How To Film The Best Manicure Reels and TikToks
It’s no secret that the key to success on social media, for nail technicians, now lies in the creation of Instagram Reels and TikTok’s. If you’re not a social native, Gen Z, content-whiz then the thought of filming, editing and uploading this kind of content might seem daunting and completely out of reach. We’re here to bust those myths, instill a lil’ confidence in you and teach you just how to nail your moving content on Instagram and TikTok…
High-quality camera
By high-quality we don’t mean go out and fork out for a huge Canon camera. The camera quality on most modern smartphones these days will be more than enough to create great, clear and eye catching content with. And when it comes to content, it really is other factors like lighting and background choice that determine whether it’s good or not, so don’t stress about this step.
Good lighting
Lighting, lighting, LIGHTING!! If there is any step you must not skip when creating Instagram Reels and TikToks, then let it be lighting. Having dark, poor quality lighting will A: not highlight your amazing nail work and B: make your content look grainy, lack-lustre and uninviting. For the best, highest quality lighting, we love the IKEA Tertial Work Lamp or Phillips Smart LED Bulb.
Tripod
Although not completely necessary, owning and using a tripod (with a phone holder) will be one of your best purchases when it comes to creating content. This means you can angle up your phone to the right position, click record and get on with your manicure. You can even purchase tripods that attach to the edge of your desk, which are super handy, and we’ve linked one here.
Background
When it comes to choosing a background, the plainer the better. Avoid having unnecessary clutter in the back of your shots or backgrounds that are too distracting or contrasting. Pick something plain and complimentary, so that the focus can be always on your nails. We recommend even just picking up a A3 sketch pad, which makes the perfect plain background.
Plan of filming
If you’re planning on filming a whole tutorial, make sure you know exactly what content you want to capture. When creating moving content, try to avoid filming your whole hour long manicure process, to save yourself in the editing process and your phone storage limit. If you know you want to film a bit of prep, a little bit of filing, gel details and then a nice oiled up mani shot, stick to filming just these bits. You can keep your phone on your tripod at all times to get the same angle, just keep clicking record and stop- to capture just the right bits you need.
Keep it short
The key to success in Instagram Reels and TikToks is the length of your content. We know we’re guilty of it too, when a video is too long we tend to just scroll right up onto the next. Keep it short and sweet to catch your viewers attention.
Trending sounds
Using trending sounds can be the easiest way to gain views and support from your Reels and TikToks. When a sound is trending, it can often be shown more on feeds. So next time you upload a video, take a look at the trending sound section and opt for one of those.
If you’re already a member of the Nail Tech Org, check out this course from Chloe on how to set up your desk, and if you’re not, what are you waiting for! Learn more about us here.
