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Learn how to use TikTok Fast

how to use tiktok
7 minutes read

There is a strong chance you are here because of the TikTok hype. TikTok has taken the world by storm. It is the fastest-growing social media platform in the world. According to Business of apps .com, TikTok had 1 billion monthly active users as of January 2022.

TikTok algorithm can get you very high exposure. Because of this, there is an increasing number of individuals who want to know how to use TikTok.

But what is this TikTok app

What is TikTok

Bytedance, a Chinese company, released a video-sharing app called Douyn in 2016. The app grew fast in China and in 2017; Bytedance launched an international version and named it TikTok.

To capture the Western audience, TikTok acquired Musical.ly in 2018. This merge added 80 million users to its platform. From there the app grew very fast and continues to grow daily

TikTok is a short-form video-sharing app. The app allows users to create short videos up to 10 minutes long and share them with the world. To help make the process fun, TikTok allows the use of a huge music library and fun effects to add to your video

A key aspect that might have contributed to the massive growth of the app is its addictive nature.

The TikTok algorithm serves you videos that are of most interest to you. The algorithm does this by suggesting videos for you on the ‘For you page’. It then continues to suggest more of the same videos you seem interested in. It is quite common to spend hours on end on the platform.

Most people find the app intimidating and more so the brands. The best way to learn how to use TikTok is to use TikTok. When you use the TikTok app and create videos, you learn how to make it work for you.

In this article, I’ll share with you the basics of how to use TikTok. By the end, you will be ready to create your first video.

Sounds fun? Let us get started.

How to set up a TikTok account

  1. Download the TikTok app from Google Play or the App store
  2. Create an account / choose a way to log in. – Choose a method to sign up. I recommend using your phone number or email. Make sure your email and phone number are valid, as you will need them to log in and for password recovery.
  3. On the interests window, choose the video categories you would enjoy.
  4. And that’s it , now enjoy some videos
How to set up a TikTok account SOURCE: TIKTOK

How to use the TikTok app to record, edit and post a video

To record, edit and post a TikTok video follow the steps below;

How to record a TikTok video

  1. Tap the plus (+) button at the bottom of the page to enter the create mode
  2. Tap the Add sound button to add music to your video. Tap the play button over the song thumbnail to listen to the clip. Click the red checkmark to select the song.
  3. Tap the effects to open up available effects
  4. Choose any effects to your video
  5. Choose the length of the video,15s, 60s, 3m. If the music clip is shorter than the length you want, you’ll have to change the music or choose a different length.
  6. Tap the red button at the bottom center to start recording. Tap the return button to discard the last recorded clip
  7. Once done, tap the red check mark. Preview your video.
  8. If you have a prerecorded video, tap the upload button to upload it from your camera roll.
How to record a TikTok video SOURCE: TIKTOK

How to edit a TikTok video

  1. To edit your video use the icons on the right hand side of your record button
  2. Add text to your video – Use the Text icon to add text to your video. You can also change colors, and add a background to your text.
  3. Tap the stickers icon to add some to your video and filters icon to add filters.
  4. To edit your clip, tap the Adjust clips. Once done, click on Next
How to edit a TikTok video SOURCE: TIKTOK

How to post a TikTok video

  1. Add captions to describe your vide. Add hashtags to your video. Type # then type out a related word to see some hashtag suggestions eg ‘ #tiktoktrends’
  2. Tap the select cover button to add a cover to your video
  3. Click post to share your video with the world
  4. To save a draft of the video, click drafts. Congratulations, you recorded your first TikTok video
How to post a TikTok video SOURCE: TIKTOK

How to navigate the Tiktok app

Your first encounter with TikTok could give you a bit of anxiety as you scroll down past the many TikTok videos. To make it more enjoyable, you need to learn how to use TikTok navigation icons to enhance your experience.

The first page you will land on is the TikTok For You Page.

The top part of the For You page has a search icon on the right-hand side. You can use this to search for hashtags, songs, and other things.

To the left-hand side is the Live icon – this helps you discover creators who are live.

How to use the TikTok app to like, share, comment, and favorite videos.

On the right-hand side of any video, you will have several buttons with different functions used to engage on the platform.

  1. Creator’s profile picture – Tap this to view the creator’s public profile. If you do not follow the creator yet, there will be a plus sign button next to their profile. You can also see how many people the creator follows and how many follow the creator.
  2. Heart icon – Tap this to like the video.
  3. Comment icon – Tap this to comment of the video
  4. Save icon – Tap this to add the video to your favorites.
  5. Share icon– Tap this to share the video
  6. Sound icon – tap this to view the music clip used in the video and other videos with the same sound.
How to use the TikTok app to like, share, comment, and favorite videos. SOURCE: TIKTOK

How to use the TikTok app to customize your experience

On the bottom of the For You Page screen, you will have five buttons which will help you customize your TikTok experience.

Home

This button will be your default page. Here you will get videos suggested for you by the TikTok algorithm. This is referred to as the For You Page. Once you learn how to use TikTok discovery, you can search for things that interest you.

Friends

Tap this to find your friends from your contact list.

Create

This allows you to enter the video creator mode to create a TikTok

Inbox

This gives you notifications of who liked your video, who followed you and so on.

How to use the TikTok app to customize your experience SOURCE: TIKTOK

Profile

This takes you to your profile. Here you will find ;

Profile details

  • Your profile picture and username- Here you can view how many people you follow, and how many people follow you. You will also see how many likes you have.
  • An edit button – this helps you edit your profile details
  • A link section – use this to link your Instagram and YouTube channels
  • A bio section – Use this to tell people about who you are and what you do. Sprinkle a bit of personality. Once you get to 1000 followers, you can add a clickable link too.

Video details

  • A hamburger menu- This displays the videos you have created including drafts
  • A padlock icon – this shows videos you have set to private
  • A save icon – This shows your saved or favorite videos, sounds, effects, and so on
  • A heart icon – This shows the videos you have liked

Settings

  • On the top right side, there is a hamburger menu – use this to access creator tools such as your analytics and your settings and privacy.
  • Next to the hamburger menu is an eye – this shows who viewed your profile.
Your TikTok profile has these sections SOURCE: TIKTOK

FAQs

How to use TikTok effects on uploaded video

  1. Open the TikTok app and press create button at the bottom center of your page.
  2. Tap the upload icon on the right-hand side of the record button
  3. Upload your video
  4. Tap Effects,
  5. Press and hold to apply an effect
  6. Tap save, the effects are now added

How to use TikTok voice lady

  1. Open the TikTok app and press create button at the bottom center of your page.
  2. Record or upload your video.
  3. Tap the text icon to type out your text
  4. Once done tap save
  5. Hold down the text and select text to speech. The voice lady is now added

How to use TikTok to make money

There are many ways on how to use TikTok to make money. You can become a brand influencer or you can also your own products or services. Another way is to become a creator on the app and apply for monetization to benefit from the creators fund. Look out for our article on how to use TikTok to make money.

Conclusion

Once you learn how to use TikTok, the possibilities are endless . Many businesses now learn how to use TikTok to market their products and services. They do this either through influencers, ads, or by creating edutainment videos.

Read on the best time to post on TikTok for the greatest engagement.

What do you think?

Written by Peris M

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