The rapid rise of viral vloggers like, Casey Neistat and Gary Vaynerchuk, over the last two years illustrates how creators that produce high quality, daily video content can grow their brand at an astronomical rate. Vaynerchuk has used his daily vlog to bolster the following for his personal brand GaryVee and simultaneously his company Vaynermedia. Meanwhile, since starting his daily vlog in 2015 Neistat has climbed the YouTube ranks to become known as a renowned source for millennial media. So much so, that CNN paid Neistat and his team $25 million to create a millennial-focused media program.
Vlogging showcases the spontaneity of the creator’s daily life, using that behind-the-scenes nature to create a stronger connection with the audience. While vlogging requires a lot of dedication and time, the potential rewards are well worth the hustle. We broke down the different strategies used by YouTube’s top viral vloggers into helpful hints you can incorporate into your next vlog and how to use this medium to achieve your business-focused goals beyond content creation.
Vlogging Like Casey Neistat:
Casey Neistat, who boasts a massive audience of more than 7.5 million subscribers, defined vlogging best when he said that it is the “idea of using your life as a narrative for a daily series.” When it comes to his vlogging technique, Neistat uses a very minimalistic approach called the “Do It Yourself” method. This method requires the vlogger to film themselves with a camera by setting it up on a tripod or holding it in front of their face as they go through their day.
Although Neistat has a background as a professional filmmaker and he’s been on YouTube since 2010, he didn’t start vlogging until 2015. Neistat said he made the transition because he wanted the challenge of creating a film everyday. While challenging himself artistically, Neistat simultaneously grew closer with his viewers by giving them a window seat into his personal life and his personality.
If you’re looking for inspiration on how to get started on your vlog, pay attention to Neistat’s videos, which strike a perfect balance between cinematography and documentation. To get all of Neistat’s tips for vlogging watch this video he created to showcase his technique. We’ve highlighted a few of his tips below for you to keep in mind:
- Film with your highest quality camera, but if you’re limited to your phone don’t be afraid to use it.
- Hold the camera steady because your viewers don’t want to watch shaky video and it will make the editing process much more difficult.
- Don’t limit yourself to one vlogging method. Use and build on other vloggers’ styles, but always remember to be original and give the video your own personal twist.
Vlogging Like Gary Vaynerchuk:
Serial entrepreneur and CEO of Vaynermedia Gary Vaynerchuk has also built an empire in the vlogging world. Not a filmmaker himself, Vaynerchuk hired his videographer David Rock to shadow him everyday in order to create a daily episode which documents him building his business. And the technique is certainly working as Vaynerchuk and Rock have been able to successfully attract over 767,000 subscribers.
Vaynerchuk’s YouTube channel is a great example for someone who wants to document their professional journey, but doesn’t necessarily have the talent or creative eye to make the videos themself. This method is a bit more exclusive because it requires hiring someone to film you. However, an up-and-coming creator or entrepreneur can still use this method by finding a hungry intern or partner who wants to hone their filmmaking craft.
Putting your life on camera can be intimidating, but Vaynerchuk explains that one of the secrets to the success of his rapidly growing vlog, “DailyVee,” is the central concept of “document, don’t create.” Vaynerchuk advocates that paralyzing yourself by trying to create the perfect video will only cripple your content output. Rather, creators should strive to stand out by capturing the unique individuality of their actual life.
If you and your videographer are looking for even more specific direction on this method, Rock listed all of his equipment and their uses in creating Vaynerchuk’s daily vlogs here. We’ve highlighted a few of Vaynerchuk’s and Rock’s vlogging tips below:
- Your individual personality is the unique factor that separates you from other content creators.
- Purchase a JOBY GorillaPod Original Tripod because “it’s lightweight and easier than lugging around a tripod all the time.
How Vlogging Vaulted Chris Collins to Stardom
In fact, one of Vydia’s users Chris Collins knows the benefits of vlogging firsthand. Collins started his YouTube career by vlogging on his channel WeeklyChris, which now boasts more than 2.2 million subscribers.
“I was just a kid sitting in his bedroom, posting videos,” Collins said in a USC Annenberg Media article. “Sometimes instead of going to a movie doing something fun, I’d be sitting in my bedroom creating content.”
Chris Collins’s content echoes the sentiment of being yourself on camera. Kirsten Collins, Chris’s sister and also a social media star, said in the same article that her brother’s success is partially thanks to his authenticity on camera.
No matter which method you have access to, vlogging is a dynamic way to grow a stronger relationship with your audience and simultaneously create more content by documenting your process.
While Collins recently made the transition to focus on creating music, the notoriety he gained as a vlogger helped catapult him into his now burgeoning singing career by building him an audience base and exposing people to his personality.
“With social media you’re able to showcase your life more,” Collins said in the article. “But I always think one of the reasons I really chose music, is that with music, it allows you to express emotion or ideas that you can’t generally do or are much harder to present with just words or just videos. You’re allowed to be a lot more raw.”
If you’re a vlogger or are thinking about starting a vlog don’t forget to tell us on social media!