How to Make a TikTok Video Tutorial

Creating a TikTok tutorial that teaches a skill, solves a problem, and actually gets seen is one of the best ways to grow an audience. This guide walks you through the entire process, from brainstorming a share-worthy idea to editing a polished final video that your followers will love and share.

Start with a Plan: The Pre-Production Essentials

The best TikToks look effortless, but they usually start with a solid plan. Spending ten minutes on strategy before you hit record will save you an hour of headaches in the editing process. A well-planned tutorial feels clear, confident, and professional, which is exactly how you want your brand to come across.

Find a Tutorial Topic That Connects

The goal is to provide immediate value. Think about what problems your audience has that you can solve in 60 seconds or less. Your niche will guide you, but here are some ideas to get the gears turning:

• "How-to" guides: How to style curtain bangs, how to brew the perfect pour-over coffee, how to do a smoky eye.
• "Tips and tricks": 3 Excel shortcuts you need to know, a simple hack for cleaning white sneakers, my secret to juicy chicken breast.
• "Top 3 / Top 5" lists: 5 apps every college student needs, 3 camera settings to change for better photos, my top 3 favorite houseplants for beginners.

The key is specificity. Instead of "How to use Photoshop," create a tutorial on "How to quickly remove a background in Photoshop." People search for very specific solutions, so giving them a direct answer will make your content more discoverable.

Outline Your Steps (Seriously, Write it Down)

You don’t need a movie script, but you do need a roadmap. A simple bullet-point outline will keep you on track and make your instructions flow logically. Structure your tutorial with a clear beginning, middle, and end.

A simple tutorial structure looks like this:

1. The Hook (1-3 seconds): Show the finished result first or pose the problem you're about to solve. This grabs a viewer’s attention immediately. For example, show a perfectly organized closet, then transition to the messy "before."
2. The Steps (15-50 seconds): Break down the process into small, easy-to-follow pieces. Film each step as a separate clip. This makes editing way easier.
3. The Reveal & Call to Action (3-5 seconds): Show the beautiful final result again. Your call to action can be a simple directive like "Try this framing hack and tag me!" or asking a question like "What should I teach you how to make next?" in the caption.

Prep Your Filming Space

Good visuals are half the battle on TikTok. Before you record, take a moment to set up your shot for success.

• Lighting: Good lighting makes your video look crisp and professional. Natural light is your best friend - try filming facing a window. If that’s not an option, a simple ring light makes a huge difference and is an affordable investment.
• Stability: Shaky footage is distracting. Use a tripod for your phone. It doesn't need to be expensive, but it's a non-negotiable tool for creating clean, stable shots, especially for tutorials where your hands are busy.
• Background: A cluttered, distracting background can pull focus away from what you're teaching. Find a clean, simple backdrop. It could be a blank wall, a tidy part of your desk, or a styled bookshelf. Make sure it aligns with your brand's aesthetic.
• Props: Gather everything you need for the tutorial before you start filming. There’s nothing worse than stopping mid-flow to search for a tool you forgot.

Lights, Camera, Action: Filming Your Tutorial

With your plan in place, filming becomes much simpler. You can focus on getting clear shots of each step without worrying about what comes next. TikTok’s in-app tools are powerful enough to get the job done without needing any external apps.

Use In-App Features to Your Advantage

Working within the TikTok app itself simplifies the process. Here’s what you need to know:

• Hands-Free Timer: This is a game-changer. Tap the timer icon on the right-hand menu. You can set a 3-second or 10-second countdown before recording begins. You can also drag the marker on the timeline to set exactly how long you want each clip to record for. This lets you film in bite-sized chunks without having to touch your phone.
• Flip Camera: Use the front-facing camera for talking-head-style intros and the back camera for a higher-quality view of what you're doing. A quick camera flip can add a dynamic feel to your video.
• Adjust Speed: The speed tool (0.3x, 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 3x) can add visual interest. Slowing down a complex step can make it clearer for your audience, while speeding up a repetitive task keeps the video from dragging.

Framing, Angles, and Perspective

How you frame your shot completely changes the feel of your tutorial. A few simple adjustments can make it much more engaging and easy to follow.

