Since the pandemic, platforms such as Instagram and TikTok have become powerhouses in the digital content landscape attracting billions of users all across the world. When delving into the world of content creation, short form video offers an abundance of opportunity.

Video content and micro content has boomed, changing the way we consume media online. With such a huge surge of growth, content creators have been presented with the need to upskill their video editing knowledge. 

Within this blog we will highlight some of the best practices when editing social media video content for platforms such as Instagram and Tiktok, considering what tools are the most beneficial.

Let’s consider some tips and tricks to help you choose which social media video editor offers the most potential for you and your brand. 

Best Practices for Social Media Video Editing

When creating video content for Instagram and TikTok there are some general rules of best practice to help you master the art of the video editor and create amazing micro content. 

social media video editor
social media video editor
Social Media Video Editor: Picture of someone holding a phone and editing a video on Capcut. Photo by Onur Binay on Unsplash
  1. Set a clear objective for your video content. What are you creating and why?
  2. Keep it concise: Short form video content performs best when it’s direct and straight to the point.
  3. Capture the user’s attention within the first few seconds. Attention spans are short, so intriguing your audience form the get go is important.
  4. Regardless of the fact the content is short form, still focus on storytelling so your content is engaging for the user.
  5. Consistent branding: Create a strategy that considers your brand aesthetics when creating video content.
  6. Stay up to date with trending or viral content. Jumping on trends like this can potentially maximise your reach and push your content to new audiences.
  7. Include CTA (Call To Action) in your video content. This might be a CTA to the link in your bio. This will drive traffic to your website and potentially generate sales.
  8. Use transitions, overlays and filters to make your content fun and engaging without overdoing it. Too many bells and whistles can be off putting.
Social Media Video Editor: Video detailing how to download Capcut on PC & Laptop.

Social Media Video Editor: Editing Within Instagram And TikTok

Instagram and TikTok offer many options when it come to video editing features within both of these platforms app. These free, accessible, in platform tools can help support your content generation. These features include:

  • Trimming and editing video clips to condense content where necessary.
  • Adjusting video speed for slow motion and fast motion effects.
  • Applying filters, stickers and effects onto your videos to enhance their visual appeal and complexity.
  • Aligning music with tracks from Instagram’s extensive library. Instagram and TikTok both offer an extensive music library that allows you to add soundtracks to your videos. You can choose from a wide range of music tracks to enhance your content.
  • Captions and Text: Adding captions, text overlays, and stickers to provide context or engage your audience. You can customise the text with various fonts, colours, and styles and generate captions that allow your audience to engage in and view your content with the sound turned off.
  • Video Cover: Both platforms allow you to choose a cover image or thumbnail for your video from a specific frame to represent it in your feed. This cover image can be different from the first frame of your video.
  • Effects: Instagram provides additional video effects and tools such as Superzoom, Boomerang, and Rewind, which add creative and playful elements to your videos.
  • Save Drafts: You can save your edited videos as drafts to revisit and finalise, meaning you can work on a piece of content for as long as you need to.
  • Volume Control: Adjust the volume of the video’s audio or mute it if needed.

Both of these platforms offer user friendly features that are accessible to use however as a social media video editor tool, CapCut boasts one advantage… The extensive amount of templates to explore!

social media video editor
Social Media Video Editor: Photograph of Capcut editing tools on a mobile phone screen. Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash.

CapCut: The All-in-One Social Media Video Editor

CapCut features a user friendly interface that is easily navigated for those with lots of content creation experience and those just starting out. 

Here’s some suggestions as to why CapCut can be useful when trying to master the art of the social media video editor. 

  1. CapCut is free and therefore an affordable option for small businesses. It does offer in-app purchases should you wish to financially invest in your content. 
  2. It’s available to both Android and iOS and therefore extremely accessible as you do not need a PC to utilise its features. 
  3. The interface offers a plethora of creative and extensive templates for the creator to benefit from, opposed to editing from scratch. This is ideal if you’re lacking in ideas or building your video editing skill set from the ground up.
  4. The platform offers extensive tutorials and support for upskilling. This is extremely beneficial to help development and learning. 
  5. CapCut allows you to collaborate with others on your edits, meaning it’s great for social media teams working on content together.
  6. There are regular updates within the platform to improve it’s editing tools and performance. This keeps your content on trend and up to date. enhancing the user experience ensures that the app remains accessible and up-to-date.
  7. This editor is multilingual and has the ability to recognise a wide array of languages to auto generate captions. This makes it beneficial for those creating content for more than one country. 
  8. Text to speech, stickers, transitions, music, multi layer editing, background editor, texts, effects, filters. This platform boasts all the necessary gadgets and gizmos to give your content the glitz and glam it needs to help it stand out. 
Video discussing how businesses might use TikTok in their digital strategy.

Which social media video editor is right for you?

For those seeking a versatile, yet powerful video editing tool, CapCut stands out as a great option. Its user-friendly interface, extensive library of effects and templates, and support for various media formats make it ideal for creating eye-catching videos that capture attention and engage viewers.

Additionally, CapCut’s mobile-first approach allows for on-the-go editing, making it a convenient tool for capturing and crafting content wherever inspiration strikes.

In-Platform Editing for Simplicity and Convenience

In-platform editing software, such as the native video editing tools offered by Instagram, provides a streamlined experience that is tightly integrated with the social media platforms themselves.

This integration eliminates the need to export and upload videos, simplifying the editing-to-publishing workflow. Additionally, these tools often offer access to brand-specific features and templates that cater to the unique aesthetics and trends of each platform.

Our recommendations? Try both and see which tool is more accessible for you and your video content creation!

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