How to plan for a travel vlog for YouTube
A couple of weeks ago I asked my Instagram community what topics would be helpful to them for me to share on my podcast and a few of you asked about how to script a travel video. Scripting a travel video might seem complex - because how do you script something that isn’t a sit-down, educational video, filmed in the comfort of your own home? That’s what I want to walk you through today.
How to plan ahead…
The most important part of scripting any video is telling a story - but how do you tell a story in a more spontaneous, casual video?
Step 1: Research
Here is the thing - you already know where you are going (I assume), so it’s time to do some digging and research on what is special about this place, and what is unique about it. Find your angle, the hidden gem that this place offers that maybe you don’t hear about very often - that’s a good place to find a story. Most likely, if you’re anything like me, you’re already doing research for travel purposes - you just have to put your YouTuber glasses on and ask yourself - is this destination interesting enough to be featured in a video, and if yes, why?
Step 2: Plan your trip around your video
Now that you have some unique sites that you might find interesting, you can begin to plan your trip - but with your video in mind. As you develop your trip itinerary, which might include the location, when you might arrive there, what you might do while you are there, where you will eat and shop, and so on - you will also want a column that includes what shots or specific details you would for sure want to mention. Is there something unique about this location that you really want to make sure to share with your audience? Is there a restaurant that has amazing reviews that you are going to try to give your audience the inside scoop? Is there something you learned that makes this place special? Jot down your notes about this in your travel itinerary - so you remember to grab your camera and share those pre-planned details.
Check out my Travel Vlog Planner Template here!
Step 3: Develop your Title and Thumbnail Strategy
Something I do a little differently than most YouTubers is that I plan my Title and Thumbnail before I ever hit record. There will be times you change your mind after filming, especially with the spontaneity of a travel video - because you truly don’t know what might happen once you get to the given location, there might be a better story that you could have never planned. But in general, having a title and thumbnail planned out gives you an idea of the direction you are going with your video. For example, we recently traveled to Albania, which is not a place you hear about often (Katie - you can elaborate on this). Since this isn’t a very popular location to travel to - I thought the perfect title would be “Why we are traveling to the least popular place in Europe”. Once you come up with a catchy, thought-provoking title, you then can brainstorm what thumbnail might help reinforce this title. I talk all about this method in a recent YouTube video called **My Formula for a Viral YouTube Video - you can find that by going to www.youtube.com/Katie.
The Delivery…
Okay, so you have a plan, now it’s time to put that plan into action. You are on your travels and following your pre-planned itinerary, but how do you deliver your story?
You have a compelling title and supportive thumbnail plan, but now you need to deliver on that promise. This starts with your intro. In the intro, it’s very important to start it off with telling your audience exactly what they can expect throughout the video. For example, you might say “Today, we are exploring Albania, and this is why”… Once you have set the scene and your audience knows what to expect, you need to sprinkle this “why” throughout the video - showing the location and what makes it special, delivering on the “why” you noted in your introduction. Once you are ready to close out the video, the outro should include two things:
You need to reiterate that “this” is why they should visit this location. The “why” you mentioned at the beginning and the proof sprinkled within the video is why they should add this location to a future travel destination.
You need to lead them to the next chapter in the story. In our case, we traveled to multiple locations in one big trip, so I would probably lead them to the next stop in our itinerary. If this is the last stop in your travel plans or you only visited one spot, you can lead them to a past traveling experience or set them up to watch your next travel vlog coming soon.
I really hope this video gives you an idea of how you can still structure and plan a Travel Vlog so that you can tell and deliver a compelling, engaging story in a natural and spontaneous way. If there is more you would like to learn about YouTube, shoot me a DM on Instagram @katiesteckly and let me know, I want to hear from you!
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