How to Run Ads on TikTok – a Comprehensive Guide

For some, TikTok can seem like a whole new beast in the world of advertising. But with a forecast of 1.5 billion active global users by the end of 2022, it’s one you can’t afford to ignore.

TikTok is a video-sharing social networking service used to create short dance, lip-sync, comedy, and talent videos, and short looping videos of 3 to 60 seconds. It offers a unique opportunity to reach Gen Z, who are notoriously difficult to target. And, with a huge range of creative ad formats and targeting options, there are plenty of ways to sell more or drive more traffic. 

With the introduction to app shopping in 2021 that allows for discovery and engagement, TikTok has made it easy for businesses to drive consumers right to the digital point of purchase.

In this guide, we’ll take you through everything you need to know about TikTok ads, from the different types on offer to top tips on creating your own campaign.

Who uses TikTok?

Over 63% of worldwide users on the app are between the ages of 10 and 29. Gen Z makes up most of the app’s total user base, with a staggering 37.3 million Gen Z users compared to Instagram’s 33.3 million. 

With TikTok ads, you can reach them where they already are, with an ad format native to the app and designed to be non-intrusive. This is good news if you’re trying to target this age group, as they consume the majority of their content on mobile and are much more likely to skip ads than any other demographic.

TikTok’s unique format and aesthetic lend itself well to creative brands and products. If your target audience is creative or engaged in creative industries, TikTok should definitely be on your radar.

Why run ads on TikTok?

Here’s a statistic that might already answer your question: as of 2019, the average session duration for TikTok users was 10.85 minutes, compared to 5.06 for Pinterest in second place. TikTok’s range of ad types also allows you to be very specific with your targeting, so you can reach the right people with your message. 

Making sales and driving conversions is easy on the platform; you can add clickable links in your bio, shoppable posts, and ads that let users buy your products without leaving the app. Even better, TikTok molds the retail process as an infinite loop rather than a marketing funnel, completely changing the game for businesses. 

With this infinite loop, the cyclical path to purchase helps brands foster those much-needed long-term relationships with their customers and their willingness to buy. People are 1.5 times more likely to go out and buy something they saw on TikTok compared to other platforms.

Why else should you run ads on the platform?

• Increasing brand awareness: With a large and widespread audience, TikTok offers a huge potential reach for your ad campaigns. 
• Generating leads and sales: As an eCommerce platform, TikTok can be used to drive traffic to your website or via their Lead Ad format.
• Building trust and credibility: By humanizing your brand on TikTok, you can build trust and credibility with potential customers. 
• Improving customer retention: Ads can be used to keep current customers engaged with your brand, products, or services.

Types of TikTok ads at a glance

Certain TikTok ad formats will nurture engagement better than others.

• In-Feed Native Video Ads: These 9 to 15-second video ads appear in users’ feeds, similar to how Instagram Stories ads work. You can use either existing videos from your feed or create new ones specifically for your ad campaign. Single or multiple call-to-actions can be included to encourage users to take action.
• Hashtag Challenge Ads: A hashtag challenge is when a brand creates a branded hashtag and encourages users to create videos using that hashtag. These videos are then displayed on a brand’s page as well as in the TikTok app under the “Following” tab.
• Brand Takeover Ads: These full-screen ads appear when users open the app and can be in either image, video, or GIF format. Confronting a user right when they head onto TikTok without having to tackle competitors can certainly give your brand a boost.
• Branded Effects: Brands can create special AR filters and shareable stickers that users can apply to their videos. When users create a video using your branded effect, it will appear on your brand’s page as well as in the “Following” tab.
• TopView Video Ads: Unlike brand takeover ads, these ads are a little less in-your-face, and appear at the top of a feed after 3 seconds.
• Dynamic Showcase TikTok ads (DSAs): The newest form of ads, these e-commerce-focused ads appear in a user’s feed and allow them to browse through a carousel of products. Users can then click on an individual product to learn more about it or add it to their shopping cart.
• Reach & Frequency Spark Ads: Spark ads are similar to DSAs, but instead of appearing in a user’s feed, they appear in between videos that a user is watching.

