TikTok advertising means ads shown inside a feed of short vertical videos. It works differently from search or classic social ads: people are not looking for your product, they are watching entertaining content, and your video has to stop them within seconds. That is why on TikTok the creative matters more than fine audience settings. The platform keeps reaching wider age groups, but it still responds best to simple, vivid and human offers.
Main TikTok ad formats
- In-Feed ads: ads between organic videos with a call-to-action button;
- Spark Ads: promotion of real organic videos from a brand or creator;
- Lead generation forms: collecting enquiries without leaving the app;
- Premium placements such as TopView: for larger budgets and brand launches.
How a TikTok advertising agency should work
First we check whether the channel is worth trying: what you sell and at what price, whether the audience is there and whether the product can be shown on video. Then we prepare several concepts, film and edit them in the platform’s style, set up the pixel and events and launch a test. TikTok creative wears out faster than Meta creative, so a steady flow of new videos must be built into the work. The weekly report shows which videos bring leads and sales and which only collect views.
What kind of video works in TikTok ads
- A hook in the first one or two seconds: a problem, an unexpected shot or a question;
- real people and real product use instead of polished studio ads;
- subtitles, because many people watch without sound, and a vertical 9:16 format;
- one main message per video and a clear call to action;
- a series of different ideas rather than ten versions of one video.
We do not copy other people’s trends. We adapt them to your product and measure straight away which ideas pay back.
How much does TikTok advertising cost?
Our management fee starts from $500 per month, with the ad budget paid separately to TikTok. Filming, editing and creators are priced by volume. The platform sets its own minimum campaign budgets, so we confirm current requirements before launch. We do not promise a cost per lead before the test period.
TikTok together with other channels
TikTok is good at opening a new audience, but it rarely works alone. We win back people who showed interest with retargeting through Instagram and Facebook, and the video made for ads can also feed organic content: see Reels and TikTok video editing. All paid social channels are brought together on our paid social advertising page.
Policies and restrictions
TikTok has its own advertising rules. Some categories, such as healthcare, finance and alcohol, are restricted or need extra conditions, and claims in videos must be substantiated. Before we produce creative, we check your niche against the policies, so that time and budget are not spent on ads that will not pass moderation.
Want to check whether TikTok fits your product? Send a request and we will propose a test plan.