TikTok Tricks and Techniques

Learning the ins and outs of TikTok can seem unfamiliar and daunting. While almost anything goes with TikTok videos, shorter tends to work best with an emphasis on visual appeal and entertaining or compelling content.

While you can upload videos to TikTok, the platform also offers a variety of features to create videos directly in the app. Over the years, TikTok users have created their own video styles and editing techniques that have been copied by other users to become a unique part of what is popular on the network.

Here is a breakdown of some of the different types of videos that typically trend on TikTok as well as some techniques for producing TikTok-friendly content.

Types of TikTok Videos

While these are not the only types of videos that tend to trend on TikTok, they are some of the more popular video formats.

Lip-Syncing Music –TikTok was originally called Musical.ly, and lip-syncing music videos were one of the app’s main features. Those remain popular today, with even celebrities lip-syncing popular tunes in their videos. Also popular on TikTok are videos of actual singers and singer/songwriters, some of whom have built a successful music career launched through TikTok.

Lip-Syncing Dialogue – Another mainstay from the early days of Musical.ly is lip-syncing to short audio clips of dialogue, usually humorous ones. These sounds can come from film, TV, or from other users. Users can use any visual content with the dialogue to make the video unique to them.

Dance Videos – Many professional and amateur choreographers are finding success coming up with dance moves that are then imitated by others. Videos of people attempting these dance routines can trend.

Challenges – Taking imitation a step further, challenge videos show someone engaging in an activity of some kind, such as attempting to hold a plank position in an unusual place. Challenge videos are usually accompanied by a hashtag representing the challenge and a call to action for others to try it. An example of a popular TikTok challenge was the Ice Bucket Challenge to raise awareness for ALS. Users filmed themselves dumping buckets of ice over their heads and then challenging friends to do the same.

How To/Tutorials – Quick, easy-to-follow how-to videos are popular on TikTok, particularly for activities like cooking, cleaning, organizing, and repairing things.

TikTok Features You Can Use

Some of the following features are built into the TikTok app while others are ways TikTok users leverage the app’s capabilities.

Duets - Duets are a split-screen feature on TikTok where users can add their video to appear side-by-side with another TikTok user’s video to create combined content using the original creator’s video sound. Use the Share button and choose Duet. The Duet feature may not be available depending on a user’s privacy settings.

Reactions - Using the Duet feature, you can opt to film a reaction where the original video appears as a picture in a picture instead of side by side. Reaction videos use your sound in reaction to the other video.

Stitch – The Stitch feature lets you record a video that is then stitched together with up to 5 seconds of another video after the original video plays.

Live – Similar to Facebook or Instagram Live, TikTok Live allows users to stream content in real time to other users through the TikTok app.

Voice effects - This feature lets you manipulate your voice such as sounding deeper, sounding like a robot, or even like you’re speaking through a megaphone.

Speed – You can easily adjust the speed of your video clip using the Speed feature.

Captions – You can add captions from the editing screen in the TikTok app and set the duration for how long the text will remain on the video. You can also time your text to appear at specific intervals or when you make particular gestures in the video or say a certain line of dialogue. Timing captions to appear on a music beat or gesture is a popular style on TikTok.

Effects – TikTok provides many effect options including filters, stickers and emojis, green screen, interactive effects such as quizzes, makeup and beauty, AI effects and even the ability to create your own effects.

Autocut – This feature takes an uploaded video clip and does a quick, automatic edit with new cuts and transitions and adds a music soundtrack.

TikTok Transitions – Two commonly-seen transitions made manually and not by a technical feature on the TikTok app are the snap technique and covering the camera with a hand or object. These transitions are not unique to TikTok. Both require some patience to get the timing right and to set up each scene correctly, so the transitions are seamless.

TikTok video techniques can be achieved through the creative use of the tools built into the app. You can apply techniques and video styles developed by other TikTok users, especially ones that are trending. While there are many types of videos you can produce for TikTok and tricks you can use to try to make them more appealing, the overall look and content of your videos should be aligned with your brand.