TikTok For Dummies

Introduction

Tick tock ya don’t stop! That quote was made famous by the popular boy band Color Me Badd. The well-known actor and talk show host Rosie O’Donnell uses the phrase in her TikTok videos. Once you’re on TikTok, it’s hard to stop!

There’s a good chance you’re here because your kids couldn’t stop, and now you’re on TikTok, too, wondering what the heck you’re supposed to do next. I asked the same question when the daughters of a close friend (hi, Ellie and Reese) were on the app non-stop. As a writer of content about the future of technology, I was fascinated and wanted to discover what made TikTok tick. In this book, I show you what I learned in the process.

About This Book

Each chapter in TikTok For Dummies operates on its own, and you don’t have to read each chapter in order. As you swipe through the pages (some of you are reading this in electronic format and literally doing that!), you'll see that the book, like TikTok, is designed in bite-sized pieces.

You can sift through the pages randomly and still learn plenty — and, I hope, become amused and entertained in the process. Consider me your entertainer and the book your dopamine rush as you unravel the confusing world of this crazy new app you want to figure out.

Note that TikTok is constantly updating. As of this writing, rumors have flown around of three-minute videos becoming available. Some are trying to start false rumors about status updates similar to Facebook and Twitter. TikTok adds and removes effects and filters all the time. I did my best to include up-to-date information and keep it broadly written and as time indifferent as possible.

Foolish Assumptions

I’d rather not assume anything, but since there are so many of you, I have to assume a few things:

You have a mobile device (the desktop version is limited, so I focus on the mobile future of TikTok).

Your mobile device uses iOS or Android. My kids use their Amazon Kindle Fires, which operate on Android, so those devices work, too, with some limitations.

You can find, download, and access apps on your mobile phone.

You can perform the following basic phone gestures:

Tap: Touch the screen lightly with one finger.

Swipe: Quickly move a finger across the screen, left and right, or up and down.

Pinch/unpinch: This gesture is often referred to as zooming in and out. Place two fingers on the screen and pull them apart to zoom in, making something onscreen larger and easier to see. Pull your two fingers together to zoom back out.

Long-press (or tap-and-hold): Sometimes you need to do more than just tap to open a menu on TikTok. For instance, as a video plays, you can long-press it to display a menu. (I describe this menu in Chapter 2.)

Drag: Tap-and-hold and then move your finger to another part of the screen. This is an important gesture when you’re editing videos (see Chapter 3) and putting together a stitched video (see Chapter 9).

These are common actions needed to create videos and interact on TikTok. If you know these gestures, you can do anything in the app!

You’re willing to think at least a little bit with your right brain and get fun and creative! I know, as an INTP on the Meyer’s Briggs myself, that assumption is a hard one.

Icons Used in This Book

For your convenience, I’ve placed icons throughout the margins to help you understand more about the content I’m sharing.

Tip I use the Tip icon to reveal helpful tidbits, some of which, I hope, will provide inspiration for your videos.

Remember When I want to jog your memory of something in the app or said elsewhere in the book, I use this icon to bring it back to mind.

Warning Pay attention to this stuff — don’t skip it! Something might go wrong if you don’t heed the advice here.

Technical Stuff For the more geeky or those who like to learn, this info will take you to the next level or provide links where you can discover more.

Beyond the Book

This book comes with a cheat sheet that lists some of my favorite accounts to follow, beyond those mentioned in Chapter 12 and 13, tips and techniques for creating better videos, and ways I’ve used TikTok in my digital marketing business to earn income and grow audiences. To get to the cheat sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and type TikTok For Dummies Cheat Sheet in the Search box.

I include links to my most relevant TikTok content on my Facebook page and Twitter account and also write updates on my blog when I can. (I can just hear the TikTok users saying, Ew, Facebook!) Here are links to where you can find me on other platforms:

My personal TikTok (to learn about and contact me):https://tiktok.com/@jessestay

This book’s TikTok (to learn about TikTok and reference examples in the book):https://tiktok.com/@tiktokfordummiesbook

Facebook:https://facebook.com/stay

Twitter:https://twitter.com/jesse

LinkedIn:https://linkedin.com/in/facebook

My website/blog:https://jessestay.com

My email list:https://jessestay.com/tiktokfordummies

Seriously — reach out any time and share with me what you’re doing on TikTok. In addition to these channels, my email address is [email protected], and you can text me at +1-385-450-STAY. I’ll do my best to answer as many of my readers as I can!

Following are other places I recommend you go to get started and for help beyond the links I’ve already shared include:

This book’s Facebook group (https://facebook.com/groups/tiktokfordummies): Introduce yourself and see what you can learn from others and what you can do to help others!

The article A Beginner’s Guide to TikTok by Louise Matsakis, published by Wired (www.wired.com/story/how-to-use-tik-tok): Although this article was published in 2019, it still has relevant information.

The article How to Create Your First TikTok Video by Rachel Pedersen, published by Social Media Examiner (www.socialmediaexaminer.com/how-to-create-your-first-tiktok-video): This is another super useful article with snazzy examples.

Your kids or grandkids: Some of my favorite TikTok accounts include kids featuring their famous parents. Mark Cuban’s daughter (@alexis_cuban) has some hilarious ones. So does Chef Gordon Ramsay’s daughter (@tillyramsay)! Incidentally, Cuban is my favorite shark from Shark Tank, as you’ll learn from my TikTok account.

Where to Go from Here

If you need help signing in to TikTok and creating a profile, read Chapter 1. Then check out Chapter 2, where I describe all the ways to browse TikTok so you can find people you want to follow. Next, the best way to learn TikTok is to jump in and create videos. Chapters 3 and 4 provide details for creating and publishing your own videos.

