With more than 1 billion monthly active users, TikTok represents a growing opportunity for brands to engage with new audiences. What started as a newer social platform has rapidly transformed into a powerhouse for marketers eager to explore new funnels. With its unique blend of tailored content, addicting interactivity, and massive reach, TikTok Advertising is, truly, open for business.
But utilizing TikTok Advertising requires some expertise and resource investment, especially if you wish to avoid wasted budget and low returns. For businesses already using Google Ads, Amazon Ads, and other channels, now is the time to take the plunge. Here’s how you can maximize your TikTok ads strategy to see real results in 2024 and beyond.
1) Budget for Success
So you’ve signed up to the TikTok platform, posted a few videos, and are ready for the next step. While businesses can start advertising on TikTok with as little as $10, creating a real competitive edge demands more substantial investment. TikTok suggests a daily budget of around $100 to truly make an impact when it comes to bidding. This recommendation aligns with the platform’s dynamic bidding environment. In the TikTok algorithm, higher ad spending correlates with increased visibility and engagement.
With any TikTok advertisement, you decide how much to budget for a view, impression, or click. TikTok also has multiple bidding methods available, including:
CPV (cost per thousand views)
CPM (cost per thousand impressions)
oCPM (cost per optimized thousand impressions)
CPC (cost per click)
You might be asking: Are TikTok Ads worth it? If you’re interested in spreading awareness and selling your product to a targeted audience, it’s worth experimenting. Different businesses have different goals, which TikTok's bidding strategy can accommodate. These might include simply increasing followers, driving more brand awareness, or facilitating in-app product conversions. Keep in mind that TikTok advertisements can be featured in three different ways:
TikTok Ad: This is the basic ad, typically a single video that promotes a product, service, or a special offer available.
TikTok Ad Group: This is a collection of individual TikTok ads that are grouped based on a shared theme. For example, if your brand sells hats, the ad group might be all the different SKUs to include different colors and styles. An ad group would generally appeal and be targeted to the same user.
TikTok Campaign: This broader category encompasses several ad groups, unified under a single promotional theme or marketing goal. If you sell hats and clothing, for example, your ad groups may all fit under this umbrella.
2) The Freshness Factor
If you’ve ever scrolled through TikTok, you know the name of the game is novelty. This is true with TikTok Advertising, too. The platform’s algorithm takes a short span—from a few days to a week, or about 50 conversions—to optimize ad delivery.
During this learning phase, the system identifies the most responsive audience segments for your ad by showing it to relevant segments and building on those learnings. To maintain momentum and efficacy, it’s crucial to keep your ad content updated regularly. This constant renewal not only sustains user interest but also aids the algorithm to more efficiently target potential customers. If you have an ad type or content idea that is working, try to replicate this with new hooks, sounds, etc. to regularly freshen up your content.
3) Testing is Crucial
Content generation is resource-heavy, so of course you want to see what works before committing larger budgets to any particular ad. Testing is a cornerstone of effective advertising, and TikTok is no exception. Experiment with different ad formats, creative, and messaging to discern what resonates best with your audience. It may surprise you what lands.
Continuous testing and iteration can lead to significant improvements in ad performance over a few months, ensuring that your strategy remains aligned with both user preferences and rapidly evolving platform trends.
Bottom line: TikTok ads are not a set-it-and-forget-it channel. If you’re not seeing immediate returns, don’t give up on the channel. But if you’re still struggling after 90 days, seek professional or agency help.
4) Integrate Affiliate Content
A unique aspect of TikTok Advertising is the ability to run ads on affiliate content. Creators can provide advertisers with an ad code, which enables the placement of ads for up to a year. An affiliate approach enhances content authenticity and allows brands to tap into a creator's existing follower base. Obviously, this can quickly amplify reach and relevance, while looking more organic to users. Done well, affiliate content can make a brand go viral. Affiliate content also spreads the creative load and makes your brand’s content more varied. Be sure to budget for this when it comes to marketing on TikTok.
On TikTok, even more than other platforms, content reigns supreme. For TikTok Shopping and Video Shopping Ads (VSAs), frequent testing of various creatives is important. Moreover, integrating these ads with regular content posts on your TikTok account can dramatically enhance overall engagement and effectiveness. High-quality, relatable, and engaging content with a clear call to action can elevate the user experience and drive better results.
6) Introducing Product Shopping Ads (PSAs)
TikTok’s recent launch of Product Shopping Ads marks an evolution in the TikTok Advertising suite. TikTok PSAs utilize product listing images as the creative. This ad type is featured within the shop tab and search results. This setup mirrors strategies employed by shopping-centric platforms like Amazon. Because the ad creative is built-in, this reduces the need for constantly refreshed creatives and streamlines the process for products where visual details are crucial.
Optimizing PSAs can result in a quick win for businesses, especially those with fewer resources. To take advantage, ensure your product listing images are high-quality and enticing to potential customers. For example, don’t have a lifestyle image, but use a product-on-white shot where the product takes up at least 80% of the space.
7) Expand to TikTok Livestreams
The versatility of TikTok’s ad options extends to livestreams. Once you know what works on its own, your TikTok ads can be seamlessly integrated into live sessions, alongside traditional VSAs and the newer PSAs. This integration allows advertisers to capture the immediacy and excitement of live interactions, providing a dynamic way to showcase products and engage directly with consumers in real-time.
Livestreams require a TikTok Shop and allow you to pin the product to your feed when it’s being discussed. If other ads are working, this can be a great next step to your advertising goals on TikTok.
Ready to Use TikTok Advertising?
TikTok Advertising is a dynamic and effective way to reach diverse audiences. By staying current with platform trends and marketing levers, actively testing different strategies, and committing to high-quality content, brands can harness the full potential of TikTok to connect with users in meaningful and impactful ways.
Whether through traditional ads, affiliate content, or innovative formats like PSAs, the opportunities on TikTok are endless. If you need additional assistance with TikTok Ads or omnichannel marketing, contact us at eCommerce Nurse. We’re ready to help you dive in, stay agile, and nurture your brand to thrive on TikTok Ads and beyond.
Originally published on October 23, 2024, updated October 23, 2024
This post is accurate as of the date of publication. Some features and information may have changed due to product updates or Amazon policy changes.
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