Date Added: 22.02.2023
Mins Read: 4 mins
Author: Chris Southgate
Are TikTok Ads Effective?
TikTok is the fastest growing social media platform, with over 1 billion active monthly users globally, but are TikTok ads effective, and should TikTok hold a place in your marketing strategy?
The short answer to this question is yes, advertising on TikTok is highly effective, particularly if your brand or business appeals to Generation Z. According to TikTok, 83% of users find the app’s advertisem*nts entertaining, and 1 in 4 users worldwide have bought or looked into a product after seeing it on the app (source: TikTok).
However, compared to other social platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, TikTok still lacks a large quantity of data when it comes to advertising. With the primary age group of TikTok users being much younger than other platforms, it is important to consider if this is the best audience to drive engagement for your brand. That being said, there is no reason why you shouldn’t try TikTok advertising. These aspects shouldn’t be viewed as blockers, but rather as windows of opportunity that early adopters can embrace.
What affects the success of a TikTok advertising campaign?
- AUDIENCE
- COMPETITION
- AD FORMAT
TikTok’s audience are engaged and involved, and that combined with the right ad format for your target audience could lead to success. Hashtag Challenge and Branded Effects are just two of the new and unconventional ad types TikTok has launched. You will also find popular ad formats including video, native ads and banner ads as well as brand takeovers, In-feed ads, and top view. Irrespective of TikTok ad forms, creativity is the key to effective ad campaigns. Ads should satisfy the needs of users who want to unwind and have fun with the app’s short videos.
Why are TikTok Ads Effective?
As mentioned, TikTok provides a diverse variety of ad opportunities, including overlays, takeover ads, in-feed adverts, and influencer placements. Their attraction to users appears to be influenced by their variety and are portrayed as less intrusive than traditional advertising.
TikTok ads are able to reach a large, engaged audience that is actively browsing and consuming content on the platform. The short-form, vertical video format of TikTok is well-suited to mobile viewing, and the platform’s algorithm is able to surface relevant content to users, which increases the chances that they will engage with an ad. TikTok’s creative tools and effects, such as filters and music, allow advertisers to create visually engaging and memorable ads that stand out from traditional ads.
Here are just a few more reasons why TikTok ads are effective:
TikTok ads are cheaper than other social ads
Since TikTok is a new platform, advertising is still affordable as they are still collecting data and insights to prove its value. As time goes on, it will only get more expensive to advertise on TikTok, so if you’re looking to experiment with short form video advertising, now is the time to start.
Creativity is key for successful TikTok advertising
When it comes to performance, TikTok ads are more dependent on strong ad creatives, rather than the data and insights required to be successful on other social channels such as Instagram or Facebook. When creating ads for TikTok, you’ll need to consider how organic the ad looks and feels, does it connect and resonate with your target audience, and what is the value that the ad leaves your viewers?
Influencer marketing could be your route to success with TikTok advertising
TikTok makes it extremely easy to advertise organic content created by content creators. More and more brands are using TikTok Spark ads to promote organic content that gets posted to a content creator’s feed for a more natural way of brand advertising. This makes using TikTok for advertising a lot simpler because all you have to do is find an influencer, ask them to curate some content for you, and then fund that content with ads and promote it to the audience of your choice. Since you don’t have to provide the information yourself, this reduces your workload and you’re more likely to get quality content off the back of your collaboration.
TikTok unlocks access to Gen Zs and Millennials
TikTok has been successful in attracting the younger generation of users as other platforms like Facebook and Instagram continue to age. TikTok ads are a great approach to attract the younger generations, which might be essential to your company’s long-term success.
TikTok’s Unique Path to Purchase
TikTok’s path to purchase is unique in that it relies heavily on the platform’s algorithm to surface products and shopping content to users. The algorithm uses a combination of factors, such as a user’s viewing history, engagement with shopping content and interests, to recommend products. TikTok has introduced features such as in-app shopping and the ability for creators to tag products in their videos, making it easy for users to purchase items they see on the platform.
The path to purchase on TikTok is not a straight line, it’s an infinite loop of discovery, consideration, review and participation on the app. Brands are able to create engaging content that consumers can resonate with which presents real opportunities for brands.
