Are you trying out TikTok for the first time with your nonprofit? I recently started a TikTok account for the Childhood Domestic Violence Association and was very intimidated at first! Fortunately, I did some research and talked to some friends who are TIkTok experts and learned some handy tips:

1. Record all videos in the portrait (vertical) position

TikTok is optimized for viewing videos on a smartphone, so you’ll want to record portrait (vertical) style videos.

2. Get to the point quickly

You’ve got about two seconds to make a TikTok viewer care enough about your video to watch it through to the end, so get to the point!

3. when you upload your video, do some quick editing

Before you publish your video, make some quick edits to make it more watchable. You want to make sure people watch your entire video from beginning to end! Here are some edits I recommend:

First, turn on captions. This way, people who are watching your video on mute or who have hearing problems can still understand what you’re saying.
Also, trim your video at the beginning and end so people don’t have to watch you getting your camera set up or tapping the record button.
Then add some background music. Not only does background music make your video sound more fun, but it also makes your video easier for people to find! This is because some TikTok users will find a song they like and watch all the videos made using that song.
Finally, if you do add music, adjust the volume so that it’s not overpowering your spoken words. You can adjust your video’s volume and the music’s volume separately.

4. Choose trending music to add to your video

Like I mentioned before, TIkTok users will search for videos that include their favorite songs, so one way to get people to notice your video is to use trending music. When you go to upload your video and tap the “Sounds” icon in the bottom left, you can go to the “TikTok Viral” playlist to see what’s trending. Just make sure you choose a sound that’s appropriate and aligned with your mission.

Did I leave any tips off my list? Email me at hello@nonprofitjenni.com to let me know!