What is a Swipe Slideshow on TikTok?
A swipe slideshow on TikTok allows users to showcase multiple photos or videos in a slideshow format within a single TikTok post. To view all the slides, viewers swipe horizontally on mobile or click an arrow icon on desktop. This gives creators a way to share more visual content and tell a fuller story in the limited space of one TikTok post.
The swipe slideshow feature has become popular for outfit changes, glow-ups, transformations, before-and-afters, and any series of photos that users want to quickly showcase. It provides an easy way to pack more visual punch into the standard TikTok format.
According to Dexerto, the swipe slideshow “has users showing off a series of images in a slideshow-style composition.” Instead of posting each photo individually, the swipe slideshow groups everything into a single post for a more cohesive and engaging viewing experience.
Why Use a Swipe Slideshow
Using a swipe slideshow on TikTok has a few key advantages:
It allows you to showcase more content and photos in a single video. Rather than being limited to a single image, a slideshow lets you include multiple photos and graphics sequenced together. This is great for showing off different looks, outfits, product images, or displaying a progression.
A swipe slideshow creates a smooth, professional look for your videos. The sliding transition between images gives a dynamic, visually appealing effect. It elevates the production value beyond just a static image. Done well, a swipe slideshow can grab attention and keep viewers engaged as they swipe through the images.
Slideshows also enable you to tell a story or communicate more information through a sequence of images. You can use captions on each image to further explain the storyline. The images flow together cohesively thanks to the swipe transition.
Overall, swipe slideshows represent a popular TikTok trend because they provide an easy way to incorporate multiple photos in an aesthetic, engaging format. They help showcase more content within the constraints of a short-form video.
Prepare Your Content
The first step in creating a swipe slideshow on TikTok is to prepare your photos or short videos. You’ll want to choose 3-5 pieces of media to include in your slideshow. As recommended in this guide, your photos or videos should follow a theme or tell a mini story when viewed together in the slideshow.
Curate your media so it flows logically when swiped through. You may want to show progression (like a recipe being made or a before/after style transformation) or tell a narrative. Having cohesive media will create a more polished and intentional looking slideshow. Avoid random, disjointed photos.
You may also want to edit your photos or videos before uploading to ensure they are high quality. Consider cropping, adjusting lighting, or making other enhancements so each piece of media looks its best.
Edit the Media
Once you have gathered all of the photos or videos you want to include in your swipe slideshow, you’ll want to edit them so they have a consistent look and feel. This helps create a more professional and seamless slideshow.
First, crop your images or trim your videos so they are all the same size and aspect ratio. The slideshow effect works best when the slides are uniform. Use an editing app like Snapseed or Adobe Lightroom to crop and adjust your media.
Next, use the editing tools to adjust the brightness, contrast, saturation, temperature, etc. so the lighting and coloring is consistent across all the slides. You may want to apply the same filter or effect to each photo/video for consistency. According to a Dexerto article, “In the bottom right corner click on ‘Uploads.'” https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/how-to-do-tiktoks-photo-swipe-trend-1856609/
Spending time properly editing your media will really elevate your final swipe slideshow and make it look more professional.
Upload Media to TikTok
To upload your images or videos for the slideshow, open the TikTok app and tap on the plus icon at the bottom to go to the Post screen. Here is where you will select the media you want to include in your slideshow:
Tap on the “Upload” button at the bottom, which will take you to your camera roll. Select the photos or videos you want to use for your slideshow. You can select multiple photos/videos at once. Tap “Next” once you have chosen everything.
The selected media will now be uploaded to TikTok. You can see thumbnail previews of everything you picked at the bottom of the screen. You can tap and hold on a thumbnail then drag to reorder the media if needed. Everything is now ready for you to arrange into your slideshow.
For more details, refer to this guide.
Arrange the Slide Order
After uploading your media to TikTok, the next step is to arrange the slides in the order you want them to appear in the slideshow. TikTok allows you to easily drag and drop to rearrange the slides.
