If you haven’t yet delved into #LearnOnTikTok, now’s the time. Educators, experts and content makers are shaking up the ways we learn with short, engaging videos that focus on everything from career development to mental health to nutrition.
Want to discover more about aquatic life? Aquarium of the Pacific (@aquariumpacific) shares fascinating explainers on everything from the habits of the tiny lumpfish to the endangered giant sea bass. Need tips on meditation, sleep and managing anxiety? Mental wellness platform Headspace (@headspace) posts about all of this and more. Want advice and inspiration from those living and thriving as their authentic selves? Non-profit It Gets Better (@itgetsbetter) supports LGBTQ+ youth who want to share their stories.
Whatever you’re passionate and knowledgeable about, you can find your audience on TikTok. Here are three tips for creating engaging educational content on the platform.
Make your own green screen
The idea: Use videos or images in the background of your clip as you explain things or share your insights.
How to: Hang a cloth (preferably lime green for easy image selection) behind you and record yourself. In post-production you can apply the image or video you want to comment on so it shows up behind you.
Try the teacher’s way
The idea: Use a whiteboard to draw or write and add some upbeat music as your background.
How to: Frame the board in your shot and position yourself on one side of the screen (left or right depending on which side you write on) with pen in hand. Then show them how it’s done without saying a word.
Use voiceover for action shots
The idea: When you want to demonstrate things such as cooking, packing or making origami, add voiceover to your videos.
How to: Focus the camera on your hands or on the object you’re dealing with and let your audience see what you’re doing step by step. Include subtitles and record a voiceover that explains what’s happening.