Creative types, peeps with opinions, exhibitionists - are you still writing all your daily/hourly/secondly thoughts in longhand on a blog?

Vlogs (internet speak for a video blog) are where it’s at. Not only is it quicker than typing by hand, people get to see your hairdo, and you don’t have to worry about how to spell “narcissism” correctly.

In the DIY publishing heaven that is the interwebs, vlogs (I’m still can’t get over the way that sounds…I imagine there’s a Russian man somewhere called “Vlog” who is impressed that he’s being googled so much) are the perfect outlet for people with something to say. And people are watching. Australia’s most subscribed-to vlog, Community Channel has more than 295,000 subscribers and more than 13 million channel views. Not bad for a personal vlog from 23 year old, Sydney girl Natalie Tran. Check out one Nat's vids below:

What I love about this is that personal media – straight from you to the world – adds literally millions of voices to the traditional one-way monologue of mainstream press, creating dialogue and genuine insight into people’s experiences.

Individuals have the power to be heard. If you haven’t been to Youtube land or Vlogmap in search of cool vloggers, you totally should. Whether you want to know about daily life in wartorn Iraq, ask a ninja a question, or just look at really cute dogs (I am not making this up) vlogs have got you covered

If you’re more on the doing side of the equation, here’s a quick how to:

♥ Step 1. ummm, get a video camera. If you needed this particular step maybe quit now.

♥ Step 2. Get involved with a vlog site like YouTube or VlogMap. You can also post to personal sites like blogger, but big sites = better chances of getting viewers.

♥ Step 3. Get talking. What's your passion, your interest, what makes you unique? What gets you excited, talkative, giddy, what gives you your kicks? Whether you just want to go for a video-diary approach or get political, it's totally up to you. Probably best to stick to 3 minutes or under though, the interwebs has given us all short attention spans (hey, look, a piece of tinsel!) You might want to do some simple edits if you’ve got the tech specs, if not, just upload as is.

♥ Step 4. Get Posting. There are plenty of sites that will give you the lowdown on uploads. Ready for your close up? More tips, video editing advice etc etc abound, so get clicky with these for a start:

♥ vlogblog ♥ Digital Media how to for macs ♥ eHow - how to vlog ♥ Free vlog