How to Write Killer TikTok and YouTube Video Descriptions

Sharing videos on social media platforms can be a fulfilling and rewarding experience. Yet, many creators still neglect one aspect of this journey (and no, it doesn’t have anything to do with the actual videos or editing). 

Instead, your TikTok or YouTube video descriptions serve a purpose, and there’s a right (or more correct) way of doing it. Of course, you can notice that even videos with no or very minimal descriptions go viral. However, to have higher chances of pleasing the social media algorithms, you should know a few tricks!

Why bother with video descriptions 

Attaching a description to your video content is beneficial in many ways. On YouTube, it helps improve your chances of ranking higher in search results.

Thus, it’s crucial to optimize descriptions with the right keywords that reflect your published video. Furthermore, it lets you include other handles that people can connect with you (such as Discord or Instagram). And, finally, descriptions include hashtags that help social media users discover your content based on their queries. 

How to write TikTok video descriptions

TikTok is undoubtedly popular, but it’s not the platform where most people will read your video descriptions. Yet, they can contain more information or video context, which is beneficial if you want to avoid overexplaining things in the actual video. 

Furthermore, no descriptions on TikTok are without their associated hashtags. However, be mindful not to add too many for one video. Aim for three or five hashtags that directly relate to your content.

A simple formula for TikTok video descriptions seems to be: 

1. The first sentence is a tease or hook, such as: “You won’t believe what happens at the end!” or “I told them this was a bad idea.” Essentially, it serves as a promise to the viewer. 
2. Encourage viewers to comment on your post, but do so naturally (for example, by sharing their opinions on the content). 
3. Include different hashtags, but not more than 5.

Of course, you should include relevant keywords in the description, especially since Google searches can present TikTok videos in the “Short Videos” section of their results.

How to write YouTube video descriptions

While TikTok descriptions usually do not go overboard, you need a longer description for YouTube. The optimal goal is to have approximately 200 words. It should include clear target keywords, and the main keywords should be used in the first few sentences. 

The purpose of this description is to provide a summary of the content, including timestamps, call to action (e.g., affiliate links), hashtags, and recommendations for your other related videos. Thus, the description can serve various purposes, such as product promotion, increasing subscriber counts on Patreon, and boosting SEO rankings.

Improve your descriptions

The easiest way to improve is to analyze successful video descriptions and see how they are shaped. Sometimes, you can even get paid to watch videos, analyze them, and provide feedback. Thus, while you’re gathering information, you’re also earning rewards. You can complete this task via various Get-Paid-To websites that offer tasks or assignments for users to complete. After that, users receive payments and sometimes take valuable information with them.

Conclusion

Descriptions are crucial for TikTok or YouTube videos. While serving slightly different purposes, all of them have their perks if done right!