The app we now know as TikTok first emerged in 2016, and it was the second most downloaded non-gaming app in 2019. Such an inexorable rise in the app’s popularity has of course lead to the mainstream use of TikTok advertising.
So what do you need to know about how to market on TikTok?
Keep reading for our essential guide about how to use TikTok for your company’s advertising and marketing needs.
Table of Contents
Which Businesses Should Use TikTok Advertising?
Before considering your business’s TikTok marketing strategy, you might be wondering if TikTok is the right platform to reach your customers. If your product or service is consumed by people aged 30 and under, TikTok is right for you.
The app attracts a relatively young demographic, especially compared to Facebook. TikTok users generally have a lot of disposable income and engage frequently with the app’s content, including ads.
However, even if your target customer is typically aged between 25 and 40, that doesn’t mean you should ignore TikTok. The age span of TikTok users is widening slowly but surely.
What’s more, TikTok is available worldwide, so if you have a brand that ships internationally, this could be a great way to reach clients across the world.
Finally, the ratio of female to male users of TikTok is approximately 2:1. Therefore, TikTok is especially popular with businesses that target women aged between 15 and 30.
Brands as diverse as Chipotle, the NBA, and the Washington Post all use TikTok’s advertising services.
What Are the Budgeting Options?
The next section of our TikTok advertising guide will address how you can budget your TikTok ads. There are two ways you can manage your ad budget – daily and lifetime.
Choosing a daily budget is fairly self-explanatory. This means you select the maximum that you want to spend on your advertising campaign per day.
The minimum daily budget at a campaign-level is $50, while at the ad group level it is $20.
A lifetime budget is a good choice if your executive team has allocated you a specific amount to spend on the campaign. You’ll enter the date range you want your campaign to run for, and TikTok will try to distribute your lifetime budget evenly across these dates.
There are several different bidding strategies available. The ‘Standard Bid’ strategy is a good option to keep tabs on your daily spending limit. Select your target cost-per-acquisition to control your spending.
Otherwise, you can choose a ‘Max Conversion with No Bid’ strategy. This is best for businesses running campaigns with conversion-led goals.
How Can You Choose Your Audience?
A crucial part of this TikTok marketing guide is about selecting the audience that will see your ads. TikTok operates in a similar way to advertising campaigns on Facebook.
There are many different ways to define the audience who will be targeted by your ads. The first is a ‘Lookalike Audience’.
This is when you provide TikTok with a list of your existing customers, who you know have an interest in your product or service. TikTok will then locate users which have profiles that are similar to your existing customers. This includes their demographics, which pages they follow, who they interact with, and more.
This is a great way to find potential customers that you don’t yet know about.
You can also select specific demographics you’d like your audience exhibit, and incorporate these into a ‘Custom Audience’. You can also use Custom Audiences to target a list of customers you know are interested in your business.
For example, by installing the TikTok pixel to your website, you can make sure visitors to your page are followed up with your ad campaign on TikTok.
You may like to read this blog – 8 Apps That Help You Forget TikTok
What Are the Different Ad Formats?
As with all digital advertising platforms, there are a variety of ways you can make your ads appear on the TikTok app. The format you choose will depend on your campaign goal and your available budget.
First, there’s the in-feed ad. These appear in between users’ videos on the For You page. They are TikTok’s equivalent of ads in Instagram stories. These can last between 9-15 seconds and are great for promoting a simple Call To Action (CTA).
Next, Brand Takeover ads appear on the user’s screen immediately upon opening the app. These are ideal for visibility and awareness campaigns. They are very effective, which comes at a higher cost compared to the other ad formats.
An advertising opportunity that is unique to TikTok is the Branded Hashtag challenge. These are a creative way for businesses to connect with the TikTok community.
Simply come up with a fun challenge that relates to your product, get a few influencers on board to help spread the word, and watch your business’s awareness (and leads) take off!
What Should Be Included in Your Ad Content?
Finally, when discussing TikTok marketing it’s important not to forget the most important aspect – the ad itself. TikTok is an energetic and vibrant platform, and your ads need to reflect this.
TikTok ads are usually videos, but they can also appear as images and GIFs. Remember that videos should not rely on their audio element to send their message, as many users will have the sound on their phone turned off.
Try to incorporate hashtags, stickers, filters, and lenses into your ads. Don’t forget the all-important CTA so that your audience knows what they need to do next.
Finally, consider working with a TikTok influencer to raise the profile of your brand. The money spent on collaborating with an influencer will often allow you to spend less on the creation of the ad itself as well as on displaying your commercials.
Don’t forget that you can also purchase TikTok likes to help boost your account when you’re just starting out.
That’s Everything You Need to Know About TikTok Ads
We’ve now covered the essentials of TikTok advertising so you can get started on the app. Now is the time to establish your brand on the biggest social media app since Instagram. If you found this guide to TikTok advertising helpful, make sure you explore our other digital marketing articles!
