For a while now, marketers have used similar strategies across all the major platforms. Platforms like Google and Meta had similar ways of reaching success, but then came TikTok. The platform completely changed how content and ads were made, and those advertisers that didn’t adapt got left behind. Even worse, other platforms started imitating what TikTok does.
Initially, everyone tried the same old approaches. What they quickly noticed is that polished, professional-looking ads had awful conversion rates and just didn't work.
Affiliates discovered that the younger audience saw through any ads, but what they truly cared about was genuine insight and user experiences. This change made the most popular content on the platform User Generated Content (UGC). This means that winning on TikTok requires you to rethink everything you know about creating ads and start from scratch.
Regular Ads Don’t Work
The best-performing content on TikTok is natural content that doesn't feel like an ad. People on the platform are used to the amateur “shot on iPhone” look and content that feels genuine and real, not a setup. Users also expect most content to follow some sort of trend and use some of the popular songs that are everywhere on the platform.
All of this is not how ads are usually done, so for most, it's been a challenge to adjust. On the flipside, this also means that high-cost production and generic stock footage are a thing of the past as well. It’s all about making things look genuine, without much effort, and providing some value or insight on products or services you promote.
Understanding the Ad Formats
Unlike Meta and other platforms, TikTok still doesn’t offer a list of ad formats that you need to learn about. They just offer a couple of relatively similar ones that you can adapt to easily.
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In-Feed Ads
This is the thing you will focus most of your time on. These are the regular vertical videos that appear natively on your “For You” feed as you scroll. These ads can be up to 60 seconds long and include a clickable CTA button and a link to your Landing Page. Mastering this is the main goal, and 99% of affiliates should focus on it first and foremost.
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Search Ads
Search ads released a year or so ago, and in that time, they have gained some popularity. Basically, these are similar to in-feed ads in everything but placement. Instead of appearing in the “For You” feed, they appear if you search for specific content or click on the suggested search term from the comments.
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TopView
This is the premium, high-impact placement that appears as the very first video the user sees when opening the app. It's a full-screen, sound-on video designed for reach and awareness. It usually comes at a big price tag and is mostly used by big brands for product launches.
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Branded Hashtags
These are viral campaign formats where a brand encourages users to create content using a specific hashtag. It can be a powerful tool for generating organic UGC and brand engagement, but for most performance marketers, it's a waste of time and money.
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Branded Effects
These are not as popular as they were a year or two ago, but they are still a big part of TikTok. These are custom AR filters, stickers, and effects that users can use in their videos. They are also something only the big advertisers really use, and as an affiliate, just ignore this completely.
While you should know what options exist, to be completely honest, you should focus all of your attention on in-feed ads as they are the most popular and best option by far for affiliates.
Making Videos That Work
On TikTok, your success will be determined by only one thing: your creatives! The algorithm rewards content that keeps users engaged and keeps them on the platform longer. Unlike on some other platforms, here, personal angles and approaches work best, so you need to adapt to that style to have success. Here are some angles that actually convert!
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UGC-Style Review
This is the so-called “gold standard”. User-generated content style ads look and feel like they are made by real, everyday people, giving an honest review. They are always shot on a smartphone, often with the front camera, and they feature a person speaking directly into the camera. The ads should feel unscripted, unpolished, and authentic.
Making these ads should be simple. You can take out your phone, remember a few key points, and just make a quick overview of what your product or service has to offer. If you don’t want to do it yourself, there are hundreds of willing creators on TikTok, or you can even find them on Fiverr.
Just make sure they don’t oversell the product, as people will dismiss it right away if the coverage is too positive.
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Problem/Solution
This is one of the classics that still works, especially if you adapt it to the TikTok format.
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The Hook (1-3 seconds)
Start strong. You can use visual hooks or even some weird and engaging questions to get people interested. You can also start with a highly relatable problem. The goal is to get the people to stop scrolling and pay attention to what you have to say. You need to point the user's attention to the product or service, and provide payoff for that attention right away.
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The Aha Moment (3-6 seconds)
Once you have them hooked, it's time to show them what you have to offer. Introduce your product or service and act like you just discovered it, and it's already changing the way you do things.
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The Demo (7-15 seconds)
Now that they are interested, it's time to show them more. Quickly show the product or service in action. Show how it solves a specific problem and how it helps you. Try making the payoff satisfying and hype it up so that they realize that this could be helping them as well.
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The CTA
Now it's time to sell it. End with a clear call to action and get them to your landing page.
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Trendjacking
This is one of the things that works pretty good. It involves you using currently trending sounds, memes, or formats and integrating your product into them. This requires you to be active on the platform and spot these trends while they are at their peak. If done right, you can get a huge boost to your content’s popularity and get way better results right away.
Things You Should Know
Here are a couple of things you should know about the platform if you want to win big and keep on winning!
Best Practices for Creatives
Like we mentioned a couple of times, UGC is king, but here is a checklist of things you should pay attention to:
- Hook within the first 3 seconds.
- Shoot everything vertically in a 9:16 aspect ratio, and leave a bit of safe space on all sides for your text and CTAs.
- Use text overlays to highlight key benefits, and even add captions to get the attention of users who watch content with low volume or muted!
- Use clear, verbal, and visual CTAs. Tell them exactly what to do.
- Always use sound. Background music is a must on TikTok, and you should always have it, even though it should be at low volume.
- Keep it short and punchy. Keep your ads around the 15-second range, 30 seconds max.
TikTok’s Strict Compliance
While not on the level Meta was a few years ago, TikTok still has some strict content guidelines that will get you in trouble if you ignore them. Here are the most common reasons your ads will get rejected:
- Exaggerated Claims
Get-rich-quick schemes, unrealistic promises, before-and-after shots, and claims that are not addressed in your landing page
- Poor Quality Video or Audio
These are almost always disapproved while uploading, so you know right away
- Static Images or Slideshows
TikTok is a video platform, while there is a toggle for image ads on some ad accounts, uploading a photo as a video will likely get you rejected
- Landing Page Missmatches
Your content and LP need to match. If you advertise one thing, but sell another, you will get flagged
- Missing Legal Information
Your LP needs to have a clear and accessible privacy policy, terms of service, and contact information
Algorithm Changes
Even with the best ads, the algorithm is always changing, and so should your content. What works today might not work tomorrow, and the best way to always stay on top is to always test new things.
On TT, the algorithm is often volatile, and ad fatigue quickly becomes an issue, so what you can do is find your winners and create variations of them. This could be new hooks, changes in the length, new music, different actors, different CTAs, and new angles.
Conclusion
Having winning ads on TikTok is a skill that can be learned. You need to stay on top of trends, video styles, and always have new and interesting ideas. Your goal is to entertain first, and sell second.
By embracing the platform's unique formats and creating authentic, value-driven content, you can get access to one of the largest and most engaged audiences in the world. It’s an opportunity you don't want to miss!
Have you used TikTok ads? What were your keys to success? Share it with us in the comments below!
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