I’ve been thinking about vlogging for quite a while. It’s not a foreign concept to me because I used to do videos all the time in my former life as a web developer with my company Designed 2 Impress, Inc., before it was merged into what today is “Guided Path to Success, Inc.”

However, after I decided to code only for fun and to pick a niche to mentor the moms I’ve been called to serve, it’s been tough to get started because my inner bully has been poking at me with the perfectionist stick. I have a theory that the more you care, the more you are tempted to inaction because you want it to be just right. I have to constantly remind myself: done is better than perfect!

[tweet “Done is better than perfect! #thepositivemom”]

Why start blogging with a V?

With homemaking, homeschooling, mom mentoring, and all that being a mompreneur entails, you may wonder why add yet another thing to my daily to do list. Here are some compelling reasons why more and more bloggers are taking putting a face to their words, and taking their content (and personality) to YouTube:

• YouTube is the second search engine in the world (the first is Google, and Google just happens to own YouTube).
• 1 billion people visit YouTube each month (a 7th of the world population)
• YouTube viewers watch 9 billion hours of videos every month
• 300 hours of video uploaded each minute (it would take 18 days to watch – it would take 36 years to watch one day of YouTube uploads!)
• Video combines most of the learning styles, so you can engage a broader audience with your message

In an effort to put an end to my procrastination, I knew decided to carefully plan my Hispanicize trip around three main events:

1. The Tecla Awards
2. The “Meet the Viral Video Latinos of YouTube and Facebook” panel (Sponsored by Neutrogena)
3. “Getting Rolling With YouTube Videos,” a hands-on workshop presented by Alejandro Duque and Matias Friz (of YouTube!!!)

I am sharing some of the main lessons I learned from the outstanding vloggers I met and heard from, so maybe you will be encouraged to join me on my new journey as a mommy vlogger. 🙂

What Successful YouTube Vloggers Have In Common

Successful Vloggers make videos because they love it. They invest time and effort because they are passionate about it. They started vlogging because of a desire they each had, and people kept asking them to make more videos. The monetization came after.

Successful Vloggers on YouTube are authentic and stay true to who they are. Their content is unique and reflects their personality and style. They’re not stiff talking-heads reading from a script, they are playful and look comfortable being who they are. Their vlogs are natural, off-the-cuff, unrehearsed, transparent, and spontaneous.

Successful Vloggers work a lot. Most of them didn’t start with a team and some still edit, plan, and create every single video they post. They are persistent and consistent! When we follow our passion, it doesn’t mean we work less, it means we work around our lifestyle and accommodate the needs of our young families.

Successful Vloggers are self-made. They didn’t go to “become a YouTube sensation” school. Neither had a video editing degree, or on-camera training. They didn’t even have formal education on the topics they vlog about. And this may be the biggest shocker: They didn’t go into it thinking they were going to dominate YouTube; they actually built their confidence overtime.

Successful Vloggers don’t listen to the haters. Sure they notice the dislikes and negative comments, but they focus on what brings them joy and the support they receive from their community of friends and fans. They are too busy making a difference to be distracted by negativity.

Successful Vloggers measure success on their own terms. They love having the numbers: lots of views and subscribers, but those are not their main goals and drivers. Success for them is measured either in reaching the people they want to impact, receiving positive feedback from a loyal viewer, or simply the joy of doing what they love and monetizing their passion.

Successful Vloggers engage their viewers and treat them like friends. Whether they call them “besties” or “chulas,”  they are not “just an audience” but a community with which they share joys, sorrows, and sometimes,TMI! They tell stories that are personal and relatable; and they evoke emotions. They acknowledge and appreciate feedback and create helpful, valuable content tailored to their loyal fans.

[Tweet “You don’t need to be great to get started, but you do need to get started to be great! #thepositivemom”]

I feel like I’m ready to take over the world on YouTube now, so stay tuned for more tips, and for The Positive Mom vlogs. You don’t need to be great to get started, but you do need to get started to be great!

Who are your favorite YouTube Vloggers? Have you ever considered vlogging? Share in the comments below!

[ela]