• Stick to Vertical: Always film in vertical (9:16) format. This is TikTok 101, but it’s still the most common mistake for beginners.
• Close-Ups are Your Friend: For detailed work like makeup application, crafting, or tech tutorials, don’t be afraid to get close. Fill the frame with the action so viewers can see exactly what you're doing.
• Top-Down View: For things like cooking, drawing, or unboxing, a top-down ("flat lay") angle is perfect. It gives a clear, unobstructed view of the process. You can buy an overhead tripod arm or get creative with a selfie stick and some books.

Putting It All Together: Editing Your TikTok Tutorial

Editing is where your story comes to life. Your goal is to create a fast-paced, visually clear, and engaging video. Thankfully, TikTok's built-in editor has everything you need to create a professional-looking tutorial.

Arrange Your Clips & Find Your Pace

After you’ve filmed all your clips, hit the checkmark to enter the editing screen. Tap "Adjust clips" to see everything you filmed. Here, you can:

• Trim with Precision: Tap on any clip and drag the ends to trim out dead air, long pauses, or fumbled movements. Keep your clips tight and snappy. A good rule of thumb is that no single clip should be longer than 5-7 seconds unless you're explaining something very detailed.
• Reorder Your Story: Simply press and hold on any clip to drag it into the correct order. This is where your outline pays off, as you know exactly how the story should flow.

Use Text Overlays to Guide Your Audience

Text is practically required for tutorials. Viewers often watch with the sound off, and text provides critical context and instructions. To add text, tap the "Text" icon (Aa) on the right.

Best Practices for Text Overlays:

• Keep it short: Use clear, concise labels for each step (e.g., "Step 1: Prep Skin," "Add 2 tbsp sugar"). Avoid full sentences.
• Timed Text: After placing your text, tap on it and select "Set duration." This lets you time the text to appear only during the specific clip it relates to. This is fundamental for creating a tutorial that feels clean and easy to follow.
• Readability is a Priority: Choose a clear font, use the "background" or "stroke" option to make it stand out from the video, and place it where it won't cover up important actions.

Audio: Voiceovers & Trending Sounds

Sound is a powerful tool on TikTok. You have a few options for your tutorial.

To add a Voiceover:

1. Tap the "Audio" icon in the top navigation.
2. Tap the "Record" icon on the right-hand menu.
3. Record your voiceover while you watch the video play. You can speak calmly and clearly, narrating each step as it happens on screen. Pro tip: Don't check the "Keep original sound" box if you want your voiceover to be the only audio.

To add a Trending Sound:

1. Tap the "Add sound" button at the top of the editing screen.
2. Browse trending sounds and pick one that fits the vibe of your video.
3. After selecting a sound, tap the "Volume" icon on the right menu. Here, you can lower the volume of the "Added Sound" and raise the "Original Sound" if you spoke during filming, or vice versa if you added a voiceover. For tutorials, it’s common to set the trending sound volume to a low level (around 5-15%) so it doesn't overpower your instructions.

Publishing Your Masterpiece

Your video is filmed and edited - you're at the final step! The posting screen is where you add the finishing touches that help your video get discovered.

Write an SEO-Friendly Caption and Add Hashtags

Your caption should do two things: describe the video's value and add relevant keywords. For example: "Here’s an easy way to get a flawless concealer base! ✨ #makeuptutorial #concealerhack #beautyhacks #tiktokbeauty".

A good hashtag strategy includes a mix of:

• Broad tags: #tiktoktutorial, #DIY, #howto
• Niche-specific tags: #knittingtutorial, #woodworkingtips, #veganrecipes
• Hyper-specific tags related to the video: "#finalcuttutorial", "#sourdoughscoring"

Aim for 3-5 high-quality hashtags that accurately describe your content.

Choose an A+ Cover

On the posting screen, tap "Select cover" on the video preview. Your cover appears on your profile grid, so make it count! Find a frame that clearly shows the subject of the video, and use TikTok's text styles to add a simple, descriptive title like "Easy Eyeliner" or "Tying a Tie." This makes it easy for new visitors to your profile to find exactly what they're looking for.

Final Thoughts

Making a great TikTok tutorial is a skill, and like any other skill, it gets easier with practice. By focusing on a clear plan, shooting clean footage, using simple edits, and optimizing your post, you can create valuable content that helps your audience and grows your brand.

Once you’ve perfected your tutorial creation process, managing when and where to post your videos is the next step in building a strong social presence. Here, we use Postbase to streamline our own content workflow. Since it’s designed for short-form video first, we can schedule a single tutorial to publish on TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts all at once, which saves us a ton of time and keeps our content calendars organized without any clunky spreadsheets.