How to Vlog for Short Form: Vlogging Tips to Help You Find the Story

Let’s talk about vlogs, and; no I’m not talking about an hour-long scripted production on YouTube. If you want to do that, that’s cool but vlogs don’t have to be lengthy or hard to churn out. I’m here today with the vlog tips you need to produce engaging and relatable vlog content for Reels and TikToks. 

In case this is your first time tuning in, let me introduce myself. Reporting from my laundry office in small-town Illinois, this is Virginia Kerr. And I’m here to help you stand out and make money by leveraging and up-leveling your social media videos. I’ve been in the TV and video industry for more than 20 years. Four TV newsrooms, hundreds of videos, blogs, and podcasts later, I’m here to share what I’ve learned with women ready to get the most out of their hard work. 

Does video intimidate you? Make you want to hide? I’m excited to help you push through your limiting beliefs and show you that you can shine on video! I’m closing the gap by teaching you easy systems and sharing templates that help your videos get in front of your ideal clients. 

Welcome to This is Virginia Kerr, The Podcast! Let’s get started!

Think Day in the Life, But Shorter

Vlogs for Reels or TikToks can be a great way to cultivate content without actually having to think too hard about it. You can simply showcase what you are up to during the day, no scripting or characters necessary.

This will give your audience a peek into your daily life, and help them see you as relatable. This is especially helpful since lately more genuine and original content is, for lack of a better word, trending. Your audience doesn’t want to see you playing a character, they want to see how you incorporate what you offer in your daily life in a real way. (Or a “reel way”, sorry I had to).

Find the Story: The Bottomline

Now, this is not to say your viewers want to see every mundane thing you do- you have to find the story in whatever event you want to highlight. And what does every story have? A conflict, a transformation, and the lesson learned from all of it. That might sound like a tall order for sharing something you would do anyway in daily life, but it’s all how you view your normal activities. For example, I made a vlog about going out to lunch with my sister-in-law. I was able to find a conflict that would likely resonate with many- working so hard that it had been forever since I had taken time off to go out with a friend; neglecting myself self in the name of business. The transformation was simply a few shots of us together and the lunch we shared. The lesson was me letting the audience know that taking time off to connect with friends and family is a powerfully good thing to do.

I recorded more than I needed so that when it came time to edit I had enough footage to work with, but it’s not like I was recording the entire encounter. It doesn’t have to be this all-day laborious thing- just a few simple shots, with some text to explain the story taking place, during an activity you would do anyway. Simple, to the point, and a really great way to connect with your audience; vlogs for the win.

For more information about the podcast, or to learn more about This is Video School, visit my website. I would love to connect with you more on social media! You can find me on Instagram or join my free Facebook community, This is Video and Content Strategy, to help you level up your branding, messaging and video so you can grow your audience and convert followers into customers.

I look forward to seeing you there!