The Ultimate Guide To Advertising On TikTok

Published on 04.05.2023 by Sofia N

TikTok has quickly become one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, with over a billion active users worldwide. As a result, it's become an increasingly important platform for businesses and creators looking to reach new audiences and promote their products or services. If you're looking to advertise on TikTok, you're in luck - the platform offers a variety of powerful tools and features to help you create effective campaigns and reach your target audience. In this ultimate guide to advertising on TikTok, we'll cover everything you need to know to get started, from setting up your account and creating your first campaign to targeting your audience and measuring your results. Whether you're a small business owner, a social media marketer, or a content creator, this guide will provide you with all the information you need to succeed on TikTok.

Overview Of TikTok ADs Formats:

TikTok offers a variety of ad formats to help businesses and creators reach their target audience and promote their products or services. Here's an overview of some of the most popular ad formats on TikTok:

  • In-Feed Ads: These are full-screen video ads that appear in users' "For You" feed. In-Feed Ads can be up to 60 seconds long and include a call-to-action button that directs users to a website or app.
  • Brand Takeovers: These are full-screen ads that appear when users first open the TikTok app. Brand Takeovers can include images, GIFs, and videos up to 15 seconds long, and they can be linked to a landing page or hashtag challenge.
  • TopView Ads: Similar to Brand Takeovers, TopView Ads are full-screen ads that appear when users first open the TikTok app. However, TopView Ads can be up to 60 seconds long and can include interactive elements like buttons and links.
  • Branded Hashtag Challenges: These are sponsored challenges that encourage users to create content around a specific theme or hashtag. Branded Hashtag Challenges can include a branded banner and landing page, and they can be promoted through in-feed ads and TopView Ads.
  • Branded Effects: These are custom augmented reality (AR) effects that brands can create to promote their products or services. Branded Effects can be used in users' videos and can include logos, animations, and other branded elements.

TikTok's ad formats offer a range of creative and engaging options for businesses and creators to reach their target audience and promote their products or services. By choosing the right ad format and targeting your audience effectively, you can create successful TikTok ad campaigns and grow your brand on the platform.

Setting Up A TikTok Advertising Account:

Setting up a TikTok advertising account is a straightforward process. Here're the steps to help you get started:

  • Sign up for a TikTok Ads account: Go to the TikTok Ads website and sign up for an account using your email address and password.
  • Create your campaign: Once you've signed up, you can create your first ad campaign. Choose your ad objective (e.g., traffic, app installs, conversions), set your budget and schedule, and select your ad format.
  • Set your targeting: Next, you'll need to set your targeting options to reach your desired audience. You can target users based on factors like age, gender, location, interests, and behaviors.
  • Choose your ad placement: TikTok offers several placement options, including in-feed, branded effects, and branded hashtag challenges. Choose the placement option that aligns with your ad objective and target audience.
  • Create your ad: Once you've set up your targeting and placement, it's time to create your ad. TikTok offers a variety of creative tools, including music, filters, stickers, and text overlays, to help you create engaging and effective ads.
  • Submit your ad for review: After you've created your ad, submit it for review by TikTok's ad team. They'll check to make sure it meets their advertising policies and guidelines.
  • Launch your campaign: Once your ad has been approved, you can launch your campaign and start reaching your target audience on TikTok.

Setting Up Advertising Budget & Schedule:

 

Setting up a budget and schedule for your TikTok advertising campaign is essential to ensure that you get the best results from your ad spend. The amount you spend on your TikTok ads will depend on your budget and the ad format you choose. TikTok offers several ad formats, including in-feed ads, branded hashtag challenges, and brand takeovers, each with its own pricing structure. When setting your ad spend, consider your overall advertising budget and how much you're willing to spend to achieve your desired results.

Once you've determined your overall ad spend, set a daily budget for your campaign. This will help you control your spending and ensure that your ads run consistently over the course of your campaign. TikTok recommends setting a minimum daily budget of $50 for most ad formats, although this may vary depending on your target audience and campaign objectives.

When setting up your TikTok advertising campaign, you can choose to run your ads continuously or set a specific start and end date for your campaign. You can also set the times of day and days of the week when your ads will run. Consider your target audience and when they are most likely to be active on TikTok when choosing your ad schedule.

