How To Make TikTok Videos
No other social media app has experienced the same rapid growth as TikTok. The video-sharing platform has an estimated 2.05 billion registered users in 2024, a 6.7% increase from the previous year.
These TikTok users are not just scrolling and watching meme videos. They also spend a lot of time shopping on the app. TikTok generated a whopping 3.8 billion in customer spending in 2023, with the app breaking the record for the highest customer spending in Q1, at a total of $1 billion.
TikTok is definitely the app to be if you want to gain an audience and increase your sales. But success on TikTok is more than just having an account there. What’s important is your videos–how engaging, inspirational, funny, or relevant they are.
If you’re new to the platform, don’t fret! We prepared this comprehensive guide to TikTok videos to help you. From setting up an account, planning your content strategy, incorporating your branding and logo design, and editing your videos—we’ve got you covered.
Let’s get to it!
Understanding TikTok Basics
To start your TikTok journey, you need to have a TikTok account.
Setting up a TikTok account
- Download the TikTok app. Once you open the app, click the Profile icon and click Sign Up to register.
- Choose your sign-in method. You can join via your existing email, Facebook, Instagram, or X account.
- Enter your birthday. TikTok requires its users to be 13 years and older.
- Choose your username. Ideally, this should be your brand name. If you are a content creator, come up with a short, catchy name relevant to your concept. Having a hard time with it? Check out our business name generator tool to brainstorm some ideas.
- You can then personalize your page by changing your profile photo, adding a bio, and more.
How to have a TikTok Business Account
Note that the above steps will only give you a “Personal” account. If you want to run TikTok ads or do other marketing with TikTok, you must have a “Business” account.
To do this:
- Click the ☰ Menu icon.
- Click Account.
- Click Switch to Business Account.
- Choose a category that best describes your business.
- Add your email address to your profile so people can easily contact you.
- Add your bio to let people know more about your business.
- You’re done! You can now run ads, check Analytics, and register your business to make your account look more credible.
How to navigate TikTok
Before you create your videos, let’s look at how exactly TikTok works.
- Your TikTok feed
Your page has three main feeds: For You, Following, and Explore.
The For You page (typically abbreviated as FYP) shows a stream of random videos from TikTok users worldwide. When you watch, comment, like, or share a particular video topic, TikTok’s algorithm will then proceed to show you more videos of the same concept.
So when you watch tons of cute Corgi or Ariana Grande videos, expect to see more of them on your FYP. Don’t like what your feed is showing you? Hard-press the video, then click the “Not Interested” button to see fewer of them.
The Following shows videos only from users you follow or subscribe to.
On the other hand, the Explore feed is essentially like Instagram’s Explore. It shows a snapshot of all the trending videos and content on TikTok, so you won’t need to scroll through multiple videos to find them.
- The TikTok algorithm
Like other social media apps, TikTok relies on your level of engagement (likes, comments, and shares) to gauge the relevance of a video to you. The more you engage with a certain topic, the more they will show it to you.
TikTok also considers your watch time. The longer you watch a video under a topic, the more they will recommend similar videos. But clicking out of a video after just a few seconds lowers the chances of the same topic appearing on your FYP.
TikTok also emphasizes relevance over creator popularity. So long as you engage on a particular user or a particular topic, those types of videos will appear regardless of the creator’s follower count.
This means that small businesses, new creators, or aspiring influencers can get that coveted TikTok virality with the right video, even if they don’t have as big of a fanbase as some other accounts.
How To Make TikTok Videos
There are different ways to make your TikTok videos.
The first is through the TikTok app itself. This option is convenient since you can simply point and shoot. You can also quickly edit your film through the app’s available editing tools without needing to download other tools or software.
The downside is that you’ll be limited by TikTok’s designs or visual effects. So, if you want more complex videos or those with super fancy 3D effects, you’ll have to get a different tool. You’ll also be limited by your editing skills and knowledge, as you’ll have to design everything from scratch.
Second, you can use premade templates with BrandCrowd. These templates come in different styles, designs, aesthetics, and layouts, which you can easily customize to fit your video idea. This option is best for people without editing skills or who are new to TikTok since the designs are already created for you.
How to make videos on the TikTok app
- Open the TikTok app and click the + button in the middle.
- Click the red dot in the middle to take the video. You also have the option to shoot for 15 seconds, 60 seconds, or 10 minutes. You can shoot shorter than this. TikTok just made a premade template, so you won’t need to cut videos yourself.
- Edit the video. You can add text, stickers, transitions, filters, or whatever visual effect you want.
- Click the ♪ button above to add music.
- Add your caption, hashtags, or links. Then click Post when done!
How to make TikTok videos using BrandCrowd
- Go to our TikTok video maker. Enter a keyword related to your video topic.
- Choose a design from our available templates.
- Click the elements on the right to edit them. You can change the font, size, color, shape, etc. You can also add or remove elements. If you want to change their position or the layout, just drag them to move.
- You can click the preview button to see your final look. Happy with it? Click “Download” to use.
- To upload it on TikTok: Get the file on your phone > Open TikTok > Click + > Click the Gallery > Choose the file.
Planning Your TikTok Content Strategy
You may know how to create a video now, but how do you make a good TikTok video? How can you go viral?
