Many people visit social media for a quick laugh. This means coming up with a funny TikTok idea could help you go viral. You’ll then get more eyes on the rest of your content.
With the right techniques, you’ll climb the site’s ranks and show people how funny you are. Keep reading to see our ultimate guide on how to make funny TikTok videos.
Why a Funny TikTok Idea Can Help Your Page
TikTok is at the center of today’s short-form content obsession. It’s perhaps the sole reason a lot of sites are adding their one bite-sized video features. These vids often don’t have much time to be serious. This means they generally lean more toward comedy.
According to the Pew Research Center, this is a big part of why people use TikTok. In fact, their research shows that 81% of users are mainly there for entertainment. This naturally takes many forms, but comedy is especially popular on the platform.
Joining in with this can really boost your profile. Even brands can benefit from showing their fun side online. This could massively change the types of videos you end up making. If you manage to make viewers laugh, they might stick around for the rest of your content.
What Are Some Funny TikTok Ideas?
Every funny viral TikTok starts with an idea. This could just be a joke you thought of earlier in the day. Alternatively, it could be a new spin on any number of common formats. Here are just a few video ideas to give you some inspiration:
- Simple jokes: A basic pun or one-liner goes a long way with the right delivery. This can be more than enough to get the laughs you need from your viewers.
- Pet showcase: Nearly everyone loves pets. Make a video that’s entirely from your dog’s point of view. Alternatively, one that shows your cat’s grumpy personality.
- Expectation vs. Reality: Contrast is funny, especially when it catches viewers off-guard. Show off a new delivery and how it differs from the ads you’ve seen.
- Over-the-top drama: Use intense music and exaggerated reactions to show something mundane. This could turn cooking a meal into an epic, dramatic moment.
- Two-person skits: Some jokes need a bit of setup or work best as a conversation. Use this to your advantage, even if it means playing the second person yourself.
- Reacting to other content: Sometimes, your content ideas rely on other TikTok videos. Use a Stitch to include their vid and use it as a springboard for your own comedy.
- Bad lip-reading: You could dub over a movie scene with new lines that still fit the cast’s lips. The less accurate the dialogue is, the funnier it’ll be to your viewers.
- Prank backfires: A lot of people don’t like prank videos for one reason or another. A vid where everything backfires on the prankster is sure to get a lot of love.
How Long Should Funny TikToks Be?
There’s no definite answer to this. You could spend several minutes telling a funny story that still makes people laugh at the end. Similarly, you could make a joke and end the video in under 10 seconds.
However, pacing and timing will be everything. You simply can’t make your vid longer than it has to be. Know exactly when to cut to keep the viewers laughing. Sometimes, a TikTok ending “too soon” is funnier. This is because people watching can fill in the blanks.
For example, if you usually share dance videos, include bloopers of you messing up a move. To make this even funnier, cut it right before you hit the floor. This shows you can laugh at yourself, and the abrupt end will earn some extra laughs.
Music for Funny TikToks: Why You Can Reach a Wider Audience
Music really helps you set a video’s tone. It might even be what the video’s about. For example, you might be lip-syncing to a song. The video’s caption could then give the lyrics an entirely new context.
To help your TikToks get better reach, check which songs are currently going viral. TikTok has its own trending sounds page to help with this. You can see which songs are big and plan out your skits or jokes accordingly.
Music can also add a lot to already-funny videos. Soothing music can contrast serious topics or over-the-top visuals. For an “Expectation vs. Reality” video, use deliberately-bad music for the “Reality” portion. This could be a shoddy cover of the “Expectation” side’s operatic score.
If you’re running a brand account, this could limit your options. Not all songs are available for ad use, informal or otherwise. If all you need is a background track, it’s worth sticking to royalty-free music.
Matching Your TikTok Audience’s Humor
Your audience will affect how you plan out your fun TikTok ideas. Are you a TikTok influencer hoping to reach Gen Z? You’ll have to make sure your sense of humor fits them.
For example, Gen Z is often absurdist, surrealist, ironic, and self-referential. Many of their jokes rely on knowing other jokes, possibly even combining them. This makes it easy for them to lock people out of the loop. TikTok users of all ages know they won’t “get” every funny video.
Don’t try too hard to fit in. If you’re a brand, they’ll know when your sense of humor’s inauthentic or just hopping on trends. Even if you’re a Gen Z user yourself, stick to what you know. There are still ways to reach your target audience and keep your content as relatable as possible.
How To Make Your TikToks Relatable
On this topic, relatability is perhaps at the crux of success on any social media platform. People must look at your content and feel like you really understand them. They’re less likely to like the vid if they don’t connect with it.
You could make a video that references a struggle we all have, for example. This could include:
- Dropping your phone on your face.
- Struggling to get out of bed in the morning.
- Untangling your headphones.
- Sunburn on the one spot you missed.
- Accidentally reading movie spoilers.
- Sneezing after applying makeup.
- Realizing the perfect reply two days later.
- Sending an email without an attachment.
- Rushing to fill an awkward silence.
- Overthinking simple choices.
