So, you’re thinking about starting a vlog channel. Maybe you’ve got big dreams: documenting your life, building a community, and eventually turning it into a full-time career. But, before you dive headfirst into YouTube’s endless sea of content, let me hold your hand for a second and give it to you straight: you should not start a vlog channel—at least, not if your goal is to get monetized quickly or become a full-time YouTuber overnight.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to crush your dreams. Vlogging can be amazing. It’s creative, it’s fun, and it can absolutely open doors. But starting a vlog channel isn’t as simple or rewarding as it might seem at first glance.
But that being said, as someone who just launched a vlog channel, and got it monetized in just a few months, with the right mindset and strategy, it can work.
Let’s break it all down: the good, the bad, and how to approach it with realistic expectations.
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Why Everyone Wants to Start a Vlog Channel
Vlogging feels like it should be simplest form of content creation. You live your life, film it, and then edit it together. Done.
It also gives off that “main character energy” that everyone loves these days, where your life feels like a movie, and you get to share it with the world.
Plus, vlogging can be deeply personal and rewarding. It’s a way to capture memories and express yourself creatively. I’ll admit, as someone with a terrible memory, even I wish I had started vlogging earlier just to have those moments preserved.
But here’s the reality: vlogging isn’t easy to pull off, at least not in the way you might think.
The Problem With Starting a Vlog Channel
1. Vlogging Is Hard to Get Off the Ground
YouTube is not like TikTok or Instagram, where people passively scroll through their feeds and are served your content. On YouTube, viewers have to choose to watch your video. They see your thumbnail and title, and they decide whether your content is worth their time.
And here lies the first issue. When you’re starting out with zero subscribers, no one knows who you are. Why would they care about your “day in the life” or “weekly vlog”?
Unless you’re Beyoncé or Taylor Swift, people aren’t going to click just to see your life. Even YouTubers who are already established in a niche struggle to transition into vlogging unless their audience is already invested in them personally.
2. Vlogs Have Limited Appeal
Vlogs, by nature, have a cap on interest. They’re not designed to go viral to the masses unless something dramatic happens or you’ve got a super click-baity title.
For example, a video titled “My Weekly Vlog” isn’t going to get a million views. It might not even hit 1,000 unless you’ve already built an audience. Why? Because vlogs are often too general.
If you want YouTube success, your videos need to appeal to a wide audience. Think about it this way: a video like “How to Organize Your Closet” might attract a variety of viewers, even those who don’t know you. But “Here’s What I Did This Week”? That’s only going to resonate with people who are already invested in you.
Let’s Talk About Money
1. RPMs Are Lower for Vlog Channels
When it comes to making money on YouTube, vlogs are not a goldmine. Your RPM (how much you earn per 1,000 views) will likely be lower than that of more niche channels.
Here’s why: advertisers pay more to target specific audiences. For example, a car brand might pay top dollar to advertise on a channel about cars because they know the audience is interested in that topic. But a vlog? It’s too general.
To put it into perspective, my vlog channel’s RPM is about $4.99, while my niche channel (focused on content creation and entrepreneurship) earns triple that. That means I’d need three times the views on my vlog channel to earn the same amount of money.
2. Sponsorships Are Tricky
Sponsorships are a primary income source for most YouTubers, but they can be harder to land—and execute—on a vlog channel.
Why? Because ad reads in vlogs can feel intrusive. They interrupt the flow of the video, and audiences are less patient with them compared to other types of content. Plus, if your channel isn’t focused on a specific niche, brands might hesitate to invest in you.
Think about it: if you were a skincare brand, wouldn’t you rather invest in a YouTuber who exclusively talks about skincare, rather than a general lifestyle vlogger who only mentions skincare once in a while?
So, Should You Start a Vlog Channel?
The short answer: yes, but with caution—and a strategy.
If your goal is to grow quickly, get monetized, and make vlogging your full-time job, you need to approach it differently than someone who’s just vlogging for fun.
How to Start a Vlog Channel Strategically
1. Find Your Angle
Your life doesn’t have to be wildly interesting to start a vlog channel—but you do need a hook. Ask yourself:
- What about my life is unique or relatable?
- Is there something about me that would appeal to a broader audience?
- What kind of content are people actively searching for?
For example, when I started my vlog channel, I was moving to Hong Kong. I knew there was interest in topics like “moving abroad” and “life in Hong Kong,” so I leaned into that. It wasn’t just about me—it was about a larger story people were curious about.
2. Create a Story Arc
Good vlogs aren’t just a string of clips from your week. They tell a story.
What’s the overarching theme of your channel? What are your personal goals? Are you a college student trying to balance studies, work, and a social life? A parent balancing creative projects with family life? A traveler documenting trying to hit every country in the world?
A story gives people a reason to come back and see how your journey unfolds.
3. Focus on Packaging
On YouTube, thumbnails and titles are everything—especially for vlogs.
Your video’s title needs to create curiosity. When I was brainstorming for my biggest video on my vlog channels so far, instead of “My Week in Hong Kong,” I tried “We Moved to Hong Kong with No Place to Live.” The latter sparks questions: Why didn’t we have a place to live? What happened next?
Your thumbnail should complement the title and add to the intrigue.
4. Make Videos People Enjoy
This sounds obvious, but it’s worth repeating: your vlogs need to be enjoyable.
Think about what makes your favourite vloggers stand out. Is it their storytelling? Their humour? Their aesthetic? Whatever it is, incorporate that into your own content.
A video that just strings a bunch of clips together with no thought to how your audience will enjoy it? That’s not going to perform.
Final Thoughts
Starting a vlog channel is not an easy or fast way to grow on YouTube. It’s competitive, it’s hard to monetize, and it requires a lot of strategy to stand out.
But if you approach it with realistic expectations and a clear plan, vlogging can still be a rewarding creative outlet—and even a successful venture over time.
So, should you start a vlog channel? That depends on your goals. If you’re doing it for fun, go for it. If you want to grow quickly or make money, take the time to plan your angle, story, and strategy.
At the end of the day, success on YouTube—vlogging or otherwise—comes down to one thing: creating content that resonates with others. The rest will follow.
xUntil Next Time