I encourage you to discover as much as you can through this book and then by experimenting on TikTok. Check out Chapters 12 and 13 for some accounts I like to follow. Search for your favorite topics using the TikTok search function and the Discover page, which I introduce in Chapter 2 and describe more fully in Chapter 8, and then follow those new accounts.

When you’re ready to take it to the next level, see Part 2, where you find out how to check your stats, and discover tips for creating content that will reach new audiences — and might just go viral. Part 3 is for those who want to use TikTok in their business.

Be goofy, learn from what others are doing, and have fun. Join some memes and trends. Dance like you’ve never danced. Lip sync like you’ve never lip synced. Follow as many people as you can, and you’ll quickly get the hang of it. Tell your friends and family you’re on TikTok and get them to follow you — they might even teach you a few things.

You’ve got this!

Part 1

Getting Started with TikTok — the Movie Studio in Your Pocket

IN THIS PART …

Sign up for TikTok and create your first video.

Learn how to surf TikTok and discover new content.

Record and upload videos.

Edit, apply effects to, and publish your video.

Study TikTok etiquette and culture.

Protect yourself and your family on TikTok.

Chapter 1

Using TikTok for the First Time

IN THIS CHAPTER

check Finding TikTok in your app store

check Creating your TikTok account

check Understanding the basic TikTok interface

check Making your first TikTok video

Welcome to the amazing, different, and maybe even intimidating but addicting world of TikTok! There’s a good chance your children or grandchildren sent you here, or you were swindled into trying out a TikTok dance, prank, or meme from a friend or loved one. Whatever the reason, the question I keep hearing is, How do I use this crazy app?

Well, I’m here, as your furry, lovable (repeating Grover from Sesame Street) TikTok creator, to show you how. I teach you the way I know best and am most comfortable with: by writing a book. (As you soon discover, younger TikTok users would wonder why I'm not creating TikTok videos instead.)

Downloading TikTok for Your Mobile Device

Downloading TikTok is the easiest part. TikTok works on both Android and iOS. I even got it to work on my children’s Kindle Fire devices, which are Android-based. Because you already have one of these (see my foolish assumptions in the Introduction), search for the Google Play app (Android) or the App Store (iOS). After you are in either of these app stores, do the following:

Find the search functionality in Google Play or the App Store.

Tip A big Search icon usually appears at the bottom or top of the screen. On my iPhone, the Search icon is in the bottom right.

Search for TikTok, as shown in Figure1-1.

Tap the download icon (iPhone) or the Install button (Android).

The the download icon is a down arrow or a cloud if you’ve previously downloaded the app (as in Figure 1-1). It may look slightly different on your device.

That’s it. Now I show you how to create an account so you can start using the app.

Tip On Kindle Fire devices, the TikTok app is in the Kindle app store. However, keep in mind that your app experience may be limited on Kindle Fire in terms of camera quality and the speed of the app.

FIGURE 1-1: Searching and downloading the TikTok app.

Creating Your Account

After you’ve downloaded the TikTok app to your mobile device, the first step in using the service is to create an account. When you open the app, you’re greeted with a Sign Up for TikTok screen, as shown in Figure 1-2.

You can sign up with your phone number, your email address, or your Facebook, Apple (if on iOS), Google, or Twitter account. (Twitter is available by tapping the down arrow below the Continue with Google option.) Signing up with an account is the easiest option because TikTok autofills many of the sections.

Follow these steps to create your TikTok account:

Tap one of the following:

Use Phone or Email button: I recommend this option so you can understand the full registration process. Then continue with Step 2.

The button representing your Internet account of choice. If you insist on taking the shorter route (hey — I don’t blame you!) by tapping the Continue with Facebook, Continue with Apple, Continue with Google, or Continue with Twitter button (to see the Twitter option, tap the down arrow), just follow the on-screen instructions to log into your chosen account. After you’re authenticated, skip to Step 5, where you're asked to choose a username.

FIGURE 1-2: The account setup process.

Enter your birthday and then tap Next.

Warning You must be 13 or older to use TikTok. While some parents lie about their children’s ages so that their kids can use TikTok, keep in mind that many videos on TikTok have adult themes. Nudity and illegal activities are not allowed on the service, but your children will be exposed to adult topics and profanity if they use the app.

Enter your phone number or email address, tap Next, and complete the Captcha puzzle.

I chose to enter an email, which is selected by default. See Figure 1-3, left. Tap Email in the upper right if you prefer to use your phone number.

Enter a password, as shown in Figure1-3, right, and then tap Next.

Your password must be 8 to 20 characters long, and must contain letters, numbers, and special characters. I recommend that you use a password manager such as LastPass.

FIGURE 1-3: Enter a password.

Pick a unique username for your account.

Your username is how your account will be identified publicly. If the username is taken, you see a message saying, This username isn’t available. Don’t worry — you can change your username later if you’re not entirely sure which username to choose right now!

Choose your interests — or not. Then tap Next.

If you want, select what you want to see most on TikTok. If you’d rather not fill out this part, click the Skip link.

Congratulations! You have a TikTok account. The app will play a little video showing you how to use TikTok, and take you to the For You page, shown in Figure 1-4.

Tip After you create an account and watch the introductory tutorials, the TikTok app will ask you to allow notifications on your phone, as shown in Figure 1-5 (if you haven’t previously enabled notifications). I suggest that you turn on notifications for now so you can become familiar with the app and have the app top of mind as you learn how to use it. You can always turn off notifications later in your device's Settings screen.