TikTok Advertising Examples

A lot of brands are still figuring out the best way to approach advertising on TikTok, but there are a few that have seemingly cracked the code. Here are some examples of brands that are succeeding with their TikTok ads: 

Gymshark – Branded Hashtags, User Generated Content

Gymshark, a fitness apparel brand, was one of the first brands to jump on the TikTok bandwagon. They ran a successful branded hashtag campaign called “66 Days | Change Your Life”, which encouraged TikTok users to choose a personal fitness goal and upload it on New Year’s Day. 

The incentive? A free year’s supply of Gymshark gear.

Users then uploaded the results of their transformation 66 days later and used the branded hashtag #gymshark66. The campaign was a huge success, with over 66 million views (coincidentally) and 3.5 million likes.

Balmain – In-Feed Ads, Livestream

French luxury fashion house Balmain partnered with TikTok for a livestream shopping event. The event was held in partnership with eCommerce platform Shopify and allowed viewers to purchase items that were being modeled in real-time. 

With the temporary stop to in-person shows due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this TikTok Live Fashion Show was able to showcase their high-end designs in a novel way.

The campaign significantly increased brand awareness and engagement, generating over 22 million views on its In-Feed Ads and garnering 240,000 viewers to their unique online show.

Aerie – Dynamic Showcases, Branded Hashtags, In-Feed Ads

Aerie, a lingerie, swimwear, and activewear brand aimed at young women, ran the multi-faceted #AerieReal TikTok campaign to encourage women to embrace their authentic selves. The campaign used a variety of features including in-feed ads, dynamic showcases, and branded hashtags.

The brand was one of the first big retailers to use TikTok’s shiny new Dynamic Showcase Ads (DSA), something that helps to drive conversions with a curated ad experience. They were also the first to launch a custom DSA template using their logo and brand colors to amp up their brand identity.

The result? Return-on-ad-spend increased from 2.24 to 7.78 and their DSA campaign had a 0.94% conversion rate that improved by 3x to 2.93% after launching their custom template.

HP – Branded Hashtag Challenge

To raise awareness for their sustainability efforts, HP created the #HPRadicalReuse Hashtag Challenge, which encouraged users to post videos centered around reusing in their everyday lives. With goals to be the most sustainable technology company out there, they decided to focus heavily on reducing and reusing plastics.

TikTok users were encouraged to interact through the Branded Hashtag Challenge all while making a difference. Looking to drive engagement, lift, and organic visibility, the brand used In-Feed Ads for mass reach and Reach and Frequency Spark Ads for impressions and better visibility during the campaign.

The challenge was amplified by TikTok influencers, ultimately resulting in 36 million video views and the creation of 1.2 million videos.

Kraft Heinz – Top Feed, In-Feed, Voting Stickers

After creating the exciting new Kraft Dinner Flavor Cups, Kraft Heinz got TikTok users talking, sharing, and engaging by launching the flavor debate. The company ran a series of Top Feed ads as well as In-Feed ads, driving users to a landing page where they could vote for their favorite new flavor. 

They also used Voting Stickers in some of their videos to get people even more engaged, and they partnered with popular TikTok creators. People created videos and shared their opinions with #KDFlavourDebate, allowing them to contribute to conversations all to do with KD.

The campaign resulted in over 24 million impressions and a lot of excitement around the new flavors.

Why should you create a TikTok Ads account?

Now that you know a little more about who’s using TikTok and what kinds of brands are succeeding on the platform, you might be wondering if it’s right for your business. Here are a few reasons why you should create a TikTok Ads account: 

You can reach a massive, engaged audience

As we mentioned, there is a massive, engaged audience on TikTok that you can reach with your ads. 

The platform is still fairly new

Because TikTok is still fairly new, there’s a lot of opportunity to be one of the first brands in your industry to advertise on the platform. This can help you stand out and get noticed by potential customers. 

It’s affordable

TikTok Ads are affordable, especially when compared to other social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. You can get started with a small budget and see how your ads perform before increasing your investment. 

