TikTok now dominates all of social media in many ways! Now with active users across the globe passing 1.8 billion by 2025, it’s far from a simple “app for viral dance crazes” it represents a goldmine for any advertisement. Being short form-oriented and because of such a great algorithm, businesses use it to reach numerous demographics.
Currently, as of November 2024, TikTok has reached a global audience of over 1.5 billion users, ranking it the fifth most popular social media. TikTok’s growth was even more rapid than platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, launched in 2016. According to Statista, it is used mainly by young people with 54.8% male users and 45.2% female users. The engagement rate is high, with a double in daily usage from 2019 to 2024. Entertainment, Dance, and Pranks dominate the platform’s top categories. This is why it so popular in countries like USA or UK. You can try TikTok Marketing Agencies in UK if you want a professional TikTok marketing service.
Whether you are a small business, an e-commerce giant, or a B2B company, TikTok advertising provide unmatched opportunities for creativity and engagement. This guide will help you understand TikTok advertising, identify whether it’s right for your brand, and explore who can use its power effectively.
What are TikTok Ads?
As one of the fastest-growing social media platforms, TikTok offers businesses a unique opportunity to reach highly engaged and predominantly younger audiences. Since TikTok’s focus is on short, creative, and entertaining video content, advertising on this platform can help brands increase their visibility, build engagement, and drive conversions.
TikTok Advertising offers different ad formats to match the campaign objectives.
In-Feed Ads
These native ads appear to the users while they scroll on their For You page. These can blend effortlessly with the feed and can even have a call to action like “Shop Now” or “Learn More.”
Branded Hashtag Challenges
This type of campaign urges users to be creative thus promoting user-generated content.
For example: Guess’s InMyDenim campaign recorded over 38 million views in its first week.
TopView Ads
These are the ads that users see when they open the app first. They maximise the view, making it perfect for big product launches or announcements.
Branded Effects
TikTok allows brands to create branded effects, such as custom filters, stickers, and much more. These branded effects that users interact with also have the potential to bring in great user engagement.
Spark Ads
This format allows brands to amplify organic user posts or their content. It is most suitable for tapping into real user engagement.
What type of Brands Should Use TikTok Advertising?
TikTok content works better for these two types of marketing because this market relies heavily on visual narrative and audience engagement. This category that needs to consider placing TikTok ads in context are:
E-commerce and Retail Brands
Features such as TikTok Shopping allow brands to easily link their online stores to the platform and drive purchases straight. This is where fashion, beauty, and gadget products usually come in since active users of TikTok are looking to find trending items.
Entertainment and Media Companies
Be it a new movie, series, or game, the creative formats of TikTok help create a buzz in the minds of the youth.
Food and Beverage Brands
The house for foodies, TikTok can be a channel for food brands to communicate recipes, challenges, or even product launches to foster user engagement. Campaigns like Chipotle’s GuacDance challenge show how food brands can create viral success.
Tech Startups
TikTok enables startups to describe their brand story creatively to increase visibility and credibility.
Local Businesses
TikTok is not only about global brands; local businesses can use geo-targeting features to reach local customers with promotions, events, or collaborations.
How to Create Your First TikTok Ad in 7 Steps
Let us go through the simple process of creating the first TikTok advertising by taking 7 easy steps for it to be effective and engaging.
Step 1: Set Up a TikTok Business Account
You need to set up a TikTok Business Account before you are allowed to create an ad. A business account is not a standard account but rather provides access to TikTok Ads Manager, analytics tools, and much more.
Here’s how:
- Head to the [TikTok for Business](https://www.tiktok.com/business/) website.
- Click “Get Started” and sign up with your email or phone number.
- Fill out your business details, including name, industry, and location.
- Verify your account via email.
Once your account is set up, you can dive into TikTok Advertisement Manager.
Step 2: Define Your Campaign Objective
TikTok offers several advertising objectives based on your marketing goals:
- Awareness: Suitable for brand awareness and visibility.
- Consideration: Targets website traffic, app installs, or video views.
- Conversions: These is actions such as purchases, sign-ups or downloads.
Select the objective that best fits with your goals. For example, if you are releasing a new product, you might choose “Traffic” to get people to visit your website.
Step 3: Set Your Budget
TikTok allows you to select how much you wish to spend on ads. You can either opt for:
- Minimum daily budget, at least $20: Your ad will run consistently.
- Lifetime Budget: the sum spent in one or multiple ad campaigns across the designated duration.
Start low and then increase when you see what is most successful with your audience. Your TikTok budget is dynamic; its algorithm adjusts the amounts according to delivering the greatest output.
Step 4: Choose Your Ad Placement
TikTok Advertisement Manager enables you to choose your ad placements. These consist of:
- TikTok Feed: Ads appear in the For You pages of users.
- Pangle: Your ads now reach more people with the partner apps.
- News Feed Apps: Shows your ads in TikTok’s related properties.
