TikTok has climbed its way into one of the most popular social media platforms at breakneck speed.
With its viral funky dance moves, its simple how-to tutorials, and its calm day-in-the-life vlogs, this social media platform has become an attractive space for artists, influencers, content creators, and even the casual observer.
Among those actively taking part in TikTok’s charming video scape are animators.
TikTok animators have graced the For You pages of various users, with short, entertaining, and relatable animated videos and they don’t appear to stop or slow down any time soon.
Accounts like @dave.xp, @thelandofboggs, @ketnipz, @maddiwinter, and @weirdhelga are top examples of animators who have begun showcasing their animations on Tiktok. They’ve attracted thousands, even millions of followers, views, and engagements, in their animations and have also achieved verified status.
Now, not only are they applaudable for creating fun and relatable animations but they’ve mastered the politics of promoting their art on a whole other platform –– An essential skill in shooting an animation business to the top.
In this blog post, we share with you a clear picture of the TikTok animation scene by explaining why animators are switching to TikTok animations and what you can do to make the switch.
Why Are Animators Creating TikTok Animations?
TikTok Animations are Short
The truth is people love short-form video content. They’re consciously and unconsciously sought after and lots of social media tools and platforms are racing to meet such a demand. And despite the creation of Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, TikTok’s reign remains.
The first and one of the most attractive features of TikTok videos is that they range no longer than a few minutes. Although they’ve revised it and are likely to change it up over time, it’s still very likely that TikTok will remain a space for short-form videos.
So with our time on social media constantly cutting down our attention span, TikTok’s short and direct-to-the-point videos serve as a more inviting alternative rather than watching long-form content uploaded on other platforms.
Furthermore, according to a report by the full-service visual marketing agency Colormatics, short-form video content gets 48% more views on social media and is more likely to become viral as they’re more shareable.
In fact, most viral content is actually short videos or a short portion cut from a longer video.
Plus, as an animator, this also means you won’t have to worry about making 20-minute complex animations. All you'll need is your basic animation know-how and the ability to tell a good short story.
Before you know it, you’ll be introducing more and more of your TikTok animations and racking up impressive engagements.
Another bonus is that since you won’t be spending tireless hours working on long animations for 1 video, you’ll then have the option to make a mini-series or a collection of short animations or promotions that you can upload over weeks or months.
Just keep track of them in a content calendar so you won’t forget.
TikTok Is Already A Video-Sharing Platform
Videos are known as a more effective means of driving up user engagement and delivering all sorts of information. So because TikTok in itself is already intended for uploading videos, animators among other video artists can freely upload their animations as they please.
Videos are favored because of their ability to catch people’s attention, engage viewers, and easily explain complex ideas and concepts, such as in the case of how-to tutorials.
Additionally, TikTok allows animators to conveniently share their animations across their different social media accounts. So the app not only acts as a new virtual space for animators but also an accessible repository or demo reel for their animated videos.
TikTok Is An Artist-Friendly Online Hub
Image by Aaron Weiss via Unsplash
The TikTok animation and creative community are particularly warm and welcoming.
Aside from the comments area where animators and different content creators interact and motivate one another, the social media platform will specifically advertise your TikTok animations to similar or relatable people, whether they’re animators, businessmen, or artists of a different medium.
What it does is that it picks up your preferences through your algorithm and viewing patterns, then fills your feed with content tailor-fit to who you are and what you like. Simultaneously, it showcases your animated videos on the For You pages of people with similar patterns.
This nifty little aspect paves the way for introduction and interaction with different people, even the promotion of your TikTok animations and your animation studio (which we’ll get into in a bit).
Through the different comments you leave and the videos you watch, you’ll also find yourself enabling the artistic development of fellow animators and artists.
Therefore, creating a friendly hub where creative individuals are supported and everyone’s TikTok animations are promoted. You could even connect with animation mentors.
The app’s atmosphere further acts as a wholesome space for building connections and exploring different preferences.
With TikTok openly sharing your animations with similar and even relevant people, you’re being given the opportunity to network and connect with people whom you could learn from and vice versa.
By simply leaving them a message or commenting on their videos, you’ll be able to expand your animation circle with a diverse group of animators and other artists.
You might even discover new group chats and discord servers by interacting with fellow content creators. Most of the time, they link their servers and social media accounts on their bio or a pinned comment on a video so anyone can click and join their group.
TikTok Primarily Caters Kids and Young Adults
While anyone can log into TikTok and create their own content, statistics presented by a team of data-driven marketing experts known as Omnicore tell us that roughly 50% of TikTok’s global audience are under 32 years old. Within that percentage, 32.5% are within the ages of 10 to 19.
These users spend an average of 52 minutes per day on the app, scrolling through video after video.
Considering such a demographic, it would come as no surprise that colorful, funny, and relatable animated videos and stories are a big hit with them. In some cases, these young audiences might even prefer TikTok animations rather than the popular trending videos.
This was further confirmed by 2D TikTok Animator Recokh, who shared that kids tend to be drawn to the app’s bright animations when they pop up on the screen.
Shifting To TikTok Animations Will Expand And Sustain Your Audience
GIF by adultswim via GIPHY
TikTok is a popular social media platform with billions of active users across the world.
Not only does it host an audience of fellow animators and animation-loving users but it also includes a wide variety of people coming from different backgrounds and with diverse psychographics –– people who could make up a big chunk of your account’s following.
Some of which might even turn into a huge fan of your animated videos.
Or, if you’re especially lucky, maybe in need of an animated video themselves!
Because of TikTok’s personalized algorithm, you can trust your animated videos will reach people interested in the field of animation and design.
