What is a TikTok Template?
A TikTok template is a pre-made video layout that serves as the foundation for creating your own TikTok video. Templates provide the overall structure, visual theme, effects, transitions, text placeholders, and sometimes even background music. The user simply inserts their own content into the template to personalize it.
There are different types of TikTok templates available:
- Photo slideshows – template with photo placeholders and transitions
- Text scenes – animated text boxes and backgrounds
- Green screens – chroma key background for custom visuals
- Effects templates – unique transitions and video effects
- Duet templates – split-screen layouts for duet videos
- Dance challenges – coordinated dance moves with transitions
- Topical – templates for holidays, events, seasons
Templates help create professional, high-quality TikTok videos easily. They provide premade designs that are visually appealing and on trend. Using templates can save a significant amount of time compared to designing a video from scratch.
Why use TikTok templates?
Using TikTok templates can save creators a tremendous amount of time compared to creating videos completely from scratch. With a template, the overall video format, structure, visuals, and even music are already provided. This allows users to simply add their own content such as text, images, or footage to personalize the video.
TikTok templates also provide creators with video formats that have already been proven to go viral and resonate with viewers. Using trends, audios, and effects that are built into popular templates taps into what is currently working on TikTok. This gives videos made with templates a higher chance of being discovered and engaging audience.
Additionally, templates allow creators to easily leverage viral audios, songs, effects, and concepts without having to come up with them from scratch. Templates feature all the most popular trends, making it simple to capitalize on what is currently capturing attention on TikTok.
Finding TikTok templates
There are a few easy ways to find templates to use on TikTok:
Browse by category – TikTok has created dedicated pages for popular template genres like cooking, travel, makeup, and more. You can browse these pages to get inspiration and find templates to use.
Search relevant hashtags – Try searching hashtags like #templates, #greenscreen, #TikToktemplate, and other relevant terms to find templates and creators who make them.
Follow template creators – Many popular accounts on TikTok focus solely on creating templates. Follow them to get access to their latest templates.
You can also check sites like Hootsuite which aggregate lists of top template creators to follow.
Choosing the right TikTok template
When looking for a TikTok template to use, you’ll want to consider a few key factors to ensure you select the right one for your needs and goals:
First, think about the overall video style and aesthetics you want for your TikTok. Look for a template that matches the tone you’re going for – fun and quirky, simple and clean, bold and eye-catching, etc. The visuals should fit the vibe of your brand or content focus. You can browse TikTok template libraries and collections organized by style and aesthetic to find ones that appeal to you.
You’ll also want to choose a popular or trending TikTok template to increase the chances of your video getting viewed and shared. Look at what templates are currently being widely used in your niche or within broader TikTok trends. While you don’t want to just copy others, opting for proven templates shows you understand what’s engaging your audience. As this guide notes, templates with over 500K videos made with them are a safe bet.
Finally, ensure the template aligns with your target TikTok audience. A template featuring current slang or jokes may work well for Gen Z users but not older audiences. Consider the interests and preferences of who you want to reach. Finding the right template improves your odds of connecting with and captivating the viewers you want.
Downloading and saving a TikTok template
Once you’ve found a template you want to use, you’ll need to download and save it to your device. There are a couple ways to do this:
Use a screen recording app like AZ Screen Recorder or DU Recorder to record the template video as it plays in the TikTok app. This will create a video file you can then save to your camera roll.
Many template creators will provide a direct download link to their original template video file. You can click this link on your device to download the video directly.
Keep in mind that some templates are only available for purchase. You may need to seek permission from the creator before downloading their work.
It’s always best practice to credit the original template creator when using their work. Downloading templates without permission or failing to provide credit could result in your video being removed for copyright infringement.
Adding your own content
Once you’ve downloaded the TikTok template, it’s time to customize it and make it your own. Here are some tips for adding your unique content to a TikTok template:
Record a new video clip. While some templates may come with a placeholder video, you’ll want to replace this with an original clip. Capture a new video that fits the theme and length of the template.
