Travel Vlogging Guide for Beginners: 7 essential tips

Are you thinking of getting into travel vlogging but unsure where to start? I hear you! Not so long ago Matt and I found ourselves in the same place, knowing what we wanted to do but unsure how to begin and rightly so because there’s more to it than just buying a camera and filming stuff. As we’ve learned over the years there are a few essential things you can do to make starting your travel vlog that much easier! So, here’s our beginners guide to travel vlogging and the tips we wish we knew.

But first, watch this…

1. Plan your video ideas ahead of time

It’s incredibly important you take the time to consider exactly what you want to cover in your videos. Instead of just turning the camera on and filming aimlessly, you need to have a plan for what kind of shots you need, the story you’re telling, what value your video will offer people and a clear idea of how you want it all to come together in the edit.

Dig deeper and explore how your video is going to keep your audience engaged. Consider what tone it will take. Are you an expert in the field or someone experiencing something for the first time? What energy will you bring to the video? Are you upbeat and high-energy or more laid back and calm? Whatever you decide, it’s vital you are authentic as this is what your audience will connect with.

For travel-based content, we’ve found it’s essential to build the plot of each video so your viewers can quickly and easily understand what it’s about, what you offer and who you are. Be consistent in each video you create and capture moments the audience can look forward to. These routines can be your sign-off, a recurring segment video or even just the way you talk!

Video length will vary depending on the type of content you’re producing. Short videos of between 5-10 minutes in length are great for most travel vloggers! As we create detailed guides covering many days we’ve found videos of 10-20 minutes in length work great for us.

2. Develop a video publishing schedule

Early on we began a bad habit of trying to come up with a new video idea each week. This meant we were always on the back foot. It felt, at times, like we were barely keeping our heads above water and our YouTube channel quickly felt overwhelming. Don’t do what we did. Instead, you want to develop a YouTube schedule and have your video ideas planned out ahead of time.

Have ALL your video ideas written down somewhere and decide when you’re going to publish them, adding them to your calendar. Let me take you through this in a bit more detail. Before we go away on a trip we sit down together and come up with a list of all the videos we want to shoot while we’re there. For example, in New Zealand, we wanted to capture nine videos. We then write these video names on sticky labels and put them on our year view wall calendar.

This means we know we have content planned for the next nine weeks and can start planning ahead of time what we’re going to shoot once those nine weeks run out. Having a schedule will keep your channel progressing steadily and this regularity will increase your audience!

3. Shoot in landscape orientation only

If your goal is to become one of the best vloggers in the traveling niche, it’s essential for you to constantly improve your video recording skills and enhance the quality of your vlogging content. A common mistake is recording the content in portrait orientation. 

This can greatly influence the viewers’ experience, as they will not only get annoyed with the two black stripes on your videos but also won’t be able to see much of what’s in the shot. Even if you crop the video to fit the video player resolution on your travel channel you won’t save the situation as it greatly affects the video quality. Shooting in landscape will give you the highest quality video, allow your viewer to see as much as possible and ensure your video work comes across professionally.

4. Choose your niche and stick with it

It may not seem like it to begin with but the travel space is quite broad and there are a wide range of niches within it. It’s vital you know where you fit within the travel space before you start vlogging. For example, you may focus on food, daring experiences, hidden gems, visiting popular spots and sharing whether or not you think they’re any good, travel hacks, luxury hotels, budget-friendly spots etc.

Many of these, as well as other niche ideas, can help you to stick to the right audience and be consistent in one industry. Sticking to a specific area, especially for the travel channels, can benefit in finding your audience and develop your growth as a vlogger. Take the time to think about who your ideal viewer is and make sure your content meets their needs.

For us, we always envision a person planning a trip looking for a lot of information and inspiration to help them. For this reason we cover a range of activities, must-try food, where to stay and essential tips we learn along the way.

5. Shoot with good light

Lighting is incredibly important when filming your travel content! The visuals you capture are essential in grabbing the viewer, retaining their attention and offering value. Where possible you want to shoot with natural light during the day. This will save you capturing grainy footage in low light and prevent you needing to spend money on purchasing lights. If you’re investing in new gear and plan to shoot in low light, make sure you get a camera with these capabilities.

6. Get the proper equipment

Investing in a good vlog camera kit will directly impact the quality of your vlogging content. Ideally you want the equipment to be durable so you can shoot in a range of travel conditions. Having a camear that is water-resistant, dustproof, and extremely rugged to ensure durable use in any situation is a bonus!

Also, to be able to record when traveling alone effortlessly, it’s a good idea to buy a tripod stand or something similar so you can capture hand-held content solo. Good audio quality is absolutely essential so make sure you have a microphone that cuts out wind and background noise. If you want to check out what we use to shoot with, you can do that here.

7. Consider the visual and commercial appeal of videos

To grow as a professional vlogger, you will need to develop the visual aspect of your videos to attract more viewers. As we learned, this means you’ll be able to draw work offers from tourism boards and brands within the travel space. For this purpose, here are some essential tips to know for boosting your travel videos:

• Pick up the best free video editor to remove the fluff and match the best shoots
• Pay attention to the filters and visual effects to make videos more dynamic
• Choose the right music for your travel videos
• Maintain one style for your videos to remain consistent

Lastly, consistently edit photos and videos before publishing them on social media or on travel sites to build your unique brand and style. Adding stickers or engaging screenshots to your promo is also a nice method of drawing people’s interest towards your vlogging content. 

So, what are you waiting for?

Let your creative side shine and explore the world in your own unique way! Don’t be afraid to do something new or reinvent a beloved travel trend. Always be authentic, learn from others and create travel videos that offer something wonderful to your intended audience. Be bold, be brave and be YOURSELF! Get out there and start creating. One way or another it will change your life.

This post was written by Evelina Brown. All advice and insight remain objective and genuine. Thanks, Evelina for your support, allowing us to keep doing what we love!

---

Get connected with a local SIM card from Simify.
Get it delivered before you leave home, ensuring you’re able to connect and navigate as soon as you arrive + find great things to do on the go!

---

---

---