TikTok Display Ads: A Guide for Marketers
TikTok is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, with over 1 billion monthly active users. TikTok is known for its short-form videos that showcase creativity, humor, music, and trends. But TikTok is not just a place for entertainment, it's also a powerful marketing tool that can help you reach and engage your target audience.
TikTok display ads are one of the ways you can advertise on TikTok and get your brand in front of millions of users. In this article, we will explain what TikTok display ads are, how they work, what benefits they offer, and how to create and optimize them for your business goals.
What are TikTok display ads?
TikTok display ads are video ads that appear on the TikTok app, either in the user's For You page (the main feed where users discover new content) or in the search page (where users can explore different topics and hashtags). TikTok display ads are marked with a "Sponsored" or "Ad" icon to distinguish them from organic content.
TikTok display ads can be further enhanced with interactive add-ons, such as call-to-action buttons, app install buttons, website links, hashtag challenges, branded effects, and more. These add-ons can help you drive more conversions, such as website visits, app downloads, sales, leads, or user-generated content.
Types of TikTok display ads
There are two main types of TikTok display ads: In-Feed Ads and TopView Ads. Here's how they differ:
- In-Feed Ads are vertical video ads that can be up to 60 seconds long. They appear among the native news feed of TikTok users on the For You page. Users can interact with In-Feed Ads by liking, commenting, sharing, following, or clicking on the add-ons. In-Feed Ads are suitable for raising brand awareness, driving traffic, or generating leads.
- TopView Ads are vertical video ads that can be up to 60 seconds long. They appear as the first ad a user sees when they open the TikTok app. Users can interact with TopView Ads by liking, commenting, sharing, following, or clicking on the add-ons. TopView Ads are suitable for creating a strong brand impression, launching a new product or service, or sparking a viral campaign.
Benefits of TikTok display ads
TikTok display ads offer many benefits for marketers who want to reach and connect with their audience in a creative and meaningful way. Some of the benefits are:
- Access to a large and diverse audience: TikTok has over 1 billion monthly active users across 150 countries and regions. TikTok users are mostly young (60% are between 16 and 24 years old), but also include older generations who enjoy the app's fun and engaging content. You can target your TikTok display ads based on various criteria, such as location, age, gender, interests, behaviors, device type, and more.
- High engagement and retention rates: TikTok users spend an average of 52 minutes per day on the app, watching hundreds of videos per session. TikTok videos have an average view-through rate of 29%, which means that users watch almost one-third of each video they see. TikTok display ads can leverage the app's high engagement and retention rates to capture users' attention and drive them to take action.
- Creative freedom and flexibility: TikTok display ads allow you to showcase your brand personality and value proposition in a true-to-TikTok way. You can use different formats, styles, music, effects, filters, stickers, and more to create captivating video ads that resonate with your audience. You can also test different variations of your TikTok display ads to optimize your performance and results.
How to create TikTok display ads
Creating TikTok display ads is easy and fast with the TikTok Ads Manager platform. Here are the steps you need to follow:
Step 1: Set up your account
To start advertising on TikTok, you need to create a business account on the TikTok for Business website. You will need to provide some basic information about your business, such as name, email address, phone number, industry category, billing country or region, and currency.
Once you create your account, you will be able to access the TikTok Ads Manager dashboard, where you can manage your campaigns, creatives, audiences, reports, and settings.
Step 2: Create your campaign
To create your first TikTok display ad campaign, you need to click on the "Create" button on the upper right corner of the TikTok Ads Manager dashboard. You will be asked to choose a campaign objective, which is the primary goal you want to achieve with your ads. The available objectives are:
- Reach: To increase the number of people who see your ads.
- Traffic: To drive more visitors to your website or app.
- App Install: To encourage more users to download your app.
- Video Views: To increase the number of views of your video ads.
- Conversions: To generate more actions on your website or app, such as purchases, registrations, or leads.
