Thinking about advertising on TikTok? You should! TikTok Ads can reach a huge number of people – and about 884.9 million of those people are 18 years old or older. That’s about 18% of all adults who use the internet worldwide. It’s a big group of potential customers you shouldn’t ignore.

Using TikTok for advertising can make a big difference for both big and small businesses. The key is to make ads that are fun to watch and campaigns that get people interested.  And to make this process even easier for yourself, you can start managing your TikTok advertising with a TikTok scheduler, which can help you stay organized and informed.

However, you have to keep in mind that advertising works best when you plan carefully, are creative, and have enough money set aside for it. In this guide, we will explore how to use the TikTok Ads Manager effectively to boost your business’s visibility and engagement

Why TikTok Advertising is Important

Let’s talk about TikTok, a platform that’s changed how we use social media and how businesses advertise. But why is advertising on TikTok so crucial? Let’s find out!

Unprecedented Growth

TikTok, which started in 2016, has grown super fast and now has over 1 billion users around the world. If you think TikTok is just for teens and pre-teens, you’re sadly mistaken. In fact, all kinds of people- be it any age, gender, or geographic region, use the platform. This means if you put an ad on TikTok, it could be seen by lots and lots of different people!

High Engagement Rates

TikTok has a special system that makes people interact a lot. It shows videos to users based on what they like, so they’re more likely to interact with your ads. When people interact with your ads, more people learn about your brand and visit your website, and in the end, you might sell more products or services.

Authenticity and Creativity

TikTok is all about being yourself and showing off your creativity. Businesses can make cool and fun videos that people like. This lets you show what your brand is about, creating a stronger connection with your viewers.

Influencer Marketing Opportunities

TikTok has lots of famous people that a lot of people follow.  Partnering with them can help you reach more people and make your brand more trusted. Another perk of influencer marketing is that you can indirectly advertise your product without using a sale-sy approach. This way, your products are promoted in a more genuine video, allowing more opportunities for engagement.

Cost-Effective Advertising

Forget tight budgets, you can reach millions on TikTok even with regular posts. The platform’s unique algorithm favors engaging content, so if your ads are engaging, you can connect with a massive audience!

Types of TikTok Ads

TikTok has different types of ads to help businesses with various goals. Each ad type is made to fit in naturally with the app’s content, so it feels like part of the fun for users.

1. In-Feed Ads

   These ads are like regular videos that show up in a user’s feed. They blend in with other videos and can include things like links to websites or buttons to download apps. They’re meant to be engaging without being too pushy.

2. Branded Hashtag Challenges

   Brands create a special hashtag and ask users to make or share content using that hashtag. This gets people involved and boosts brand visibility. If the challenge gets popular, it can spread quickly and reach a lot of people.

3. Branded Effects and Hashtags

   These ads mix fun augmented reality with branding. Users create content using your product in a cool way. It’s fun for them and gets your brand seen by more people.

4. TopView

   This ad is the first thing users see when they open TikTok. It’s in a prime spot and makes a big impression right away. It’s good for brands that want to stand out.

5. Brand Takeover
   

   

   Similar to TopView, brand takeover ads include images or GIFs instead of videos. It grabs users’ attention right when they open the app and can lead to more engagement with your brand.

How Do TikTok Ads Work?

TikTok uses a unique system that learns what each user likes and dislikes. It does this by watching what they do on the app, like which videos they watch, what they click on, and what they ignore. Based on this, the algorithm shows each user more of what they seem to enjoy.

When you advertise on TikTok, it’s really important to understand how this system works. If you do, you can make sure your ads get shown to the right people when they’re most likely to be interested.

Auction-Based Ad Placements

Forget about traditional pay-to-play advertising! TikTok takes a more “show me what you can do” approach. While businesses compete for ad space, you don’t just have to throw the most money at the screen. Instead, you have to impress TikTok and its audience to get the top ad placements.

But how can you achieve this? Well, you can ditch the generic sales pitch and create something that truly connects with TikTok users. Think fresh, engaging content that reflects your brand and stops the scroll. Relevance is crucial, too – target your ad strategically to make sure it hits the right spot.

The good news? Budget doesn’t have to be a barrier. As long as your ad is relevant, creative, and captivating, you’ll have a chance to shine, even against bigger players. Remember, it’s about winning over TikTok users, not outbidding the competition.

