TikTok advertising is still in its infancy. The algorithm is nowhere near as mature as Facebook's, yet it is becoming smarter by the month and already offers huge potential. When you look at user numbers, TikTok is the second most used app worldwide, and advertisers are currently benefiting from the fact that competition is nowhere near as intense as it is on established platforms like Facebook and Instagram. This leads to incredibly affordable traffic. This channel shouldn't be dismissed; it should be utilized early to gain a competitive edge. We’ll show you what to look out for with TikTok advertising.
What should you keep in mind for TikTok advertising?
First and foremost, because it cannot be stressed enough: do not use sounds in your ads for which you do not own the rights. TikTok provides a free music library in the Ad Manager that you can use. Furthermore, do not use a TikTok watermark in your ads, as it is highly likely your ads will be rejected due to copyright issues.
What is your goal?
Now, let’s move on to the strategic considerations and campaign setup. First, you need to clarify what goal you want to achieve with the campaign. Is it reach, traffic, app installs, video views, or conversions? Which metrics are most important to your company? Once this is clear, we can take a closer look at the various options. TikTok offers many possibilities beyond the auction platform, such as direct bookings. Examples of direct bookings include TopView campaigns and Branded Hashtag Challenges. At Mawave, however, we focus primarily on the auction platform, where we can run ads in the users' feeds—so-called In-Feed Ads. As mentioned earlier, In-Feed Ads can have different optimization goals: reach or video views to build awareness on the platform; traffic to guide users from TikTok to a final destination; or app installs and conversions to generate app downloads or product sales.
In addition to standard optimization goals, there is also the option to get whitelisted for certain objectives or features, such as boosting posts to generate followers. The advantage here: you can generate new followers inexpensively while simultaneously achieving broad reach at a very low cost.
How does TikTok tracking work?
When looking at the standard optimization goals in the Ad Manager, you must decide whether events should be tracked. We always strongly recommend: YES. This is the only way to work effectively with the data you gain. For app install campaigns, an ideal approach is to use a tracking tool. This opens up further optimization opportunities beyond standard app install campaigns, such as optimizing for in-app events. For conversion campaigns, we ideally use a pixel or the new Shopify integration.
What is the attribution window on TikTok?
With pixel integration, we only have one-session tracking, whereas with the Shopify integration, we have an attribution window of 7-day click and 1-day view. Since the success of a campaign depends on several factors, no specific advertising costs can be provided.
These depend, for example, on the type of creative, the type of interaction, and the target audience.
What TikTok tools are available?
Beyond the various factors that contribute to a campaign's success, there are also different tools offered within the TikTok Ads Manager. The special thing about them: they are 100% free and are practically included in the Ad Manager. The tools offer you the following:
- Converting images into video tracks
- Various templates
- AI beatmatching for videos—smart soundtracks
- Creating slideshow ads
Which format should be used for TikTok ads?
Clearly, the 9:16 format. This is very important for In-Feed delivery: only use videos in 9:16 format to utilize the user's entire screen. Be creative and think outside the box. The product doesn't always have to be the focus; alternatively, you can present the company's philosophy, use humor, or employ storytelling to evoke emotions.
What makes a good TikTok creative?
This can be answered briefly and concisely: Don't make ads. Make TikToks. Try to put yourself in the community's shoes and design the ad format to be as native as possible. Front-facing camera videos are significantly better than high-gloss commercial videos! Aside from that, you should keep the following points in mind when designing your creative:
1) Content: What message do you want to convey and what is the benefit for the user?
2) Length: In general, these ads should also be a maximum of 15 seconds long.
3) Tone of voice: It should be native to the platform, which definitely means using the informal "you" (first-name basis).
4) Correct text placement: It is important that the text does not overlap with descriptions or clickable actions. In other words, it should be perfectly integrated—not too far down or up, and not too far to the right.
5) Emotions: Ideally, a product or service should not be presented bluntly, but explained and wrapped in easily digestible emotions. 6) Platform native: This refers to the overall product resulting from the previous points. It must fit the other content on the platform. A high-converting Instagram ad is not the same as a high-converting TikTok ad.
Are you interested in current case studies from Mawave Marketing on TikTok advertising? Do you want to know how we approach things from planning to implementation and what insights we have gained so far? At Mawave Marketing, we have already run numerous TikTok performance campaigns: HERE you can find our TikTok ads
