I was really pleased to have a great response to last week’s email, where I talked about my latest obsession: vlogging and vloggers!

It seems quite a few of you are either already vlogging or seriously considering starting up. ??

One thing I got asked a lot of questions about is equipment. But, seriously, when you’re starting out, a basic webcam or even the camera on your phone is sufficient. Add to that a low-cost app like iMovie for editing and you’re all set.

Of course, there are some great cameras out there that will make super-professional looking (and sounding) videos. But before you get to a point where you’re ready to invest money in to your vlogging efforts, I advise that you just get going. ??

Whilst getting the right equipment for your video blogging isn’t top of my list of priorities, there are other ways to make your videos look more professional.

Here are seven top tips:

1 Be Consistent With Your Lighting

First off, whenever you can, record your videos at the same time of the day or night, and in the same place. This keeps you from having to fight against bad lighting, background noise and other potential problems when you are constantly changing your location etc. You also become more comfortable, and this shows in the video and audio of your videos.

2 Be Yourself

This really should have been number one. Be yourself. The human beings watching your videos are just like you. Or nothing like you. But most definitely human. (You’d hope!) If you come across as too polished or trying too hard to be something you’re not, it shows right through and you lose a potential viewer.

3 Use the Sun

This is a great tip. For great natural lighting of your videos use the sun. Shoot during the ‘Golden Hour’ – one hour after sunrise or one hour before sunset – for excellent lighting.

4 Choose Your Resolution Wisely

Shoot your video in the highest resolution possible. If your camera, smartphone or PC can capture video in 1,080 pixels, choose this setting (rather than 720) for the best possible video quality.

Yes, it takes a bit longer to upload a higher resolution video, but nobody likes to watch a poor quality video on the Internet, now that most of us have super fast internet connections!

5 Improve Your Audio

?Film your videos whilst as close as possible to your microphone for the best audio. Whether you are the lone subject of your video blog, or you are interviewing someone, every subject should be the same distance from your microphone as you are, and as close as possible.

It doesn’t matter how good your video is, if your audio stinks, no one will stick around.

6 Stand Up?

Whilst I certainly don’t practice what I preach in this department, I definitely DO think videos where vloggers are standing have a really great impacy.

Stand up while recording. When sitting, the human body has the tendency to slouch. Recording your vlogs while standing, whilst making sure to practice perfect posture, has the added benefit of helping you to feel more confident, too!

7 Look Presentable

For a quality video blog, you should look presentable and professional. But don’t overdo it. It’s just about making sure you are giving the audience a good impression.

As I say, I’m working on a detailed guide to vlogging that will go out with the next issue of the Internet Income Detective newsletter.

If you have any questions or ideas about what you’d like me to include in that, do let me know. ??Have a great week!??