Meghana Manjunath Wanderlust. It’s the word that spawned thousands of travel vlog captions in the past few years.
Have you ever been bitten by the travel bug? Do you feel the allure of travel, the pull to discover new places? Well, if your answer to the last couple of questions is a yes, we’ve got just the blog to help you explore the world of travel blogging. Pun intended.
Since time immemorial, humans have been curious creatures who explored new grounds to set up civilizations. They built boats and sailed the world in search of spices and treasures. Many of the modern trade links actually date back to trade routes from centuries ago.
Of course, today travel is seen as a leisure activity. It’s something fun to do with your time off. For many others, it’s a passion. We bet that you often daydream about skiing in snowcapped mountains or splashing in waves on a sunny, sandy beach. We’re guilty of that too!
Whether you follow travel vlogs actively or not, we’re sure that some of them do make it to your feed. Or perhaps you have friends who are always traveling and post the most amazing stories detailing their adventures. It doesn’t matter where you’re from or where you’re going, travel vlogs are everywhere. And frankly, we can’t get enough of them.
But for the uninitiated, let’s quickly look at what travel vlogs are about.
What is a travel vlog?
A travel vlog is essentially a video journal of travels. Not unlike the journals or logs that captains of ships sailing the world maintain. These logs or journals contributed heavily to the history of exploration and discovery of places, of new species of flora and fauna.
Today nearly everyone carries a smartphone equipped with high-tech cameras. Videos are also one of the top ways to consume information, with viewers retaining 95% of the information they get from watching a video. So it comes as no shock that travel vlogs are an obvious choice for people to share their travels with their followers.
Travel vlogs are personal videos that present a realistic view of the vlogger’s travels. They are shot either by the vlogger or feature the vlogger as they visit new places. These vlogs are then edited and uploaded to video-sharing sites or social media, where a large audience can enjoy them.
Travel vlogs are super popular. And there’s a reason behind this widespread popularity. Travel vlogs allow us to live vicariously through the viewfinder of a travel vlogger. We may not often get a chance to travel at the drop of a hat or have the budget to go for several vacations throughout the year. But we all have phones and social media that let us get away for a bit, even if only virtually.
Travel vlogs are also sought after for the handy travel tips they provide on the best places to visit, stay options, restaurants to frequent, and local watering holes.
Now, if you’re aspiring to travel more and want to start your very own travel vlog, keep reading!
How to start your own travel vlog
Daunting as it may seem, starting your own travel vlog is easier than you may think. We’re here to help you by breaking the process down into five basic steps:
Select your niche
Your niche depends on what part of traveling resonates with you as a person. Is it staying in beautiful hotels and resorts? Or do you enjoy sampling the local cuisine? Is it adventure sports or relaxing in vacay mode? Whatever floats your boat, that’s the one for you. Use this to plan your travel as well as create an outline for your travel vlog.
Equip yourself
The basic two pieces of equipment you’ll need for a travel vlog are a camera and a mic. If you’re just starting out, there’s no need to splurge on fancy equipment, but make sure you get the ones that are easy to handle and travel-friendly. If your niche is adventure sports, you might want to invest in an action camera, preferably a waterproof one at that.
Film your clips
It’s time to pack your bags and start traveling. Filming is a crucial stage in travel vlogging. This is where you acquire the raw shots that will go into making your travel vlog. Plan ahead. Use the light. Shoot your clips, and make sure to get extra shots. Enjoy yourself and let that shine through your video clips. People appreciate authenticity.
Edit
It’s time to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Choose clips with the best lighting and quality. Remember the outline? You should use that as a blueprint for putting together your travel vlog. Create a story using the clips. Use editing apps to add fun effects and enhance your video. This is also the time to add voiceovers or the right background music to set the stage for your travel vlog.
Post and promote
Set up a YouTube channel or try Vimeo. This will be the site that hosts your travel vlogs. Keep in mind your vlog hosting channel’s rules and community guidelines while posting. Once that post is up, you have got to start promoting. Channel the power of social media and the allure of wanderlust. Share your video with everyone. This is how you’re going to pull in an audience for your travel vlog.