After choosing your objective, you need to name your campaign and set a budget and schedule. You can choose between a daily budget or a lifetime budget, and specify the start and end dates of your campaign.
Step 3: Create your ad group
After creating your campaign, you need to create an ad group, which is a set of ads that share the same targeting, bidding, and optimization settings. You can create multiple ad groups within a campaign to test different strategies and compare their performance.
To create an ad group, you need to name it and choose a placement. A placement is where your ads will appear on the TikTok app or its partner apps. You can choose between "Automatic Placement" (which lets TikTok decide where to show your ads) or "Select Placement" (which lets you choose specific apps where you want your ads to appear).
Next, you need to define your target audience. You can use the following criteria to narrow down your audience:
- Location: You can target users based on their country or region, state or province, city, or ZIP code.
- Age: You can target users based on their age range, from 13 to 65+.
- Gender: You can target users based on their gender identity, such as male, female, or unknown.
- Languages: You can target users based on their preferred language settings on their devices.
- Interests and Behaviors: You can target users based on their interests and behaviors on TikTok or its partner apps, such as entertainment, sports, music, gaming, etc.
- Devices: You can target users based on their device type, operating system, network type, carrier, etc.
- Audience Network: You can target users who have interacted with your website or app in the past, or who are similar to them.
After defining your target audience, you need to set a bid and budget for your ad group. A bid is the maximum amount you are willing to pay for each desired result (such as impression, click, or conversion) from your ads. A budget is the maximum amount you are willing to spend for each ad group per day or for its lifetime. You can also set a pacing option, which determines how quickly you want to spend your budget (either evenly or as quickly as possible).
Finally, you need to choose an optimization goal and a delivery type for your ad group. An optimization goal is what you want TikTok to optimize your ads for (such as impressions, clicks, conversions, etc.). A delivery type is how you want TikTok to deliver your ads (either standard or accelerated).
Step 4: Create your ad
After creating your ad group, you need to create an ad within it. To create an ad, you need to upload a video creative and an ad display image. A video creative is the main content of your ad that users will see and interact with. An ad display image is a thumbnail image that appears next to your video creative when users scroll through their feed.
You can either upload your own video creative and ad display image from your computer or use the TikTok Video Creation Kit to create them from scratch or from templates. The TikTok Video Creation Kit is a tool that helps you create professional-looking video ads with images, music, text, stickers, and effects.
The specifications for your video creative and ad display image are:
| Placement | TikTok In-Feed Ads | TikTok TopView Ads |
|---|---|---|
| Ad Composition | Video creative + ad display image + brand name + call-to-action button | Video creative + brand name + call-to-action button |
| Aspect Ratio | 9:16, 1:1, or 16:9 | 9:16 |
| Video Resolution | Resolution must be a minimum of 540*960px, and a maximum of 1080*1920px | Resolution must be a minimum of 720*1280px, and a maximum of 1080*1920px |
| Video Duration | 5 to 60 seconds | 5 to 60 seconds |
| Video File Size | No more than 500 MB | No more than 500 MB |
| Video File Format | mp4, mov, mpg, mpeg, avi, or gif | mp4, mov, mpg, mpeg, avi, or gif |
| Ad Display Image Size | 20 KB to 300 KB | N/A |
| Ad Display Image Format | jpg or png | N/A |
| Brand Name Length | No more than 20 characters (including spaces) | No more than 20 characters (including spaces) |
| Call-to-Action Button Length | No more than 4 characters (including spaces) | No more than 4 characters (including spaces) |
| Interactive Add-Ons (Optional) | ||
| Add-On Type | Description | Availability |
| App Install Button | A button that directs users to download your app from the app store. | In-Feed Ads and TopView Ads with App Install objective. |
| Website Link Button | A button that directs users to visit your website. | In-Feed Ads and TopView Ads with Traffic or Conversions objective. |
| Hashtag Challenge Button | A button that directs users to participate in a branded hashtag challenge, where they can create and share videos using your hashtag and theme. | In-Feed Ads and TopView Ads with Reach or Video Views objective. |
| Branded Effect Button | A button that directs users to use a custom effect that you created for your brand, such as a filter, sticker, or lens. | In-Feed Ads and TopView Ads with Reach or Video Views objective. |
After uploading or creating your video creative and ad display image, you need to enter your brand name and choose a call-to-action button from the list of options, such as "Learn More", "Shop Now", "Download", etc. You can also add an interactive add-on to your ad, such as an app install button, a website link button, a hashtag challenge button, or a branded effect button.
