The 5 Top Takeaways from Launching My First TikTok Campaign

As a search marketer by trade, I’m no stranger to paid advertising campaigns, particularly in the world of search and display. Over the years, I’ve honed my skills in channels like Google and Microsoft Ads, and I’ve written extensively about the pros of this field here. However, as platforms like Google continue to push Performance Max campaigns, I’ve been spending more time focusing on video-based ads. This has taken me back to my production days, where I found joy in video creation and scriptwriting.

Given that my company was already creating video assets for YouTube, I thought—why not take these videos and give TikTok a shot? After all, it’s one of the fastest-growing ad platforms, and it offers a unique way to reach new audiences. What I found was that TikTok’s advertising platform is significantly different from Google, Bing, and other platforms I’ve used. With that said, let me break down the top five lessons I learned from running my first TikTok campaign, to help you can find success in your marketing.

Lesson One: Creative Variants Are a Must

When running ads on platforms like Google Search or Display, I’ve often found that one or two creative variants per target audience can easily last a quarter, especially in a well-established campaign. TikTok, however, plays by different rules.

On this platform, creative fatigue sets in much more quickly. I noticed that my ads only stayed fresh for a few days before performance started to decline. So, unlike other platforms where you can let ads run longer, on TikTok, you need multiple creative variants and fresh copy to keep things exciting.

If you’re planning to run campaigns on TikTok, prepare a library of creative assets. Multiple versions of the same ad—with subtitles, text overlays, or even music—will go a long way in ensuring your ads perform consistently over time.

Lesson Two: Content Creators Matter

One of the more surprising discoveries I made was the importance of who appears in your ads. When testing creative, one of the variants involved using different content creators for the same ad concept. I quickly saw a significant difference in performance depending on the person featured in the video.

This highlighted the importance of experimenting with different creators and personalities when launching TikTok ads. Some creators may resonate more with your audience than others. Testing multiple creators allowed me to better align with my target demographic and enhance engagement.

So, if you’re using influencers or in-house talent for your ads, be sure to test different subjects and find out who works best for your brand.

Lesson Three: Bulk Editing Features Are Available

Coming from a background of bulk ad editing on platforms like Google Ads, I was surprised at how different TikTok’s interface was. At first, I thought TikTok lacked bulk editing features, but after some digging, I discovered that they do offer a way to edit ads in bulk, including changing ad headlines and CTAs.

You can use TikTok’s bulk import/export feature to edit multiple ads at once. This capability was a lifesaver when I needed to spin up creative quickly. If you’re working with a large volume of ads, this feature will definitely save you time. Here’s a guide that explains how to use it.

Lesson Four: Run-of-Network Is Not Cheap

For those unfamiliar, run-of-network (RON) refers to targeting all available ad inventory on a platform without narrowing down the audience by interests, behaviors, or intent. Typically, on platforms like Google Display Network, or programmatic platforms, RON campaigns can help lower costs since you’re casting a wider net.

However, on TikTok, I didn’t see a decrease in CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) when running a run-of-network campaign, even though I only used age and location targeting. This was different from my experience on other channels, where broader targeting often leads to lower costs. TikTok’s platform seems to maintain a higher level of cost consistency across targeted and untargeted campaigns.

That said, I still recommend testing RON for yourself, as results can vary. For me, running a customer acquisition campaign for a service-based company didn’t result in the cost efficiencies I had hoped for, but depending on your product or service, it might still be worth a try. Here’s a helpful guide on TikTok’s ad targeting options.

Lesson Five: Use Your Audiences Wisely

TikTok offers several targeting options, including remarketing and lookalike audiences. In my first campaign, I didn’t have proper audience tracking in place, which resulted in broader targeting than I would have preferred. As a result, my CPA wasn’t as low as it could have been.

If I were to run this campaign again, I would start by setting up a seed audience from the very beginning. This gives TikTok’s algorithm a starting point to work with and optimizes your ads for better results. With TikTok’s massive user base—one of my target audiences was over 30 million people—it’s better to give the platform some direction on where to focus. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself casting too wide of a net, which can lead to inefficiencies in your campaigns.

TikTok: A Channel Worth Testing

There you have it—my top five takeaways from running my first paid TikTok campaign. As a seasoned marketer, I’m always looking for new platforms and opportunities to expand my skills, and TikTok proved to be an exciting challenge.

If you have a testing budget and are curious about TikTok, I strongly encourage you to give it a shot. You might find a new audience, engage in some creative experimentation, and generate solid results for your business.

Feel free to reach out if you’re ready to dive into TikTok ads but need help getting started. I’m happy to share more insights and tips to help you achieve success!