TikTok is growing rapidly, and advertisers are flocking to the platform as a result. Ad revenue increases are in the mid-double digits.
But increased competition also means you can no longer just run some videos and hope for the best. Instead, you need great creative designed to capture your audience’s attention, and convert that attention into action. These 7 TikTok creative optimization tips can help.
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TikTok Ads Cheat Sheet
Building an effective TikTok campaign driven by our optimization consideration has allowed our clients to make TikTok an integral part of their larger digital plan.
1. Test Your New Creative Frequently
TikTok is a fast-moving platform. Creative can get stale quickly, which is why you need to rotate new creative in frequently. For high-volume ad spend accounts, that means a weekly creative update to test. But even if you’re operating on lower volume, testing your new creative every other week will be beneficial.
2. Allocate Enough Budget to Creative Testing
Of course, even best intentions for new creative matter little if you don’t have the resources to test them. Over the average 30 days, at least 10% and ideally 20% of your overall TikTok budget should be allocated specifically to the ad creative you are taking into the market. That’s the best way to get the learnings you need to optimize your campaigns over time.
Looking for more specifics? You need 50 conversions over 10 days for your ads to get out of the learning phase. Use this formula for your recommended budget: (50 * Expected CPA) / 10.
3. Use 2-3 Active Ads for Every Ad Set
The last thing you want is a relevant audience, with a well-set-up campaign, seeing the same ad over and over again. But you also don’t want to spread yourself so thin that everytime your audience sees your brand, it’s a different creative with no repetition. Aiming for 2-3 active ads in every ad set creates a balance between these two extremes.
FREE GUIDE
TikTok Ads Cheat Sheet
Building an effective TikTok campaign driven by our optimization consideration has allowed our clients to make TikTok an integral part of their larger digital plan.
4. Diversify Your Creative Where You Can
As your audience sees your different ads, it pays to not just have slightly different versions of the same thing. Instead, leverage creative diversification as you build your TikTok creative. Examples of creative diversification include:
- Creating some ads focusing on the product you’re selling, and some on the people buying or recommending it.
- Creating some high-level studio ads, and some based on more organic user-generated content.
- Creating different types of text overlays that prompt your audience to consider your creative in different ways.
5. Focus on Vertical Video
TikTok is a mobile-first platform, which means that the vast majority of your audience will be looking at your ads on vertical screens. Adjust your videos accordingly, exclusively using 9:16 videos. In fact, auction ads on TikTok that are shot vertically have a 25% increase of views lasting at least six seconds.
6. Hook Your Audience in the Opening Seconds
Let’s be honest: the majority of your audience will swipe to the next video quickly. Do your video ads get the point across quickly enough that they’ll still get the gist? Aim to get your most important messaging across wtihin the first three to six seconds to increase your chances of success.
7. Present Your Brand or Product Offer Immediately
Speaking of hooking your audience: at least part of your hook should be your brand or product offer. Make sure it’s clear within the first three seconds of videos. In fact, 63% of all Auction Ads with the highest CTR hgihlight their key message of product within those first three seconds.
Optimize Your TikTok Creative to Find Sustainable Success
It’s time to take your TikTok creative to the next level. The above tips can help you build a better testing strategy while also making sure that every video you create has the best possible chance of success. Implement them now, and watch your success on the platform soar.
