Advertising on TikTok in 2024: How to test and scale campaigns

In 2024, TikTok continues to strengthen its position as a key source of traffic for media buyers in various market segments. Thanks to its huge user base and unique content format, this platform provides excellent opportunities for those seeking to expand their audience and achieve tangible success. However, in order to achieve real results, you need to develop strategies that differ from the approaches used on other popular platforms such as Facebook and Google.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the best ways to test and scale your TikTok advertising campaigns to get the desired results as quickly as possible.

Analyze TikTok audience

One of the main features of TikTok compared to other advertising platforms is its unique audience. TikTok users are less likely to fall for fraudulent schemes and are exposed to fewer ads than, for example, on Facebook. They actively search for information about the products they are interested in, checking them for reliability and trying to avoid purchases through dropshipping.

This behavior leads to traffic redirection to other resources. Advertising campaigns on TikTok often contribute to the growth of sales on Amazon and an increase in the number of search queries on Google. About 60% of these sales directly depend on the brand’s presence on TikTok. Therefore, companies should consider TikTok as part of an omnichannel strategy to maximize profits.

In addition, TikTok’s audience is characterized by high quality leads and a significant average order value (AOV). On average, the platform’s AOV is 20-30% higher than that of other advertising platforms, which allows advertisers to increase lead acquisition costs without losing out on profits.

Although TikTok was initially popular among young people, its audience is gradually expanding. Currently, the platform can successfully attract even more mature audiences, including users aged 55 and older. With the expansion of demographic groups, TikTok is becoming an effective tool for promoting a wide variety of products and services.

Ideas for creating creative strategies on TikTok

Creativity is the key to success on the TikTok platform. Use a natural, relaxed style that creates a sense of authenticity. When switching from platforms such as Facebook to TikTok, a noticeable change is the abandonment of traditional advertising materials. Here, commercials that directly present the offer are 50% more effective than classic advertising content. This is due to the fact that TikTok users are more sensitive to manipulation attempts.

In addition, longer videos are gaining popularity on TikTok. Although short and dynamic videos created in the format of user-generated content (UGC) can attract attention, videos lasting 2 to 5 minutes with useful information often achieve significant results. The key is to be sincere and honest. For example, you can directly say that your product is available on Amazon and invite users to consider buying it there.

We recommend the following basic strategies for testing creatives:

• The “dirty advertising” method. Use simple, not always well executed creatives to reduce the cost of clicks and activate TikTok’s algorithms for automatic optimization. This approach is aimed at scaling and does not require significant investments in production.
• Information approach. Create better ads that provide useful information but do not focus on direct sales. The goal of such creatives is to educate the audience and build trust.
• High-quality direct response. Creatives with thoughtful design and a clear call to action. Although they require more resources, such ads can attract attention and deliver better results.

In practice, many successful TikTok campaigns use the “raw advertising” method, which confirms the importance of experimenting with different creative formats to find the most effective solution.

Tactical recommendations for scaling on TikTok

Once your creatives are ready, here are some tactical recommendations for scaling your TikTok ad campaigns effectively:

• Use Spark Ads. This option allows you to promote your organic posts as ads, opening up more opportunities to create original content. Also, Spark Ads allows you to publish commercials that are longer than 60 seconds. Disable Spark Ads if you are running a Smart Performance Campaign (SPC) and want the system to automatically combine headlines with videos.
• Test different campaign formats. Regularly compare the results of SPC campaigns with campaigns based on the Lowest Cost strategy. While SPC may produce slow results at the start, it will perform better over time as more data is accumulated. Start with a small budget, say $500 per day, and increase it by 20% every 48 hours. Limit the number of active ads to 3-4 and try not to exceed the total budget of $5000 per day.
• Use look-alike audiences. If you have data on customers or users who have completed the checkout process, create a lookalike audience based on this data. If you don’t, try building an audience based on interactions with your videos or ad clicks.
• Experiment with Premium Audiences. TikTok’s Premium Audiences feature allows you to target higher quality audiences using data from the platform itself. This can help you achieve better results.
• Customize your optimization based on your goal. If you have a wide range of products, focus on optimizing the overall value. If you are promoting a specific product, focus on conversion. For low-value products, use short time windows for attribution, for example, by clicks within one day.
• Apply the 80/20 strategy to your budget. When your TikTok advertising campaigns start to generate consistent results, allocate 80% of your budget to creatives that have already proven their effectiveness and 20% to testing new ideas. Successful ideas can then be transferred to the main budget for further scaling.
  Switching from Facebook/Google to TikTok

Switching from Facebook/Google to TikTok

Marketers who are used to working with advertising on platforms such as Facebook or Google will have to adapt to several important aspects when switching to TikTok:

1. Creative approach. TikTok values natural and sincere creativity much more than the carefully edited ads that are popular on other platforms. User-generated content (UGC) and long educational videos are the best options here.
2. Data tracking. Since TikTok’s advertising capabilities are still under active development, it can sometimes be difficult to accurately track events on the site. As a rough guide, you should use the ratio of CTR (click-through rate) and CPC (cost per click): high CTR values are often accompanied by low CPC, which is not always easy to achieve on Facebook.
3. Influence on other channels. TikTok has a strong impact on other marketing channels, and for a complete picture, you need to consider the results on several platforms. Pay attention to the increase in Google searches, direct traffic to your website, and sales figures on Amazon.
4. Time for optimization. TikTok’s algorithm requires a certain amount of time and data to optimize, especially when using Smart Performance Campaigns (SPC). Don’t rush to conclusions and adjustments; give the system time to learn before making important decisions.
5. Risk tolerance. TikTok’s strict rules may lead to more account bans than Facebook. Follow the rules, but be prepared for the fact that some accounts may be blocked during the scaling process.

Despite the complexity of the transition, TikTok offers unique opportunities. This platform is not yet overcrowded with advertising, which allows successful campaigns to bring significant results.

Conclusion

In 2024, advertising on TikTok offers great opportunities for brands to promote themselves if they are willing to tailor their strategies to the specifics of the platform. By using native content that is relevant to the interests of subscribers and constantly testing different approaches, advertisers can significantly increase the reach of their campaigns and achieve tangible results. Do you actively use TikTok?