Related Article: Tiktok For Business

Campaign Objectives

When you set up an ad campaign on TikTok, you’re asked to specify your objectives. These could range from wanting to increase your brand’s reach, drive traffic to your website, prompt app installs, or several other goals.

Once you’ve determined your campaign’s objective, TikTok’s ad platform works to tailor the ad delivery to meet these goals. It optimizes where and when your ad is shown to maximize performance and return on your investment. This means your ad is more likely to be seen by people who can take the action you want them to.

How to Set up Ads on TikTok

Setting up ads on TikTok might seem complicated, but following these steps makes it super easy. We’re going to talk about how to make an ad campaign that works well on TikTok.

1. Create a TikTok Ads Manager Account
   

   

   To start your journey on TikTok, you must first create an account. Here’s how:

   1. Download the TikTok app from the App Store (for iOS) or Google Play Store (for Android).
   2. Open the app and tap on the “Me” icon at the bottom right of the screen.
   3. Tap on “Sign Up” and choose your preferred method (email, phone, or social media account) to create your account.
   4. Follow the prompts to fill in your details. These will include your date of birth, email or phone number, and a password.
   5. Once you’ve filled in all the necessary information, tap “Sign Up” to finalize the creation of your account.
   6. To start advertising on TikTok, first sign up for a TikTok Ads Manager account. This platform is where you’ll create and manage your ads.

2. Define Your Campaign Objective

   

   Next, you’ll choose what you want your ads to achieve. Your goals can be:

   • Get more people to visit your website: Create fun and interesting ads that make people want to click on them. You can check if your ads work by counting how many people clicked on them and visited your website.
   • Make more people download or make a purchase: Your ads should highlight the unique selling proposition of your products. If you have this objective, you can integrate the option that allows customers to directly download or purchase the product from the ad.
   • Get more people to watch your videos: Your ads should be enjoyable to watch, and they must look good. You could use ads that resemble video content and play automatically when people scroll through their feeds. You’ll know your ads are successful if more people watch your videos and interact with them by liking, sharing, or commenting.

3. Set Your Budget and Schedule

   

   You’ll also decide how much money you want to spend on your ads and how long you want them to run. TikTok lets you set a daily or total budget for the whole time your ads are running.

4. Select Your Targeting Options

   

   TikTok lets you choose who will see your ads based on age, interests, and past interactions with your brand. This helps ensure your ads are shown to people likely to be interested.

5. Design Your Ad Creative

   

   Now comes the fun part! You get to make your ad. Try to make it look and feel like other videos on TikTok. It should be interesting to look at, tell a story, and encourage people to interact with it. There are lots of ways to be creative with your ad.

6. Monitor and Optimize Your Campaign

   

   Once your ad is live, watch how it’s doing. TikTok will give you information about how your ad is performing. You can use this to change things like who sees your ad or what your ad looks like to ensure it achieves the best results.

TikTok Ad Specs

The specifics of your ads on TikTok are crucial to their success. Here are the technical details to ensure your ad looks and feels right on the platform.

In-Feed Ad Specs

• Video Length: 5-60 seconds
• Video Resolution: 720×1280 pixels or 1080×1920 pixels
• File Size: Up to 500MB
• Sound: Encouraged but optional
• Text: 80 characters for headline, 120 characters for description
• Call-to-Action: 16 options such as ‘learn more,’ ‘shop now,’ and ‘download’

Branded Hashtag Challenge Specs

• A unique and creative hashtag
• A description that resonates with the hashtag and the brand’s image
• A banner image that captures attention and reflects the challenge

Branded Effects and Hashtags Specs

• 2D/3D elements
• Face Filters, Augmented Reality Objects
• A 3-7 second Intro and 3-7 second Ending, if it’s an AR effect to be used for a longer duration

TikTok Advertising Cost

You might be wondering how much does TikTok advertising costs. TikTok operates like an auction house for its ads. Imagine you’re at an auction and want to buy a painting. You decide how much you’re willing to pay for it. Similarly, on TikTok, advertisers determine how much they want to spend each time someone watches their video, clicks on it, or just sees it ( impression).

However, there’s a rule: You must spend a certain amount of money on your ads daily. For a whole campaign (a series of related ads), you need to pay at least $50 per day. For an ad group (a smaller set of ads within the campaign), you need to spend at least $20 per day.