For newbies, it’s best to stick to Automatic Placement. TikTok will optimize where your ads appear based on performance.
Step 5: Create Your Ad Group
An Ad Group allows targeting for your audience, scheduling options and selecting a bidding strategy.
Targeting Options
Targeting tools on TikTok will ensure that your ad reaches the right target audience. You can target demographically based on age, gender, location and language and in terms of interests and behaviour, such as engagement related to certain types of content – like beauty, fitness or games.
For example, if you are a fashion retailer targeting Gen Z, then you can set parameters like users aged 16-25 who are interested in clothing trends.
Ad Schedule
Choose when your ad will run. You can do either of the following:
- Run ads continuously.
- Set the specific dates when your campaign will begin and end.
Bidding Strategy
TikTok has three options for bidding:
- Cost Per Click (CPC): Pay per click on the ad.
- Cost Per Mille (CPM): Pay per 1,000 impressions.
- Optimised Cost Per Action (CPA): Pay per specific action, such as app installs or purchases.
Step 6: Design Your TikTok Advertising
Now it gets entertaining—creating your ad. TikTok is a very visual-first platform. That means that creating engaging, authentic content will make or break your ad.
Ad Formats
TikTok Advertising gives you a range of ad formats:
- In-Feed Ads: Short, skippable ads in the For You feed.
- TopView Ads : Remium full-screen ads play when the app is opened.
- Branded Effects: Filters or stickers users can interact with.
- Branded Hashtag Challenges: Prompts user-generated content about your brand.
Creative Hacks
- Keep it short: The ideal length of a video should be between 15–30 seconds for high engagement.
- Start with a hook: Engage viewers in the first three seconds.
- Use popular sounds: Most TikTokers like music, so use popular sounds to gain views.
- Authenticity: TikTok is all about relatable, raw content. Avoid those overly corporate and polished ads.
Utilise the Video Creation Kit from TikTok or even third-party apps like CapCut to simply edit your video, put text over your video, and apply effects.
Step 7: Launch and Monitor Your Ad
Once your ad is ready, preview it and ensure it looks good, then submit it for review. TikTok usually accepts an ad within 24 hours.
Performance Tracking
TikTok Ads Manager has real-time analytics such as:
- Impressions: The number of users who saw your ad.
- Clicks: Number of users who clicked on your CTA.
- Conversions: Any actions taken, such as a purchase or sign-up.
- Cost Metrics: Track your CPC or CPM to determine ROI.
Use this information to adjust your future campaigns. For example, try a stronger hook or CTA if your CTR is low.
Best Practices for Creating Engaging TikTok Advertising
TikTok can help you get famous and earn a lot because of TikTok’s algorithm and the behaviour of users. However, simply uploading an ad is much more than required to be successful on TikTok. Here are some best practices to make sure your ads stand out:
Begin with a Hook
The first 3-5 seconds are very critical in catching viewers’ attention. Use bold visuals, engaging questions, or some kind of unexpected action to stop the scroll. For example, a beauty brand can show a dramatic “before and after” transformation right at the start.
Be Authentic
Content from TikTok users must feel authentic and relatable. Do not use videos that look too polished or corporate. Instead, go for humanised storytelling that is aligned with TikTok’s culture.
Use TikTok Trends
Keep abreast of the most popular trending challenges, sounds and hashtags. Using trends will increase the chances of making your ad viral and give your brand that “feel” about being part of TikTok. A fitness brand, for example, might use a hot workout challenge to show off its products.
Use High-quality Visuals and Sounds
While authenticity is primary, ensure your videos are clear in visuals and crisp in audio. Any vibrancy and visually captivating content will be well received by TikTok users, primarily using trending music or sounds that raise engagement.
Add a Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)
The purpose of TikTok advertising is either to drive website traffic, app downloads, or sales. Make the CTA direct and simple: for example, “Shop Now,” “Learn More,” or “Join the Challenge.” Position it at the end of the video or as a clickable button.
Conclusion
The possibilities for connecting with a very active audience in TikTok advertising in 2025 are remarkable regarding creative and authentic content. Whether it’s a small business or an international brand, diverse ad formats and the advanced targeting tools on TikTok ensure that the desired marketing goal is met.
Success on TikTok depends highly on the culture: be authentic, embrace trends, and get creative with engaging ad formats.
FAQs
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1. What’s the minimum budget for TikTok advertisement?
The minimum budget is $20 per day for campaign-level ads and $50 for ad groups.
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2. What is the requirement for TikTok Advertisement?
You need to shoot a good video of about 5-60 seconds, using the correct format and size. You are free to use transitions to make it look attractive.
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3. How long does TikTok take to approve ads?
TikTok typically reviews ads within 24 hours, though it may take longer during high-volume periods.
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4. Can I run TikTok ads without a business account?
No, you’ll need a TikTok Business Account to access TikTok Ads Manager and create ad campaigns.
