When you start to see some success with your blog business, it’s natural to consider the ways you can expand on the earning opportunities it provides.

You have an audience now, after all, and a chance to make more money from your blog by branching into a few different areas.

For many bloggers, this means making the most of things like merch or paid promotions. For others, it means branching into alternative online platforms like YouTube. The more platforms you’re on, after all, the more earning potential you stand to see. And, anyway, is vlogging so different from the blogs you’ve been making so far?

We’re afraid so. Assuming that vlogging will come naturally to you is never going to work out. That’s because these are two very different platforms. And, we aren’t talking about the fact that one’s written while the other is filmed. While both can complement each other, your blogging success does not mean you’re sure to do well on video.

If your videos currently have zero views, then, try not to worry. There are plenty of bloggers in the same boat as you. All you need to do is consider why this transition isn’t working, and what you need to do to change that. To some extent, this is sure to vary depending on everything from your on-camera personality to your subject matter. Still, you may find that putting the following mistakes right can take you far here.

You aren’t giving your existing audience a reason to watch.

The best thing you have going for you so far is an existing audience on your blog. These are the reason why advertisers are interested in working with you. They’re the views which keep you writing those posts, and feeling like what you’re doing is worthwhile. And, most importantly, they’re the reason that you’re making money right now. When you move onto YouTube, though, it’s all too easy to leave that audience behind.

It may be that you make videos which are out of the box and won’t interest them. Or, perhaps you forget to share your vlogs on your blogging platform. Either way, your audience doesn’t seem to be following you in this transition. If that’s the case, you’re as good as starting from scratch on YouTube. It’s no wonder that your videos aren’t receiving any views.

Lucky for you, this is an easy thing to put right. For one, aim to make content which your existing audience would find interesting. If you want to branch out, you can do so down the line. For now, though, you need to make sure that your videos provide income potential. They’re never going to do that if no one watches them.

You also need to make sure that you’re sharing those videos on as many platforms as you can. Remember that YouTube doesn’t advertise videos which don’t get much attention. If you have few followers, it’s unlikely that you’ll even make an appearance in the subscription box. But, if your current audience is providing the clicks you need, you’ll show up in suggestions and subscriptions, and see more success as a result.

You aren’t part of the YouTube community.

To have reached the stage where your blog is a business, you must realize that becoming part of the community is crucial. If you don’t speak to and support other bloggers, it’s near enough impossible to make a success of yourself. Collaborations and guest posts are, after all, the best audience earners going. The chances are that you had to read and comment on countless other blog posts to make your mark.

But, you aren’t part of the vlogging community just yet. With that in mind, it’s no wonder that you’re sending videos into the ether. As you might have guessed, though, rectifying this issue is pretty easy. All you need to do is spread your wings and make an effort in this secondary community as well.

The moment you get active commenting is the moment you could start to see your views soar. Even getting your name out there can lead to clicks on your profile. This is especially the case if you comment on smaller YouTubers who are more liable to check you out.

If you become a regular commenter, you may soon receive shoutouts and collaboration offers. And, those are where the real money comes in. At least, they will be if you make the most of these opportunities. One thing’s sure, though; you’ll never be able to grow in this way if you keep yourself to yourself all the time.

You’re spending too long on each video.

When you first start vlogging, there’s also a temptation to spend a long time on every video. The whole process is certainly a little more intensive than sitting down and writing a new blog. When you add filming, editing, and uploading to the process, each video could take hours on end. The trouble there is that it doesn’t make for a good time – money ratio, especially to start.

What’s more, an irregular or long-winded uploading schedule could see you falling out of favor with YouTube algorithms. You could also begin to lose your audience if they have to wait two weeks or more between videos. Instead, then, you should aim to spend less time on this, while uploading often. It may sound like an impossible task, but it’s easier than you would think. Even looking at your internet speed could make a difference here.

If you have to wait three or four hours for each video export, it’s a sure sign you could benefit from upgrading. Of course, you don’t want to leave yourself out of pocket before you see any returns here. Still, checking out pricing at optimum.com and others like them could still see you sealing a pretty good deal which halves export time. By checking upload speeds often, you should be able to always save time here.

It’s also worth noting that you should aim to reduce your editing time by honing your skills here. By learning your program and practicing plenty, you should be able to halve the time you have to take here. That could double your uploading schedule, and your audience right along with it. It also ensures that the work you do put in here is far more worth your while.

You haven’t taken time to learn your editing software.

While we’re talking about editing software, it’s also worth noting that failure to learn the basics here can set you back. And, that’s not just because of the time each video will take you. Failing to get good on editing software like those mentioned on beebom.com can also stop people hitting that all-important subscribe button.

That should come as no surprise when you consider that lousy editing is as off-putting as poor grammar would be in a blog post. It’s sure to make you look unprofessional to the extreme. Simple things, like mistakes left in videos or clumsy jump cuts, could see people clicking off your videos straight away. And, that’s the case whether they follow your blog or not!

You may also find that YouTube discriminates you for this early click-off rate. Don’t let it happen by doing your research here. Watching tutorials about your chosen editing software could be a huge help. Remember, too, that practice makes perfect with this kind of thing. If it helps, play around with some tester editing before it comes down to the real thing.

You’re expecting too much too soon.

It may also be that you’re expecting too much too soon. The chances are that it took you a good few years to reach this level of success with your blog. While your existing audience can lessen the time it takes to get going on YouTube, not every reader is going to follow you. As such, you can’t expect to see huge viewer counts overnight. It may take a few months before you find your feet and gain a decent following here.

But, as with your blog, this is something worth working towards. The best thing you can do is get into a regular uploading schedule and share each video on as many platforms as possible. Take care of this, and you’ll soon get offers of paid promotions and monetized adverts on each of your videos. It might just take a little time.

A final word

Branching out onto platforms like YouTube can work wonders for business. It can certainly help you to diversify your revenue streams and shake up your working days. But, no one said it would be easy. If you make the mistake of putting little effort into your vlogs, you’re sure to see little reward. Instead, you need to work as hard at this as you do your blog. It may mean putting in more hours, but trust us; the extra income will be well worth the work. At least, it will if you manage to get this right.