Following the TikTok craze, you know it’s a big deal. If you’ve got a smartphone and have ever been bored somewhere, TikTok is there for you. It’s the world’s most popular social media app (though it doesn’t seem to be growing as quickly as some other platforms).
It has become an undeniable force in pop culture, with many of its stars becoming household names and winning contracts with major brands—and yet not everyone knows how TikTok works or what makes a video go viral.
That’s why we’ll tell you about what makes TikTok shorts so successful!
1. Make it short
Don’t try to make it longer than it needs to be. Keep your video short and sweet, around one or two minutes long.
A little bit of a story is excellent, but don’t overcomplicate things. You want people to be able to understand what’s going on in your video right away—so don’t try too hard!
2. Keep it simple
Don’t try to do too much. Don’t try to be too clever, and don’t try to be funny all at once.
Be yourself. People make a huge mistake when creating TikTok short videos; they want to be like their favorite stars and get frustrated because they can’t act as well as those stars do (or even try). Instead of trying so hard, just be yourself! People love watching videos with you because they can see that you are comfortable with your identity.
3. Focus on the sound
Sound is an essential part of a music video. Even in a silent video, your viewers can tell whether or not you have good sound based on the quality of your audio and music.
Since TikTok Shorts videos are short, people don’t want to wait for five minutes before they know what your story is all about. The best way to keep them engaged is by using sound effects—even if they’re simple ones like a doorbell or knocking on wood (or both).
Sound effects can help accentuate whatever story you’re trying to tell, but more importantly, it helps tell that story through moods and emotions.
For example: If there’s an emergency happening in the background of your video (like gunshots), then it would be appropriate for those sounds effects since it adds more context to what’s going on at that moment within the world/city around them (and also why everyone else has left).
Or maybe someone yelling “Help!” when there isn’t anything happening yet but just something coming up soon later down their path.
4. Think like a musical artist
When you think about a musical artist, what comes to mind? Can they sing? Are they great at producing beats and soundtracks? Do they play a lot of instruments or just one? How do they make their music unique enough to stand out in the crowd?
If you ask an artist how they make their music unique, they will tell you that it all starts with finding that perfect sound. We can’t stress this enough: You need to find your voice. Think back on some of your favorite TikTok videos and see if there was anything special about them—that’s probably where their “sound” came from!
To start making a TikTok short yourself, first decide what type of video you want to make (you’ll have plenty more options after 2024).
Next, determine which kind of sound complements your visual idea best; this will depend on whether or not you want to incorporate music into the mix and how much time/effort is required for creating said track (this may require hiring someone else). Lastly, plan out exactly how long each clip should be so everything flows smoothly together during playback—make sure nothing gets cut off too abruptly; this could look unprofessional if done incorrectly!
5. Use the tools TikTok gives you
When you’re making a TikTok Shorts video, there are a lot of tools available to help. Use them!
Here are some of the most helpful:
- The filters. Many people don’t know this, but TikTok gives you access to a real-time library of filters you can apply to your videos. It’s easy—tap the “fx” button at the top-right corner of your screen and choose from any fun effects like Superhero Mode or Reversal Camera (which flips your video upside down). These effects will make it much easier for viewers to understand what is happening in your video without reading subtitles or watching an entire YouTube tutorial on how these things work.
- The music. There are tons of songs available on TikTok’s library, so why not use one? It makes sense if you think about it: they already did all the hard work by finding and recording these tracks so we can use them efficiently; why wouldn’t I want something ready-made? Plus, there’s no better way than using someone else’s path because they will be able to see us on their platform while still owning all rights/ownership over the said piece(s). This way, everyone wins!
The only way to make great TikTok shorts is to enter the world of TikTok with an open mind, no assumptions, and a willingness to experiment.
If you are thinking about making TikTok shorts, then the first thing to do is to accept that there are no rules. This is a new platform, and there’s no telling what will or won’t work until we try it out. Please don’t assume that you know what people want to see, and don’t think that your content has been rejected because it doesn’t fit into some neat little box.
When I started making videos for TikTok, I was incredibly nervous because I didn’t know what would be successful in terms of funny videos and how long they should be. The only way I could find out was by experimenting with different types of the content myself before sharing it with other creators on our platform who were also in the dark about this whole thing!
TikTok is a platform for creative expression, and how the platform can be used is only limited by your imagination. Time will tell what sort of content we’ll see in 2024, but it’s safe to say that TikTok will continue to push new creative boundaries as long as people are willing to experiment.