How To Advertise On TikTok

Sean Hyde • June 24, 2022

Since its launch in 2017, TikTok has skyrocketed in popularity over the last few years, and many brands are getting in on the fun. It’s now one of the fastest growing mobile apps in the world, with over 1 billion monthly active users. As a digital marketer, you can’t afford to ignore TikTok. Read on to discover how you can use the platform to market your product or service, and to reach new and diverse audiences around the world.


Advertising on TikTok for Brands


Advertising on TikTok is a great opportunity for brands. Its active user numbers already outpace Twitter and Snapchat and it's less saturated with ads than other social networks.

In early 2019, TikTok released a beta version of its advertising platform. Since then, big brands like Nike and Apple Music have used TikTok advertising to promote their products with unique and entertaining ads.


Advertising on TikTok offers unique formats and targeting options that, when used effectively, help you access one of the most lucrative and hard to reach user groups: Gen Z. However, advertising on TikTok isn’t suitable for all companies. 


Do You Have the Budget to Advertise on TikTok?


While larger businesses like Nike, Disney, and Grubhub have swiftly taken to advertising on TikTok to drive huge impressions, TikTok ads might be less affordable for smaller businesses.


Because ads on the platform are new and rare, they come at premium costs that start at an average of $10 per CPM and can go up to $300,000 total budget for larger campaigns. Moreover, TikTok campaigns require a minimum investment of $500 so they might not be a great fit for your business if you’re looking for more affordable and predictable advertising options.


If you decide TikTok ads are a worthy investment for your business, here’s how to get started.


tiktok app

Sign Up For A TikTok Business Manager Account


First, create a TikTok ad account.


Even if you already have a user account, this separate login is necessary to create ads.


When you sign up, you will need to provide some basic information about yourself and your business.

Once this is completed and your account is confirmed, you will be ready to start using the self-serve platform.

 

Choose your objective


To get started, log into TikTok Ads Manager and click the Campaign button. TikTok has seven ad objectives broken down into three categories:


Awareness

  • Reach: Show your ad to the maximum number of people (in beta).


Consideration

  • Traffic: Drive traffic to a specific URL.
  • App Installs: Drive traffic to download your app.
  • Video Views: Maximize video ad plays (in beta).
  • Lead Generation: Use a pre-populated Instant Form to collect leads.

Conversions

  • Conversions: Drive specific actions on your site, like a purchase or subscription.
  • Catalog Sales: Dynamic ads based on your product catalog (in beta, and only available to those with a managed ad account in supported regions).


Set Up the Ad Group


The next step is to create an ad group within the campaign. This step is when placements and targeting are decided. Within a campaign, you can have different ad groups intended for different audiences.


Advertising on TikTok gives you access to advertising on the entire family of related applications, which includes Vigo Video (India only), BuzzVideo (Japan), TopBuzz (US and BR), Babe (Indonesia), and News Republic (worldwide). You can choose to limit your ads to TikTok or to the entire network. 


TikTok will calculate where it can get the best results with your ad and place it there.


Once you've chosen your preferred placements, follow the instructions to enter all the assets needed to start running your ad, including URLs, display names, images, categories, etc.


A very interesting aspect of this step is the keyword section, which allows you to select up to 20 terms to describe your website or application. These keywords will be used to show your products to the right audience, so think carefully about your choices.


Finally, the "Targeting" section allows you to define the target audience for your ads. You can set parameters such as location, age, gender, languages, devices, and more.


Control Your TikTok Ad Spend, Duration, and Goals


Now you’re ready to choose a budget, schedule, and goal for your TikTok ads.


Set a Budget and Schedule


In the Budget & Schedule section, set the budget for the ad group. You can choose either a daily budget (the amount you’re willing to spend each day) or a total budget (the total amount you’re willing to spend for the duration of the schedule). Note that there’s a $50 minimum for the daily budget and total budget at the ad group level. Editor’s Note: At the time of this writing, the minimum daily budget at the ad group level was quoted as $50 USD (as shown in the screenshot below). Current help files for TikTok Ads now quote the minimum daily budget at the ad group level as $20 USD.


Also choose the scheduled duration for your ads. Day parting allows you to select specific times of the day or week on which to run your ad.

watching tiktok video

Target your audience


Like most social ads, TikTok allows you to show your ads specifically to your target market. You can use a lookalike or custom audience, or target your ads based on:

  • Gender
  • Age
  • Location
  • Language
  • Interests
  • Behaviors
  • Device details


Takeaway


TikTok is becoming the advertising platform for marketers for various reasons: its high engagement rate (29%) and large audience base. This is why it is most suitable for companies that have an international audience and target the younger generation. 


With TikTok’s advertising features, you can create ads that will reach your audience in different countries, helping you to expand your reach. The new TikTok Lead Generation objective allows you to reach and engage with prospects and customers and collect their data directly on in-stream ads on TikTok. This tool is designed for mobile devices, so users can fill out the form right on TikTok. 


You can also customize the form to get the information you need for your business and download it manually or integrate it with different CRMS and Autoresponders through LeadsBridge automated bridges. Discover our TikTok Lead Generation integrations and join the TikTok Custom Audience waiting list to take full advantage of your TikTok advertising campaigns.

 

If you want to launch your ad to a particular group of people, for example to run a remarketing campaign, you can create a custom audience through existing TikTok user IDs. Simply upload the list of IDs to a CSV, TXT or ZIP file. You will also need a TikTok pixel in order to run remarketing campaigns and to track campaign effectiveness. 



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For example, a local insurance agency might find that their email marketing campaigns resonate most with residents ages 35–60 who engage with health-related content on Facebook. Design a Content Calendar With ROI in Mind Content without strategy leads to wasted budget. A well-designed content marketing plan includes: Platform-specific timing for optimal visibility Integration with local events like Bridge Day or Capitol Market pop-ups A blend of branded posts, educational materials, and community highlights Strategic use of email newsletters and search engine marketing (SEM) Each post becomes part of a larger ecosystem aimed at lead generation, engagement, and conversion. 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Whether you’re a retail shop in downtown Charleston or a software development startup in Kanawha City, your audience is online—and they’re looking for businesses just like yours. Our expert team helps businesses in West Virginia develop custom digital marketing strategies that merge creativity , research , and proven frameworks for real impact. We specialize in website optimization , reputation management , and influencer marketing , all tailored to your budget and business goals. Schedule a free consultation to see how we can elevate your online presence in just five days—and turn social media into your best-performing sales and engagement tool.  Would you like a shortened version or meta description next?