Customize the text overlays. Look for text boxes in the template and consider how you can tailor the words to your specific video. Change the text to match your content. You can edit fonts, colors and positions as well.
Swap in your own audio. Most templates come with background music or sounds. Replace these with a track that aligns with your video’s tone and brand. Pick an instrumental or song that complements the visuals.
Preview your video before posting to ensure your new content flows well within the template’s original framework. Make any final tweaks to colors, text, transitions or effects. Then you’re ready to share your customized TikTok template with the world!
For more guidance, check out this helpful tutorial: [https://www.oberlo.com/blog/tiktok-templates](https://www.oberlo.com/blog/tiktok-templates)
Credit the template creator
It’s important to give credit to the original template creator whenever you use someone else’s TikTok template. Here are some tips on how to properly credit them:
Give credit in the caption – Mention the template creator’s @username in your video caption and thank them for letting you use their template. You can say something like “Thanks @creator for the awesome template!”.
Give credit in the video – Add a text overlay or voiceover in the video itself mentioning the template creator. For example, “Template by @creator”.
Ask permission if needed – If the creator’s permissions are unclear, ask them directly if you can use their template. This is just good etiquette.
Link to their profile – Include a link to the template creator’s TikTok profile in your video’s caption so viewers can check out their content.
Properly crediting the original template creator shows your appreciation and ensures you are following TikTok’s community guidelines. It helps showcase template creators and gives them exposure to your audience when you credit them. Remember to always ask first if you are unsure whether a template is free to use.
Posting your TikTok video
Once your TikTok video using the template is complete, it’s time to post it for your audience to see. When posting, be sure to follow TikTok’s community guidelines to ensure your video meets their policies. It’s important to avoid spam tagging, showing dangerous content, nudity, copyrighted material, and hate speech.
Make good use of hashtags so viewers interested in your topic can discover your video more easily. Include a mix of popular and niche hashtags relevant to your video topic and niche. You can research trending and popular hashtags using sites like All Hashtag.
Interact with your viewers to help promote engagement. Respond to comments, like comments from others, and post follow-up comments to keep the conversation going. Consider asking questions to get feedback as well. The more engagement your video gets, the more TikTok is likely to show it to others.
Overall, posting high-quality, engaging content that follows the platform guidelines will give your TikTok template videos the best chance of being discovered by viewers interested in your niche.
Measuring performance
Once you’ve posted your TikTok video using a template, it’s important to monitor its performance by tracking key metrics. This will allow you to see how well your video is resonating with viewers. Some of the main metrics to follow include:
Track views, likes, comments, shares – These metrics show how much exposure and engagement your video is receiving. A high number of views and likes indicates your video is reaching a wide audience. Comments and shares demonstrate more active engagement. You’ll want to see these numbers grow over time.
Monitor engagement and reach – Look beyond just views to see how people are interacting with your video. TikTok analytics tools like Socialinsider and Hootsuite provide more detailed insight into average watch time, follower growth, and more (Socialinsider). This shows who your content is reaching and how it affects their behavior.
Refine approach as needed – Use the data to identify high-performing content as well as areas for improvement. For example, experiment with different captions or hashtags if engagement is lower than expected. Continuously refine your approach to create more shareable and engaging videos.
Regularly monitoring performance data ensures your videos are optimized for your target audience. Adjusting your template usage and content based on analytics is key to TikTok success.
Alternatives to using templates
If you want to create completely original videos without relying on templates, there are a few options:
Create 100% original videos – Put in the time to conceptualize and storyboard your own unique TikTok videos. While more effort upfront, original videos can help you stand out.
Hire a content creator – Consider hiring a freelance content creator to make custom videos tailored to your brand and audience. This ensures high-quality, custom videos without templates (Source).
Repurpose other social content – Repurpose content from other platforms like YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook. Trim longer videos into 15-60 second clips optimized for TikTok. This leverages your existing content (Source).
The key is putting in the extra effort to make engaging videos that align with your brand, without relying on generic templates.