Now, doesn’t that seem easy? Well, we’ve got more!
Travel Vlog Tips
By now, we hope we have you seriously considering the idea of turning your travels into travel vlogs. And on that note, we want to share some tips that will help you on this journey.
Tell a Story
A story will keep your viewers glued to the end. So, make sure to establish a storyline for your travel vlog. Storytelling is the best way to garner views and increase engagement.
Proper Setup
This may seem like such a no-brainer, but it’s too crucial not to mention. Ensure that you have the proper setup and make sure your gear works properly. There’s a lot that the editing phase can fix, but nothing can salvage shaky and blurry videos.
Don’t Film Everything
You’ll be tempted to pull out the camera and film everything in sight. Don’t do it. Consult the outline or storyline you’ve created and film the relevant clips. Remember, the vlog is only one aspect. You have to enjoy your travel as well.
Cut the Fluff Out
Whether you’re in front of the camera or behind, chances are you’ll end up with a lot of footage. It’s time to cut out the excess. You don’t need to put five shots from four different angles of that historical building into your travel vlog. Pick the best and cut out the rest!
Visual Appeal
Think about the best travel vlogs you’ve seen and what they have in common. You’re thinking amazing visuals, right? Yes! Compelling thumbnails are the key to drawing in viewers.
Music and Voiceovers
If the video clips from your travel have too much noise or background disturbances due to wind, there’s no need to panic! Music can be your savior. Use catchy trending tunes to set the tone for your travel vlog. Match the music to the mood for your vlog. Voiceovers are an excellent option for dropping some information on the places you visit in your video.
Get Social with Your Viewers
Engage with your viewers, pay attention and respond to their comments. It’s a great way to understand if they enjoy your posts and where you can do better. Update stories on your social media and give your viewers a little day-to-day taste of your travels.
Don’t Be Afraid to expand
Yes, we know we told you to pick a niche. But don’t be limited by it. Growth is one of the most natural parts of life. So use your experiences to expand on your niche and try new things.
Be Authentic
Would you rather watch someone be themselves or fake a personality for your entertainment? We would pick the former any day! So be authentic. Be honest with your viewers. Stay true to yourself.
Collab and Co-create!
It’s important to build a community not just with your viewers but also with fellow travelers. Not only will collaborating with other travel vloggers expand your audience, but it will also make for fresh and diverse content.
We hope you find these tips come in handy when you start your very own travel vlog.
Short Videos and Travel Vlog
YouTube is, of course, one of the biggest platforms for hosting all kinds of vlogs. But what if you want to make mini vlogs or just don’t have the resources to run a YouTube channel? Well, short videos can be the solution to your dilemma. Vertical short videos are currently all the rage.
You can simply condense the video clips from your travels into short videos under a minute. Posting on social media is second nature to most of us by now. Short video platforms like TikTok and Rizzle make it super easy to create and upload mini travel vlogs. Furthermore, these platforms offer a community for like-minded people to enjoy your content. You don’t even need videos to create a travel vlog. Just create a montage using your vacation pictures, add some effects and music, and you have a travel vlog!
Rizzle offers a variety of Templates, Transition effects, and so much more that lets you edit your videos easily and create the perfect travel vlog. Rizzle also has a vast music library that you can browse to find the perfect background music for your travel vlog. You can even live vicariously through the Green Screen feature and virtually travel to anywhere in the world!
Travel Vlogs on Rizzle
Check out some of the best travel vlogs on Rizzle:
A travel vlog that features snapshots of a trip with friends using effects that invoke nostalgia
A travel vlog from the river by the mountains.
Can you guess this serene place?
Well, we hope you got some ideas on how you can make travel vlogs. If it helped, make sure to share this blog with someone who loves to travel. And tell us your dream destination in the comments below!
If this blog made you feel like you’re ready to start a travel vlog, download Rizzle now to help you ace it!
