TikTok has become one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 1 billion monthly active users. One of the key features of TikTok is the ability to create short videos set to music. Recently, slideshow-style videos have become a hugely popular format on TikTok.
Slideshows on TikTok allow users to share multiple photos or video clips in quick succession, set to music. The slideshow format gives creators a new and engaging way to showcase memories, tell stories, or share “a day in the life.” According to a recent Mashable article, these photo dumps and slideshows have become “the new way to vlog about your life” on TikTok (1).
Creating slideshows on TikTok has many benefits for creators. It allows them to easily compile clips and photos to make short, visually compelling videos. Slideshows also help creators show off different styles, looks, or moments without having to create full-length videos for each. Additionally, the slideshow format tends to perform well with TikTok’s algorithm, allowing creators’ content to reach a wide audience.
(1) https://mashable.com/article/tiktok-photo-mode-day-in-the-life
Step 1: Set Up Your TikTok Account
To start creating a slideshow on TikTok, the first thing you need to do is set up a TikTok account if you don’t already have one. Here’s how:
Download the TikTok app
First, download the TikTok app on your iOS or Android device. You can find the TikTok app in the App Store or Google Play Store. TikTok is free to download.
Create an account
Once you’ve downloaded TikTok, open the app and tap “Sign Up.” You can register using your email, phone number, Facebook, or other social media accounts.
Follow the on-screen prompts to create your account. You’ll need to enter some basic information like your name, username, password, and birth date.
Personalize your profile
After creating your account, take some time to personalize your TikTok profile. Add a profile photo, bio, and other details about yourself. This helps show viewers who you are when they come across your videos.
You can also verify your account with a phone number to access more features.
Step 2: Plan Your Slideshow Content
Before starting your slideshow, you’ll want to spend some time planning out the content. Here are a few tips:
Decide on a Theme or Topic
Pick a specific theme or topic to focus your slideshow on. This could be a recent trip, an event, a hobby, or anything else you want to showcase. Having a defined theme will make your slideshow feel more cohesive.
Create an Outline
Make a basic outline of what you want to include in your slideshow. You may want to start with your strongest photos/videos first, then fill in supporting shots. An outline helps ensure your slideshow flows logically.
Gather Photos/Videos
Collect all the photos, videos, and other media you want to use in your slideshow. Make sure you have high quality images that align with your theme. According to TikTok user @ppthemes, some of the most popular TikTok slideshow themes include travel, food, photography, and lifestyle. Choose media that fits your topic.
Step 3: Create the Slideshow
Once you have your TikTok account set up and your slideshow content planned out, it’s time to start creating the actual slideshow.
Here’s how to create a slideshow on TikTok:
- Open the TikTok camera by tapping the plus (+) icon at the bottom of the screen.
- Select “Multi-clip” mode at the bottom of the camera screen. This is the mode you need to use to create a slideshow.
- Add media to your first slide. You can add photos, videos, text, effects and more. Tap the checkmark when you’re happy with the first slide.
- Keep adding slides and customizing each one until you’ve built your full slideshow. You can have up to 10 slides in a TikTok multi-clip video.
- Tap “Next” after adding your last slide to move on to finalizing your slideshow.
The key is using the Multi-clip mode in the TikTok camera. This allows you to easily build a slideshow right within the TikTok app, adding multiple slides back-to-back.
Be creative with mixing up photos, videos, text, effects, and more across your various slides. Putting together an engaging, visually appealing slideshow will help capture audience attention.
Step 4: Customize Your Slideshow
Once you’ve created your slideshow, you can customize each slide by adding text, stickers, effects, and more. Here are some tips for customizing your TikTok slideshow:
Add text overlays to your slides to include captions, titles, or other text elements. You can adjust the text font, color, size, and positioning on each slide.
Use TikTok’s large sticker library to add emojis, shapes, illustrations, and more to your slides. Stickers are a great way to enhance your visuals or add a fun element.
Apply filters and video effects like slow motion or speed up to stylize your slideshow. Some popular TikTok effects for slideshows include the glitch effect, video color changer, and time warp scan (Source).
Adjust the timing of each slide and add custom transitions between slides like wipe, fade, or zoom effects.
TikTok offers advanced editing tools to truly customize your multi-clip slideshow. Take time to refine the visuals, effects, text, and pacing to create a polished, engaging slideshow.
