Читать книгу Get Rich Blogging - Zoe Griffin - Страница 18

Now you have picked your theme, your next task is to think carefully about how you’re going to draw attention to your vlog and make people aware it exists. If you look at the YouTube channels of some of your favourite vloggers, you will notice there is another thing they have in common besides being educative or entertaining: they have all thought carefully about the look and feel of their channel.

Successful vloggers make themselves into mini media networks by branding their channel in a way their audience likes. Most of them have a name for their channel that’s slightly different to their real name, and all of them have a unique logo that they stamp over their videos, so the audience knows who’s made them. Brand recall is the goal here. The objective behind a catchy name and logo isn’t only to identify a vlogger’s brand, but also to make sure that if someone sees the channel even once, then the name will be memorable. This way, people will know where to go to get more of the same content.

Successful vloggers’ videos are in no way random: their brand identity runs throughout each one. Often, they use the same backdrop or setting. Sometimes they have quirky catchphrases or sayings. They rarely change their physical appearance, as their image is closely related to their brand. They’ll have thought about the style of clothes they wear and their hairstyle to ensure viewers think they’re cool. Fashion vloggers must be presentable and polished at all times to reflect their content, while comedy vloggers often play on a slightly unkempt, scruffy appearance so they come across as jokers. Remember that viewers have short attention spans. Sometimes they’ll make up their mind about a vlogger’s channel before that vlogger opens their mouth. For that reason, it’s important that you dress with your audience in mind so that you keep the attention of people who have similar interests to you.

If the concept of brand identity still seems confusing, think about the BBC. If you see those three letters during the opening credits for a TV show, then it may provoke certain thoughts. We assume the BBC produces high-quality programmes. We presume there won’t be any swearing or nudity before 9pm, and we expect the channel’s news coverage to be trustworthy, independent and presented by smartly-dressed newsreaders. Once you’ve enjoyed one news bulletin or drama made by the BBC, the next time you see the BBC logo it will remind you of the show you liked and give you high expectations for the show you’re about to watch. Perhaps the next time you’re channel-surfing, you’ll remember that you’ve previously enjoyed two shows by the BBC, so you pick its channels over Channel 4 or Sky 1.

Vloggers build up their brand identity and loyalty in much the same way. Their videos consistently contain the same elements so viewers know what to expect, and they are branded with a name and a logo so viewers can find them again.

It’s important to be clear on your brand identity before you start filming. Building a brand relies on consistency, and if you’re unsure of your identity, it’s impossible to be consistent. The basic components of building a brand include: thinking of a name, designing a logo and graphics, developing a theme tune, deciding on a personal image and picking a location. You may have some other ideas about how you can stamp your personality over your videos based on repeatedly doing something you like or are good at, but let’s start by working on the basics.