You won’t go far if you just randomly post videos and hope for the best. You’ll need a solid plan first.
To get started:
- Define your goals
- Are you here to entertain people? To educate? To share your experience? Knowing this will give you clear direction on your content.
- Have a SMART goal: Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Timely. Your goal should be “I want to have 1000 followers by the end of August” instead of “I want to be popular on TikTok.”
- Define your audience
- Who do you want to watch your videos? Fashion-forward Gen Zs? People who are looking to do a zero-waste lifestyle? Crossfit enthusiasts?
- The more specific you are, the better. Targeting a niche group is better if you are starting out since you’ll have less competition.
- Come up with your content
- Come up with videos related to your niche and brand identity. You can do this by doing keyword research on Ahref, Google Keyword Planner, or checking popular searches on Google Trends. Check your competitors and see what kind of videos they do as well.
- You can also research trending challenges, hashtags, topics, and sounds, and try incorporating them into your videos. Keep an eye out on your FYP and your Explore page to get a pulse on what’s popular.
- Create a content calendar
- A content calendar is a spreadsheet or a calendar of videos that you will post for the month. This should help you stay organized, be consistent in posting, and plan your filming ahead.
- Try to post content 3-5 times a week to remain active and relevant.
Tips on Creating Engaging TikTok Videos
Ready to start filming? Here’s how to make engaging TikTok videos that people will want to watch over and over again.
Have a clear hook
A TikTok study shows that sixty-three percent of videos with the highest click-through rate (CTR) highlight their key message within the first 3 seconds.
Get your message out fast. Start with an eye-catching visual, an unexpected action, or an intriguing text to hook your viewers.
Think of your lighting
Natural light is still the best for videos since it gives a sense of authenticity to your videos that artificial lights can’t 100% replicate.
But if you must shoot inside, invest in a ring light or get cheap light reflectors to get better lighting and remove harsh shadows on your video.
Optimize for mobile viewing
Most viewers watch TikTok on their phones. Your videos should ideally be in portrait mode at 1080×1920 pixels size. Avoid landscape videos since they will either get awkwardly cropped off or weirdly zoomed in when you upload them.
Keep in mind that some of the TikTok UI (such as the comment or like button) will cover parts of your videos so avoid adding important text or details on those affected parts.
Add your branding
Sure, your video content is aligned with your brand’s personality. But don’t forget your visuals! Try to add your logo in the outro of your video. Use your set colors or typography in your design.
All of these should help reinforce your brand in your viewer’s minds. You know how we associate that shade of blue and yellow with IKEA? That wouldn’t have happened if they didn’t consistently use that color scheme on their marketing materials. The same logic goes for your videos, too.
Spice up your visual
Speaking of visuals, make use of TikTok’s filters, overlays, AR effects, transition effects, motion effects, or stickers. You can even split the videos into four, six, or nine frames or add time effects such as slow-mo or reverse.
These add more impact to your videos compared to just a plain static one.
Be smart about trends
TikTok trends leave as quickly as they blow up. If you can’t follow the trend within 1-3 days, it’s better to not do the video anymore. You don’t want to waste your resources on something that isn’t “in.”
At the same time, you don’t need to follow every trend that will happen. If people follow you for your recipes, they won’t want to see a video of you lipsynching to the latest song. Following a meme trend is fine if you’re a comedy vlogger, but not if you’re a healthcare brand.
Think of your brand and your audience first. Will they care about this trend?
Add text
Notice that almost all TikTok videos have text on the video?
#1 is to capture attention. If your text is intriguing or bold enough, it can spur people to watch.
#2 is for accessibility. People who are hard of hearing (or just watching with the sound off) can understand the video even if they don’t hear your voiceover or music.
#3 is for context. People who are scrolling through will know what your video is about based on the text. You can also use it to add additional information or as narration for your video.
To add text to your video, click the Aa button when editing your video on the app.
Promoting Your TikTok Videos for Maximum Reach
The video is just one part of the battle. What you do after it can also boost your video’s success.
- Write an effective caption: A bold question, a powerful statement, or even a quote from a popular movie can capture attention. You can also stick to action-driven CTAs (ex. “Get yours now before stock runs out!”).
- Choose the right hashtags: Use hashtags related to your niche or industry. You can also add relevant trending hashtags to get more eyes to your content.
- Promote your videos: Cross-promote your latest videos on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, or X. You can also post teasers before you upload them or post behind-the-scenes footage of your filming as additional content.
- Connect with influencers: Influencer marketing is one of the most effective ways to reach a niche audience. If you don’t have a big budget yet, you can start with micro-influencers first.
- Collaborate with creators: You can also collaborate with a fellow creator with an adjacent audience. Don’t look for competing creators as they likely won’t work with you. For example, your content is about volleyball. Don’t go for creators that do the same. Instead, you can contact people who focus on other sports or even physical therapists. This way, the audience you’ll reach is still relatively interested in your topic.
Unlock the Power of TikTok for Your Brand
There you have it! We hope the article has helped you navigate the complicated yet exciting world of TikTok. Feel free to use our tips above as a guide, but don’t forget to experiment and have fun as well.
Want to branch out to other social media apps? We have templates for that as well. Check out our tool to get aesthetic Instagram posts, funny YouTube Shorts, or informational LinkedIn posts.
