How to run Meta ads
Objectives, audiences, creative, and testing on Facebook and Instagram.
Read the guideGuide/ Paid media
How to run
TikTok ads.
TikTok punishes anything that looks like an ad. The platform rewards content that belongs in the feed, which means repurposed TV commercials and polished brand films reliably underperform here.
Decide whether your audience is there
TikTok's audience has broadened well beyond teenagers, but it still skews younger than Meta and works best for products with visual appeal or a demonstrable result.
It is a poor fit for narrow B2B, urgent local services, and anything requiring a long considered purchase with no visual hook. Before spending, search your category on the platform and see whether anything comparable gets engagement.
Set up the Pixel and events properly
Install the TikTok Pixel, and use the Events API server-side alongside it for the same reason as Meta — browser-only tracking misses a large share of conversions.
Define your conversion events before launching so the algorithm has something real to optimise toward.
Make creative that belongs in the feed
This is the whole game. Shoot vertical, full screen, with natural lighting and on-screen text. Phone-shot footage frequently outperforms studio production here, which is genuinely unusual among ad platforms.
Hook in the first second. Not the first three — the first one. Open on the problem, the result, or something visually arresting.
Use trending audio where it fits, keep it short, and lead with a person talking or demonstrating rather than product beauty shots.
Produce more creative than feels reasonable. TikTok creative fatigues faster than any other platform, and refresh cadence matters more than perfecting any single asset.
Use Spark Ads
Spark Ads let you run organic posts — yours or a creator's, with permission — as paid ads. They keep the original engagement, comments and profile link, and they look native because they are.
They consistently outperform standard in-feed ads. If a post already performs organically, putting budget behind it is usually the highest-return move available.
Work with creators
Creator content generally outperforms brand content on TikTok. The Creator Marketplace makes finding and licensing this straightforward.
Micro-creators with engaged niche audiences often deliver better returns than large accounts, and cost far less. Brief them on the message but let them make it in their own voice — that voice is what you are paying for.
Budget and expectations
TikTok requires meaningful daily budget for the algorithm to learn, and underfunded campaigns tend to stall without producing usable data.
Attribution is harder here. Many TikTok-driven conversions arrive later, through search or direct. Watch overall lift alongside platform-reported numbers rather than judging on in-platform attribution alone.
FAQ/ Before you ask
Common questions
Is TikTok only for young audiences?
No longer. The user base has broadened substantially, though it still skews younger than Meta. Check the demographics for your category rather than assuming either way.
Can I reuse my Instagram Reels creative?
Sometimes, and it is a reasonable place to start — but content made specifically for TikTok's conventions usually performs better. Anything that reads as a polished ad will underperform regardless of platform of origin.
How much creative do I need?
More than other platforms, and refreshed more often. Plan for a steady pipeline rather than a single production run. Fatigue arrives faster here than anywhere else.
Does TikTok work for lead generation?
It can, particularly with native lead forms that keep people in-app. Expect higher volume and lower intent than search — qualify carefully, or you will pay for leads that never convert.
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