The word vlog is short for video-blog, which refers to blog posts in video format. In a vlog, the person speaking addresses their viewers directly and talks openly about a specific topic, personal experiences, or updates their followers on their life (e.g., by filming themselves traveling, giving a tour of their home, or during a shopping trip). This gives followers the feeling of really getting to know the person behind the account and builds a personal bond – turning casual viewers into a loyal following.
The increasing popularity of vlogs is closely linked to YouTube's success story. While the first YouTubers still focused strictly on their core topic, the possibility of monetizing YouTube channels triggered the frenzy for view-numbers and subscribers, and the pressure rose to regularly produce new, varied content to retain subscribers over the long term. A vlog offers the perfect opportunity to address followers (seemingly) at a personal level. The more authentic this appears, the more the YouTubers became idols whose lifestyles simply had to be emulated – and so the first influencers were born.