Are you thinking of starting a cooking vlog? Whether you want to create a dedicated YouTube channel, or just occasionally share videos through your restaurant’s social media accounts, vlogging is a great way to visually engage your audiences. A well-curated, creative vlog can even attract sponsors! Here are five ingredients that will make your videos stand out:

Use time lapses

Good editing is your friend. Time-lapse is a way to speed up longer processes and keep your viewers from losing interest–this vlogger fit 20 Cheesecake recipes into one video by using time lapses throughout. Add music over top and you are on your way to a professional quality video.

Incorporate graphics

It sounds obvious, but a video is a visual medium, so take advantage. Use graphics to help viewers follow along with your recipes–it will also save you from having to read off all the measurements as you cook! This vlog uses almost no dialogue, letting the graphics speak for themselves.

Pick recipes with a common thread

This is where your personal brand comes in. Do you want to use only locally sourced ingredients in your recipes? Or maybe you specialize in comfort food? Choosing a common thread for your vlogs will help tell viewers who you are, and attract a target audience. My personal favorite is Binging with Babish, who recreates food from movies!

Practice acting natural!

The best vloggers don’t sound scripted (although it is a good idea to have at least a rough script)! Practice speaking in front of the camera until you feel comfortable, and don’t be afraid to add some humor or personal commentary to your videos–this gives your audience something to relate to! Check out the BoxMac guys, whose vlogs are part comedy, part mac and cheese tests

Be consistent

Last but not least, pick a consistent timeline for posting. You may need to experiment a little, but try to give yourself a reasonable amount of time to create new videos, and then stick to it–once a week may be way too much if you run a restaurant full time.