If you’re stuck with just Facebook, barely use Instagram and LinkedIn and are wondering what the 14-year-olds are doing on Tiktok, you’re about to get updated.
The lip-syncing app, now known as TikTok is the seventh most-used social media platform in the world, with about 700 million global active users, and it’s been downloaded more than 2 billion times. Activities in the app itself revolve around sharing 15-second video clips, which are set to music often licensed from artists and record labels. It’s a social media phenomenon not only used by tweens and teens, but also by comedians, athletes, and brands to run advertising campaigns. Social Media influencers till today are been paid to post sponsored content on the platform.
Here’s what you need to know to get started;
Getting Started: Set Up Your Account.
The first thing you’ll need is to download the app either from Google Play or Apple Store then sign up to get an account. You can create an account using your email, phone number, or a third-party platform like Facebook. The app automatically gives you a username. If you sign up for TikTok with your phone number, the app will generate a generic username that could look like this; a username1234567. Well, using an email address generates a more personalized ID although this may present privacy issues for users.
If you want to personalise the already automatically assigned username, tap the icon in the right bottom corner that looks like a person’s upper body, then tap Edit Profile. Go ahead and change it to something more unique, add a bio, picture, and Profile Video if you so wish.
Note that by default, TikTok accounts are public, so, anyone can see your profile and view the videos you post. Should you want to adjust this, go to privacy settings by tapping the three dots in the top right corner of your profile.
Navigating TikTok:
Now that your profile is ready, it’s time to watch some TikToks videos and post yours. TikTok is like a never-ending variety show with pure entertainment. You can follow creators whose content you enjoy. To the right of every TikTok video is a series of icons. The first icon will take you to the profile of the user who posted it. Then there’s a heart, which functions just like hearts, or likes. Next are comments, then a right-pointing arrow for sharing individual TikToks to other platforms. Click the arrow if you want to copy the link to a specific TikTok, for example, to share it on Instagram.
How to make a TikTok?
Tap the + symbol at the bottom of the screen to enter Create mode. Now, before you start recording, you’ll be able to pre-select a variety of editing elements to apply to your video clip from a menu on the right-hand side of the screen. Flip to your front-facing camera, tweak the speed, apply a softening beauty lens, play with different filters, set up a self-timer or toggle the flash on or off. These things are mastered as you post consistently and explore.
Once you have your video ready, you can tap Add sound to prepare sound clips and music. You can as well tap on a sound and then create a video using the sound.
Once you’re ready to record, hold down the red button in the bottom centre to record the video, or tap it once to snap a pic. If you already have a pre-recorded video in your gallery, tap Upload to the right of the record button, and view your camera library to upload a photo or video from there. If you’d like to add more videos or photos to the sequence, follow the steps mentioned above and when you’re satisfied with all you have created, hit the checkmark icon. You’ll then have a chance to edit further, adding text, stickers, additional filters, voiceovers and more. Happy with your video? Click Next to add a caption or hashtags, tag friends.
Never take #Challenges for granted.
Music is at the heart of TikTok and that’s why picking a popular song can be the primary reason a video goes viral. Most times TikTok users jump on challenges and this helps increase chances of following and can even make you go viral.
One quirky point to note is that left-handers might find TikTok hard to use, for the first few times, since it’s often right-oriented. So, it’s official! You cannot ignore Tiktok any longer.
Let’s know if you have any problems getting started in the comments section. Enjoy using Tiktok.