As it introduces you to new animation designs and helps sustain your development as an animator, its algorithm is further fueling your career. It will allow you and your TikTok animations to gain recognition with its global audience.
But it doesn’t stop there. People love it when companies expand their brand and come out with new and innovative strategies, styles, and techniques –– shifting to TikTok will do exactly that for your animations.
It makes an impression for potential leads and keeps your current clients interested, therefore sustaining their status as regular.
Additionally, expanding your brand on TikTok increases the value of your animation studio and presents you with valuable new consumer insight that you can use when strategizing and promoting your animations.
With all those benefits, it’s no wonder animators are switching to TikTok. You might even realize that you want to make the switch yourself.
If so, we have you covered as we’re also going to give you the lowdown to successfully upload your TikTok animations and land on the For You Page.
What You Should Know When Switching to TikTok Animations
TikTok Animation Video Length
Image by Solen Feyissa via Unsplash
This is important because sometimes your entire story might rely on the video’s length, whether it be 15 seconds, 60 seconds, or 1 minute. And it’s true that TikTok might change its maximum video length over time, so it’s best to keep yourself updated.
However, considering the numerous positive benefits of short-form videos, we advise you to create videos not longer than 3 minutes to keep your audience entertained.
TikTok Animation Video Format
GIF by Aaron Weiss via Unsplash
Besides the video’s length, there are a number of specifications to consider when posting on TikTok, especially if you aren’t editing on the app itself.
Maximum file size: If you’re using iOS, the file size is up to 287.6 megabytes. But if you’re on an Android, then it’s 72 megabytes. For advertisements, it’s up to 500 megabytes.
Video dimensions and resolution: For the video’s width and height, it’s 1080x1920 respectively.
Orientation: While it’s preferable that you create vertical animations as that’s the app’s standard orientation, horizontal videos are alright as well.
File format: .MP4 and .MOV for regular videos, while ads allow .AVI and .GIF
Navigating TikTok
Image by Hello I’m Nik via Unsplash
The social media platform consists of two main feeds, namely “Following” and the “For You” page. You could easily switch between feeds by tapping their labels at the top of your screen.
The “For You” page or “FYP” works similarly to Instagram’s Explore Page. Its algorithm is fueled by your preferences and viewing patterns, which can be determined depending on what videos you spend time watching, which videos you react and comment on, and what you search on the app or other social media apps.
Meanwhile, the “Following” feed is a result of the TikTok accounts you follow. So unless you’re following no one, each feed will generate a never-ending stream of short videos to entertain you and keep you hooked.
Your goal is to get your animated videos on the “For You” pages of similar and relevant people so you could attract more engagements for your TikTok animations. But how do you do that?
Getting on TikTok’s For Your Page or FYP
Image via TikTok
First, use the right hashtags. Upon scrolling through TikTok, you’ll notice hashtags like #fyp or #ForYou pop up on videos.
Using them is alright, just make sure you aren’t depending on those hashtags alone because it might allow your animated videos to get lost with the wide variety of video content being uploaded under the hashtag.
Instead, use hashtags that are relevant to your animations’ content. Doing so will attract users who are into the same animated videos you’re uploading.
Digital Marketer Neil Patel also advises you to mix popular hashtags with less popular ones, choose a number of relevant hashtags, and participate in hashtag challenges.
Second, create relevant and SEO-driven captions. With only 150 characters, you must keep your captions short and sweet with an adequate picture of what your animation is about. It should also include a number of helpful hashtags.
If you can, try to write captions that encourage people to interact with your post, especially to leave comments.
Third, keep your videos short. Keep in mind everything we listed down about short-form videos.
Users have been flocking to it and it would be a shame to let such an opportunity go to waste because your video was too long, therefore ending up being dismissed. Instead, make sure your videos are no longer than 3 minutes.
Fourth, upload during active hours. Finally, research your target audience’s online patterns and upload at the time they’re most active. Doing this will boost your TikTok animations by driving up engagements as soon as you upload them.
Honestly, you may not become TikTok’s top trending account the instant you upload.
But as long as you remain consistent in creating short and relatable animated TikToks and commit to practicing the various tips we’ve laid out for you, you’ll eventually end up on people’s For You page, and your account will rack up a generous amount of followers in no time.
So Why Animators Are Switching To TikTok Animations
As one of the most popular social media platforms, TikTok has about billions of active users around the world. Among those users are animators who have switched from using other digital platforms to making TikTok animations.
There is a wide range of reasons as to why these animators have made the switch.
The first is the video length. TikTok animations are shorter than the average video. Second, TikTok is already a video-sharing platform.
Third, with TikTok’s warm and welcoming atmosphere, it is an artist-friendly online hub. Fourth, TikTok’s young demographic is attracted to TikTok animations. Fifth, shifting to TikTok will sustain and expand their audience.
Using TikTok has introduced animators to different benefits and privileges. Besides expanding their animations to a global audience, TikTok animators can enjoy a wholesome community and a network of fellow content creators with whom they can learn from and grow alongside.
All that considered, we’ve also listed down what you need to know when uploading on TikTok, such as the video length, format, and how to navigate the app and land on users For You page.
In terms of building your animation career, TikTok may sound like another aspect of a business to learn and master, giving the impression of a never-ending list of skills to acquire.
But the ability to catch up to or anticipate trends and effectively make the most of them is a desirable trait that all successful businessmen have.
If you do decide to make the switch to TikTok animations, give it some time and you’ll eventually get the hang of it. Just remain consistent with your goals and be guided by our helpful little guide.
For more tips on developing your business skills as a freelance animator or animation studio owner, you can join our informative free masterclass, download a copy of our free marketing handbook, and check out our blog on “How to Start an Animation Studio”!
