Food Vlogging: Can Anyone Have Their Own Cooking Show?

Have you ever thought about hosting your own cooking show? I know I have! As a huge foodie, I love trying new recipes! Thanks to applications like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, almost anyone can have a cooking show without getting a television contract. Are you wondering how you could have one too? You can create Food Vlogs to share all your favorite recipes with the world just like a Food Network Star! Keep reading to find out how…

What is Vlogging?

Vlogging is the act of recording short videos and editing them together to tell a story. In simplest terms, it is a blog in video form and the concept is similar to a video diary. Vlogging has grown more popular over the last few years as the use of social media platforms has increased. There are many forms of vlogging and many different types of vloggers. The diverse types of content available to be created through vlogging allows it to meet anyone’s interests, which is one of the reasons why vlogging is so successful for content creators and popular among consumers.    
For a deeper explanation of vlogging and its history, check out this article published by MediaKix.

What is a Food Vlog?

Food Vlogs are just one of the many categories of vlogging. They are very similar to cooking shows, cookbooks, and traditional blogs with recipes that you find on Pinterest. But what makes food vlogging so intriguing is the easy-to-follow visual elements that the consumer engages with. Who doesn’t love to watch videos of mouthwatering food you can actually learn to make and recreate on your own? Food Vlogs focus more on the food ingredients and how to make a recipe by showing the audience a step-by-step process rather than focusing more on the host like you might find in a traditional cooking show. This more engaging, user-focused style allows vlogs to be more successful than the older media outlets.

How To Make Your Food Vlog Successful

1. Find your niche and stick to it!

In order to be successful in any creative space, you need to find your target audience. A great way to do this is by creating content that is specific to a particular topic of food you are passionate about. This will keep your audience interested in your content as they personally benefit from your vlogs. 

There are many different niches in food vlogging. You just need to pick the one you love and you will be able to create vlogs for it! Some examples include:

• Health & Fitness
• Cuisine-specific (Italian, Chinese, Mexican)
• Baking
• Diet-specific (KETO, vegetarian, gluten-free) 

Still not sure which niche fits you best? This blog post shares some more types of food content you could create.

2. Editing

After you have gathered all of your video clips for your vlog, it is now time to edit them all together! 

Two things to keep in mind when editing your vlog:

1. Pacing: keep your clips changing and drive your vlog forward. Each clip should be around 3-5 seconds. If clips are on the screen longer than necessary for sharing your recipe, or your audience may become irritated or bored.  
2. SHOW don’t tell: you are creating a video blog so make sure you are filming all the steps of a recipe your viewer would normally be following from a recipe in a cookbook. Show your ingredients, preparation, and techniques for making the recipe as if your audience is cooking right along with you! It is important you do not edit out any steps. This way your vlog clearly demonstrates how to recreate your recipe perfectly! 

3. Audio

Now that you have identified the type of vlogs you will be making, let’s get into the specific elements that will make your Food Vlogs stand out and be successful!

Your videos need to be able to tell a story visually, but they also should not be silent. Adding high-quality audio to your videos will add to your audience’s experience. Incorporating descriptive audio that supports your visuals will help relay your message in your vlog accurately. This may include adding a voice-over explaining each step when preparing your recipe or providing quick tips specific to your recipe that will benefit your viewer. 

If you are talking in your videos, make sure you speak clearly and confidently, showing your viewers your personality! You do not want to seem like a robot or too rehearsed. This can bore your audience and make them no longer want to engage with your content.

For more information on the best equipment for vlogging, read this article by Gourmandeinthekitchen!

4. Length

It is important to plan out how long each of your vlogs will be. You do not want them to be too short so that your viewers have trouble following your recipe. But you do not want your vlogs to be too long either. It is important you find the timing “sweet spot” when filming and editing your vlogs.

A few tips to keep in mind are…    

• Keep video intros short: if you are going to introduce your video topic or recipe at the beginning of the vlog, keep it short! Don’t lose your viewer’s attention before your content even begins.
• Keep videos 2-5 minutes in length: The shorter your videos are, the more likely people will watch them. Your goal is to present the entire recipe in your vlog without losing your viewer’s attention. If your vlog is only a few minutes long, more people will watch it, further expanding your audience base. Long videos have a higher chance of boring their viewers and you don’t want that!

5. Entertain your audience

Finally, it is extremely important that your audience finds your content entertaining and provides them with something of value. If they are not benefitting from your vlogs in some way, they will not continue to engage with or follow your content. Providing value and entertainment is how you build a strong community among your viewers and helps to further the success of your vlogs! 

Now you have all you need to successfully develop your own Food Vlog. Keep these key elements in mind as you go forward to create the best content you can for your vlog and your audience. Good luck and happy vlogging!