TikTok has become a popular advertising platform for both small businesses and large brands. Its rapid growth since 2020 has created incredible opportunities for advertisers. This guide will walk you through setting up your first TikTok ad campaign.
Pros and Cons of TikTok Advertising
Pros:
- Low Cost: Compared to Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest, advertising on TikTok is significantly cheaper due to high engagement rates and longer video viewing times.
- Large Audience: TikTok boasts a massive and diverse user base, allowing you to reach a wide range of potential customers.
- Precise Targeting: TikTok’s powerful algorithm tracks user behavior, enabling ads to be shown to the right audience.
- Simple Ad Content: You don’t need to invest heavily in professional video production. Authentic, phone-recorded content can still be effective.
- Shopping Trend: TikTok Shop is increasingly popular, with users becoming more accustomed to shopping on the platform.
Cons:
- Ad Fatigue: Ads on TikTok tend to wear out faster than on other platforms, requiring frequent content refreshes.
- Lower Purchase Intent: Compared to Facebook or Instagram, TikTok users haven’t historically had strong shopping habits. However, this is changing with the growth of TikTok Shop.
- Young Demographics: The majority of TikTok users are young, which may limit ad effectiveness for certain industries.
Setting Up Your TikTok Ad Campaign
1. Sign Up for a TikTok For Business Account:
Visit the TikTok For Business website and sign up for an account using your email.
2. Set Up Payment Information:
Add a payment method (credit card, PayPal) to your account.
3. Create a New Ad Campaign:
- Choose the “Website Conversions” objective.
- Name your campaign.
- Skip the “Special Ad Categories” section if not applicable.
- Turn off “Campaign Budget Optimization” and “Campaign Budget”.
4. Set Up Your Ad Group:
- Name your ad group.
- Install TikTok Pixel: Select “Website” as the optimization goal and link your TikTok Pixel to your website through Shopify or manual integration.
- Placement: Choose “Automatic Placement” and deselect “Pangle” and “Global App Bundle”. Keep “Include in search results” selected.
- Targeting:
- Skip the “Saved Audiences” section.
- Demographics: Select your target country, age, and gender.
- Skip the “Audiences”, “Interests and Behaviors” sections.
- Choose “All” for “Devices” and “Spending Power”.
- Budget and Schedule: Set a daily budget (minimum $25) and schedule your ad run.
- Bidding and Optimization: Choose “Conversions” and skip “Target CPA”.
- Attribution Settings: Choose a 7-day click-through window and “Every” for event count.
5. Create Your Ad Creative:
- Identity: Set up a “Custom Identity” with your business display name.
- Ad Details: Upload your video ad.
- Text: Write your ad copy (up to 100 words).
- Call to Action: Choose a relevant call to action button (e.g., “Shop Now”).
- Destination URL: Enter your product landing page URL.
- TikTok Event Tracking: Select your created Pixel and “Conversions”.
6. Publish Your Ad:
Review all information and click “Publish All” to launch your ad.
Track Your Results
After your ad runs, you can track results in the TikTok Ads Manager to assess performance and adjust your campaign.