Starting a vlog is the ultimate way to harness your creativity. You can either team up with a friend or go your own way, but whichever you choose, you’ve got full creative control over the videos you make.

To a casual viewer, it may look like easy work sitting in front of a camera chatting about phones, cameras and laptops. But it’s not! Just look at how many videos your favourite YouTuber has on their channel. Hundreds, most likely. And that’s just the finished article. You’ve also got to think about where you’ll set up, editing your work and, most importantly, what you’ll be talking about.

So, how do you get started? Read on to find out more...

Choose your niche and be yourself

Of course, there are already plenty of people out there talking about the latest gadgets, smartphone releases and games console rumours. Don’t let that discourage you from getting started.

The best way to make a name for yourself is to pick a specific thing that you’re passionate about. Whether you’re crazy about gaming PCs or foldable smartphones, you’ll have an easier time planning your next video if it’s about something you love.

Above all, just be yourself. Even through a screen, your personality shines through. So, don’t even attempt to imitate another channel. Be the one that everyone else wants to copy.

Start with the tech you already have

Let’s face it, you’re not going to buy every new piece of tech as soon as it’s released to make content straight away. But that’s okay. You’ve probably got tons of great products at home that inspired you to get into tech vlogging in the first place. Why not start with that?

It doesn’t matter what product it is, or if it’s not brand new. If it’s a great piece of kit, people will want to hear about it. And because you’ve already been using it for a while, you can talk about how it performs after weeks or months of regular use. That’s something you can’t talk about straight out of the box, and it’ll help to set your channel apart and make it memorable.

Choose the right kit for you

This is one of the most important steps. The perfect setup will save you bags of time shooting your vlogs, and even more time editing them. There’s no shortage to the accessories you can get to make vlogging easier, but there are three essentials: A great camera, a reliable microphone, and a sturdy tripod or mount.

You won’t need to fork out for a state-of-the-art DSLR, but there are plenty of solid options for vlogging. The Canon PowerShot G7 X MK II is made for vlogs with its Full HD video resolution and five axis Advanced Dynamic image stabilisation to keep your footage steady. It even has a screen that rotates all the way to the front. So, you can get the lighting just right before you hit record.

Plus, if you want to get recording straight away, you can choose to bundle it with a Gorillapod tripod and memory card. You’ll be well on your way to YouTube stardom.

Plan regular uploads

Did you know around 5 billion videos are watched on YouTube every day? So you’ll need to do something pretty special to make yours memorable.

Most vloggers frequently ask their viewers to subscribe to their channel, but here’s the thing: If you’re not regularly uploading new videos, what’s the point in subscribing? The best way to produce content that your followers will look forward to watching, is to plan ahead and put videos live at regular intervals.

Keep an eye on big dates in the tech calendar – long awaited phone releases, conferences like E3 and CES, and keynote speeches from major tech brands. That way, you’ll be one step ahead of the crowd, and you’ll produce videos that viewers will flock to.

Share your footage on social media

So, you’re making the content you’ve always wanted to make. That’s great, but don’t relax just yet. Now, you want to make as many people aware of your videos as possible. The best way to do that is through social media.

Make sure to set up Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages that not only point viewers towards your videos, but enhance them. Upload stills from your vlogs to Instagram to build hype before you put them live. Get a conversation going with your community of followers on Twitter. Upload shortened clips from your vlogs to Facebook to get people interested.

Once your social media pages are live and in sync with your channel, there’ll be no stopping you.

Sponsored videos

You’re probably quite a way off manufacturers approaching you to talk about their latest tech, but it’s good to be prepared. Make sure you’ve set up an email address for your vlog, so that you’re easily contactable when brands are looking for influencers.

Don’t wait around to be contacted, though. Get in touch with the tech brands you love via social media and ask them if they have worked or would like to work with YouTubers. It’s a brilliant way to get on their radar, and once they share your vlog with their followers on their social channels, you’ll get a wave of new subscribers all interested in your verdict on new releases.

That’s everything you need to know to start your tech vlogging journey. Now, go forth and make great videos!

Need more advice about vlogging and the right setup? Why not ask our experts on ShopLive – they’ll happily help you with anything you need.