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TikTok has taken over. What began as just another social media network has skyrocketed to platform fame, pulling content creators along with it.
Marketers, ever keen to find eyeballs on the internet, were no doubt pleased when TikTok made advertising available in early 2019. “I think for many B2B advertisers, there was a cautious approach to TikTok,” notes Adele Todd, Head of PPC at Somebody Digital. “They needed to make sure it was a worthwhile investment, not just another fad. But with the number of users now sitting at over a billion, even B2Bs are likely to reach their audience on this platform.”
What is TikTok advertising?
TikTok advertising is a powerful tool for brands looking to tap into this extensive and engaged global audience. It offers a new way to connect with consumers.
There are several ways to advertise on TikTok. Brands can create their own channels and upload videos that users can engage with, or they can use ‘In-Feed Ads’ that appear organically as users scroll through their ‘For You’ feed. Another option is ‘Brand Takeovers’, where an ad appears as soon as a user opens the app, offering immediate and significant exposure.
The true power of TikTok advertising, however, lies in its ability to leverage user-generated content and viral trends to gain brand visibility.
Why TikTok rocks
Many users are addicted to the social media app, with competitors like Meta struggling to keep up. But there’s a good reason why advertising on TikTok could be a plausible option. “Besides the substantial, as we’ve already mentioned, the platform has a very high engagement level because of its tailored content,” notes Adele.
And it’s not just the content that is tailored. When ads are personalised to an audience’s preferences and behaviours, they tend to perform well on the app. “With TikTok’s advanced targeting tools and custom audience setup, it can be easy to find people who need to hear your messaging. Plus, with the current bidding set up, budgeting and setting limits on your spend is a good option for smaller businesses who are thrifty when it comes to display ads.”
New formats, higher engagement
Just this month, TikTok announced that it will begin experimenting with longer format videos, up to 30 minutes for select users (read, the popular kids). This move, while clearly designed to challenge YouTube head-on, presents marketers with yet another chance to increase completion and engagement rates.
“Stats show that in-stream ads on long-form videos have a higher engagement rate,” Adele agrees, “so for advertisers on TikTok, this could be an exciting experiment in increasing both advertising spend and potentially conversions.”
Still, it’s not for everyone.
Adele flags that between the evolving algorithm and content saturation, sometimes TikTok won’t yield the kind of results an advertiser may want.
“Like any platform, TikTok has its pros and cons,” notes Adele. “For many businesses, it’s not the right space for their brand, and that’s just fine.” As long as providers like Google and LinkedIn continue to drive the right results, it may not be time to make the move to TikTok just yet.
Are you looking for insight into optimising your paid media campaigns or a TikTok advertising agency? Why not chat with Adele or one of our experts?
