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Blogging is a gift that many would try to achieve, but it is a difficult job. When you begin blogging, typing a post is the part where you have to use your brain. You will probably spend a lot of time typing up the post, but it may not even be successful. Why do I mention that? Blog readers or first timers usually jump around the blogosphere to find posts that are suitable for the daily read, but if everything is the same, your blog may be skipped. It isn’t an inevitable thing because you can change that by using different strategies to catch your readers’ eyes. If you don’t want to limit yourself and want to move to a more successful blogging career, you must think of different ways to blog. Remember that anyone can just start a blog (free or paid) and just type up words, but only a few can think of new ways to blog. This is where VLOGGING comes into place.

VLOGGING

So what is VLOGGING really? To me, it is just a made a term that certain bloggers started using to separate themselves from the rest of the blogosphere. Just like how BLOG stands for web log, VLOG basically just stands for video log. VLOGGING is basically throwing yourself in front of a camera for a shot of fame, but through your blog. What readers love most is that watching a video doesn’t require reading, but mainly just listening. The separation isn’t the bad type either because separating yourself usually means you’re different and that is what viewers want. The keyword here is “WHAT VIEWERS WANT“. VLOGGING is actually an old strategy that I first encountered on Darren Rowse’s blog, but it got very popular during the year 2005. As time grows, more and more are joining in.

When I first opened this blog, my initial plan was to VLOG once a week, but I got too lazy and I’m camera shy, so that isn’t going to be implemented for a while. Because I have had no experience at VLOGGING, all the following steps on this post are just my assumptions and my own tips. True vloggers may think different though

How To Start

Starting a new strategy is the hardest part of being successful. VLOGGING could be the same as regular BLOGGING, but it is actually a totally different thing. Before you consider changing your blogging method, you should really decide if you have the commitment that you will put yourself against. Depending on how you take your steps that are mentioned below, VLOGGING may come easy to you and also fun

Tools You’ll Need

Alright, now you’ve decided you will give VLOGGING a try, but you don’t have the right tools to begin. What do you think you need to record yourself? Well, duh…a webcam, camera, or camcorder is the main thing you will need. I would actually go with a webcam, since it’s stuck to your computer and very simple to use, but if you want to go for quality, a camera may be better. Camcorder is good too, but it may just be too difficult to get everything up and running. After you have something with a recording capability in hand, make sure you purchase a MIC too. Some webcams come with a built-in mics, so that is a plus

If you’re looking for good deals on recording electronics, I highly suggest visiting SlickDeals to search for some good deals, otherwise you can visit a local electronics shop or a WAL-MART and search for one. It’ll be pricey, but that is the easiest way to obtain one.

Once the most basic technology is purchased, you may download any of the below to edit, upload, and implement the video on your soon to be VLOG.

Video Editing Sites:

• Eyespot
• Jumpcut
• Avidemux

Video Editing Programs:

• Mac iMovie / iLife (usually comes with your mac and easy to use)
• Windows Movie Maker
• Avidemux

Plugins:

• Viper’s Video Quicktags - VERY easy video implementation with size changing
• Video Widget - adds videos to sidebar
• Smart YouTube - shows videos in RSS feed

How To Act

You’re all ready to record video posts now and you’ll need to know the following basic steps in recording this video

What to do:

• Dress appropriately - Make sure you dress good, but not great when you’re getting ready to put yourself in front of the camera. Showing professionalism is a plus, but going overboard may make you look stiff. Just simple outgoing clothes or a t-shirt and pants is fine.
• Clean yourself - You do not have to spike up your hair or put mousse on it, but you still have to make sure it is in good looking condition. You wouldn’t want viewers to see your morning hair, which may look like a dog was sleeping on your head the night before. Also get a clean shave or if you like to keep it natural, shape it?
• Be comfortable - Being comfortable is actually the main thing to a successful VLOG video. You don’t want to be stiff when you’re speaking into the mic and looking at the camera. Show that you are comfortable speaking out. The audience is online and you shouldn’t be shy or stuck when you are about to speak. The good thing is, you’re able to edit or re-do this video to your liking.

What NOT to do:

• Don’t look like shit - DO NOT and I mean DO NOT dress in PJs to be in front of the camera. I know that some vloggers probably do, but it doesn’t mean everyone can be successful in it. You also wouldn’t want new visitors to leave because of this. Shaving will make sure you don’t look like a monkey because you would just look damn dirty. LOL.
• Don’t cuss - As much as I hate cussing, some of you guys just love it. I’m sure you have even watched Mr. Chow’s “VIRAL MARKETING” video that talks about…shit. Even a “fine” man like him would want to cuss once in a while, so please hold back on it. Your viewers could range from ages as low as 8 or 9, so setting an example is what you want to do.

Voice:

I gave this part its own list because it is very important when it comes to VLOGGING because depending how you speak, viewers may leave or stay.

