TikTok is one of the fastest-growing social media sites, but it’s not as familiar to marketers as older platforms like Facebook and Instagram. If you want to advertise on this exciting new social network, it’s important to learn the ropes first. Fortunately, creating an ad campaign on TikTok is quite straightforward.
In this post, we’ll provide a brief introduction to TikTok ads and why you might want to incorporate them into your social media marketing strategy. We’ll then show you how to create an ad campaign on TikTok in five easy steps. Let’s get started!
An Introduction to TikTok Ads
TikTok offers brands three different types of video ad formats. The first is TopView ads, which support up to 60 seconds of branded video content. TopView ads are presented to users at the beginning of their TikTok sessions:
The second option is Brand Takeover ads. These look similar to TopView ads, but they are much shorter in length (three to five seconds)
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Finally, in-feed ads appear within TikTok users’ feeds, and can last up to 60 seconds. Users can like, comment, share and use media from these videos, in the same way they can with a regular TikTok video:
With video ads, it’s quite easy to change up your strategy. For example, if you start out with in-feed ads, but you’re not achieving the results you’d hoped for, you can simply upgrade to a TopView ad and reuse the same content.
If you don’t want to create video ads, you can also host branded hashtag campaigns, or launch branded effects on the platform:
These types of ads are great for encouraging user engagement and interaction. They also work well for improving brand awareness.
Why TikTok Is a Great Platform for Advertising
TikTok is a versatile platform, and it offers many unique benefits that other popular social media sites may not. Here are some of the main benefits of advertising on the platform:
- It has a wide reach. TikTok has over one million active users every month.
- It’s a new platform. TikTok is much newer than established social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Therefore it is less saturated with ads, making it easier for brands to stand out.
- TikTok ads have lots of viral potential. Due to the number of users, and amount of content consumed by users, going viral on TikTok can often be easier than it is on other platforms. For example, Pepsi achieved viral success in 2020 with its #ThatsWhatILike hashtag challenge. The hashtag was used over 13 billion times. The campaign encouraged the production of lots of user-generated content, and had a huge impact on brand awareness.
- TikTok ads are visual. Video content and visual ads are great for showcasing products, and have strong converting power.
- TikTok has a young user base. 55% of 18 to 24-year-olds in the U.S. use TikTok, which is good news if your business has a younger target demographic.
Although TikTok advertising comes with many benefits, it might not be the right fit for every brand. For example, TikTok ads are more costly than other platforms and require a minimum investment of $500 for campaigns. However, if budget is not an issue, they may be a smart choice for your business.
How to Create an Ad Campaign on TikTok (In 5 Steps)
Now that we’ve covered the basics of TikTok ads, let’s take a look at how you can go about setting up your own. Don’t worry if you don’t already have a TikTok user account; you don’t need one to set up your ad campaign. Simply follow the five steps below.
Step 1: Sign Up for TikTok Ads Manager
The first thing you’ll need to do is head over to the TikTok For Business website and sign up. You’ll be prompted to input your email address and a password of your choice. Then click on Send Code, and TikTok will provide you with a verification code via email:
Input your verification code, accept the terms and conditions, and click on Sign Up. You’ll then be directed to the account creation page:
Here you can add your business details, time zone, phone number, and currency. Below these fields, you will see the TikTok Ad Program Terms. If you’re happy with the terms, check the box to accept them, and then choose Register.
Step 2: Create Your Ad Campaign
Once you’re all signed up, you can start setting up your campaign. First, choose your campaign objective:
Currently, TikTok has four different campaign objectives. You can choose between Website Conversions, Website Traffic, App Installs, and Lead Generation.
You’ll also be able to name your campaign at this stage. Choose your name, and then hit Continue to move to the next step.
Step 3: Set Up Your Ad Group
Next, you can set up your Ad Group and customize important settings, such as your TikTok pixel as well as your placement and targeting options:
These settings will dictate which TikTok users will see your ad. Within the demographics settings, you can select the age group you want to target, as well as your preferred gender and languages. You can also choose to target users who are interested in specific topics, or who interact in specific ways with other TikTok videos.
This is one of the most important steps when setting up your Ad Group. The choices you make here should align perfectly with your target audience, in order to ensure the success of your campaigns.
Step 4: Configure Your Budget and Bidding Settings
Further down on the same page, you’ll be presented with the budget and bidding settings module:
Here you can set up your budget using one of two models: Cost Cap or Lowest Cost. If you choose Cost Cap, you can select an average amount that the system can spend per impression.
The Lowest Cost option, on the other hand, is not a cost-per-impression model. Instead, you set an overall budget, such as $1,000. The system will then maximize the number of impressions that can be achieved within your budget.
In this section, you can also set when your campaign will begin and end. You can opt to run the ad campaign continuously with no end date by selecting the Run Continuously box. Once you have configured your budget and bidding settings, simply choose Continue to move on.
Step 5: Design the Creative Assets for Your Ad
The final step in the process is to create and upload your ads. If you like, you can create your ad content outside of TikTok using content creation tools like Canva, and then upload it later.
To do this, simply save your content in a supported format (.mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .avi or .gif file types, with a size of up to 500 MB), and upload it by selecting the relevant upload box:
Alternatively, you can use the TikTok Business Manager Creative Tools to create ads:
To do this, click on Create New below Use Creatives from Platform. You’ll then be given options for tools you can use to create TikTok-appropriate ad content using templates and audio clips.
Once you’re ready, click on Publish and your content will be live on the platform. After your ad is up and running, you can use the TikTok Reporting Area to track the progress of your campaigns.
Conclusion
Advertising on TikTok can be a great way to reach younger audiences and promote your business. However, if you want your ad campaign to be a success, it’s important to make sure you set everything up correctly. By following the steps above, you can generate a strong return on your investment.
Do you have any questions about how to create an ad campaign on TikTok? Let us know in the comments section below!
Image credits: Pexels.