How to grow your TikTok audience with ads

‘Don’t make ads, make TikTok videos’ – TikTok ads (that are essentially similar to normal TikToks but pushed with a budget) can lead to more conversions. But how? Don’t make your videos too polished, tap into viral sounds, and stay true to your business. We wrote a guideline on how to use TikTok ads to your advantage. Let’s look at it.

Why would you invest in TikTok ads?

TikTok users often scroll through their feed for a long time, sometimes even for hours. The algorithm is created in such a way that the user will (mostly) be exposed to content that is in line with their viewing behavior. This means that similar content will be shown to whatever the viewer has already engaged with (liked, shared, commented). The algorithm is therefore creating high engagement which can benefit your advertisements on the platform. 

Many businesses have gone from offline advertising (which gave them no possibility to analyze their ad) to online advertising. Online ads give brands a lot of knowledge and data to further base decisions on. A business can advertise on Google, which makes them able to target people who are specifically searching for example to ‘buy a bike’. They can also advertise on social platforms, which gives them the ability to create a ‘need’ or ‘want’ amongst a group of people they would like to target. This also goes for TikTok marketing; you can specify who you want to target and who you would like to make aware of the product/service you are selling.

The advantages of TikTok advertisements

There are a few advantages when it comes to TikTok advertising. One of these advantages is that TikTok has one of the highest engagement rates among social media platforms. This is because of their detailed algorithm that shows people exactly what they want to see. Another advantage is that if you have a Shopify website you can link this website to TikTok easily through a collaboration between the two brands. 
This creates the opportunity to easily sell your product or service on your Shopify website through exposure on TikTok’s platform. Last but not least, another major advantage of TikTok advertisement is that (currently) the cost of advertising is relatively low. The reason is that there are fewer competitors that advertise on TikTok compared to other social platforms (as of yet). 

Are TikTok ads right for your business?

TikTok’s premise is to turn your ‘viral fame into financial gain’. As described above, there are many advantages to TikTok marketing and creating ads on TikTok. However, before implementing any marketing strategies, the question is to first ask yourself if it will benefit your company. Let’s look at three questions you can answer before diving into the world of TikTok advertisements.

Question 1: do you have the right team to create TikToks?

Before you can start creating TikToks you’ve got to look at if you have the right people on your team. Creating a TikTok (that is popular) is oftentimes a very creative process in which the person who creates them has to have storytelling and design skills. On top of that, your marketing (TikTok) team has to be up-to-date with the newest sounds and viral TikToks to create the best results. On top of that, your team also needs to know how to effectively create advertisements.  

Question 2: what is your primary focus?

When marketing your business there are tons of different ways to do so. From email marketing, SEO optimization, and improving your organic reach, to Google and social advertisements, and much more. They all have their advantages and disadvantages. Within each of these ways, there are dozens of different approaches you can take to implement them. For example: when you focus on social advertisements you can advertise on a variety of different social media platforms. 

How do you know which platform suits your business best? First research your target audience. After knowing who you want to reach you can now lay this next to your brand’s message and core values. With these in mind, you can lay them next to the platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, Pinterest, and other social media platforms. Which platform(s) align with your target audience, brand’s message, and core values? 

You get to know this by testing your content and seeing where your message performs best. After trying out and testing multiple times you probably know which platform works best for your business. Now it’s time to focus and keep on trying out different forms of communication. This leads us to question three; what kind of format works best for your business?

Question 3: what kind of format works best for you?

Do you know what format works best for your target audience? Sometimes we know this answer intuitively (however we do always advise testing them). For example, if you are a service-based company and you sell knowledge (such as first aid e-learnings), then it’s logical to assume that your target audience is searching for information. With this in mind, you can try out the format of longer TikToks in which professionals talk about and explain first aid topics.

Maybe your business sells bags and your target audience are travelers and photographers, then you can focus on creating fun, dynamic, and feel-good TikToks since it’s highly likely that the target audience resonates with them. When you have a cosmetic business, you can work with influencers (or User Generated Content) and ask them to try out your products and give their (positive) opinion on them. However, keep in mind to always test different formats to make sure that you’re choosing the right strategy.

TikTok ads: placements, targeting, and goals

We now know what the advantages are of using TikTok advertising and we know what questions we can ask ourselves before diving into the world of TikTok ads. Let’s see how and where you can place your TikTok advertisements and who you can target. Lastly, we discuss the goals that you want to keep in mind when creating the videos. 

Ad placement in TikTok

TikTok has its own ads manager (Business Manager) in which you can manage all your business details and advertisements. This Business Manager is similar to Facebook’s and Instagram’s Business Manager. In TikTok, the most well-known way of advertising is by creating TikToks you would normally post, called In-Feed advertising. They have the same format, the same trending sound, and the same creative take on a trend portrayed in your brand’s own specific way. The only difference is that it is an ad. This ad allows you to have a click-through button leading to your website, app, or other social media channel. This is currently the cheapest way of advertising on TikTok. 

Another way of advertising in TikTok is with Tile Experiences. These TikTok’s are quite similar to the In-Feed posts but there is an extra addition you can add to this. You can add and highlight multiple products or services in one post. People can horizontally scroll through these and click through to the highlighted goods. This way you can portray multiple colors or different versions of your product, all within one advertisement. 

Who to target on TikTok? 

TikTok has over one billion users and is expected to reach over 1.5 billion users at the end of 2022. This is an enormous group of people you can potentially reach. On top of that, utilizing video marketing is one of the best ways to create high engagement. When you target on TikTok it is important to think about what the interests of your target audience are. Keep in mind what the demographics (such as; age, gender, and location) of your target audience are but also keep in mind what these people’s beliefs, interests, and ideas are about. They are the backbone on which you can create TikToks that will resonate with them. 

TikTok goals 

Try to not make your advertisements too polished or too curated. This is not what people like to see on TikTok. Rather try and recreate trending sounds and TikToks with your brand’s value and message in mind. It is best to not try to invent the wheel. TikTok already shows what people seem to like and it’s easier to jump on the bandwagon than to try out something you do not know will work. By making this your goal, you will have the best chance to create TikToks that your target audience engages with. More engagement means a potential to go viral. And as TikTok promises: viral fame equals financial gains!

Do you want to dive into the world of TikTok advertisements?

As established, your business might benefit from advertising on TikTok. But how do you start? We can help out! Together, we will look at who your target audience is, if they are present on TikTok, and how we can reach them best. You can get in touch today and book a call with us. We’ll be happy to assist you in further growing your business.