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Video Editing for Social Media

Cut short videos that hook in 3 seconds and pay you to edit for creators and brands.

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Free account required to open the lessons. No card, no fees.

About this course

Learn the craft of editing short video that actually performs on Reels, TikTok, Shorts and Stories — hooks, retention, captions, pacing, repurposing one shoot into many clips, and copyright-safe music — all doable on a phone or a budget laptop with limited data. You will master CapCut, InShot and the basics of Premiere and DaVinci, then leave able to take one piece of footage and ship platform-ready shorts, plus a clear plan to get paid editing for creators and brands in naira and dollars.

Editing for social is not editing a wedding tape. The viewer is one thumb-flick from leaving, and your only real job is retention — keeping them watching to the end.

What you'll learn

Course syllabus — 7 lessons

  1. Editing for retention: the 3-second hook and why people keep watching13 min
  2. Pacing: cutting on action, cutting on the beat, and finding your rhythm13 min
  3. Captions, text and safe zones: editing for the silent, small-screen viewer12 min
  4. Aspect ratios and formats: editing the right shape for every platform12 min
  5. One shoot, many clips: repurposing, b-roll, motion and covers14 min
  6. Tools and copyright-safe music: CapCut, InShot, Premiere, DaVinci — and staying legal13 min
  7. Get paid to edit: trends, posting cadence, finding clients and pricing in naira14 min

Your project

One Shoot, Two Platform-Ready Shorts

A single shared document link (Google Doc, Word or Notion, set to 'anyone with the link can view') containing: a note on the source footage used, links to BOTH exported shorts (each for a different platform, with captions and correct aspect ratio), the track/source used for music on each, and a 150-250 word retention note explaining your hook, your dead-air cuts, the platform differences, and one improvement.

Certificates on Skillnaija are earned, not issued for attendance: you submit this project, it is graded against a rubric, and passing issues a certificate anyone can verify.

Frequently asked questions

Is Video Editing for Social Media free?

Yes. Video Editing for Social Media is completely free on Skillnaija. You need a free account to open the lessons, and there is no charge for the course, the project, or the certificate.

How long does Video Editing for Social Media take to complete?

5 weeks · ~4 hrs/week. There are 7 lessons, about 2 hours of material in total. You learn at your own pace and your progress is saved.

Do I need any experience to start Video Editing for Social Media?

Beginner-friendly. You can start from scratch — no prior experience is assumed.

What will I learn in Video Editing for Social Media?

You will build practical skills in Editing for retention: the 3-second hook and cutting dead air, Pacing — cutting on action and on the beat, Captions for silent viewing and respecting safe zones, Aspect ratios and formats per platform (Reels, TikTok, Shorts, Stories, YouTube), Repurposing one shoot into many clips and covers/thumbnails, Tools across the board: CapCut, InShot, Premiere and DaVinci basics, Copyright-safe music and getting paid to edit for creators and brands. Every lesson is written for a Nigerian context, with examples drawn from how the work is actually done and paid for here.

Do I get a certificate for Video Editing for Social Media?

Yes, but it has to be earned. You complete the course project — One Shoot, Two Platform-Ready Shorts and submit it for grading. Passing the project issues a verifiable certificate; finishing the lessons alone does not.

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It's free, it's self-paced, and it ends with something you can show an employer.

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