It’s impossible to ignore TikTok. It’s a popular social media platform with over a billion monthly active users! If you’re new to the app and want to get creative, we’ve put together a quick guide to get you started.
What is TikTok and the For You page?
TikTok is a short-form video platform. Users can create videos ranging from 5 seconds to 3 minutes long, and use a huge music library and fun effects to quickly edit mini digital movies. TikTok video templates make things easier.
But beyond the fun of quickly shooting and editing videos on your phone, what makes TikTok so irresistible to many people is the content discovery that comes courtesy of a finely tuned algorithm.
TikTok’s For You page (the app’s home screen) provides an endless stream of videos from other users, and as time goes on, it gets smarter and smarter about what you like. It’s like a personalized TV station that takes into account both your interests and your dwindling attention span.
TikTok’s incredible influence on the younger generation has turned it into a powerful marketing tool. Songs go viral, stars are born, new trends appear and spread like wildfire.
All in all, it’s a great opportunity to shine and create some serious buzz, which is relevant for both regular users and brands.
How to create a video on TikTok
Shooting content for TikTok is easy and fun:
Once you’ve signed up and set up your account, tap the + symbol at the bottom of the screen to enter creation mode.
Before you start recording, you’ll be able to pre-select various editing elements to apply to your video clip from the menu on the right side of the screen. Turn on the front camera, adjust the speed, apply a softening lens, play with different filters, set the self-timer, or turn on the flash.
At the top of the screen, tap “Add audio” to prepare audio clips and music.
Ready to record? Hold down the red button in the bottom center to record a video, or tap it once to take a photo. Or, tap Upload to the right of the record button to upload a photo or video from your gallery.
If you want to add more videos or photos to the sequence, repeat steps 2-4 again.
Once you’ve created all your “scenes,” tap the checkmark icon.
You’ll then have the option to edit further by adding text, stickers, extra filters, voiceovers, and more.
When you’re happy with your video, tap Next to add a caption or hashtags, tag friends, include a URL, or set various privacy options.
Publish your post by tapping Post.
As you get more familiar with the platform, you’ll be able to make great videos and hone your editing skills.