The more mundane it is, the funnier it might be to dramatically re-enact. Above all else, though, it has to be real. If you can’t relate, how will anyone else? Even for silly, small-scale vids, using your own experiences builds a sense of community.
Top Tips for Editing Your Funny TikToks
Your funny TikTok ideas will only work if you put effort into editing them. In most cases, you can’t just hit Record and hope for the best. Here’s how to edit your video to guarantee more laughs:
- Make it snappy: People won’t stick around for the punchline if it takes forever. Give your video a rapid-fire editing style that doesn’t leave them waiting for long.
- Use sound effects: Dramatic sound effects won’t fit most TikToks. This alone can make them funny. For example, put epic final boss music over your daily routines.
- Time your cuts: Videos that last even a second too long will stick out. Don’t leave even a single second unnecessary — unless that’s the TikTok’s whole point.
- Add dramatic zooms: TikTok’s Zoom effect lets you zero in on specific parts of a clip. In doing so, you’ll draw even more attention to someone’s reactions.
- Use text overlays: Short bursts of on-screen text can give added context. You could, for example, “label” yourself in the clips to explain a character you’re playing.
- Loop your video: Some people deliberately make sure the start and end of a TikTok line up perfectly. Viewers might not even realize at first, making it funnier.
- Include several angles: Filming the same event at different angles makes it funnier. For example, you can really show off your latest workout routine parody’s moves.
Responding to News Stories With Funny TikToks
TikTok is all about what’s trending right now. Not yesterday, not even this morning. This means a lot of inspiration can come from the news. However, be careful when making funny TikToks that are about current events. An update could make your video age very poorly.
Some stories simply aren’t a good fit for TikTok. Don’t make light of tragic events, and always be mindful of context. You can be topical and funny without being insensitive. For example, you can discuss major holidays or share funny local stories with a wider audience.
How you respond to topical events will say a lot about your channel. One wrong move, and your own viewers might leave in droves. Tread carefully — but don’t be afraid to take inspiration from the world around you.
Sharing Funny TikToks on Other Sites
If your video’s a hit on TikTok, you’ll want to share it elsewhere. It might not be possible to make it from scratch on Instagram or YouTube. They likely won’t have your favorite tools from TikTok’s video editor. If you save your own TikTok, however, it’ll come with a watermark.
For some sites, this can pose problems. Instagram, for example, makes Reels less discoverable if they have TikTok watermarks. This means your content won’t get the reach you’re hoping for.
There are certain online tools that let you save TikToks without watermarks. This makes them a lot easier to share online without these kinds of penalties.
There’s also a risk of people thinking your TikTok doesn’t fit the other platforms. On YouTube, for example, they may want you to make vids specifically for YouTube. Make sure everything you’re resharing still fits the new audience.
How Brands Use Funny TikTok Content
Companies are now embracing a more relaxed approach to social media. They know this is the key to connecting with younger buyers. Here are some of the ways brands are using comedy to boost their TikTok marketing strategy:
- Joining challenges: New challenges and trends come up on TikTok every day. If you’re able to join in with them, you can show people your company’s fun side.
- Self-deprecating jokes: A brand that can make fun of itself is sure to do well. Duolingo, for example, references how often the app reminds its users to practice.
- Customer reactions: It also helps to repost funny videos from satisfied customers. They might even make funny vids of their own all about how they like your products.
- Collaboration: Sponsor popular TikTok comedians and ask them to come up with ideas of their own. You can trust them to deliver content that makes people laugh.
- Show features in fun ways: Make a showcase of your latest product’s features. Giving the vid an ironic or even surreal tone will help them remember your product.
- How-to tutorials: Similarly, find ways to show off your product in funny ways. This could include a makeup tutorial while the video’s star is in a chaotic situation.
- Behind the scenes: Show footage of the office or bloopers from your latest ad. This will be a good change of pace from more professional or serious video topics.
Pranking People on TikTok
There’s a thin line between a prank and mean-spirited comedy. The victims usually aren’t aware of the prank until after it happens. This means a lot of prank ideas can come across quite poorly.
For example, some pranks trick someone into thinking they’ve won money. Some pranksters will approach people in the street and deliberately make them uncomfortable. Whatever you do, you should make sure the other side comes away laughing too.
Pranking a friend or loved one is safer. You’ll likely know them well enough to avoid upsetting or angering them. For example, you’ll know how they’d respond to you suddenly jumping up when they least expect it.
Stick to pranks that don’t cause distress and have no risk of injuring the other person. This can be something as simple as pretending to throw your dog’s ball. After watching them look around, you can show them you still have the ball.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why do funny TikToks get a lot of views?
So many people go on TikTok specifically to laugh. This means their For You page is full of more funny videos. They’re easy to share with others and even easier to watch over and over again.
How can I make a funny parody of a trending TikTok song?
It all starts with the lyrics. Twisting a word or two could give the song a whole new meaning. You can then sing this parody version for your viewers with the original tune still playing.
How do I edit TikToks to make them funnier?
Quick cuts, dramatic zooms, and funny on-screen text are just a few ways to do this. The app’s built-in editing suite is more than enough to help you. Experiment and decide for yourself which ones make the video funnier.