TikTok ads 101: How to get started with TikTok advertising

Branded AR content – Your ads can also appear as branded stickers, lenses and other types of AR content so TikTok users can use them in their videos.

Hashtag challenge – This type of ad shows up in the “Discovery” section of the app and can encourage user participation.

Sponsored influencer content – For this type of TikTok advertisement, you get your message across through sponsored content from an influential TikTok user.

TikTok closely guards its pricing algorithm, which is based on a bid model. At a minimum, campaign-level budgets should be $50/daily, and ad group level budgets must be $20/daily.

• If using a Bid Cap or Cost Cap bidding strategy, set your initial campaign level budget at No Limit and the daily ad group budget to at least 20x your target cost per action (CPA).
• For App Event Optimization, set an initial budget of at least $100 or 20x your target (CPA), whichever is higher.
• For Conversions campaigns using the Lowest Cost bid strategy, set an initial budget of at least $100 or 20x your target (CPA).

• Stay on brand

TikTok users respect authenticity, so make sure your ad content is true to your company’s values and conforms with your branding.

• Be direct

Yes, TikTok allows you 60 seconds to make your point, but videos of 21 to 34 seconds are best for boosting conversions.

• Keep it vertical

Videos with vertical orientation outperform the square or horizontal format, with a 40% boost in impressions.

• Promote at the right time

The success of eBay’s “Sneaker Showdown” campaign was due in part to its timing in alignment with the NCAA basketball tournament.

• Use sound and text

According to TikTok, “audio of any kind” boosts ad impressions. Captions and text overlays also improve the impact of ads.

• Incorporate hashtags

Help users find you by including relevant hashtags. You can see trending hashtags on the TikTok discovery page and choose the ones that make the most sense for your ad and your brand.

• Incorporate interactive add-ons

TikTok’s interactive features encourage interaction with ads. For example, you can use the Voting Sticker overlay to seek input from your audience.

• Partner with influencers

Search for influencers that are either already using your product or are among your target demographic.

• Test and optimize

Review your TikTok analytics often to see how your content is performing. Look at metrics such as views, interactions and click-through rates, and adjust your content strategy if you’re not seeing the engagement you’d hoped for.

A GlobalWebIndex analysis found that 41% of the app’s users were between the ages of 16 and 24.

App Ape also found that 66% of the app’s users were younger than 30 years. It’s particularly popular among those in their 40’s, who make up 16.8% of the app’s user base.

From a geographical aspect, most of the app’s users are from India and China. But the United States ranks third with 123.8 million downloads coming from the country and making up 8.2% of the app’s total downloads.

If your target demographic is Baby Boomers, TikTok advertising is not for you.

TikTok video ad specs

• Aspect ratio: 9:16, 1:1, or 16:9. Vertical videos with a 9:16 ratio perform best.
• Minimum resolution: 540 x 960 px or 640 x 640 px. Videos with a resolution of 720 px perform best.
• File types: mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp, or .avi
• Duration: 5-60 seconds. TikTok recommends 21-34 seconds for top performance.
• Max file size: 500 MB
• Profile image: square image less than 50 KB
• App name or brand name: 4-40 characters (app) or 2-20 characters (brand)
• Ad description: 1-100 characters, no emojis

Spark ad specs

• Aspect ratio: Any
• Minimum resolution: Any
• Duration: Any
• Max file size: Any
• Account mentions and emojis allowed
• Display name and text come from the original organic post
• Note: Character counts are based on Latin characters. For Asian characters, generally the allowed character count is half.