What is TikTok?
TikTok is a social media platform you can use to create, share and discover short videos of up to 60 seconds. Recently, TikTok has also introduced 3- and 10-minute videos!
TikTok is one of the fastest-growing platforms in the world, with ever greater reach when it comes to both users and advertisers.
In 2016 it merged with Musical.ly, a platform used mainly by 12- to 15-year-olds. TikTok, however, is no longer just for Gen Z, but for Gen X and Gen Y too.
Worldwide, people spend an average of 52 minutes a day on TikTok, and thanks to its fast-learning algorithm it shows you videos that are likely to interest you. That's exactly why the platform practically glues your eyes to the screen.
Why is it worth advertising on TikTok?
TikTok has more than 1 billion monthly active users.
Today it's the number one most-downloaded app, ahead of popular social platforms like Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook.
For reference – active users of other social platforms:
Facebook – 2.9 billion
YouTube – 2.2 billion
Instagram – 1.4 billion
TikTok – 1.0 billion
Snapchat – 500 million
Pinterest – 480 million
Twitter – 397 million
Demographic data by gender
In March 2021, women made up 61% of TikTok's active user accounts in the United States, while men accounted for just 39%.
The top 3 niches for successful advertising:
- Consumer goods, such as clothing items or cosmetics;
- Info business: training and coaching related to financial literacy;
- Games and apps.
Generally speaking, TikTok ads convert best for impulse-purchase products.
TikTok ads are also useful for building brand awareness, since the platform has a broad audience.
TikTok advertising policies
Unsurprisingly, like every other advertising platform, TikTok also has strict advertising policies and guidelines. There are plenty of topics you're not allowed to advertise on TikTok:
- Animals, animal parts or products
- Adult sexual products, services and entertainment
- Casinos and gambling
- Cigarettes and tobacco products
- Counterfeiting and piracy
- Drugs and paraphernalia
- Police/military equipment
- Political advertising, and the list goes on.
More information: https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article?aid=9550
How much does it cost to advertise on TikTok?
For self-serve ads, TikTok requires a minimum budget of $500 for full campaigns, and a minimum budget of at least $20 for ad groups. This minimum lets you see actual results and allows your ads to reach their goal.
Before you start advertising on TikTok, you'll need:
- Business Center,
- Ad Account,
- TikTok Pixel settings and accounts
Business Center:
If you want to advertise on TikTok, first of all you'll need a Business Center. The TikTok Business Center is essentially a "hub" that lets organizations or agencies manage multiple TikTok ad accounts more efficiently and more securely.
Ads Center:
Once your Business Center is ready, you can start creating campaigns in the Ads Center. If you're familiar with Facebook Ads Manager, the TikTok Ads Center won't give you any trouble either, since the two platforms are quite similar.
TikTok pixel
The TikTok Pixel is a powerful measurement tool that tracks the impact of your TikTok ads on your website. This clever little piece of code lets you track sales and user activity, and find the right audience for your ads.
Setting up the TikTok pixel on your website is definitely recommended, so you can measure the success of your campaigns.
Campaign Objectives
TikTok offers a wide range of campaign objectives. With each campaign it's worth thinking through exactly what you want to achieve, and choosing your campaign objectives accordingly.
The list of campaign objectives in TikTok Ads Manager.
Final words
TikTok is the fastest-growing social platform today, and it's only going to grow further from here. Compared to other social media, TikTok users engage more with content. Many creators are migrating their content from YouTube and Instagram to TikTok. Studies show that TikTok is becoming increasingly popular among the users of other social platforms.
TikTok has similar advertising features to Facebook and Instagram.
It's worth advertising on TikTok, but most of all when your target audience is the younger generation, or your product is one that can be bought on impulse.
If you want to build awareness for your brand, it's worth giving TikTok ads a chance.