Finally, you need to preview your ad and make sure it complies with the TikTok advertising policies and guidelines. You can then submit your ad for review and approval.
How to optimize TikTok display ads
Creating TikTok display ads is only the first step of your marketing strategy. You also need to optimize your ads to improve their performance and achieve your goals. Here are some tips and best practices to optimize your TikTok display ads:
Tips for optimizing your video creative
Your video creative is the most important element of your TikTok display ad, as it determines whether users will watch, engage, or skip your ad. Here are some tips to make your video creative more effective:
- Capture attention in the first 3 seconds: Use an eye-catching opening scene, a catchy hook, a clear value proposition, or a compelling question to grab users' attention and entice them to watch more.
- Use vertical format: TikTok is a vertical video platform, so you should use the 9:16 aspect ratio for your video creative. This will ensure that your ad fills the entire screen and creates an immersive experience for users.
- Use high-quality visuals: Use clear, bright, and colorful visuals that showcase your product or service in action. Avoid using blurry, dark, or low-resolution images or videos that may look unprofessional or unappealing.
- Use sound and music: Sound and music are essential components of TikTok videos, as they create mood, emotion, and energy. Use sound and music that match your brand tone and message, and that appeal to your target audience. You can use the TikTok music library or upload your own soundtracks.
- Use text and stickers: Text and stickers can help you highlight key information, add personality, or create humor. Use text and stickers sparingly and strategically, and make sure they are legible and relevant. You can use the TikTok text and sticker library or upload your own assets.
- Use a clear call-to-action: A call-to-action is a phrase that tells users what you want them to do after watching your ad, such as "Download Now", "Shop Now", "Learn More", etc. Use a clear and concise call-to-action that matches your campaign objective and add-on button.
Tips for optimizing your ad display image
Your ad display image is a thumbnail image that appears next to your video creative when users scroll through their feed. Your ad display image can help you attract more clicks and views for your ad. Here are some tips to make your ad display image more effective:
- Use an image that complements your video creative: Your ad display image should be consistent with your video creative in terms of style, color, theme, and message. Your ad display image should not be a duplicate of your video creative or a random image that has nothing to do with it.
- Use an image that showcases your product or service: Your ad display image should highlight the main benefit or feature of your product or service. For example, if you are selling a fitness app, you can use an image of someone using the app or showing their results.
- Use an image that sparks curiosity: Your ad display image should intrigue users and make them want to watch your video creative. For example, you can use an image that shows a before-and-after comparison, a surprising fact, a teaser, or a question.
- Use an image that follows the specifications: Your ad display image should follow the specifications for size and format. Your ad display image should be between 20 KB and 300 KB in size, and jpg or png in format.
Tips for optimizing your targeting and bidding
Your targeting and bidding settings can affect the reach, cost, and results of your TikTok display ads. Here are some tips to optimize your targeting and bidding:
- Use a combination of broad and narrow targeting: Broad targeting can help you reach a large and diverse audience, while narrow targeting can help you reach a specific and relevant audience. You can use a combination of broad and narrow targeting to balance your reach and relevance. For example, you can use broad targeting for location, age, and gender, and narrow targeting for interests, behaviors, and devices.
- Use audience network to retarget or expand your audience: Audience network is a feature that allows you to target users who have interacted with your website or app in the past, or who are similar to them. You can use audience network to retarget users who have shown interest in your product or service, or to expand your audience by finding new users who are likely to be interested.