When you place a bid on TikTok, it’s like raising your paddle at an auction. The higher you bid, the better your chances of winning the auction and getting your ad seen by more people.

Different Ways to Bid on TikTok

TikTok offers four different bidding methods:

1. CPV (Cost Per Thousand Views): This involves paying for every 1000 times people watch your video for more than 6 seconds or interact with it in the first six seconds. Use this method if you want more people to watch your video.
2. CPM (Cost Per Thousand Impressions): You pay for every 1000 times your ad appears on the screen, even if people don’t watch or click on it. Use this if you want your ad seen by as many people as possible.
3. OCPM (Optimized Cost Per Thousand Impressions): This method shows your ads to people who are likely to do something specific, like follow your account, install your app, or buy your product. Use this if you have a specific goal in mind.
4. CPC (Cost Per Click): You pay each time someone clicks on your ad. This is great if you’re selling products or want people to visit your TikTok profile.

TikTok also provides a suggested bid feature for beginners, which helps you decide how much to bid. The higher you bid for each action (view, click, impression), the quicker you’ll reach your daily budget and outbid your competitors.

Strategies for Bidding on TikTok Advertising

TikTok offers two main strategies for bidding:

1. Lowest Cost:  You set a total budget for your campaign, and TikTok tries to get as many actions (views, clicks, impressions) as possible within that budget.
2. Cost Cap or Bid Cap: You set a specific bid price for your goal. This strategy is suitable for controlling your costs, but remember, your cost per action (CPA) might change daily based on your competitors’ performance. If your competitors are bidding higher prices, they might outbid you, and you might not fully use your budget by the end of your campaign.

Understanding how TikTok’s ad costs work and choosing the right bidding strategy will help you maximize your advertising budget. But remember, it’s not just about spending money. You also need to create fun and engaging content that TikTok users will enjoy.

3 Examples of TikTok Advertising

1. Spark- The Dating App

   Spark’s TikTok ads cleverly blended user-generated content (UGC) with branded elements, mimicking the native look and feel of the platform. This, combined with fast-paced editing and catchy music, ensured the ads were non-intrusive and resonated with viewers.

   Further mirroring TikTok’s organic style, the ad copy utilized a “sticker” design, boosting its connection with the audience.

2. LOTTE XYLITOL

   LOTTE XYLITOL chewed up the competition with their #VoTuCuoi Challenge! Their Brand Takeover ads and Branded Effects combo sparked massive engagement, generating 124 million views, 59,000+ videos, and reaching 15.5 million users. Talk about a sweet success!

3. BMW

   BMW’s “e-ideal Vibe” campaign for their eDrive hybrid hit all the right notes! Partnering with K-pop star Henry, they reimagined Imagine Dragons’ “Thunder” using eDrive sounds. In just six days, a mix of In-Feed and TopView ads generated a staggering 45.99 million video views and 6.29 million engagements. What’s more, the campaign transcended borders, reaching beyond its Korean focus to engage participants from 49 countries. Talk about a global electric groove!

TikTok Ads Best Practices

TikTok has become the favorite spot for brands to connect with people. Let’s look at some of TikTok ads best practices for making cool TikTok ads.

1. Share Interesting Stories

   People love stories, and they work great on TikTok. The best TikTok advertising tells an interesting story that grabs people’s attention. This could be a story told across many videos or a quick snapshot that shows what your brand is all about. So, get creative and tell stories that your audience will love.

2. Get Users to Make Content

   One of the best things about TikTok is how users can make their content. Encourage TikTok users to make content related to your brand. This can help spread your brand’s message and make people feel more connected to your business.

3. Use TikTok Trends and Challenges

   TikTok is full of trends and challenges. By including these in your ads, you can make them more fun and relatable for users. But remember, stay true to your brand, and don’t force anything just because it’s a trend.

4. Be Active in the TikTok Community

   Being active on TikTok is important. Reply to comments on your ads, post often to keep your brand visible, and take part in community events. TikTok rewards being active, and by interacting with the community, you show that your brand is a valuable part of it.

5. Try Out Different Ad Styles

   TikTok has lots of different ad styles you can use, like in-feed ads and branded effects. Each style works differently and reaches the audience differently. Try different styles to see what works best for your brand and goals.

