Isn’t it a nice thing to be able to know how someone’s day went by just watching it online? Imagine I take a trip to Gisenyi and I document the whole trip from Kigali to Gisenyi including the interesting activities, how entertaining would that be? Lately, a new trend of recording short videos of how one’s day went has been rising and it is quite entertaining to view the interesting lives of different people. The act of taking such short videos and sharing them publically is called vlogging: the activity or practice of posting short videos to different social media outlets or maintaining a vlog. Origin of vlogging The first time recording a vlog was in the 1980s and was recorded by John Nelson Sullivan an American videographer, he was known for recording videos around New York City and South Carolina. Later, vlogging emerged again in 2000, Adam Kontras an American YouTuber, writer, and director, posted a video on January 2, alongside a blog entry aimed at informing his friends and family of his cross-country move to Los Angeles of show business, marking the first post on what would later become the longest-running video blog in history. Other vloggers like, Adrian Miles posted a video of changing text on a still image, and Lukk Bouwman started 2002 the now-defunct Tropism site as a video diary of his post-college travels, one of the first sites to be called a vlog or video vlog. The beauty of vlogging To some vloggers, vlogging is a hobby, a pass time, or a mind refresher. Sylvie Sugira, a Rwandan vlogger on Instagram, says that to her vlogging comes naturally. “It relaxes me and I am the happiest when I am creating because it's my biggest hobby. It is so easy for me to get the content because I use what I have and create what I want,” she says. She adds that, although it might sound cliché she goes with the flow, and most specifically she vlogs only when she feels inspired which doesn’t take her much time. Alexis Muhire, a vlogger, says that vlogging is his way of showing his creativity. “My vlogs are mostly short, but I capture clips that marked my day, when I am vlogging I put in all my heart and inspiration because I want to create something that will put a smile on a stranger's face or give someone something to look out for at the end of the day,” he says. Tips on successful vlogging According to Sugira, vlogging requires you to be your authentic self. “Make sure you are doing what you like, don't copy anyone just be yourself, be genuine and be your authentic self, and most specifically make sure you are enjoying it, if you don't it will be so draining. Your job is not to please your audience but to explore what interests you,” she advises. Celine Umuhoza, who vlogs from time to time on Instagram, says that before starting to blog a person should know their niche. “A niche should be in line with your passion, they go hand in hand. For you to attract viewers, you need to find your niche, and be consistent with it because it attracts viewers and views when you know where you stand,” she says. Vlogging pro, an ultimate vlogging guide suggests a few tips for vlog beginners: Set a goal If you want to be successful in vlogging it’s important to set a goal. If you don’t know what you want to achieve with your vlogs you don’t know the steps you need to take to get there. Find your passion A lot of people are creating vlogs based on what they think will get the most views. Your passion can be fitness, fashion, gaming, or any other hobby or sport. Understand your audience It’s important to understand who your (potential) viewers are and what they like and dislike. How old are they, what are they passionate about, and are they male, female, or mixed?