Tap on the slide thumbnail and drag it to the position you want in the sequence. You can continue rearranging the order until you have it how you want. Be sure to think carefully about the order – you want each slide to transition smoothly into the next. Arrange the slides so they tell a cohesive story or convey information logically from start to finish.
You can also delete any slides you decide not to include by tapping the trash icon. Remember that the order you set here will determine the swipe direction your audience uses when viewing the slideshow video.
Once you’re happy with the sequence, the slides are ready to become a swipe slideshow!
Add Effects, Text, and Music
Once you have arranged the slides in the desired order, you can add various effects, text, and music to enhance your TikTok slideshow.
Apply filters, text captions, stickers, and other effects as desired to individual slides or the entire slideshow. TikTok offers a wide variety of effects to choose from. Using relevant effects can help make your slideshow more visually appealing and engaging. For example, you could add a vintage filter for throwback photos or fun captions over a funny meme slide.
Adding text captions is especially helpful to provide context or commentary for each slide. To add text, tap on the “Text” icon when editing a slide and type in your caption. You can adjust the text style, color, size and position.
Music is a key element of any TikTok video. Add suitable music or sounds that match the vibe and pacing of your slideshow. TikTok has a large music library to browse or you can upload your own audio. The music will play throughout the entire slideshow video.
Choose music that complements the slides rather than overpowering them. Upbeat music tends to work best for fast-paced slideshows while emotional ballads can accompany more sentimental content. Whatever music you pick, make sure the vibe aligns with the purpose and tone of your slideshow.
Cite: https://riverside.fm/blog/how-to-add-captions-on-tiktok
Finalize the Slideshow
Once you have arranged all the slides in the order you want, it’s time to review and make any last edits to finalize the slideshow. Watch through each transition and check for any issues with the flow or timing. According to this YouTube tutorial, you can tap and hold on a slide to adjust its duration. Ensure each slide has enough time for viewers to absorb the visuals and effects. Also check for any typos or formatting issues in the text overlays.
The overall slideshow should have a smooth, cohesive flow from one slide to the next. Transitions and effects should enhance the viewing experience. The FlexClip tutorial recommends listening to the slideshow with sound on to catch any audio hiccups. Make any final tweaks to create a polished, professional slideshow that showcases your photos flawlessly.
Post the Slideshow
Once you are happy with how your slideshow looks, it’s time to post it on TikTok! The caption and hashtags you use will be key for making your slideshow stand out in the busy TikTok feed.
Write a compelling, engaging caption that gives context to your slideshow. Briefly explain what viewers can expect to see and make it intriguing so they feel compelled to watch the full video. Using creative and witty captions can help your post grab attention.
Strategically choose relevant hashtags to improve discoverability and reach the right audience. Include a mix of popular/trending tags as well as niche tags closely related to your content. You can research hashtag ideas using sites like Digits.
Once posted, be sure to actively promote and share your new TikTok swipe slideshow. Share the link with your followers on other social platforms. @ mention relevant accounts in the comments. Consider running TikTok ads to boost views. Great slideshow content paired with smart promotion can help you quickly amass new likes, comments, shares and followers!
Best Practices
Here are some tips for creating effective swipe slideshows on TikTok:
Keep it short – 3-5 slides is ideal. Viewers on TikTok have short attention spans, so keep your slideshow brief and engaging. As noted by https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/how-to-do-tiktoks-photo-swipe-trend-1856609/, more than 5 slides can be overwhelming and lead to fewer views.
Tailor content for the TikTok audience. Use captions, effects, and music that will appeal to the platform’s users. As https://screenrant.com/do-photo-swipe-tiktok-trend-how/ mentions, choose creative audio that complements your images.
Encourage engagement. Ask questions in captions or prompt viewers to comment. Polls and quizzes work well to increase interaction. Make the most of TikTok features like Duets to generate response.
