TikTok is one of the fastest growing social media platforms today, with over 1 billion monthly active users worldwide according to Backlinko. Due to TikTok’s massive popularity, especially with younger generations, many want to start using the app but aren’t sure where to begin.
This guide is intended for complete beginners who want to get started on TikTok. You’ll learn the basics like setting up an account, customizing your profile, finding content, creating your first video, growing your following, and using best practices on the platform.
By the end, you’ll have the fundamental knowledge needed to start engaging with the TikTok community as a content creator or casual viewer.
Creating an Account
The first step to getting started on TikTok is to download the app. You can download the TikTok app for free on both iOS and Android devices.
Once you’ve downloaded the app, you can create an account. You have a few options for signing up for a TikTok account:
- Use your email address
- Use your phone number
- Connect with Facebook
- Connect with Google
- Connect with Apple
After connecting your account, you’ll need to choose a unique username. Your username is what other users will see when they come across your profile or videos. Here are some tips for choosing a good TikTok username:
- Keep it short, simple, and memorable
- Try using a play on your real name – like @johnsonadventures or @sarahcooks
- Use underscores or dashes to separate words – like @dance_videos
- Add numbers if your first choice is taken – like @diyhacks101
- Get creative with puns or rhymes – like @plantastic or @wander_lusting
You’ll want to choose a username that represents your brand and interests. Check availability by typing in different options until you find the perfect fit.
Customizing Your Profile
Your TikTok profile allows you to express your personality and brand. Start by adding a profile photo that represents you. Consider using a headshot, your logo, or an image related to your niche. Next, fill out your bio with a short, catchy description. Aim for 160 characters or less. You can showcase your brand, interests, or a memorable tagline. For inspiration, check out these creative TikTok bio ideas: “Transforming one rep at a time” for fitness accounts or “Sprinkling kindness everywhere” for positivity-focused creators. Use relevant emojis and hashtags too.
Another key setting is making your account public or private. With a public account, anyone can view your profile and videos. This helps expand your audience. Private means only approved followers can see your content. If just getting started, a public account tends to work best for growth. But you can switch to private later as you build your comfort level.
Following Other Accounts
One of the best ways to get started on TikTok is by following other popular accounts that post content you find interesting or entertaining. This will help populate your “For You” page with videos that are relevant to your tastes.
You can search for specific accounts by name, or browse trending creators in categories like comedy, dance, food, animals, and more. Some accounts to consider following include top celebrities like Will Smith, Selena Gomez and Dwayne Johnson, who all have millions of followers. Following popular TikTok creators like Charli D’Amelio, Addison Rae and Bella Poarch can also help you discover new content.
Don’t forget to follow your friends and family members who are on TikTok. Interacting with content posted by people you know is a big part of what makes TikTok fun and addicting for many users.
Following a diverse range of accounts right away will ensure your feed has variety. You can always unfollow accounts later if you don’t enjoy their content. The key is to give your “For You” algorithm plenty of signals to refine your preferences.
Understanding the For You Page
The For You page (FYP) is the main feed that shows TikTok users personalized video recommendations. According to TikTok, the FYP is tailored for each user based on their interests and interactions with videos (TikTok). When first setting up a new account, TikTok will show popular videos to gauge your interests. Over time as you like, share, and follow videos, the algorithm learns your preferences to refine your FYP.
The FYP doesn’t only show posts from people you follow. TikTok’s algorithm analyzes your watching habits and activity to populate your feed with relevant videos it thinks you’ll enjoy, regardless of creators. This provides exposure to new accounts and content to keep you engaged. You can further tailor your FYP by liking content you enjoy, searching hashtags and sounds related to your interests, and actively following creators that produce the type of content you want to see more of (Wordstream).
Creating Your First TikTok
Shooting your first video is the most exciting part of starting out on TikTok. Keep these tips in mind when creating your first TikTok:
- Film your video vertically – this is the standard format on TikTok.
- Keep videos under 60 seconds to fit the platform’s time limitations.
- Capture the action up close rather than far away for maximum impact.
- Consider adding text overlays to highlight key moments or phrases.
