Two weeks ago I began vlogging. What is a vlog? They are video blogs: short video updates on a topic, just as you would expect from a text blog.
I have considered doing this for a long time, and have been obsessed with YouTube for awhile now. I spend my days talking to writers and publishers, and I found that there were lots of little insights being shared in these conversations – nuggets that kept rattling around in my brain. Sure, maybe some of them will eventually come out in a blog post, but too many of them are lost as I move on to the next thing in my day. So I figured that quick vlogs would be a great way to capture and share these insights.
What held me back? It wasn’t technology, the tech is easy. It was the human stuff, things I had to “get over,” including:
- Background: my home office is rather small, and it contains my LEGO collection. What? That’s right, I have always had an affinity for LEGO. You can imagine that when I first met my wife and found out that she graduated college with a degree in toy design, it was a match made in heaven.
But still, I was concerned that having toys in the background would seem unprofessional, or would be “off brand,” for what I was creating with We Grow Media.
- What I am wearing: I do not wake up everyday and iron my shirts. Maybe this is because I work from home. When I speak at events or meet with publishers, I wear a suit jacket and nice collared shirt. So there was concern that rumpled plaid shirts would make me seem unprofessional.
- Hair and beard: Some days are just bad hair days. Some days I should trim up the stubble, but opt for other things. Do you know people who HATE having their photos taken? I am not one of those people, but like anyone, I can be self-critical about what is a good hair day, and what is a bad hair day. Truth be told, at 39, I am just thankful to have hair! 🙂
In the end, I just went for it, putting aside all of these little qualms that seemed important to no one but me. The reaction so far has been positive. The very things I was worried about are exactly the things people seem to appreciate – the unfiltered down to earth conversation that a vlog is meant to embody.
I will be sharing vlog updates nearly every day, sometimes twice a day. Please subscribe to me on YouTube if you have an account there. I will be cross posting many of the vlog updates here on this blog as well.
Here are some recent vlog updates to give you a sense of them:
When Everyone Has A Platform, Your Job Is To Create Meaning
With Greater Choice, You Have To Focus On High Quality
Why I Share My Cell Phone Number On My Website
Thanks!
-Dan
Great post, Dan and kudos to you taking this step!
Thanks Cynthia!
Dan- I’m really glad you decided to go for it. I’m enjoying your video’s and learning so much.
Thanks Barbara!
Dan, this post is so timely!Â
This is something I started doing recently, and will be putting on my blog in the next few weeks. Like you I had all of the concerns noted above (tbh, mostly bad-hair day related. They seem to come more often than I like!) but you know what? It’s the content that’s important. I have always enjoyed your video interviews, and I look forward to seeing more of your video work. It’s such a more personal way of interacting with an audience than blogging in this day of information overload.
Laura,
Thanks for the feedback! Interesting to consider how video can indeed be more personal. Have a great evening.
-Dan