Who doesn’t love tapas?
Those little dishes of deliciousness include everything from olives to cured ham, various cheeses, and those little skewers with tasty pieces of pork and are the best way to enjoy Spanish food.
In a nutshell, it’s this same concept that makes TikTok such an immensely popular platform. The variety of bite-sized portions that are small enough to dip your toe into (not literally, obviously) are perfect for grabbing our attention just long enough to give us the information we need.
TikTok may be the new kid on the block, but it’s making waves in the social media world.
TikTok Truths
Unlike the social media channels that we’re familiar with, TikTok is not built on personal or business connections. Rather, it relies on trends, interests, and communities that bring people together based on common interests. AI plays the part of matchmaker for TikTok users with algorithms in place that are constantly working to show each person more of what they love.
As of June 2021, TikTok has racked up over 1 billion users in over 150 countries. Almost two-thirds of TikTok’s audience is between the ages of 10 and 29, with kids between 4 – 15 years spending around 80 minutes per day on this channel. (We’re not really sure how we feel about that, but there it is.)
With such a diverse, albeit mostly youthful audience, what is it that is capturing their attention?
So, no surprise there then. Entertainment, dance, and pranks are leading the charge here. The heading of ‘entertainment’ is pretty broad but includes things like memes, challenges, music and film, entertainers, glow-ups and the like.
However, there are also more – shall we say – valuable categories that include health and fitness, DIY, and the ever-popular life hacks.
As you read through these details, you may be uncomfortably aware that your product or service doesn’t fit here. At all. And that’s okay. If you want to engage an audience of Gen X and older or B2B, then this isn’t going to be the best advertising platform for you. But if you want the attention of a well-heeled Gen Z tribe (likely spending their parents’ money) or a healthy chunk of Millennials with your innovative product or brand, then TikTok is ideal.
Advertising on TikTok
TikTok is a video-sharing app. Short, engaging clips, most often set to music, frequently relying on humour or shock value is what you would expect to see. In an age when there is no limit to the creativity of video content, TikTok is proving fertile ground for advertisers.
TikTok Business Accounts are fairly simple to set up, and you can find enough resources to help you get started.
Ad options in TikTok include:
In-Feed Video Ads
Videos appear in the users’ news feed on the For You page as in-feed ads. They blend organically into the feed because they look like native TikToks.
Branded Hashtag Challenge
When a branded hashtag challenge is held on TikTok, the brand asks users to display something they perform, such as choreographed dance moves. They are also asked to include a specific hashtag with their videos. These appear at or near the top of the Discovery page and the hashtag links visitors to this challenge’s TikToks.
Brand Takeover
Upon opening an app, brand takeovers appear as full-screen videos of three to five seconds length. A version of the advertisement will also appear in the For You section. As well as hashtags and website links, you can include clickable text.
TopView Ads
Similarly to brand takeovers, TopView ads run fullscreen. However, these ads can last up to 60 seconds and are on a delayed play, so they don’t start when the app launches.
Branded Effects
Users can add customised stickers, AR filters, and lenses to their own videos by purchasing branded effects which last 10 days.
What do TikTok Ads Cost?
TikTok ads will cost more than other platforms, which may take them out of the budget for smaller businesses.
Consumer Acquisition says, “TikTok ads start at $10 per CPM. Reports from AdAge in late 2019 show that TikTok’s cost of advertising can be between $50,000 to $120,000 depending on the ad format and duration.
“Although these ad costs may be too high for small businesses, the good news is that there are many different ways to advertise on the platform aside from TikTok’s native paid advertising program to find the right fit for your program.”
We realise that exploring the cost of advertising on TikTok is like asking how long is the proverbial piece of string. Yes, it is a little pricey, so it’s worth putting the time and effort into your videos to get the most out of them.
Ad Opportunities for Your Business
If your business doesn’t take itself too seriously and respects the fact that you’re dealing with a generation of rabid anti-advertising users (with ad blockers on standby), then you may be in with a chance of success on TikTok.
- Authenticity is the silver bullet here. Since TikTok’s engagement rate is so high, be sure to craft a message that speaks genuinely to your audience. This allows them to share or engage with your content as they would anything else that interests them which takes all the work and cost out of your marketing.
- Every brand dreams of going viral. TikTok offers this as a very real possibility because the algorithms put new content in front of users every day without them having to go and find it. It only takes a couple of clicks for a clever video to get enough attention to skyrocket into the millions overnight.
- Have you ever wanted to experiment with your messaging, perhaps veer a little off brand? TikTok is the place for it. Many brands have had a lot of success with off-colour, slapstick, or just plain silly ads and videos. And why not, the world is far too serious right now anyway!
Pros and Cons of Advertising on TikTok
- TikTok’s content consists of short videos between 15 and 60 seconds. Because of this format, ads can command a premium since they won’t likely get lost in a sea of competition as they might on other platforms.
- Being a relative newcomer to the social media space, and given its niche, ads are comparitively more expensive than on other platforms.
- By targeting an audience by age, gender, location, and interests, TikTok helps you get the most out of your marketing. It is also possible to build custom audiences and lookalike audiences to reach people that are similar to your existing customers.
- Measure your ads’ performance is easy with TikTok’s measurement tools.
- Your business products may not be of interest to a younger audience.
- There’s no room for boring text ads – it’s all about video.
Do You TikTok?
It’s always tricky launching ads on a new social channel. We don’t know what to expect, the dashboards are new, and we run the risk of runaway ad spend until we know where the off button is.
There’s no doubt though, that TikTok is a lot of fun and will serve a variety of businesses as a playful, engaging, and successful channel.
If you’d like to know more, please feel free to contact our team.