Boost Your ROI: TikTok Ads Tips and Best Practices for 2023

Different ad formats available on TikTok

Ads on TikTok can be either in-feed or full-screen and are designed to capture users' attention and promote products or services. TikTok offers various types of ads, including Brand Takeovers, Native Videos, Image Ads, Carousel Ads, Shopping Ads, hashtag challenges, Spark Ads and Branded Effect.

When creating your ads, it's important to keep them visually appealing, authentic, and engaging to capture the attention of TikTok's user base.

#1 Capturing attention within the first few seconds

Advertisements on TikTok can have a duration of up to 60 seconds, however, most individuals make the decision to either swipe or watch an ad solely based on the initial message.

Here are a few examples of effective hooks to capture the viewer's attention and encourage them to continue watching:

1. Commence your video with action and captivating audio to maximise viewer engagement.

2. Present an enticing headline

3. Display an extraordinary or thought-provoking visual in order to generate curiosity

Without a captivating hook, your ads will go unnoticed. Therefore, it is advisable to experiment with different approaches, headlines, and video introductions to determine the most effective strategy.

https://www.tiktok.com/@crocs/video/7192641766607277358

#2 Making ads sound-agnostic

TikTok users have a significantly greater chance of remembering a brand based on the sounds and songs used in its videos rather than other elements like visual style, colour, slogan, and logo. This emphasises the importance of selecting suitable sounds for brand recognition and attracting viewers.

PRO TIP

To discover popular sounds on TikTok, follow these steps within the app:

1. Utilise TikTok's search feature.

2. Explore the For You page

3. Browse through TikTok's sound library.

4. Utilise the Creative Center

https://www.tiktok.com/@puma/video/7050158109238742319

#3 Include a Compelling Call-to-Action

TikTok advertisements should be entertaining, informative, and have a call-to-action button (CTA) that instructs viewers on their next step.

It is important to ensure that the CTA matches the content being promoted.

1. If you want to direct traffic to a product page, it is a good idea to use the "Shop Now" CTA.

2. If your goal is to increase app installations, you can choose the "Download" or "Play game" CTA.

3. For email signups or free trials, select the "Sign up" CTA.

https://lf-adcdn-useast2a.tiktokcdn.com/obj/i18nblog-euttp/tt4b_cms/en-US/tipdilz7wysq-2QQ6EUljS677Q6R3CLRDZU.mp4

#4 Leveraging user-generated content

User-generated content (UGC) is effective because it gives people an authentic and non-promotional feel, similar to a recommendation from a friend.

An overwhelming majority (80%) of consumers place their trust in UGC over traditional advertising.

As a TikTok advertiser, your objective is to capture the viewer's attention in an attractive manner, without interrupting their overall user experience.

If your ad seamlessly integrates into the viewer's feed, they will be less likely to disregard it as an advertisement. Instead, they will better absorb its main message and be more inclined to take action.

By fully adapting to the behaviour of TikTok users and embedding your promotional content within TikTok's content, you can create captivating ads that hardly resemble advertisements. This approach will result in higher conversions among TikTok's user base.

You can also incorporate numerous audiovisual effects into your creative to enhance the appearance of your advertisements and make them appear more natural. For example:

1. Greenscreen

2. Transition effects

3. Subtitles

4. Time warps

5. Video reversals

6. Background music

7. Robot voice narration

https://www.tiktok.com/@goldfishsmiles/video/6945555303253462278

#5 Defining goals and target audience

Brands can target their ads based on various criteria such as age, location, interests, and more. TikTok ads provide businesses with an opportunity to reach millions of users and increase their brand awareness. With the app's rapidly growing user base and engagement rate, TikTok ads have become an effective way for businesses to create ad campaigns and reach a diverse and engaged audience.

#6 Collaborating with TikTok influencers

If you partner with a TikTok influencer, your marketing potential will increase significantly. They can assist you in gaining popularity in a niche market that is new to you, or help you explore content types that you may not be familiar with.

You can assess and examine individual influencers through TikTok's Creator Marketplace, or seek assistance from an influencer marketing agency to quickly find the perfect match for your brand.

When choosing creators to collaborate with, consider your target audience and the various forms of representation they identify with, such as gender, follower sizes, and cultures. Make sure that your consumers can visualise themselves, quite literally, using your product. Incorporating inclusivity and representation in your creative endeavours will establish a stronger bond with your audience and enhance the relatability of your brand.

https://www.tiktok.com/@khaby.lame/video/7270162856669203744

#7 Testing Smart Performance campaign

Smart Performance campaign (SPC) is a relatively new thing. SPC is a similar campaign type like ASC within the meta platform.

It's TikTok's comprehensive automation solution for improved campaign results!

The Smart Performance Campaign requires minimal effort from advertisers and utilises automation capabilities driven by machine learning to enhance campaign performance and accomplish campaign objectives. SPC provides an alternative process to manually create campaigns, with improved tactics for targeting audiences, bidding, and experimenting with creative content.

#8 Tracking and analysing TikTok ad performance

Tracking and analysing TikTok ad performance is crucial for businesses to understand the effectiveness of the advertising campaigns on the platform. TikTok provides various metrics and analytics tools that allow advertisers to measure the success of their ads.

By tracking the number of views, likes, comments, shares, and click-through rates, businesses can gain insights into the level of engagement and the impact their ads are having on the target audience.

Additionally, TikTok's advanced targeting options enable advertisers to analyse the demographics and interests of the users who are engaging with their ads, helping them better understand their target market and refine their advertising strategies.

By regularly monitoring and analysing TikTok ad performance, businesses can identify trends, optimise their campaigns, and make data-driven decisions to maximise their return on investment.

Ultimately, tracking and analysing your TikTok marketing performance empowers businesses to create more personalised and engaging content, leading to higher brand awareness, customer engagement, and potential sales.

TikTok Ads Cost

CPC/CPM prices on TikTok are comparable to Meta (formerly Facebook). However, the cost per conversion is typically higher compared to Google, although this can vary depending on the product.

Targeting

When advertising on TikTok, it is recommended to follow a similar strategy as communicated by Facebook (FB): begin with broad targeting and prioritise the best-performing TikTok creatives, then gradually test special interests. On TikTok, the emphasis is more on creative content rather than targeting specific audiences.

Bonus Tip

For brands experiencing seasonality, particularly when the conversion rate is higher during specific periods, TikTok advertising can yield promising results during those periods.