Standing at a staggering 1 billion active users, TikTok has become a mammoth of a social media platform today. After a record-breaking 2021, TikTok is killing it in 2022 too. So good that it’s hard to ignore.

Brands are leveraging TikTok more than ever so that they can directly connect with their audiences through a format they love.

So we looked into what’s trending on TikTok to identify patterns in what works and what doesn’t. And we found that content that does well is more than just around a trend, it uses seamless transitions.

Here’s everything we learned.

What are TikTok transitions?

TikTok transitions are like special effects in a video. The primary purpose of transitions is to flawlessly merge two separate video clips into one creation.

We see such transitions on Instagram too, but most of these are inspired by TikTok trends. Plus, you don’t have to film it all in one go. You can simply record and pause multiple times, and the video will look like it’s professionally edited.

As a beginner, TikTok transitions might feel hard to pull off, but once you get hold of the basics, you can always experiment and create your own magic.

These transitions have a purpose, and that is to sync the video along with the music or what the person is saying.

Transitions are also handy to reveal something new. Be it an appearance change, or to nudge that the speaker is shifting to the next topic.

When done right, TikTok transitions can make for a smart marketing strategy to boost customer engagement rates. Let’s take a look at why!

Why do TikTok transitions work?

Element of surprise

Surprise is a powerful marketing tool.

We are all guilty of scrolling through TikTok or Instagram reels. Ever wondered why? That is because they have an element of surprise, and brain scans show that humans are hard-wired to derive pleasure from unexpected events.

TikTok transitions are all about ‘What’s going to happen next?’, and that anticipation keeps us hooked for hours.

Surprises are cheap. Charm and creativity can reside in the smallest places possible. Rather than trying to overpower the competition with extravagant production budgets and media plans, you can surprise your audiences without spending a single dollar.

Surprises transform behavior. Wael Asaad, assistant professor of neurosurgery at Brown University says “It’s been known for a long time that it’s unexpected events, in particular, that drive learning,”

Since transitions have an element of surprise, there is a high probability that your audience will want to look at more TikTok videos by you. This builds a strong relationship between you and them.

For example, in the emoji makeup trend on TikTok, participants ask their audiences to choose emojis of their choice so that they can recreate them on their faces. These TikTok videos have an element of surprise, awe, and you feel like binge-watching them.

This trend can be found under the hashtags #EmojiMakeup and #EmojiMakeupChallenge.

Want a sneak peek into which hashtags work the best? Get access to hashtag analytics with Radarr.

Element of curiosity

TikTok transitions are perfect to build a high level of curiosity. Science related videos leverage the element of curiosity quite well. Tell a story and build a lot of suspense. Once your audience is curious, they will watch till the end.

For example, chemteacherphill conducts crazy experiments with chemicals, and see how they react. He also talks about each chemical and uses a simple transition method to showcase the results.

Element of emotions

Transitions are good. But how do you keep your audience hooked? By tapping into the most important aspect of their attention spans- emotion.

Your transitions should take your audiences on an emotional ride. Make them feel happy, sad, empowered, excited and more. Infact, emotional marketing makes an amazing first impression. The more emotional element you add to your transitions, the better people will remember you.

Use your transitions to tell a story. For example, if you are a travel content creator who saved up for an exotic trip to the Maldives, use the headbutt transition to reveal stunning locations, and make your audiences feel like they are with you. Add short descriptions too.

Your transitions need to be tailored as per your audience. For example, an animal shelter can create stellar TikTok transitions with the animals’ baby videos and grown up videos.

And finally measure your audience’s emotional response to your TikTok transitions by understanding how their emotions manifest into actions. Do they like your video more, share it more, or comment more.

For sentiment analysis, make use of a smart social listening tool like Radarr.

Easy TikTok transitions to get started with

Finger Snap Transition

Position your phone on a stable surface so that you can make sure that the frame doesn’t change.
Put on a timer on the right side of the screen and decide how long you want the clip to be. A good practice is to have at least 4 seconds, which can be edited later.
Now, wait for a second and snap your fingers.
After this, change your location, outfit, makeup, or anything else that you want to transition into for the final reveal.
Put on the timer again, and set it for 4 more seconds i.e. a total of 8 seconds.
Now snap your fingers as before and tap on ‘V’ to go to editing.
On the right side, you will see ‘Adjust Clips’, tap on that.
Now, tap on each clip and trim it down to the snap. Don’t forget to keep the actual sound of the snap for a more realistic effect.
Finally, tap on ‘Save’ and you’re all set!

Another alternative to snapping is hand-swiping. Just run your hand from one end of the frame to the other end.

Video tutorial link: https://youtu.be/F4IpBD4jVnI

Headbutt Transition

Compared to the finger snap transition, this is slightly more complicated. In this case, you need to hold the camera, and there is no need to set up a timer.

You need to bump into the camera to prompt a new look.

Tap on record and capture a few seconds of yourself.
Drop your head and elevate your phone at the same time. Ensure that your last frame is the top of your head.
Stop the recording, and get ready for the final revelation.
Tap on record. Make sure to start with the top of your head, pull the arm down, and reveal your new look by pulling your face up.
Tap on V and go to the edit page.

Do note that your first, and the last frame, need to be on the top of your head.

The headbutt transition method has several alternatives. For example, you can flip your hair into the camera or smack the lends with your palm. The goal is to ensure that your camera is properly covered in between the takes. This transition will add a unique touch to your video because it feels like the video is shot from various angles.

Perspective Transition

Another easy to learn transition is perspective transition. Here’s how to do it:

Place your camera in front of you and start filming. As you keep looking in the front, gradually move your arm.
Face the camera for a moment and turn away.
Change what you want for the reveal. Now record again from the front, and make sure your head is to the side.
Now turn back again and look in the front.
Finally, when you edit the clips and merge them, ensure that it looks like a seamless head turn. When you edit the two clips, make sure that it looks like one smooth head turn.

With the perspective transition, you can experiment a lot. Create an illusion of multiple cameras by filming above, below, or spinning your camera. If possible, use a pop socket to keep your phone in place.

Hoodie transition and card transition are also popular amongst TikTokers.

As you master the art of these transitions, it’ll become easier to learn more transitions and create flawless TikTok videos.

You can also find a plethora of tutorials on TikTok simply by doing a hashtag search about #transitions. Under this hashtag, you can find various creators sharing their hacks and talking about the accessories they use to create their content.

Alternatively, you can use TikTok listening tools like Radarr to identify and predict trends. Learn more about it here.

Make your transitions go viral with these hacks: