Last week, I arrived in Vietnam for the first time.
As soon as I stepped out of the Hanoi airport, I was approached by several people offering taxi rides to downtown. It blew me away how our first contact with a new culture often comes from somebody trying to sell us something.
Just like those taxi drivers outside the airport, ads can connect businesses with potential customers who might not otherwise engage, especially if they’re outside your usual network.
That’s why today, I want to explore how TikTok ads have been effective for online businesses.
Why You Should Consider TikTok Ads
With over 1 billion active users globally, TikTok has emerged as a dominant force in social media.
35% of users have bought products after seeing them on TikTok. This is largely due to its smart algorithm, which tailors content to users. Plus, engagement rates on TikTok are much higher than on platforms like Instagram. This creates a fantastic opportunity for brands to connect with a larger audience.
TikTok offers several ad formats:
- In-Feed Ads: These appear in users’ “For You” feeds, blending seamlessly with organic content. They can be up to 60 seconds long and allow for user interaction like likes and comments.
- Brand Takeover Ads: These full-screen ads appear immediately when a user opens the app, ensuring maximum visibility. They can include clickable links directing users to landing pages.
- TopView Ads: Similar to Brand Takeovers but designed to capture attention for longer, these ads can also be up to 60 seconds long and are non-skippable.
- Branded Hashtag Challenges: This format encourages user-generated content around a specific theme or hashtag, fostering community engagement while promoting brand awareness.
- Spark Ads: These leverage existing organic content by turning popular user posts into ads, enhancing authenticity and engagement.
Advertising on TikTok can be more affordable than on Facebook or Instagram. With a minimum spend of just $50 per day, brands can test different ad formats without overspending.
Want to find out how TikTok ads can work for your business?
Let’s see how two digital businesses have used TikTok ads to grow.
Mind Nook
Mind Nook, a wellness brand under Wishcompany, has successfully leveraged TikTok to grow to over 1 million subscribers. Launched in mid-2021, Mind Nook focuses on wellness-themed content, including meditation, ASMR, and healing animations.
The brand used TikTok ads to reach a broader audience by implementing the following tactics:
- Content Diversification: Mind Nook produced a variety of content types, including professional meditation series, ASMR videos, and unique healing animations.
- Long-form Content: Despite TikTok’s reputation for short videos, Mind Nook experimented with longer formats. Their 9-hour “Little Prince Asteroid Ambience” video garnered over 2 million views.
- Seasonal Campaigns: Mind Nook created timely content, such as the “Sound Sleep Hotel Mind Nook” digital motion art series launched for World Sleep Day.
- Interactive Add-ons: The campaign included an Interactive Add-on feature—a Display Card that served as a call-to-action (CTA) for viewers to watch full versions of videos.
- Custom Target Audiences: By using TikTok’s advanced targeting features, Mind Nook was able to reach users interested in wellness and meditation who had watched at least 50% of their videos.
- Engagement and Interaction: Mind Nook encouraged interaction through challenges and hashtags related to wellness themes, fostering a community around their brand.
Their Spark Ads campaign received over 44 million video views and generated more than 650k paid followers and over 1.6M likes.
The GIST
The GIST is a sports newsletter founded by three women in 2017, aiming to provide sports news with a female perspective. Recognizing the potential of social media for growth, The GIST incorporated TikTok into their advertising strategy alongside other platforms like Facebook and Instagram. This approach allowed them to reach a broader audience and engage users who might not be traditional newsletter readers.
The GIST’s use of TikTok ads was part of a broader paid social media strategy. By leveraging TikTok’s targeting capabilities, they were able to reach their target audience: women interested in sports. This targeted approach ensured that their content was seen by users most likely to engage with it and subscribe to their newsletter.
The ads often featured timely content and addressed specific challenges faced by their audience, such as gender disparities in sports coverage. This resonated well with viewers, as it combined relevant messaging with engaging visuals, making the ads both informative and entertaining.
The strategic use of TikTok ads contributed significantly to The GIST’s rapid subscriber growth. As of the latest reports, they have amassed over 675,000 subscribers, along with a substantial following on TikTok itself. The platform’s viral nature helped amplify their message, driving new subscribers who were drawn to the unique perspective offered by The GIST.
By understanding their audience and crafting content that appeals directly to them, The GIST effectively used TikTok ads to expand their reach and enhance subscriber engagement.
Key Learnings
- Diversify Your Content: Experiment with different formats—videos, animations, and interactive content—to cater to diverse audience preferences.
- Long-form Content Can Work Well: Don’t shy away from longer videos if they add value, because they can enhance viewer engagement and retention.
- Leverage Seasonal Campaigns: Align your campaigns with seasonal events or current trends to increase relevance and viewer interest.
- Implement Interactive Features: Incorporate interactive elements in your ads to drive user engagement and create a community around your brand.
- Use Targeted Advertising: Utilize advanced targeting features to ensure your ads reach users most likely to engage with your content.
- Engage Through Community Building: Create opportunities for audience interaction and community building to enhance brand loyalty and engagement.
Want to check out more real-life examples?
Use this page you can see high-performing auction ads on TikTok. You can even filter by country, industry, goals, language and ad formats.