6. Work With Influencers

   Influencers are people who have a lot of followers who trust their opinions. Working with influencers who match your brand can help you reach new people and make your products or services more trusted.

7. Keep an Eye on Your Ads and Make Changes

   Lastly, remember that doing well with TikTok ads means keeping an eye on your ads and making changes when needed. Watch your results, learn from them, and adjust your ads accordingly.

   By using these top TikTok Tips for advertising, you can make engaging, effective ads that connect with your target audience. So why wait? Dive into the world of TikTok advertising and let your brand shine!

Creating a TikTok Advertising Business Strategy

Creating business strategy ads on TikTok might sound complicated, but it’s really about understanding your goals, knowing who you want to reach, and creating fun, engaging content. Here’s how you do it:

1. Identify Goals and Target Audience

   The first step is to decide what you want to achieve with your TikTok account. Do you want to sell products, make people aware of your brand, or drive traffic to your website? These are your goals, and they should be clear and measurable.

   Next, figure out who you’re making videos for. You want to reach your target audience. Understanding your audience helps you create content they’ll enjoy and engage with.

2. Research Trends and Popular Content

   TikTok is all about trends. Keep an eye on what’s popular and what people are enjoying. You can find this in the ‘Trending’ section of the app. But remember, while it’s great to join in on trends, your content should always reflect what your brand stands for.

3. Develop a Content Plan

   Planning your TikTok content helps to keep your account active and engaging. Think about what kind of videos you want to make and when you want to post them. But also leave room for unexpected events or trending topics you want to join in on.

4. Leverage TikTok’s Advertising Options

   Finally, consider using TikTok’s advertising features. These include in-feed ads (ads that appear in between other videos), branded hashtags (hashtags that promote your brand), or takeover ads (ads that appear as soon as someone opens the app). These features can help your business get noticed by even more people on TikTok.

   Remember that successful TikTok marketing isn’t just about creating ads. It’s also about defining your target audience, performing a competitive audit, and setting goals that align with your overall business strategy

Measuring Success on TikTok

Key Metrics to Track and Analyze

Analyzing TikTok performance means going beyond just views and likes. By examining key analytics, you can gain crucial insights to optimize your content, grow your audience, and achieve your goals. Here’s what you need to track:

Engagement:

• Average watch time: Does your content captivate viewers? This metric reveals how long people stay engaged with your videos, on average.
• Completion rate: Do viewers watch your videos all the way through? Analyze this metric to understand if your content length and pacing are optimal.
• Likes, comments, and shares: Track these classic engagement metrics to gauge audience reaction and the virality of your content.

Audience Growth:

• Follower growth rate: Monitor how quickly your follower base is expanding. Identify periods of rapid growth and analyze the content that fueled it.
• Demographics: Gain insights into your audience’s age, gender, location, and interests. Tailor your content to resonate with these demographics.
• Traffic sources: See where your viewers are coming from (For You page, hashtags, profile visits). Optimize your content strategy to leverage these sources.

Conversions:

• Click-through rate (CTR): Track how often viewers click on links in your profile or video descriptions. This measures your success in driving traffic to your website or landing pages.
• Profile visits: Monitor how many people visit your profile after watching your videos. This indicates potential for further engagement and conversion.

Adjust Strategies Based on Insights

If you see that some types of videos do better than others, don’t be afraid to change your plans. Focus more on the things that work well to get better results.

• Compare historical data: Track changes over time to identify trends and measure the impact of your content strategy adjustments.
• Benchmark against competitors: Analyze industry standards and compare your performance to competitors to identify areas for improvement.
• Set clear goals: Define specific objectives for your TikTok activity and use these metrics to track your progress toward achieving them.

Related Article: How to Leverage TikTok for Business Marketing in 2024

Summing Up

As we’ve explored TikTok advertising, it’s clear that it’s not just a fad. It’s a strong tool for advertising that’s here to stay.

Whether you’re a small business owner trying to reach more people online or a big brand trying to connect with younger audiences, TikTok advertising is a fun, creative, and effective way to achieve your goals.

The key to doing well with TikTok advertising is understanding your audience, staying true to your brand, and making the most of all the different types of ads and features TikTok offers. Don’t be afraid to try new things, learn from your results, and, most importantly, have fun creating your content.

Frequently Asked Questions