Hey friends! I wanted to share the story of how I went from being completely clueless about editing videos for social media to becoming a Snapchat and TikTok video editing guru.
This journey has been so rewarding and I hope my learnings will help anyone looking to step up their social media video game.
I knew mediocre content wasn’t going to cut it. I set a goal to learn advanced editing techniques that would make my videos stand out.
Though the learning process seemed daunting, I was determined to level up my skills no matter what.
Just Another Social Media Noob
Not too long ago, I was just like many other people using social media apps like Snapchat and TikTok – loving the ability to capture quick videos of my daily life but having no idea how to really take things to the next level when it came to editing and customizing those videos.
Any videos I captured stayed pretty basic – no text overlays, no filters, no trimming.
Just raw, straight-from-the-app videos. While this was fine initially, over time I realized that I wanted to have more creative control over my Snaps and TikToks.
The thing was, I had no prior experience with video editing at all.
The prospect of learning advanced video editing skills was intimidating. But I knew that in order to really stand out on social media, I needed to step things up.
Getting Overwhelmed by All the Editing Options
In an attempt to educate myself, I started googling things like “how to edit Snapchat videos” and “how to edit TikTok videos.” Unfortunately, this rabbit hole only made me feel more overwhelmed! There were so many different third-party apps, computer programs, and mobile editing tools out there. I had analysis paralysis trying to figure out which route to take.
Should I try to learn complex desktop editing software like Final Cut Pro? Or stick to mobile apps like VSCO? Every option seemed to have pros and cons.
I decided to get out of my own head and take action.
I made a pros and cons list for the various options I had identified.
I watched tutorial videos breaking down editing in each platform.
I asked friends which tools they recommended trying first. After weighing everything, I decided to focus my efforts on mastering the built-in editing tools on Snapchat and TikTok.
This would allow me to avoid the headaches of transferring files and re-learning new interfaces.
I eventually decided to simplify things and just focus on editing tools built specifically for Snapchat and TikTok.
Rather than trying to master professional software, I’d aim to get really good at all the customization options available within the Snapchat and TikTok apps themselves.
Getting Familiar with Snapchat’s Editing Tools
I started spending time playing around with Snapchat’s own editing features. At first, I felt clumsy – I didn’t know how to trim video clips smoothly or how to find the tool to add text captions. But with practice, I got better and better.
One major skill I honed was trimming down longer Snapchat videos to only the best parts. Snapchat’s editing tool allows you to easily cut videos down for brevity which is so important for social media.
I also learned how Snapchat’s editing features could help in situations where I had lost my original Snapchat videos. For example, if I forgot to save a Snap before sending it, I could use Snapchat’s tools to recover unsaved Snapchat videos. Huge help!
On top of editing basics, I had fun playing around with text captions. I realized that well-placed text made my Snaps look so much more polished and professional!
Dealing With Frustrating Clip Cutoffs
While I was picking up Snapchat editing quickly, I did encounter some frustrating issues. One huge annoyance was when my Snaps would get abruptly cut off at the end. I’d be in the middle of capturing something interesting, and boom – the video would just end prematurely.
After some research, I realized this happens because Snapchat automatically limits videos to 10 seconds. Once I knew why it was happening, I adapted by shooting shorter 5-8 second clips intentionally instead of dragging on too long.
Once I understood Snapchat’s 10 second video limit was causing the abrupt cutoffs, I adapted my shooting style.
I kept my phone timer on and intentionally filmed clips between 5-8 seconds only.
This prepared me for the constraints of the platform rather than fighting them. Getting the length right took practice, but it prevented so many pointless clip cutoffs.
Using Streaks to Share My Best Edited Snaps
A feature I really enjoy on Snapchat are streaks – where you send snaps back and forth with friends daily to keep your streak going. Streaks are the perfect way for me to share my best, most creatively edited Snap videos.
I like to use streaks to send my friends fun videos with polls, emojis, gifs, and text captions overlaid on top. It’s a great way to show off the video editing skills I’ve developed in a natural way.
Taking on TikTok Editing
Once I became decently experienced with Snapchat’s built-in editing tools, I decided to branch out to TikTok. The types of videos posted on TikTok tend to be really heavily edited with effects, text, filters and more. I knew my basic Snapchat skills weren’t going to cut it here.
Luckily, TikTok has its own expansive editing features I could start experimenting with. While the TikTok editing tools have some similarities to Snapchat, there are also unique options like green screen effects.
One issue I ran into right away was that TikTok makes it frustratingly difficult to remove filters or effects. For example, a lot of popular TikTok sounds come bundled with trippy AR filters. I wanted to find a way to remove TikTok filters in order to customize my video’s look from scratch.
Through research, I picked up some tips and tricks for “starting from zero” when editing a TikTok video. This let me build up the perfect video instead of being stuck with someone else’s filters.
The over-the-top editing style on TikTok presented a new learning curve.
I had to get comfortable layering many effects rather than using a subtle touch.
TikTok also relies heavily on trending sounds, which come bundled with filters that can’t be removed.
After seeing my videos suffered with these random effects applied, I hunted down TikTok’s “back to original” button.
This let me start editing from zero and build up the look I wanted.
Study trending videos helped me crack TikTok’s video style and stand out in that ecosystem.
Becoming Confident as a Video Editor
While the learning process took time and effort, I’m so glad I fully committed to developing video editing skills tailored specifically for Snapchat and TikTok.
I no longer feel limited by my videos – I have full creative control to trim, arrange, overlay, stylize, and customize my content exactly how I envision it.
The best part is that since I focused on Snapchat and TikTok’s built-in tools, I don’t have to deal with transferring videos across apps or re-learning software. My entire workflow happens right within the social apps on my mobile device.
If you’re feeling intimidated by editing like I once did, I hope my story shows that you can become confident editing your Snapchat and TikTok videos with practice!
It does take dedication, but trust me – the payoff of taking your Snaps and TikToks to the next level is so worth it.
I’m still improving with new tricks all the time. But the editing foundation I built makes me feel so much more creative and in control.
I hope my journey proves that anyone can go from a video editing novice to a pro, one step at a time.
Don’t become overwhelmed by the learning process. Simply start playing around with the tools available to you.
Experiment, watch tutorials, and practice.
Before you know it, you’ll have the skills to bring your creative visions to life through captivating social media videos. Upgrade your content starting today – trust me, the rewards are infinite!
Have any video editing tips or questions? Let’s chat in the comments below!