TikTok has exploded in popularity in recent years, becoming one of the most downloaded and used social media apps globally. As of February 2023, TikTok had over 150 million monthly active users in the United States alone. Worldwide, TikTok hit 1.5 billion monthly active users in 2023 according to Business of Apps. The app allows users to create and share short videos, often set to music, and engage with content from people across the world.
With TikTok’s huge userbase and cultural relevance, many people are interested in joining the platform. Setting up a new TikTok account is simple and only takes a few minutes. Users are prompted to create a unique username, add profile details like name and photo, and customize privacy settings. Having your own TikTok account allows you to follow topics and creators you’re interested in, interact with content, create and share your own videos, build an audience, and participate in trends.
Download the TikTok app
The first step to creating a new TikTok account is to download the TikTok app on your mobile device. TikTok is available for free download on both iOS and Android devices.
On an iPhone or iPad, open the App Store and search for “TikTok” or “TikTok – Make Your Day” to find the official app. Tap “Get” to download and install it.
On an Android device, open the Google Play Store and search for “TikTok”. Tap “Install” to download it. You can also download the TikTok .apk file directly from tiktok.com.
Once installed, the TikTok app icon will appear on your home screen. Tapping to open it will launch the app.
Sign up
According to TikTok’s Creating an account page, the sign up process on TikTok allows you to use either your phone number, email address, Facebook account, or Google account to create your profile.
To sign up with your phone number or email address, simply enter it when prompted after opening the TikTok app. TikTok will send a verification code to confirm your account.
You can also tap the Facebook or Google icons to sign up instantly using those existing accounts. This allows TikTok to pull basic profile information like your name and profile photo from those platforms to set up your account quickly.
According to TikTok’s sign up page, signing up with Google or Facebook enables seamless connection between the platforms, while still keeping accounts separate.
Overall, the sign up process is designed to be simple and fast on TikTok. Using an existing social media account makes it even easier to get started on the platform.
Create your username
Your username is your unique identifier on TikTok, so you’ll want to choose something memorable that represents your brand. Here are some tips for creating a good username:
- Make it short and sweet – try to keep it under 15 characters so it’s easy to remember.
- Use a unique descriptor like your name, nickname, or something related to your niche or content.
- Add numbers if your first choice is taken to make it unique, like @johnson31 or @sarahcreates42.
- Use hyphens or underscores instead of spaces, like @sarah_creates.
- Try a combo of letters and numbers – @jennyg7 or @michaelb123.
- Consider misspellings or creative spellings like @katieskreations.
- Check availability by tapping the user icon when signing up.
- Have a few options in mind in case your first choice is taken.
With a great username, you can build your brand and make your account easily discoverable by new followers.
Complete your profile
Completing your TikTok profile is an important step to help people understand who you are and what type of content you plan to share. Here are some tips for optimizing your profile:
Add a profile photo that shows your face clearly. According to a study by Grandelyn Llanes, videos with a profile photo receive more likes and comments. Choose a friendly, vibrant photo that represents your brand.
Craft an interesting bio that shares a bit about you and your content niche. You’re limited to 80 characters, so be concise. Consider including emojis and hashtags in your bio to help people find you.
Link your other social media accounts like Instagram, YouTube or website so fans can follow you elsewhere. This also helps establish your credibility and brand.
Filling out your profile completely shows viewers you are serious about creating great content on TikTok. Take the time to make your profile stand out.
Follow accounts
One of the best ways to populate your feed on TikTok is to follow other accounts, especially ones relevant to your interests. Here are some tips for finding accounts to follow:
Search for hashtags or keywords related to your niche and browse the top videos. Tap on the profile pictures of creators who make content you like to check out their account.
Go through the “For You” feed and follow any accounts whose content you enjoy watching. TikTok’s algorithm will start recommending more similar videos.
Check out the “Following” tab to discover accounts that creators you already follow are also following. Their follows are likely to also interest you.
Look at your contacts or friends to see if anyone you know has a TikTok account that you can follow.
Search for your favorite celebrities, brands, influencers, or public figures to follow their official TikTok accounts.
Follow popular hashtags like #fyp, #foryou, and #viral to encounter trending videos and emerging creators.
Don’t follow too many accounts too quickly or TikTok may temporarily limit your account. Aim to build your following gradually.
Make your first video
Once you have your TikTok account set up, it’s time to record and post your first video! Here are some tips for creating your first TikTok video:
Decide what you want your video to be about. Consider doing an introductory video about yourself, a video showcasing one of your talents or interests, or a fun lip-sync or dance video. You can get video ideas from browsing trending hashtags like #FirstTikTok or checking out what types of videos are popular in your niche.
Keep your first video short, 15-60 seconds is a good length. TikTok videos are all about capturing attention quickly.
Use good lighting and film your video horizontally. Position yourself and your camera so the image is clear and not too shaky.
Add text, effects, filters or sound to make your video visually appealing. TikTok has lots of options to make your videos stand out!
Practice and do a few takes before posting to get comfortable on camera. Smile and bring positive energy.
Once you have a video you like, post it and start engaging with your first viewers! Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.
Check out these examples for inspiration: https://www.tiktok.com/discover/tiktok-first-video-ideas, https://www.tiktok.com/discover/roblox-tiktok-first-video-ideas?lang=en
Edit your video
TikTok has a built-in video editor that allows you to edit and customize your videos right in the app. Here are some tips for using TikTok’s editing tools and effects:
Trim your video – You can trim the beginning or end of your video by tapping the scissors icon at the bottom. This allows you to cut out any unwanted moments.
Add filters – Tap the “Effects” icon to browse TikTok’s filters. Apply a filter to change the look and feel of your video.
Insert stickers – Tap the sticker icon to add customizable stickers, text, emojis, and more. Position stickers anywhere on your video.
Include music – Search for songs in TikTok’s music library to add a soundtrack. You can also use viral TikTok sounds.
Adjust speed – Tap the speed option to slow down or speed up parts of your video for dramatic effect.
Add transitions – Insert transitions like fade, wipe, or slide to switch between video clips smoothly.
Include timer and countdown effects – These animated overlays are great for transitions and intros.
Split clips – Break your video into different clips using the “Multi-clip” editor. Rearrange, trim or delete clips.
Use green screen – Choose a video or image for your green screen background. Position yourself over the green screen to create fun effects.
Include captions – Add text captions over your videos to emphasize key moments. Customize font, color and position.
Add voiceovers – Record a voiceover to narrate your video or add commentary.
Take advantage of all of TikTok’s built-in editing features to make engaging, high-quality videos that will wow your viewers.
Share your video
Once you finish editing your video in TikTok, you’ll need to decide whether to share it publicly or keep it private. TikTok allows you to choose who can view your content.
To share your video publicly, simply tap the “Post” button after editing your video. This will make the video visible on your profile and in the main TikTok feed for all users to see. Posting publicly is the best way to get more views and build an audience on TikTok.
However, you can also choose to share your videos privately if you don’t want them to be seen by the general public. To do this, go to your video editing screen and tap the “Who can watch this video?” option. Here you can choose “Friends” to limit visibility to only people you follow or approve as followers. You can also select “Only me” to keep the video fully private and accessible only to yourself.
The TikTok support site recommends being cautious about posting private videos, as even with privacy settings, “other users could take screenshots or recordings of your private videos.” So it’s best to only share truly sensitive videos privately and post most public videos publicly to grow your account.
Overall, sharing videos publicly is the best way to increase engagement and views on TikTok. But the platform does give you options to control visibility and share certain videos privately if you prefer.
Engage with the community
Engaging with other users is one of the best ways to grow your following and get more views on TikTok. Here are some tips for engaging with the TikTok community:
Like other users’ videos to show your appreciation and support. Liking helps videos get surfaced more on TikTok. Be sure to only like videos that you genuinely enjoy. Tip source
Comment on videos you find interesting or entertaining. Leave thoughtful comments beyond just emoji. Ask questions to start conversations. Reply to comments you receive to interact. The more you comment, the more the TikTok algorithm will surface your content. Tip source
Duet with other users by adding your own video side-by-side with theirs. Duets allow you to put your own spin on trending content. Make sure your duet adds value by being funny, informative, or creative. Duet with users who have a similar audience to help reach more of the right people. Tip source
Overall, regularly engage with the TikTok community in a genuine way by liking, commenting, and dueting. This helps you connect with users, get exposure, and grow your account.
