Overlay text should sit where the eye naturally rests, usually the middle and upper middle of the frame, and it should appear before the viewer needs it.
I have watched strong scripts undercut themselves because the words flashed in a crowded corner for less than a second.
TikTok covers the bottom and right edges with captions, buttons, and the account name. Text placed there competes with the interface and often disappears behind it.
Keep the important words inside the central band. That band survives most devices and most screen sizes, and it is where a thumb is least likely to rest.
On-screen text should arrive a beat before the spoken line, not after. The eye reads faster than the ear, so a slight lead makes the two feel synchronized.
Hold each line long enough to read twice. A word that blinks in and out asks the viewer to rewind, and rewinds on a short video are rare.
If a viewer has to pause to finish reading your text, the text is running the video instead of supporting it.
That last one catches the overlays that look fine on a calm shot and vanish the moment the background gets busy.
More text is not more clarity. A few tight lines beat a paragraph, and consistent placement trains the viewer to know where to look.
Pick one or two positions and stick with them across a video. Consistency lets the viewer stop searching the frame and start reading the words.
Most TikTok scrolls stop only when the hook answers one clear question right away. That single answer decides whether viewers stay for the rest of the clip.
A tight TikTok script uses pauses and cuts to create momentum. The right pace keeps viewers from feeling rushed while still holding their attention.
A natural TikTok call to action fits the script instead of tacked on. The right line asks for one small action that matches what the viewer just learned.
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