Strong ideas still underperform when the basics are off. Blurry images, cropped text, and bloated slide counts all cost you swipes. Here is a practical reference.
Use the Right Size
TikTok is vertical, so design for 1080×1920 pixels with a 9:16 aspect ratio. Smaller images get upscaled and look soft. Different ratios get letterboxed with bars, which looks unfinished. MakeShorty previews at a small size for speed but exports at full 1080×1920, so what you see is what you post.
Choose a Sensible Slide Count
There is no magic number, but a good range is 6 to 10 slides for most topics.
- Fewer than five often feels thin for educational content.
- More than twelve and viewers drop off before the end.
- Match the count to the content. One idea per slide beats padding.
Keep Text Readable
- Use bold, large type. Most viewers are on a phone, outdoors, in a hurry.
- Keep each slide to one short idea, ideally under twenty words.
- Maintain strong contrast. White text on a dark or semi-transparent background box is a safe default.
- Stay away from the edges. The bottom and right sides are covered by captions and buttons. Keep key text in the central area.
Pick Images That Support the Message
Use clean, uncluttered photos with space for text. Consistency matters: stick to one visual style across a post so it feels designed. Use images you have the right to use, such as your own photos or properly licensed stock.
Structure the Post
- Slide 1: the hook.
- Middle slides: one point each, in a logical order.
- Last slide: a clear call to action. Ask for a save, a follow, or a comment, not all three.
Add a Useful Caption
The caption supports search and context. Write a sentence that restates the value, include the words people would search for, and add a few relevant hashtags rather than a wall of them.
Post Consistently
Consistency beats perfect timing. Pick a cadence you can maintain, such as once a day, and batch the production so it does not depend on your mood. Check your analytics after a couple of weeks to find which posting times and formats suit your audience.
Review Before You Export
Page through every slide on a phone-sized preview. Look for typos, text that sits too close to the edge, and images that do not match the topic. Then export the whole set at once and upload.
Get these basics right and every other tactic works better.