12 FAQs about advertising on TikTok

1. Why should I place ads on TikTok?

TikTok is controversial in the US as a Chinese product, but cracked the billion-user mark in 2021. Want to become famous? This is your platform.

TikTok is also different, forcing you to reinvent your brand and rethink your content.

Thanks to real-time monitoring, you’ll always have an eye on your campaign and can adjust it if necessary. Because TikTok advertising is not yet available to everyone, you’ll have enough advertising space on your site to beat out the competition.

2. How can I advertise on TikTok? Any requirements?

Currently, only brands, businesses or trades are allowed to post ads on TikTok’s self-booking advertising tool. Like on Instagram, you need a TikTok business account and a campaign account in the TikTok Business Center. You can easily set it up here.

Data about you and your business or company is required. Decide on a payment method (credit or debit card). TikTok is not a legal-free zone – so please remember to provide an imprint as soon as you use the platform commercially. Put the imprint in your profile description or add a link that leads to your shop or website under a clearly legible heading that says “Imprint”.

To ensure that your campaign runs perfectly optimized, you can use TikTok Pixel to set up your tracking.

3. How much content do I need to post ads on TikTok?

To place ads on TikTok, you need to apply for a TikTok advertising account. TikTok keeps the exact requirements for a successful application under wraps. The only thing we know for sure is that you have to own a company or a brand. Whether the type and amount of your content will affect the application process is unclear, but likely. So, it’s better if you’ve already supplied proven content before applying to TikTok.

4. What formats can I run ads on TikTok in?

On TikTok, you have several display options to help you reach your target audience.

In-feed video

An ad appears in the TikTok newsfeed and is prominently placed within the first few minutes of watch time.

Brand Takeover

This ad links a full-screen GIF, still image, or soundless video to a landing page or hashtag. Your target audience sees the ad immediately when they launch the app.

TopView Ads

Your promotional video appears in your target audience’s “For You” feed immediately after opening the app.

Branded Hashtag Challenges Ads

Your ad will appear on the discovery page and ask users to participate in the challenge with the hashtag you chose.

AR Ads

Your ad is available as a branded lens, sticker or 2D/3D content for TikTok users.

5. What technical requirements are there for ads on TikTok?

In-feed video ads rank first among the most popular ad formats on TikTok. Why? Because they’re easy to create like regular content and don’t require a lot of bells and whistles. For your video to run optimally, it should have these technical features:

• Up to 500 MB in size with an aspect ratio of 16:9, 9:16 or 1:1
• A resolution of 720 x 1,280 pixels at a bit rate of 516 Kbit/s
• Played out in MP4, MOV, MPEG or
• Be no longer than 60 seconds
• Do without emojis and have a maximum of 100 characters of text

The same technical requirements apply to TikTok Top View. However, the company recommends a maximum video length of 15 seconds. Up to 60 seconds is also possible here.

For Brand Takeover, the ad must be no longer than 3-5 seconds and must consist of 720 x 1,280 pixel resolution images.

6. What audiences can I choose when advertising on TikTok?

The targeting options are divided into three categories:

Audience

Your target audience is determined based on their behavior and interest groups. This includes e.g. interaction with certain content and views.

Demographics

Demographic targeting allows you to narrow down your target audience using characteristics such as country, gender, and age.

Device

Here, your target audience is filtered based on the smartphone operating system, internet connection and network operator. You can also create a list of users who will be shown the ad.

7. When is the best time to place ads on TikTok?

If you want your ads to be seen, you’d better share them when most of your audience is online. According to a study by Influencer Marketing Hub, engagement on TikTok is highest at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays, 12 p.m. on Thursdays, and 5 a.m. on Fridays. But these times are just an estimate. If you want to know more, set up your own analysis with TikTok Analytics – then you’ll find all the info on when your audience is most active.

