Beginner’s guide: how to use TikTok

How do you use TikTok?

First off, you need to download the free app and create a profile for yourself.

Your profile will be made public by default. If you want to make it private, you need to tap the three dots in the top right-hand corner of your profile, select ‘privacy and safety’ then slide the ‘private account’ option off.

How to navigate TikTok

Once logged in you will land on the main video feed labelled ‘for you’. This is a central stream of content usually made by highly influential people, i.e. celebrities and social media influencers who generate a lot of engagement.

Once you have started following people, you can see their content by selecting ‘following’ at the top of the video stream.

What do the buttons mean?

On the right-hand side of the video playing, you will see a list of buttons. You can take the following actions:

• Follow someone – click the red + sign.
• Like the video – click the heart.
• Leave a comment – click the three dots.
• Forward to a friend – click the arrow 
• See the person’s profile – click the spinning vinyl bottom right.

How to make a TikTok video

To make your own TikTok video, select the + sign at the bottom of the app screen.

If you are filming yourself, it’s best to keep the screen in selfie mode so that you can stop and start recording.

If you want to sing, lip-sync or dance to music, select ‘sounds’ at the top of the screen and search for your track.

Once you have found the one you want, click the tick next to it.

Press the red button, and the song/clip will start playing, and the video will start recording you.

Each frame recording is 15 seconds. You can connect multiple frames together up-to 60 seconds long. Or, you can upload previously recorded videos as one.

How to add filters and effects to TikTok

Once you have made your recording, you can overlay filters and effects to it.

• For filters – select ‘filters’ on the right-hand side of your clip and scroll through the many different options.
• For effects – click ‘effects’ on the bottom left-hand side of the app screen and scroll through the different AR options.

If you want to come out of the filters and effects sections, click your video.

How to post your video on TikTok

Once you are happy with your creation;

• Click the red tick
• On the next screen, you can add stickers, text and have the final option to adjust your clips.
• When happy, click ‘next.’
• Finally, you need to construct your post – add text, use hashtags and tag friends.
• Click ‘post’ to share with the world.

Need help with TikTok? No problem. Get in touch with us and speak to a member of our social media team who can advise on content, ads and profile building.