Step 5: Add Music
One of the best parts of creating a TikTok slideshow is getting to pair it with music. TikTok has licensing agreements that allow you to use many popular songs in your videos without worrying about copyright issues.
To add music to your slideshow:
- Browse TikTok’s extensive music library to find the perfect track. You can search by keywords, hashtags or browse by genre.
- Pick a suitable track that matches the vibe and pace of your slideshow. Upbeat songs work well for fast-paced content.
- Trim the music clip if needed so it matches the length of your slideshow. You want the transitions in your slides to match up with the audio beats.
Pro tip: Check out TikTok’s Original Sounds for music created specifically for TikTok videos.
Step 6: Final Edits
Once you have finished creating your slideshow, it’s time to review it and make any final edits before publishing.
Watch through your entire slideshow from start to finish. Make sure the flow makes sense, the timing of each photo works well, and the transitions between slides are smooth. You can go back and adjust the duration of any individual photos or rearrange the order of the slides at this stage.
Check for any typos, spelling errors, or other text issues. You can edit the text for each slide as needed.
At this point, you may also want to record a voiceover to overlay on your slideshow. TikTok allows you to record up to 10 minutes of audio for each video. A voiceover can help provide context, tell a story, or add personality to your slideshow. Just tap the microphone icon at the top of the screen to start recording.
Once you are fully satisfied with your slideshow, it’s time to export it and publish it on TikTok so others can view your creation!
Step 7: Publish Your Slideshow
Once your slideshow video is complete, it’s time to publish it to TikTok! Here are some tips for sharing your new video:
Write a compelling caption that describes your slideshow and makes viewers want to watch it. You only have 150 characters, so keep it short, catchy and relevant.
Add relevant hashtags to help viewers find your video. Check out popular slideshow hashtags like #slideshow, #videoslideshow, #fyp, or search trending tags related to your niche.
Post the video! Hit the share button in TikTok to publish your slideshow. Consider posting at peak times when more users are active, like evenings and weekends.
Interact with your viewers. Respond to comments, like videos, and follow users who engage with your content. This helps boost your slideshow’s reach.
Track performance. See which hashtags and posting times get the most views. Use these insights to optimize future slideshow videos.
Have fun and get creative! Slideshows are a great way to showcase photos, tell stories, or explain a process on TikTok.
Tips for Creating Better Slideshows
Here are some tips to help you create more engaging and polished slideshows on TikTok:
Use high-quality photos and videos. Make sure your visuals are well-lit, in-focus, and high-resolution. TikTok compresses videos, so start with the best quality footage you have. Avoid pixelated or blurry images.
Keep transitions smooth. Choose consistent transition styles and speeds throughout your slideshow. Avoid jarring jumps between slides. Use transitions like fade, slide, or wipe to smoothly move from one visual to the next.
Tailor content for the TikTok audience. Use text, effects, and visuals that fit the young TikTok demographic. Keep wording casual, fun and concise. Pick music and visuals popular with TikTok users.
Edit carefully. Watch your entire slideshow multiple times to perfect the timing, effects, and flow. Ensure captions, titles, and transitions enhance rather than detract from your images.
Add music that complements the vibe. Avoid music that distracts from or clashes with the visuals. Use songs that are currently trending for better engagement.
Keep it short. Slideshows under 60 seconds have the highest completion rates on TikTok. Condense your storytelling to keep viewers interested.
Promote Your Slideshow
Once your slideshow is live on TikTok, it’s time to start promoting it to gain more views. Here are some tips:
Share your slideshow on other social platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Cross-promoting content across multiple networks can help expose it to new audiences. Just make sure to customize the caption and hashtags for each platform.
Engage with commenters on your slideshow. Respond to questions and feedback, which helps boost engagement. Pin interesting comments so others see them. Liking and replying to comments also helps the TikTok algorithm surface your content.
Collaborate with other TikTok creators. You could ask them to duet or stitch your slideshow, mention you in their videos, or simply repost it to their own feed. Having influencers share your content taps into their existing followers.
The key is getting your TikTok slideshow in front of as many eyes as possible. Promoting it across platforms, engaging your audience, and collaborating with others are all great ways to gain more exposure and views.
