How to get
started creating
TikTok videos A quick guide to finding ideas, creating great content and making it work harder for your business.
Watch it. Love it. Want it. Start it.
Start with creating organic content Before launching your first ad campaign, creating organic content is a low-pressure way to familiarise yourself with TikTok, experiment with different ideas and learn what resonates with your audience.
+27% 45% increase in brand recall when viewers see organic before paid¹
of businesses who started with organic eventually sought out paid to expand results they saw²
Plan your content calendar foundations What should you post and how often? 1–2x a week
Always-on content about your area of expertise 1x every 2 weeks
Tap into trending sounds and cultural moments 2–3x a month
Create content around seasonal moments
How long should your videos be? Create a mix of video lengths:
Short-form (<60s)
Trends, quick tips and attention-grabbing hooks Long-form (1m+)
Deeper storytelling, tutorials, education and expertise Source:
TikTok Marketing Science Global Organic + Paid Study 2021, conducted by Neurons
TikTok Marketing Science Global SMB Journey Research 2023, conducted by GoodQues
Three stops
on your TikTok creative journey Ideate. Produce. Boost & Engage. Ideate your content 01
Start with your audience
What do they care about? What do they watch, search or talk about? Check your business' unique personality
What does your brand want to say? How can you say it in a way that's authentically you? Tap into what's happening
Which trends, sounds or conversations feel relevant to your brand?
Show what you do best
How can your product, service or expertise be useful, interesting or entertaining? Bring the whole team on board
Great ideas can come from people across your business. Plan for key moments
Which seasonal or cultural moments can your brand show up for?
Stuck for ideas? Start here. s p i t k c i u Q s k c a h r o
Behind
the scenes e
r o f e B r e t f and a Customer testimonials
Fun fact, Did you know…
Industry hot takes
Storytime
Monthly recaps Day in the life
Q&A
Gift guides Mini tutorials
Street interviews
Turn ideas into content with Symphony is TikTok's suite of AI creative tools for ideation, creation and content adaptation. Symphony Creative Agent
Brainstorm concepts, explore ideas and generate scripts.
Symphony Creative Studio powered by Dreamina Seedance 2.0 Bring ideas to life with AI-powered video generation and editing, including text-to-video, image-to-video and reference-to-video.
90%
of marketers agree Gen AI has become a key tool in the creative development process.¹
Source:
WARC x TikTok, The New Creative Advantage, 2026.
Produce your content 02 Do it yourself Film directly in TikTok
1
2
Tap the
button
3
Shoot or upload clips
4
Add sound,
Fine-tune your
text, stickers,
audio and
effects, filters
visuals
and captions
5 Preview, add your caption and post
Or repurpose what you already have You don't need to start from scratch. Existing TV, social or brand assets can be adapted for TikTok quickly and efficiently.
If you repurpose existing content: Make it vertical
Crop to 9:16 Make it interactive
Use stickers, polls or other native features Make it sound-on
Add sound, voiceover or captions
Tools that can help CapCut
Create and edit TikTok-ready video without advanced editing expertise. Symphony Creative Studio
Remix, resize, translate and dub. Video Editor
Edit directly in TikTok Ads Manager.
Or get some help Work with creators TikTok users pay 39% more attention to creator-led ads than traditional brand ads.¹
Creators speak the TikTok language, understand their communities and can help brands create content that feels native to the platform. TikTok One
Source brand-relevant creator content, launch scaled creator projects and build custom creator collaborations.
Source:
System1 x TikTok, The Long & the Short (Form) of It, 2025.
Work with a creative agency If you prefer end-to-end support, creative agencies can help with idea generation, production, asset remixing and talent management. TikTok One Partner Exchange
Submit a brief and get matched with a vetted agency that fits your needs.
What makes a
great TikTok video? Follow TikTok's Creative Codes
First 01 TikTok Real people, real moments, casual style 02 Trends Use relevant sounds, effects or formats 03 Production Shoot vertical 9:16 and keep it high-resolution 04 Structure Start with a strong hook 05 Stimulation Use editing, music, transitions and text to hold attention
06 Sound TikTok is a sound-on experience: use voiceover or licensed music
2.6x
higher intent lift for ads with strong early branding and positive audience response¹
88%
higher conversion lift for ads using more sales-focused creative features¹ Source:
System1 x TikTok, The Long & the Short (Form) of It, 2025.
15:26
Following
For You
01 HOOK First 0–6 seconds
Grab attention. Make it bold, relevant and tied to your key message.
02 KEY MESSAGE 6–20 seconds
Deliver your main idea clearly and quickly. Show the value, story or benefit that keeps viewers watching.
03 CALL TO ACTION The close
Finish with a clear next step. Encourage viewers to follow, visit, learn more, shop or take action.
Playlist
Home
1M+
Discover
Inbox
Proile
Boost & Engage 03 Give great organic content a boost Once you've started creating organically, Spark Ads let you turn organic posts — from your brand or trusted creators — into paid ads.
Because they retain the native TikTok post, Spark Ads: Preserve existing likes, comments and shares
Add social proof and authenticity
Save production time
Amplify content that's already working
Learn more about Spark Ads
Don't just post. Participate. Community management can deepen engagement, build brand love — and give you ideas for what to create next.
78%
of TikTok users are more likely to be loyal to brands with a strong sense of community.¹
Tap into the comments Use comments to: Gather audience insights
Turn questions into new content
Express your brand personality
Join relevant conversations in real time
Encourage co-creation Use Duet & Stitch to invite your community to react, respond and build on your content.
Understand why people participate People come to TikTok:
To be entertained To feel uplifted To participate To discover
Source:
TikTok Marketing Science Global Long-Term Value of a TikTok User Study, 2025.
Watch it.
Love it.
Want it.
START IT. Start advertising in minutes
Create your TikTok Ads Manager account and unlock ad credits to supercharge your first campaign.
Get started https://ads.tiktok.com/business