- Use automatic bidding to optimize your cost and results: Automatic bidding is a feature that allows TikTok to adjust your bid automatically based on your optimization goal and delivery type. You can use automatic bidding to optimize your cost and results, as TikTok will try to get you the most desired results (such as impressions, clicks, or conversions) within your budget.
TikTok display ads examples
To inspire you and give you some ideas for your own TikTok display ads, here are some examples of successful TikTok display ads from different industries and categories:
| Industry | Category | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Entertainment | Movie | Godzilla vs Kong In-Feed Ad |
| Fashion | Clothing | H&M TopView Ad |
| Food & Beverage | Restaurant | Chipotle In-Feed Ad |
| Gaming | Mobile Game | Coin Master In-Feed Ad |
| Health & Wellness | Fitness App | Sweat In-Feed Ad |
| Lifestyle | Dating App | Bumble In-Feed Ad |
| Retail | E-commerce Platform | Shopify TopView Ad |
| Travel | Hotel Booking | Booking.com In-Feed Ad |
FAQs about TikTok display ads
Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about TikTok display ads:
How much do TikTok display ads cost?
The cost of TikTok display ads depends on various factors, such as your campaign objective, target audience, bid, budget, optimization goal, delivery type, and competition. According to TikTok, the minimum budget for a campaign is $500, for an ad group is $50, and for a daily budget is $20. However, these numbers may vary depending on your region and currency.
How can I measure the performance of my TikTok display ads?
You can measure the performance of your TikTok display ads using the TikTok Ads Manager dashboard, where you can access various metrics and reports. Some of the metrics you can track are:
- Impressions: The number of times your ads were shown to users.
- Clicks: The number of times users clicked on your ads.
- CTR: The click-through rate, which is the percentage of impressions that resulted in clicks.
- Conversions: The number of times users completed a desired action on your website or app after clicking on your ads.
- CVR: The conversion rate, which is the percentage of clicks that resulted in conversions.
- CPC: The cost per click, which is the average amount you paid for each click on your ads.
- CPM: The cost per mille, which is the average amount you paid for every 1,000 impressions of your ads.
- CPI: The cost per install, which is the average amount you paid for each app install from your ads.
- CPL: The cost per lead, which is the average amount you paid for each lead from your ads.
- CPS: The cost per sale, which is the average amount you paid for each sale from your ads.
- ROAS: The return on ad spend, which is the ratio of revenue generated from your ads to the amount spent on them.
How can I improve the quality of my TikTok display ads?
You can improve the quality of your TikTok display ads by following the TikTok advertising policies and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that your ads are safe, legal, appropriate, and respectful. Some of the policies and guidelines you should follow are:
- Avoid using misleading or false information, claims, or promises in your ads.
- Avoid using vulgar, offensive, or discriminatory language or imagery in your ads.
- Avoid using excessive or inappropriate violence, gore, or horror in your ads.
- Avoid using sexual or suggestive content or nudity in your ads.
- Avoid using gambling, alcohol, tobacco, drugs, or weapons in your ads.
- Avoid using political, religious, or controversial topics or opinions in your ads.
- Avoid using spammy or intrusive tactics or techniques in your ads.
- Avoid infringing on the intellectual property rights of others in your ads.
Conclusion
TikTok display ads are a great way to promote your brand, product, or service on one of the most popular and engaging social media platforms in the world. TikTok display ads can help you reach and connect with a large and diverse audience, drive more traffic, conversions, and sales, and showcase your creativity and personality.
To create and optimize TikTok display ads, you need to use the TikTok Ads Manager platform, where you can set up your account, campaign, ad group, and ad. You also need to follow the best practices and tips for creating effective video creatives and ad display images, targeting and bidding for your audience and goals, and measuring and improving your performance and results.
If you want to learn more about TikTok display ads or other types of TikTok advertising solutions, you can check out our other articles on our website. We hope you found this article helpful and informative. Thank you for reading!
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