Brands Advertising on TikTok: A Guide for Marketers

By Cepy 8/22/2023 Post a Comment

TikTok is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, with over 1 billion monthly active users. It is a video-sharing app that allows users to create and watch short videos, often with music, filters, stickers, and other effects. TikTok is also a powerful marketing tool for brands that want to reach a young, engaged, and creative audience.

In this article, we will explore how brands can advertise on TikTok, what types of ads are available, and what are the best practices for creating effective and engaging TikTok ads. We will also provide some examples of successful brands advertising on TikTok and answer some frequently asked questions about the platform.

Why Advertise on TikTok?

TikTok offers many benefits for brands that want to advertise on the platform. Here are some of the main reasons why you should consider TikTok as part of your marketing strategy:

TikTok has a massive and growing user base. According to Statista, TikTok had 689 million monthly active users worldwide as of January 2021, making it the seventh-largest social network in the world. TikTok is especially popular among Gen Z and millennials, who make up 60% and 26% of its users, respectively.
TikTok has high engagement and retention rates. According to Business of Apps, TikTok users spend an average of 52 minutes per day on the app, and open it an average of 8 times per day. TikTok also has a high retention rate, with 90% of users returning to the app within a month.
TikTok has a diverse and creative content ecosystem. TikTok is not just a platform for lip-syncing and dancing videos. It also features content from various categories, such as comedy, education, beauty, fashion, sports, gaming, music, and more. TikTok also encourages user-generated content (UGC) and viral challenges, which can help brands increase their organic reach and brand awareness.
TikTok has a variety of ad formats and targeting options. TikTok offers several types of ads for brands to choose from, such as in-feed ads, branded hashtag challenges, branded effects, topview ads, brand takeover ads, and more. TikTok also allows brands to target their ads based on demographics, interests, behaviors, device types, and custom audiences.

Types of Ads on TikTok

TikTok offers different types of ads for brands to reach their target audience and achieve their marketing goals. Here are some of the most common types of ads on TikTok:

In-Feed Ads

In-feed ads are video ads that appear in between user-generated videos on the "For You" page or the "Following" page. They can be up to 60 seconds long and support sound. Users can interact with in-feed ads by liking, commenting, sharing, following the advertiser's account, or clicking on the call-to-action (CTA) button.

In-feed ads are suitable for brands that want to drive traffic to their website or app, generate leads or conversions, or increase their followers or views on TikTok. In-feed ads are also relatively affordable compared to other types of ads on TikTok.

Branded Hashtag Challenge

Branded hashtag challenge is a type of ad that invites users to participate in a creative challenge related to a brand's product or service. The challenge is promoted by a banner ad on the "Discover" page that leads users to a landing page with the challenge details, rules, and examples. Users can join the challenge by creating and uploading their own videos using the branded hashtag.

Branded hashtag challenge is suitable for brands that want to increase their brand awareness, engagement, UGC, and word-of-mouth on TikTok. Branded hashtag challenge can also help brands create a community around their brand and foster brand loyalty.

Branded Effects

Branded effects are custom filters, stickers, lenses, or animations that users can apply to their videos on TikTok. They can be created by brands using TikTok's Effect Studio or by working with TikTok's creative partners. Users can access branded effects from the "Trending" section of the effects menu or from the branded hashtag challenge landing page.

Branded effects are suitable for brands that want to enhance their branded hashtag challenge campaign or create a fun and interactive experience for their audience on TikTok. Branded effects can also help brands showcase their products or services in a creative way.

TopView Ads

TopView ads are video ads that appear as the first thing users see when they open the TikTok app. They can be up to 60 seconds long and support sound. Users can interact with topview ads by liking, commenting, sharing, following the advertiser's account, or clicking on the CTA button.

TopView ads are suitable for brands that want to capture the attention of a large and captive audience on TikTok. TopView ads can also help brands create a strong visual impact and showcase their brand story or message.

Brand Takeover Ads

Brand takeover ads are video or image ads that appear as a full-screen pop-up when users open the TikTok app or switch between categories on the "For You" page. They can be up to 5 seconds long and support sound. Users can interact with brand takeover ads by clicking on the CTA button or the advertiser's profile.

Brand takeover ads are suitable for brands that want to create a high-frequency and high-impact exposure for their brand on TikTok. Brand takeover ads can also help brands drive traffic to their website or app, generate leads or conversions, or increase their followers or views on TikTok.

How to Create Effective and Engaging TikTok Ads

TikTok ads can be a great way to reach and connect with your target audience on the platform. However, not all ads are created equal. To create effective and engaging TikTok ads, you need to follow some best practices and tips. Here are some of them:

Know Your Audience

The first step to creating effective and engaging TikTok ads is to know your audience. You need to understand who they are, what they like, what they care about, and what they expect from your brand. You can use TikTok's analytics tools or third-party tools to get insights into your audience's demographics, interests, behaviors, and preferences.