Setting Up Ad Bidding:

When creating TikTok ads, you'll need to choose a bidding strategy that determines how much you'll pay for ad impressions or clicks. When choosing your bidding strategy, consider your campaign objectives and target audience, as well as your budget. It's important to monitor your campaign performance and adjust your bids as needed to ensure you're getting the best possible results.

  • Cost per click (CPC): With CPC bidding, you pay for each click on your ad. This is a good option if your objective is to drive traffic to your website or app.
  • Cost per impression (CPM): With CPM bidding, you pay for every 1,000 impressions of your ad. This is a good option if your objective is to increase brand awareness or reach a larger audience.
  • Cost per action (CPA): With CPA bidding, you set a target cost per action, such as a video view or app install, and TikTok will automatically adjust your bids to achieve your target cost.
  • Maximum bid: With maximum bid bidding, you set a maximum bid for your ad, and TikTok will optimize your bid to achieve the best possible results within your budget.

Setting Up Ad Creative:

Creating compelling and visually appealing ad creative is crucial for a successful TikTok ad campaign. TikTok offers several ad formats, including in-feed ads, branded hashtag challenges, and brand takeovers. Choose the ad format that best aligns with your campaign objectives and target audience. The users of the platform have short attention spans, so it's important to capture their attention quickly with eye-catching visuals and a strong hook. TikTok ads have a maximum duration of 60 seconds, but shorter ads are generally more effective. Aim to create ads that are between 9 and 15 seconds long.

Music and sound effects are an integral part of the TikTok experience, so use them in your ad creative to help grab users' attention and create an emotional connection. You also need to be clear about the action you want users to take after seeing your ad. Whether it's visiting your website, downloading your app, or following your TikTok account, include a clear call-to-action in your ad creative. Creating effective TikTok ad creative takes trial and error. Test different ad creative variations to see what works best, and optimize your ads based on performance metrics like click-through rate (CTR) and cost per click (CPC).

Submitting For A Review:

 

After setting up your TikTok ad campaign and creating your ad creative, you'll need to submit your ad for review by TikTok's ad review team. The review process typically takes 24-48 hours, during which time TikTok will evaluate your ad to ensure it complies with their ad policies and community guidelines.

To submit your ad for review, simply go to your TikTok Ads Manager account, select the ad you want to submit, and click the "Submit for Review" button. TikTok will then review your ad to ensure it meets their standards for content quality, safety, and legality. If your ad is approved, it will begin running in the TikTok app and you'll start to see campaign metrics like impressions, clicks, and conversions.

If your ad is rejected, TikTok will provide a reason for the rejection and give you the opportunity to make changes and resubmit the ad for review. Be sure to carefully review TikTok's ad policies and community guidelines before creating your ad to ensure it meets their standards and has the best chance of being approved.

Monitoring Your TikTok AD:

Once your TikTok ad campaign is up and running, it's important to monitor its performance regularly to ensure it's meeting your campaign goals and to optimize it for better results. Some key metrics to monitor when running TikTok ads include:

  • Impressions: The number of times your ad was shown to TikTok users.
  • Click-through rate (CTR): The percentage of users who clicked on your ad after seeing it.
  • Cost per click (CPC): The average cost you pay for each click on your ad.
  • Conversions: The number of users who completed the desired action after clicking on your ad, such as making a purchase or filling out a form.
  • Return on ad spend (ROAS): The amount of revenue generated for every dollar spent on your ad campaign.
  • Engagement rate: The percentage of users who engaged with your ad by liking, commenting, or sharing it.

By monitoring these metrics and adjusting your ad campaign accordingly, you can optimize your TikTok ads for better performance and ROI. Use A/B testing to experiment with different ad creative, targeting options, and bidding strategies to see what works best for your campaign goals and budget. And remember to regularly review TikTok's ad policies and community guidelines to ensure your ad remains in compliance.

Conclusion

TikTok advertising is a powerful tool for businesses looking to reach a large and engaged audience. By understanding TikTok's ad formats, setting up a TikTok advertising account, creating compelling ad creative, and monitoring ad performance, businesses can reach their target audience and achieve their campaign goals. With TikTok's rapidly growing user base and innovative ad features, now is the time for businesses to invest in TikTok advertising and take advantage of this exciting new platform. By following the tips and strategies outlined in this ultimate guide, businesses can create successful TikTok ad campaigns and stay ahead of the competition in today's digital landscape.