Best Practices for Making TikToks
By: Juli Polise, Creative Strategist @ Foodie Tribe
As we all know, TikTok is becoming more and more popular by the day. As video content becomes increasingly favored, it’s important for influencers and creators to be prepared for this shift, so we’re here to share some best practices to follow when making TikToks to ensure that you’re always putting your best video forward.
Tips for Filming
Plan your video: Whether you are creating an educational video, fashion vlog, or a trend, it’s important to make a plan. Writing down your shot list can help alleviate stress once you start shooting that way you don’t forget any important moments.
Good lighting: Never underestimate the power of good lighting. And you don’t need a ring light or studio to achieve nice, even lighting. Try shooting near a window that gets natural light or go outside and findy a shady spot for even lighting.
Tripod: There’s nothing worse than watching a video and getting motion sick. Using a tripod keeps your hands free for filming, and helps create an optimal viewing experience for your audience.
Tips for Editing
Cropping: If you are making your TikTok outside the app, make sure your video clips are formatted at 1920x1080. This is the proper ratio for viewing videos within TikTok and will help eliminate any black space from generating above or below your video.
Adding Titles: When adding titles to your TikTok, it’s important to place them within the “safe zone”. Avoiding the top quarter and bottom quarter of the frame will ensure your titles will stay in the frame.
Adding a voiceover: To record the best voiceover, make sure to record in a quiet, indoor space. This will eliminate any miscellaneous noise that could disrupt your voiceover. Speak clearly and slowly so your audience can understand what you’re saying. It’s important to practice your voiceover a few times before hitting record to make sure the timing is right as well. If it’s too hard to record at once, record in short segments.
Tips for Posting
Create short + sweet captions: For TikTok, short and sweet captions work best. Your captions shouldn’t repeat what’s said in your video, but add extra detail or information. Ask a quick question to engage your audience and use keywords to help optimize your SEO within the platform.
Add more context to your comments: Unlike most traditional social media apps, a lot of quality discussion happens in the comments of TikToks. Instead of writing a longer caption, break it up into bite-size segments and add them to your comments section when you post. This can help encourage engagement.
Don’t get discouraged: TikTok is still a relatively new platform. Its algorithm is new and unpredictable, so don’t get discouraged if you are struggling to have a viral video. Consistently posting is the key to growth, reposting videos with different hooks, audio, or titles can also help. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different content types until something lands!
Not only are these tips helpful for TikTok, but also for Instagram Reels! Clearly video content is becoming the primary form of social media content and it’s a shift we don’t see going away anytime soon. Feeling like you want to dip your toes in TikTok? Reach out to us and we’re more than happy to guide you through the process!