How to Create High-Converting TikTok Ads

If there’s one social media platform that Gen Z loves, it’s TikTok—no surprises there. With fun short-form video content and video editing trends, TikTok has grown from just the latest craze to one of the most popular platforms, now transcending age groups.

Building on this appeal, TikTok has made itself invaluable to advertising, with TikTok ads now vital to digital marketing strategies across industries. Most importantly, for brands with customers under 30, TikTok ads are proving to be one of the best ways to connect with this consumer demographic. Just look at the platform’s 800 million user base, with most US and North American users being 18 to 24 years old. And if that’s not enough to convince you, 37% of them make over $100,000 a year—a clear sign of their purchasing power.

So, is your brand on TikTok? Whether you’re just getting started or you need to shake up your ads and draw more audiences, let’s find out how to create TikTok ads that convert, sell, and cultivate customer loyalty.

Straight from the Source: TikTok’s Advertising Recommendations

Like any digital marketing campaign, the first step in creating TikTok ads is establishing your goal. The most common goals are impressions and brand awareness, clicks, and conversions. 

The question is, what do you want your TikTok ads to do? With the sheer volume of TikTok ads and neck-to-neck competition, you’ll get more value for your ad campaign by looking beyond impressions and general brand awareness.

In their round-up of best practices, TikTok shared a number of data-driven recommendations for running ads—and seeing results that matter—on their platform. No matter the size of your audience, campaign, and budget, these universal best practices are a great starting point for TikTok ads:

• Pay attention to video quality and shoot in high-resolution
• Create ads in full-screen to maximize real estate and improve audience engagement
• Include a call-to-action CTA to drive audiences to take a clear, direct conversion action
• Keep ads short, ideally between 21 to 34 seconds, to keep your audience’s attention
• Use fast-paced, upbeat music and voiceovers instead of text.

8 Tips for Creating High-Converting TikTok Ads

TikTok’s general recommendations for creating ads are just the beginning. There are a lot more things you can try to create high-performing TikTok ads. Our TikTok ads agency rounds up these fun, creative tips to increase your advertising reach and drive more engagement.

1. Add captions

Closed captions are a major component of accessibility. But did you know that making your ads more inclusive and accessible to people hard of hearing also has positive effects on your brand and TikTok ads? Good TikTok ads with captions lift conversions by 80% and by 157% when combined with a CTA.

2. Break the fourth wall

You may have seen this on-stage, and in movies and TV shows—and it’s for a good reason. Breaking the fourth wall—or speaking directly with the audience—keeps them engaged. It’s a core part of TikTok advertising, too: having brand ambassadors talk, and share fun, positive stories. Building on this, you can also invite followers to create similar content as part of a branded hashtag challenge.

3. Follow the basics of storytelling

The best-performing TikTok ads tell great stories. Start with a problem and show the path to solving it, resulting in a happy ending for all. This allows audiences to easily identify with the narrative and see themselves in the shoes of a person who has successfully hurdled a common problem. Through this emotional hook, you can demonstrate the unique selling propositions of your brand and get customers invested in these wins.

4. Watch out for “shadowbans”

A major barrier to getting your ad displayed is a “shadowban”. This happens when TikTok’s algorithm appears not to show your content on users’ For You Pages. As a result, you may observe a steep decline in views.

Of course, TikTok denies the existence of shadowbans. However, to avoid problems, particularly with your views and engagement, it’s important to follow TikTok’s advertising guidelines closely and make sure you’re not violating anything.

5. Partner with a TikTok influencer

Influencers are a core part of the TikTok community—and they could be one of the best things to happen to your brand. TikTok ads benefit greatly from an influential figure, someone who can talk about their positive experience with your products and services in an authentic, friendly manner.

 And the best part? They don’t have to be mega influencers, with millions of followers. You can partner with a micro-influencer in your industry. With even just a few thousand engaged followers and high interaction rates, you can leverage their audience in your TikTok ad campaign, for impressive results.

6. Create FOMO

With all the trends on TikTok, you’ll want to make sure that your ad stands out. A successful TikTok ad campaign incorporates the element of FOMO—the fear of missing out. You’ll want to give the impression that the deal you’re advertising is a limited-time offer, quantities will run out, and other messages that drive up demand. Use a branded hashtag challenge to track conversions and see how effective this messaging is.

7. Focus on a CTA

You already know that your TikTok ad needs a CTA. But are you using it effectively? In your TikTok ad, make sure to pull focus toward your CTA—and keep it to a single call. You can do this by mentioning it in the voiceover, as well as adding it as a visual element, rather than just including it in the caption. When the CTA is clear and focused, you can count on more viewers to take the desired action and avoid loss.

8. Pay attention to industry-specific TikTok advertising practices

Earlier, we looked at some universal insights TikTok has gleaned from the best-performing ads on their platform. Then, we looked at fresh, new tips and things to try out. Now, you need to remember that your TikTok advertising needs are unique. This means it’s worth paying attention to industry-specific recommendations for TikTok ads.

Here are a couple of examples:

• eCommerce: Perhaps the most popular consumer vertical in the digital age, eCommerce brands would greatly benefit from using multiple scenes, voiceovers, and written offers. By keeping things entertaining and easily accessible, you can create a strong pathway from view to conversion and sale.
• Gaming: Lead with action using give or more scenes, making your TikTok ad fun and engaging. You can also wait 7 seconds or longer to show text onscreen and emphasize the CTA.

Create Better TikTok Ads with Consultus Digital

At the end of the day, TikTok ads are all about being authentic and connecting with your audience. There’s a reason why “be yourself” is one of the most powerful mottos to live by—and follow in TikTok advertising. The question is, how do you create ads that reflect this?

This is where Consultus Digital can help. Our TikTok ads agency is here to help you unlock the biggest benefits of TikTok, so you can connect with younger consumers and create an engaged, loyal customer base in Toronto and across Canada. Our core philosophy as a TikTok advertising agency is finding your brand voice and using it to guide the various elements we leverage to produce the highest-converting ads. 

Most importantly, we provide complete TikTok ads management—from applying the universal best practices to videography, trying new, creative ideas, and tailoring these to your industry. With our expert help in Toronto, you can count on higher views and conversions to connect with customers in new ways.

Is your brand on TikTok yet? Don’t miss out on the hottest TikTok advertising trends that can help target Gen Z—and consumers of all ages in Toronto and beyond. Contact us about our TikTok advertising solutions.