- Shoot multiple takes and pick the best one to post.
Once you’ve shot your video, it’s time to add effects, music, and other enhancements in the TikTok app:
- Browse TikTok’s music library and add a popular song or the latest trending sound to your video.
- Apply fun filters like the anime or glitch effects using the ‘Effects’ tab [1].
- Add text animations, stickers, quick transitions or split-screen effects to spice things up.
When your video is ready, write a compelling caption, add relevant hashtags, and post your first TikTok! Watch the likes and comments roll in once you officially join the TikTok community.
Interacting with Other Videos
Interacting with other videos is a great way to build a sense of community on TikTok and increase engagement. Here are some ways to interact:
Liking
One of the simplest ways to interact is by liking videos you enjoy. This shows the creator you appreciate their content. Likes also help videos get promoted on TikTok. Be sure to like videos relevant to your interests so you can connect with like-minded creators.
Commenting
Leaving funny, thoughtful, or engaging comments is another excellent way to interact. Ask questions to spark conversation or leave compliments to make someone’s day. Commenting regularly helps you meet new people and join TikTok communities.
According to this article, commenting back to commenters on your own videos increases engagement.
Duetting
Duetting allows you to record a video alongside someone else’s. You can dance beside dance videos or answer questions posed in another video. Duetting helps you creatively collaborate with the community. It also exposes your content to the original video’s audience.
Stitching
Stitching lets you clip parts of someone’s video into your own. You can react to funny videos, debunk false claims, or build on top of someone’s idea. Stitched videos showcase your personality and perspective while linking you with the broader TikTok universe.
Building Community
The more you interact genuinely with people’s content, the more you integrate into the TikTok community. Like, comment, and engage with both popular creators and smaller accounts to make connections. Building relationships leads to more engagement and exposure for your own account.
Best Practices
When starting out on TikTok, it’s important to follow best practices to increase your chances of going viral and growing a large audience. Two key best practices are posting frequently enough and leveraging trends and hashtags.
Experts recommend posting 1-4 times per day when you’re just getting started on TikTok [1]. Posting this often, especially in your first few weeks on the platform, can help the TikTok algorithm pick up your account and start showing it to others. As your account grows, you may be able to taper off to posting once every 3-5 days [2]. The key is consistency – post often enough to keep your audience engaged and coming back.
You should also leverage popular trends and hashtags in your content. Check out the “For You” page and trending sounds to see what’s currently popular that you could create a video around. Using relevant hashtags in your captions, especially high-volume ones, can help more users find and engage with your content.
TikTok Features
TikTok has several unique features that set it apart from other social media platforms. One popular feature is TikTok Live, which allows users to live stream video to their followers in real time. Live streaming opens up opportunities for creators to engage with their audience through Q&As, behind-the-scenes looks, and more. To go live, tap the ‘+’ icon in the app and select “Go LIVE.”
Another key feature is the ability to add links to your TikTok bio. This allows viewers to click through to other websites and channels you own. To add links, go to your profile, hit “Edit Profile” and insert the desired URLs under “website links.” This helps creators drive traffic to their other sites and channels.
TikTok also features a self-serve advertising platform that allows brands and creators to run in-feed video ads. Advertisers can target users by demographics, interests, and behaviors. TikTok ads can help accounts expand their reach and find new audiences on the platform. Overall, TikTok’s unique features like live streaming, link-in-bio, and advertising provide creators with powerful options for engaging their communities.
Growing Your Account
One of the best ways to grow your TikTok account is through cross-promotion with other platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter. You can direct your existing followers on those platforms to check out your TikTok content through links in your bio or by posting short TikTok clips natively on the other platforms. According to Fastest Growing TikTok Creators this week – Kyra[1], cross-promotion is a key growth strategy used by top creators.
Collaborating with other popular TikTok creators can also help expose your account to new audiences. Trying viral challenges, dance trends, or song clips with another user and tagging each other’s accounts helps gain each other’s follower base. Consider reaching out to creators with complementary content and similar follower size for potential collaborations.
[1] https://kyra.com/fastest-growing-tiktok
