listen to what you are saying to make sure you are making sense; imagine you are hearing it for the first time. Please do not get hung up on how you look or sound; this will stop you from posting a video; I know I still struggle with this.

Once you are happy or just okay with your video, promote it on social media, upload it to YouTube, and be proud because you did it, which is a huge win. When you write your copy, be honest, share your struggles, and then go on and create more video vlogs, I like to batch record, so I have some spare as not every day is a video day.

As you go on camera more, you will start to see what you will call mistakes; from now on, please call them magical mistakes. When you accept your imperfections and magical mistakes, you own your um and ahs, and you will find the joy in being a human being who has the confidence to speak on camera. Your imperfections make your video vlogs authentic; they are you, they cannot be faked or replaced by AI, and people buy from people.