• Drink water ONLY - As much as you guys already know, water is the most important component to your body. Without water, you will start forming problems. Don’t drink coffee or soda when you shoot your many vlog posts. They’re not only bad for you, but they’ll play with your appearance. Alright, viewers may not see it in an online video, but if you become successful, you will have to meet people one-on-one.
• Continue being hydrated - To emphasize water more, you must keep hydrated. Being hydrated will make you feel better and make your videos more lively.
• Legato - This actually a music term that my wife and I learned in our current VOICE class. It basically means smooth and connected; without breaks. If you aren’t legato, you would be staccato, which just means the opposite. What do you think viewers want to hear? A smooth connected sentence or a cracking/breaking one?

Where To Upload?

Knowing where to upload is the final task of basic VLOGGING. Some video sharing sites provide high quality videos, but some provide lower quality ones. Even if your camera or webcam is a top-of-the-line piece of technology, some of these sites will just turn your creations into CRAP! Below is a list of video sharing sites that I have encountered:

Simpleness:

• YouTube
• Google Video (takes several days to show up)
  

Quality:

• MetaCafe
• Revver

SUCCESSFUL VLOGGING

Now that you have started VLOGGING, how are you going to make it successful? You already moved a step up in the blogging ladder by separating yourself from regular bloggers, but how are you going to make yourself successful in what you’re now doing? Since you worked so hard, you do not want to fail because it would just mean you wasted all your time. TIME = MONEY

Implementing Videos

Knowing when to implement video posts is needed first to make yourself successful. Some content do not require videos to tell the readers what needs to be discussed. I absolutely hate it when some VLOGGERS record themselves talking about stocks or money just like how Grace Cheng does. These type of videos require a lot of numbers and in videos, it is very hard to understand or catch certain calculations. It may be interesting to some viewers, but maybe not to others. What you want to do is implement videos that every single one of your viewer can enjoy. Make sure you know when to type a post and when to use videos. I actually recommend both typing and videos of the same post

Scheduled Tasks

Schedule yourself with different times to record your videos. Recording and editing videos could be hell, so spreading them out would probably help you out. Just like typing a blog post, video posts requires a lot of time and concentration to get things just the way you want it…PERFECT.

What I suggest is recording all your week’s worth of video posts in one day, so you don’t have to worry about it the rest of the week. You can dress up and make yourself clean once a week!

Be Happy

BE HAPPY! Your VLOG viewers will be able to see your emotion through your video. If you’re having an off-day, just hold back on recording until you feel better.

Being unique and jumping on this bandwagon early is the way to a good successful and simple blogging career.

Review of iJustine

Background - Justine’s About Page

Justine, aka iJustine, currently lives in Pittsburgh, PA as a freelance designer for graphics or web designs. She also works on video editing with her best friend/roommate, Desiree. Justine’s tagline says she is the Internet and I think it is very true. She’s on almost every single social sites online, which includes VIRB, Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, iminlikewithyou, Groovr, and the all popular Myspace.

Justine is basically a crazy video content lover and editor. Because of her success, she has been placed as staff on various big companies xTrain and GeekRiot. One of the biggest accomplishments of her career is placing as 2nd place with her friend Desiree in the 2006 Yahoo Talent Show.

Tasty Blog Shack

This blog of Justine’s is just one of many creative ideas that she works on daily. Her blog is basically a rambling blog that talks about various things happening in the world, but through videos. It seems like her talent and beauty is just catching viewers and subscribers left and right. I stumbled across this site through Justin.tv a few months ago, but she has grown into a huge phenomenal on the net.

Justine even interviews famous celebrities with her special “BACKSTAGE” passes that most of us dream of having. I must say that I really enjoy reading her VLOG posts once in a while because it is fresh. Her videos are edited to the point where a dull thing can be interesting. We just wonder how she is soooo successful..

Here are a few of her recent vlog posts that I enjoyed

• The 1 Second Film
• Egg 2.0
• Billy Bob Thorton Loves Cake
• Awkward Pool Time

As you can tell, Justine and her friend Desiree are very interesting persons I love both of them and I enjoy watching them amuse themselves with APPLE products

iJustine Live

I say that the biggest reason for Justine’s success is all her video blogging. She throws herself in front of the camera whenever she has the

chance, which is simply AMAZING. If I were to be interviewed by her, I would probably hide in the corner and cry with my wife :(. But enough

with her video blogging. She also puts her daily life up the now famous Justin.tv webcam site for all to see. Justine is more busy now since of all the new opportunities that are given to her, but back about 2 months ago, I would love to watch what she is doing at work or at home She has a separate site just for all her recordings, so check out iJustine.tv (not Justin.tv).

Women Are Godly

Lets see…Justine is simply amazing. I’m a guy, but all her hard work just proves to show that women are godly. I always say to myself that women are the ones that receives top priority when applying for jobs or making money. People would rather hire women than men because sex sells. Women can make money no matter what, but Justine uses her talent instead of her beauty ;). I assume that to Justine, talent is what brings out a person more. If I’m correct, there are more male bloggers in the blogosphere, but there are more women in the world. We need more women! Us guys are hungry to see what some of you have to present to us :).

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