Challenges are an important part of TikTok to get your ads to your target audience in an organic way. Take advantage of a Branded Hashtag Challenge to increase your brand awareness. In a challenge, you involve users in the campaign. You can also play the game in reverse and participate in other TikTok challenges. For example, you promote your new organic T-shirt collection in the Spreadshop? Then convince your followers of your environmental awareness in the #cleansnap challenge and clean up litter.

8. What are the minimum fees to advertise on TikTok?

Compared to Facebook or Twitter, the costs for advertising on TikTok are quite steep. You have the option to set your own budget, but the minimum budget for a whole campaign is EUR 400. In-feed videos starts at around €8.80 per 1000 impressions.

9. How much does a TikTok advertisement cost?

On TikTok, you have a choice of four different bidding strategies. These are:

• Cost per Click (CPC)
• Optimized Cost per Click (cCPC)
• Cost per Mile (CPM)
• Cost per thousand Views (CPV)

The advertising costs start at around €8.80 per in-feed video with the CPV payment method. Per advertising day, you’ll also have to spend a total of at least €43.80 at campaign level.

Note: TikTok is expensive, so this is a playground for advertising professionals. But the real kicker is the Hashtag Challenge (that can be triggered for free without TikTok’s support). The costs here can run up to €131,393 per week. Branded takeovers can cost you around €43,000 per day.

10. What TikTok policies do I need to follow when advertising?

TikTok’s Ads Manager has very strict guidelines regarding the content and form of ads. It checks each ad to make sure it adheres to them. You are not allowed to advertise the following products and services:

Alcohol and drugs

Alcoholic beverages and other intoxicants are off the grid. The same is true for locations where these are readily consumed (e.g. a bar).

Cigarettes and tobacco products

You may not advertise cigarettes and tobacco as well as e-cigarettes or even cigarette patches.

Weapons and weapon accessories

In addition to weapons including ammunition and explosives, war themes are a no-go on TikTok.

Gambling game and lotteries

As soon as real money is required for the bet, you are not allowed to advertise it.

Weight regulating products

Pills, teas, or other weight loss products are out.

Sexual products, services, pornographic content

Pornography or pornographic products as well as sexual services have no place on TikTok.

Counterfeiting and piracy

You may not promote counterfeits or illegal copies.

Rare species

Trading in protected species and their products is strictly prohibited – as is advertising with them.

Unacceptable business practices

Your Ads must not violate any human rights or intellectual property of any person.

(Crypto)Currencies

Financials don‘t stand a chance on TikTok.

More NoGos

• Hazardous chemical products
• Trade in human organs
• Funeral services
• Abortion Services
• Very fatty, salty, or sugary foods
• Pharmaceuticals
• Dating apps or dating services

11. What can I learn from my TikTok campaign and do better?

TikTok offers real-time monitoring, so you can see how many conversions, clicks or impressions you get for your ads. You should always react quickly to your campaign and execute a well-planned strategy. These three tips will help you do just that:

1. Keep an eye on your campaign goals

If your campaign is aimed at clicks, then set it up this way. If, on the other hand, you are aiming for more conversions, then you should set it up accordingly. If the campaign is moving away from your goals, you can react to it and adjust it at any time.

2. Use retargeting

Users who have already interacted with your website or account generate a higher conversion rate. With a retargeting campaign, you target these users again.

3. Create ads that fit TikTok

TikTok thrives on its short videos and LipSyncs. TikTok’s style is all do-it-yourself and authentic, so please make sure that this applies to your ads as well. Perfection belongs on Instagram.

12. What does a TikTok campaign to-do list look like?

If your finances allow it, you can go far with TikTok Ads and get a great return on your investment. This is the best way to get your campaign going:

1. Apply for a TikTok advertising account
2. Set up TikTok tracking in TikTok Pixel
3. Decide on a campaign and create it
4. Set individual parameters for your campaign (for example keywords)
5. Define and create your target audience
6. Decide on a bidding strategy
7. Create the TikTok video for viewing using the editor and upload your video

And you’re off! After you’ve saved the ad, the campaign will be checked and go online.

Excited to put your new knowledge to the test? Take your Spreadshop to the next level on TikTok.

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