Getting started with TikTok advertising? Here's the ultimate guide!

What is TikTok?

TikTok really needs no introduction. Where it began as a platform for Generation Z, by now everyone has heard of it.

In case you didn't quite catch the developments anyway, here goes:

TikTok is sort of a combination between Instagram and YouTube. Through the algorithm, you get to see new videos that fit your interests all the time.

Why TikTok is interesting for businesses

In between all those videos, the user also gets to see ads. That's what makes TikTok so interesting for companies - and for us as marketers. Now that TikTok has grown so much, there are many opportunities for companies. After all, they can use TikTok as a tool to reach their target audience.

The growth of TikTok

That TikTok has grown tremendously may be obvious. But how big is TikTok actually? By 2022, 5.6 million Dutch people over the age of 18 will have TikTok installed. That is 40% of the total population over 18.

If we look at the overall numbers of Social Media users, we see a substantial growth there as well. Below are the active users of different Social Media platforms: "Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook" put side by side. And similarly show the growth between blue: July 2021 and orange: July 2022.

Although Facebook is still the leader, we see that TikTok has already caught up nicely with Instagram.

I have shown below the growth from 2021 to 2022 of all 4 platforms in a pie chart. This shows that TikTok's growth rate was more than 10 times that of Facebook and Instagram. So it is clear: growth rates of TikTok do not lie and they have no intention of slowing down.

Using influencers for your TikTok ads

By influencers, I mean content creators: in fact, TikTok is run by content creators. Without these people, TikTok would be nothing. Because these creators know what TikTok users want to see, they can also create your ads.

These content creators don't have to have 10 thousand followers, as long as they can create fun content. After all, it's not about their reach - Well always nice - But about the video they create for you.

Just an example to make it easier for you: Say you want to sell a product or service to your target audience, you can partner with a content creator. They will make a video for you and publish it. Now you can share that video again as an advertisement with a link to your product/service.

What kind of TikTok ads are there

TikTok has 5 different ad types. The most commonly used ad type is in-feed ads. Here all five ad methods explained in detail:

Brand takeover ads

These are 3-6 second long ads that appear while opening the app. With such an ad you have endless exposure and brand awareness! And as icing on the cake: The users must also click a skip ad button, otherwise the video will remain on the screen.

The disadvantage of this form of advertising is that app users quickly realize it is an advertisement, which causes the user to quickly drop out and click the skip button.

Topview ads

Topview ads are similar to brand takeovers - The ad above. The difference is that these ads do not take up the entire screen, but are required to see the ad for 3 seconds - Only after that can they be skipped. This way you have 3 seconds to persuade the user, to see the entire video. These videos are allowed to be 60 seconds long.

As with Brand takeover ads, the downside here is that people quickly realize they have an ad in front of them.

Hashtag challenge & branded effect

Do you have a lot of budget and want a truly interactive campaign? Then consider a branded hashtag challenge or a branded effect. Users can participate by creating content using your hashtags.

Effects related to your business can also be created and shared by TikTok. You can share stickers, filters and special effects related to your business. These effects can be used by other users in their content - good for your brand awareness.

In-feed ads

In-feed ads are the most important and common ads in TikTok. These 15-second ads appear when the user scrolls through the "For You" page.

You can best compare these ads to ads on Instagram stories. Where ads - often videos - pop up through organic content.

There are countless ways to create in-feed apps with multiple buttons and call-to-actions. What makes advertising with in-feed ads so much fun? The user doesn't realize it's an ad. So chances are, they'll watch your ad all the way through.

Note: TikTok users have little patience, so they'll scroll right past your ad. Make sure you grab their attention immediately. This is trickier than it looks, so here's how to grab the attention of your target audience.

How to create the best content for TikTok ads

Creating TikTok ads can be quite time-consuming, especially if you want to do it right. Here are some tips for having the best content on TikTok:

• TikTok is all about videos, so make sure your ads are videos.
• People use TikTok to be entertained and learn something new, apply this.
• Partner with a content creator - they know all about making TikTok videos.
• Make sure your ads look like organic content. That way, your ad won't get skipped right away.
• People want to see faces, this gives confidence.
• Use Cialdini' s 7 principles and demonstrate the benefits of your product/service

Why do and do not advertise TikTok

More and more companies are seeing potential in advertising on TikTok, here are some reasons why you should start advertising on TikTok.

• You reach a wide audience, young and old.
• You can go viral with unique/fun videos
• You can use Topview ads and Brand takeover ads. This way, the first seconds on TikTok are directly yours.
• You can use influencers, Since these creators know what TikTok users want to see, they can also create your ads.
• You can reach women well! With TikTok it is easier to advertise to a female target group compared to other platforms. In fact, 57.5% of users are female.
• You can use in-feed ads. This makes your ads look like organic content. This will make users more likely to check out your ad.
• You can better reach your target audience through the TikTok algorithm.

Why not start TikTok advertising (yet)

• Advertising on TikTok requires a higher starting budget than with Facebook and Instagram.
• TikTok offers few impressions for companies with low budgets.
• The cost per 1,000 views is a bit higher with TikTok than with Instagram. The same goes for the cost per click.

Growing organically with TikTok

In addition to advertising, of course, you can also grow organically with TikTok. You do that by creating content - entertain your users and introduce them to your business. Showcase what makes your business unique and experiment with different types of content you post.

TikTok users want only two things: 1. To be entertained 2. To learn something new. Apply these two things and maybe you will go viral!

Getting started with TikTok marketing

Okay, so just dancing for the camera won't get you there. After all, there is a lot involved in advertising on TikTok. Consider, for example:

• A target audience analysis,
• Looking at trends,
• Taking advantage of all the opportunities the platform has to offer regarding marketing,
• Setting up a TikTok business page,
• Content creation,
• Committing to a budget,
• Choosing an ad type,
• Measure, measure, measure and adjust.

If you need help with one or more things, you can always contact us or take a look at our TikTok marketing page.

Cost TikTok advertising

TikTok advertising, of course, is not free. Indeed, so far, advertising on TikTok - compared to other social media platforms - is relatively expensive. For example, it appears that advertising on TikTok is more expensive than on Instagram. The branded effects and branded hashtag challenges are for companies with high budgets. And the same goes for brand takeover and topview ads.

Do you have a small budget? Then in-feed ads could be interesting. Indeed, although the ads are on average (per thousand views) more expensive than on Instagram, they also have a lot of potential.