So you have decided to embark on your vlogging journey. Congratulations!
Worried about how to introduce yourself in your first YouTube video? We get it. This is a crucial video as it will set the tone for your YouTube channel. Now is your chance to start getting comfortable in front of the camera and start showing off your personality.
Keep reading for our step-by-step guide on how to introduce yourself in your first video along with first vlog ideas.
Be Yourself
Keep in mind that this is the first taste your audience gets of your content. So don’t try to be something that you aren’t. Ensure that your screen presence and talking style are consistent with what you actually want to portray.
Even if you plan to script your vlog, make sure that you’re still incorporating your personality into it. The goal is to give the audience a sample of what you can offer.
Don't Be Afraid To Experiment
Since you’re just starting out, it’s okay to experiment a bit with your style and see what sticks. You’ll start to optimize your content based on the kind of feedback you receive eventually.
Especially if you plan to stay in content creation for the long run, it’s super important to monitor the performance of these first few videos as they will decide the direction your YouTube channel takes.
List Out Your Talking Points
When you’re creating the script for your vlog, make sure to write out all the things you want to say. This will help avoid retakes and get your filming done faster and more naturally. Don’t be afraid of re-takes either. Practice makes perfect. You can even make chapters within the video to help organize your thoughts and give your viewers a better watching experience.
Cover the basics
Get creative in your vlog intro. Identify your reason for picking up vlogging–and what kind of content viewers can expect from you. Tell your viewers all the key details about you–who you are, your age, location, what topics or niches you’ll be covering along with your areas of interest.
Even if you haven’t fully decided, there’s no harm in being honest about wanting to explore as you go along.
If you’ve already decided on an upload schedule or how often you’ll post, now’s a great time to mention this as well.
A good vlog intro should be like a trailer of sorts for your content and most importantly should be of fine video quality. It is the one piece of content you have to draw viewers in to engage more deeply.
Use tried-and-tested video formats
Making vlogs more engaging for your target audience could mean trying out fun challenges or formats like a ‘Get To Know Me’ vlog or ‘50 Facts About Me’ video. These are some of the good video ideas for those who are new to vlogging or video content creation in general. Even if you don’t have that many followers yet that leave comments or questions, it’s worth giving it a shot.
These are super low-stakes, a very casual style of YouTube videos to show off your personality–and quite simple to pull off.
For these types of videos, you can intersperse the talking portion of your video with your subscribers’ questions on the screen. This is easily achieved with DailyCutting’s collection of sharp titles and graphics.
Check out Kritika Khurana’s take on the 50 Facts About Me challenge below.
Talk about your journey and build credibility
You can also use your first vlog to give a glimpse into your life so far and start building your credibility or expertise in your domain.
For example, if you’re a college student or work in a certain profession, you can mention how you reached that point, or even do a ‘Day in My Life’ style video where you take them through what it’s like to do what you do.
You may think that this is content people may not find interesting, but those on the same journey as yours will come and find you.
Be sure to highlight what it is that separates you from others making similar content, and what new value you can add to the viewer’s life.
Add links to your socials and a call to action
Incorporating a call to action is essential not just for your first video, but for your YouTube vlog channel in general.
And it’s better to make it a practice by doing so right from your first video. Let viewers know exactly where they can go if they want more information or are intrigued about you or your brand.
Be sure to include a mention on your storefront, blog, and/or other social media pages. Make this a standard practice so that you’re always interlinking your online presence. This will help you retain viewers and subscribers as you continue on your journey.
For example, a standard call to action on YouTube could even be something simple as ‘leave a like and subscribe’.
Nisha from RainbowPlantLife always has a solid CTA at the end of her videos, like the one below.
Get creative in your vlog intro. Identify your reason for picking up vlogging –and what kind of content viewers can expect from you. Tell your viewers all the key details about you–who you are, your age, location, what topics or niches you’ll be covering along with your areas of interest.
To ensure that the right type of audience finds your video, it’s a must to optimize the video title, hashtag, and thumbnail. Check out this article by HubSpot for more information on YouTube SEO.
Looking to create your first Vlog?
Now that you’ve got vlogging tips on introducing yourself effectively in your first vlog, go out there and make a great first impression!
And when it comes time to hit the editing table, ChopChop as got you covered.
Before you become overwhelmed by all the video editing software out there as a new vlogger, check out ChopChop.
Our economically priced card-based editor comes with virtually no learning curve and all the features you’ll need to kick off your vlogging journey. Here, you will find a variety of text styles, transitions, audio tracks as well as an in-built voiceover feature.
You can sign up for early access here.