How to Create a TikTok Ads Account 

Creating a TikTok Ads account is quick and easy. Just head to the TikTok Ads Manager and click “Create Account”. From there, you’ll need to enter your business information and choose your country, time zone, currency, and billing method. Once you’ve done that, you’ll be ready to create your first ad campaign!

Don’t forget to download TikTok Pixel 

TikTok Pixel is a piece of code you can add to your website to track conversions, optimize your ad delivery, and better understand the people interacting with your ads. We recommend installing the pixel before you launch your first ad campaign so that you can start collecting data right away. 

To install the TikTok Pixel, head to the “Settings” tab in the TikTok Ads Manager and click on “Install Pixel”. From there, you’ll be able to copy the code and add it to your website.

Best Practices for TikTok Ad Campaigns

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of creating your campaign, there are a few key things to keep in mind that will help ensure its success.

1. Keep your videos short and sweet: TikTok users have short attention spans, so make sure your videos get the message across quickly and engagingly. According to Wired, the optimal length of a video on TikTok has been between 21 and 34 seconds since November 2021.
2. Use creative visuals and audio: The key to standing out on TikTok is being creative with your visuals and audio. Remember, users scroll through their feed quickly, so you need to grab their attention with an eye-catching video or catchy song. 88% of users say that sound is essential to being on TikTok and 68% of users say they remember a brand better when they feature songs they like. This is your chance to be really creative and stand out from the rest!
3. Use hashtags and trends: Another great way to grab users’ attention is to use trending hashtags and brush up on your knowledge of TikTok trends. This will not only help your video be seen by more people, but it will also make it more likely to be shared.
4. Add a great CTA: Give users a clear next step with a good CTA. Whether you’re asking them to follow your brand or visit your website, a call to action will help increase the chances that users take your desired action. TikTok has reported that videos benefit from a 152% lift in conversion when adding a CTA.
5. Make sure your video fits the ad specs: TikTok has specific ad requirements, so make sure your video is the right size and length before you submit it. These requirements vary depending on the type of ad you’re running, so be sure to check out TikTok’s video specs before you get started.
6. Collaborate with influencers: Influencer marketing is huge on TikTok, so consider collaborating with influencers in your niche. This will help you reach their followers and get more exposure for your brand. Keep in mind that mega influencers actually have the lowest engagement on social media. In fact, they get just 4.96% engagement on TikTok, while microinfluencers get 17.96%.
7. Shoot vertical videos in high-resolution: This might sound like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people try to run ads with videos that are shot in low resolution. If your video looks bad, people will swipe right to avoid it.

Setting up a Campaign

Once you have your TikTok Ads account set up and the TikTok Pixel installed, you’re ready to create your first ad campaign! 

To get started, head to the “Campaigns” tab in the Ads Manager and click on “Create Campaign”. From there, you’ll need to choose your objective. 

TikTok offers the following objectives: 

• Brand awareness: Increase brand awareness for your product or service among TikTok users.
• Reach: Show your ad to as many people as possible within your target audience. 
• Traffic: Send people to your website or app from your TikTok ad. 
• Engagement: Get people to interact with your ad, such as by sharing, commenting, or liking.
• App installs: Get people to install your app from your TikTok ad.
• Video views: Increase the number of views for your video.

Once you’ve selected your objective, you’ll need to choose your target audience and budget. You can choose demographics like location, age, gender, and interests for the target audience; you can also target people who have already interacted with your brand on other platforms or lookalikes of your best customers.

For budget, you’ll need to set a daily spend limit and a total campaign budget. It’s important to note that you’ll be charged based on the number of impressions your ad gets, so make sure to set a realistic budget that takes this into account. 

When it’s time to create your video, make sure to keep your target audience and objective in mind, as this will determine what kind of content will be most effective. You can also add a call-to-action and choose where you want your ad to link to, such as your website or app. 

And that’s it! You’re now ready to launch your first TikTok ad campaign.

In Closing

There’s no doubt that TikTok is one of the hottest social media platforms, and it will only continue to boom in popularity. With its large young user base and creative format, TikTok is the perfect place to reach new customers and grow your brand. By understanding the app and its users, you can create an effective campaign that will engage and convert your target audience. 

So what are you waiting for? Start advertising your brand on TikTok today!