So, is it vlogging a good idea in 2018? Is it worth to spend several hours a week to improve the quality of our videos and deliver great content to an audience that may or may not see our videos?

The answer is a huge YES! It is.

Becoming a vlogger takes real effort and time if you want to create a long-term career in this niche and succeed.

After doing some thorough research about different successful YouTubers, on why they got started in the first place, how long it took to get noticed, how much time do they put into their videos, among other topics this is what I`ve found.

Why Should You Consider Vlogging?

There are plenty of benefits when it comes to vlogging, but just to name a few, here they are, from some experienced and successful YouTubers.

Alisha Marie (6.5 Million Subs)

A self-proclaimed perfectionist Alisha worked for several hours editing her videos before ever uploading them online for her audience to watch.

It took almost two years since she started her YouTube channel to earn her first 100 dollars, but she says that`s because she was trying a lot of different things that didn`t actually work at first.

She says that high-quality content will speak for itself if you do something you love, then the money will come.

“My biggest advice is to just focus on your content,” she explains. That is the true secret as you create awesome content, build your brand, and grow an audience of followers.

She also points out that you have to be yourself on camera because the viewers can tell when you´re not.

Alisha has a lot of fun doing what she likes to do and earns a huge income from different sources, giving her the freedom that always wanted to have.

The Makeup Chair (1+ Million Subs)

Another great success story that shows how awesome this path can be if you decide to really commit to it.

Sinead Cady, a beauty vlogger from Ireland started creating videos in 2010 showing her skills as a professional make-up artist and helping people around the globe through her channel.

She wanted to gain some experience and learn in the process because she was interested in becoming a great make-up artist one day, and she did!

Basically, she did film and create her own experience while learning and perfecting her craft, a great way to enjoy a hobby or vocation and make an online career out of it.

“Sinead Cady highlights the importance of being unique and building a strong community around your YouTube channel to be successful as a vlogger.” – Vlognation.com

With hard work and consistency, she now has more than 1 million subs on YouTube and keeps growing!

The Ballinger Family (1+ Million Subs)

Husband and father of three Chris Ballinger became a full-time vlogger on 2014 and started his journey by showing some funny magic tricks in his videos and some other things that did with his family on day to day basis.

From the very beginning, he says he wanted to create engaging videos for his audience and so he did!

He found some success doing that but when he did some collaborations with other YouTubers like Miranda Sings, GloZell, Flula, and SoundlyAwake was when experienced some serious growth.

“Consistency on when you post is important. Make videos about what you love. Collaborate every chance you get. I think the most important thing I’ve learned is to stay true to myself while at the same time adapting to what my audience responds to. It’s a fine line.” – Chirs says. (mediakix.com)

He also explains that he has worked with many brands and found that it is a great source of income if you want to take things to the next level.

Build a personal brand and have more business opportunities while you enjoy filming and editing great videos that help your audience in any given way.

Another great benefit of being a vlogger is that you’ll also improve your communication skills and your ability to speak in public.

You will have so much fun making out of your favorite hobby a great online career!

A particular aspect that most vloggers also experience is an increased self-confidence.

Networking and connecting with people all over the world is one more plus you can get from vlogging regularly and chatting with your global viewers.

You can also create multiple sources of income which can simply change your life in such a way you won`t believe it! But more on that right here.

Is It True that Vlogging is Dead?

I`ve heard many people say this and I just want to say to all of them that NO, vlogging is not dead or going to slow down any time soon.

More and more people consume content through online video format each year, check out this statistic if you don´t believe it so.

Number of YouTube users worldwide from 2016 to 2021 with an estimative growth (in billions)

This same growth rate has been estimated according to specific numbers that the YouTube platform obtained during the last couple of years.

Video content is the new way to consume information. People are going to continue reading but the power that is behind the video format is just in its infant years of growth.

There is a lot more to come!

It Can Be a Full-Time Gig

Most vloggers start recording, editing, and learning about video format as a side hustle or just as a hobby, but once they reach a certain level of growth it quickly becomes a full-time job that requires much more of your time and attention.

Creating a new video each week, or even each and every day doesn`t take too long when you start if you make up 4 to 5-minute videos on one sitting.

But when you begin to make more and more professional looking videos and your viewership numbers start to pick up you`ll spend a good number of hours each day filming, scripting, and editing your content.

The truth is that this depends on the channel, your preferences, and at times what the viewer demands.

Takes Time to Make Money as a Vlogger

It will take time to make any kind of money through a vlog. That amount of time it can take depends on how much effort you put into your videos, how good your content is, your consistency to make great videos, and what are the keywords you`re trying to compete for.

That last aspect (keywords) is a little bit more definitive than the other factors. Meaning that if you want to rank for the exact same keyword search than a couple other bigger channels then you will have a tough time trying to rank on the first results.

But, if you start by making videos around more specific and long tail keywords you could get some traction and viewers from your videos.

Also, making use of playlists is another great method you can apply in order to rank faster and make some money while you`re at it.

It all comes down to doing some good keyword research, mostly in the beginning, and then start creating some other type of videos. (personal opinions, giving advice on something you want, etc.)

Is It Safe to Do?

Well, if you do not share your address I think you`ll be okay.

No, really… I mean, you don`t need to worry unless you actually share everything about you so people can easily dig in your personal information, but that`s on you really.

There are a few things you could do in order to protect yourself and others:

• Using fake names: Like any other sort of artist, you can provide an alternative name, or just a nickname (one that doesn`t allow the audience to deduce easily your real name of course). Especially if you`re a minor.
• Choose your main Vlog topic with care: Do not dwell too much on this one but you should try not to talk about racism, violence, or any other topic that could potentially make people react in a very negative manner. People can take things very personally if you don`t think about what you`re saying.
• Do not show your Home: Any information that people could track to find you or contact you should be hidden by all means, that includes your home or apartment. Yes, you can show places nearby or the view from your window, but that`s it! Do not give away too many hints.
• Do not talk about your next vacations or some traveling plans you might have: This is pretty obvious, telling thousands of people that you don`t personally know that you`re leaving for the whole weekend to the lake with a specific time frame when you`re not going to be at home is not a good idea.
• Try not to show any sort of personal information about you: Anything that could leave a trace so people can find more information about you should be avoided at all costs.

Related Questions

Is Vlogging better than Blogging? Depending on taste it can be much better than writing posts all day long in your laptop, but for many people, that`s not the case. The truth is that both have pros and cons to think about, you can check out my Vlogging vs. Blogging post so you can evaluate it yourself.