Knowing your audience will help you create relevant and personalized ads that resonate with them and motivate them to take action. You can also use TikTok's targeting options to reach the right audience at the right time with the right message.

Align Your Ads with Your Marketing Goals

The second step to creating effective and engaging TikTok ads is to align your ads with your marketing goals. You need to define what you want to achieve with your ads, such as increasing brand awareness, driving traffic, generating leads, boosting conversions, or growing your followers. You also need to set specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound (SMART) objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs) for your ads.

Aligning your ads with your marketing goals will help you choose the right type of ad format, content, CTA, and budget for your campaign. It will also help you track and measure the performance and effectiveness of your ads and optimize them accordingly.

Create Original and Authentic Content

The third step to creating effective and engaging TikTok ads is to create original and authentic content. You need to avoid copying or imitating other brands or users on the platform. Instead, you need to showcase your brand's personality, voice, values, and story in a unique and creative way. You also need to use high-quality visuals, sound, effects, and captions that capture the attention and interest of your audience.

Creating original and authentic content will help you stand out from the crowd and build trust and credibility with your audience. It will also help you generate UGC and viral challenges that can amplify your brand's reach and awareness on TikTok.

Follow the Trends and Challenges

The fourth step to creating effective and engaging TikTok ads is to follow the trends and challenges on the platform. You need to stay updated on what's popular and trending on TikTok, such as music, hashtags, memes, dances, jokes, etc. You also need to participate in or create your own challenges that relate to your brand's product or service.

Following the trends and challenges will help you stay relevant and engaging with your audience on TikTok. It will also help you leverage the power of social proof and FOMO (fear of missing out) to encourage your audience to join in or share your content.

Test and Experiment

The fifth step to creating effective and engaging TikTok ads is to test and experiment with different elements of your ads. You need to try different variations of your ad format, content, CTA, targeting, budget, etc., and see what works best for your audience and goals. You also need to monitor and analyze the results of your tests using TikTok's analytics tools or third-party tools.

Testing and experimenting will help you optimize your ads for maximum performance and engagement on TikTok. It willalso help you discover new opportunities and insights for your brand's growth and success on the platform.

TikTok Ads Cost Breakdown

TikTok ads cost depends on various factors, such as the type of ad format, the bidding model, the targeting options, the competition, and the campaign duration. TikTok ads operate on an auction-based system, where advertisers bid for their desired ad placement and audience. The higher the bid, the higher the chance of winning the auction and showing the ad to the target audience.

According to TikTok's official website, the minimum budget for a TikTok ad campaign is $500, and the minimum budget for an ad group is $50. However, these are not fixed numbers and may vary depending on the region and currency. Here is a table that shows the estimated cost range for different types of ads on TikTok:

Type of Ad	Cost Range
In-Feed Ads	$0.10 - $0.30 per impression or $1 - $4 per click
Branded Hashtag Challenge	$100,000 - $200,000 per day
Branded Effects	$50,000 - $100,000 per month
TopView Ads	$50,000 - $100,000 per day
Brand Takeover Ads	$20,000 - $50,000 per day

Note that these are only approximate figures and may change depending on the market conditions and demand. To get a more accurate estimate of your TikTok ads cost, you can use TikTok's ad creation tool or contact TikTok's ad sales team.

FAQs About Brands Advertising on TikTok

How to Create a TikTok Ads Account?

To create a TikTok ads account, you need to follow these steps:

Go to https://ads.tiktok.com/ and click on "Create an Ad".
Select your region and currency.
Fill in your business information, such as your name, email address, phone number, industry, etc.
Verify your email address by clicking on the link sent to your inbox.
Create a password and agree to the terms and conditions.
Log in to your TikTok ads account and start creating your campaigns.

How to Create a TikTok Ads Campaign?

To create a TikTok ads campaign, you need to follow these steps:

Log in to your TikTok ads account and click on "Campaign" on the left menu.
Click on "Create" and select your campaign objective, such as traffic, conversions, app installs, etc.
Name your campaign and set your budget and schedule.
Click on "Continue" and create your ad group by selecting your placement, targeting, budget, bidding, optimization, and delivery options.
Click on "Continue" and create your ad by selecting your creative type, uploading your media files, adding your text and CTA, and previewing your ad.
Click on "Submit" and wait for your ad to be reviewed and approved by TikTok.

How to Track and Measure Your TikTok Ads Performance?

To track and measure your TikTok ads performance, you need to follow these steps:

Log in to your TikTok ads account and click on "Reports" on the left menu.
Select the date range, level, breakdown, and metrics you want to see for your campaigns.
View your data in a table or chart format or download it as a CSV file.
Analyze your data and compare it with your objectives and KPIs.
Identify what works well and what needs improvement for your campaigns.
Make adjustments and optimizations based on your data insights.

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