As the calendar approaches the busiest time of the year, developing discovery and brand awareness campaigns is critical in an increasingly competitive market. Standing out in a newsfeed filled with thousands of media ads creates new brand opportunities. In a fast-paced industry like advertising, where trend creation may happen overnight, it is difficult for media buyers to constantly test what works and what doesn’t. Ineffectiveness due to erroneous setup or inattention to campaign movement can sometimes deter campaign success, especially for multi-platform promotion.

Even for a newcomer in the paid social industry, TikTok has become one of the most potent marketing tools. TikTok ads have helped brands reach the next level through billions of entertaining content, app user engagement, and receptiveness to their native content. According to recent data, over 75% of TikTok users discover new trends and products on the app. FYP page has become a hotbed for future viral content, giving more reasons for users to spend more time watching vertical videos.

There are still client reservations around TikTok. Here are some of the more common hesitations: 

TikTok’s Audience Skews Younger Than My Demographic 

TikTok is an emerging platform for brands looking for audiences outside the Meta and Google ecosystems. A familiar advertiser’s reservation on TikTok ad conversation “TikTok is great, but my audience skews to an older age group.” 

Data from TikTok shows that the platform has multigenerational audiences that are highly motivated to discover new brands and products. A large percentage of its user base is Gen Z and Millennials. Still, the time spent by older age groups is gradually increasing, with more time swiping short-form videos or creating content that’s taking TikTok by storm.

Looking at the chart, 72% of TT users are in the 18+ age range, while just under half are within the ages of 25-55 that have primary purchasing power. TikTok expands rapidly in the audience with greater earnings while maintaining brand loyalty build-ups for younger groups.

Moreover, it is also worth noting that on Facebook and TikTok’s data, their female users outnumber male users; 61% of TikTok’s users are women, while 59% are on Facebook. IRI’s report reflects how female GenZ TikTok users are more likely to be influenced to purchase a product after they discover it on TikTok videos.

Related article: Elevate Organic Growth with TikTok Spark Ad

Which has more ad loads TikTok or Instagram?

Make TikTok, not ads. TikTok aims to create more hyper-engaging ads through more authentic and relatable content. These fun and entertaining videos draw app users to their screens and introduce them to products used or shown by fellow TikTok community members. Media buyers can leverage high-performing content as it will blend into viewers’ FYP feed, creating more native-feeling videos than watching an ad.

TikTok’s ad load is lighter than competitors, and they plan to keep it that way. Based on a report, 74% of consumers value brands that are keeping their ad loads low. On average, TikTok loads an ad for every ten organic posts, while Instagram has two ads in the same span. As an advertiser, prioritize creating a more impactful ad that produces a lasting impression.

Related article: More ads are coming to Instagram, including your profile feed

Are TikTok Ads More Expensive Than Other Paid Social Platforms?

Strike’s media buyers know first-hand the importance of understanding advertising costs and budgets when creating a media plan. Looking at Strike’s aggregated data for campaigns focused on optimizing impressions, TikTok’s monthly CPMs were 18% and 23% more efficient than other platforms for similar campaigns last May and June 2022. The team has seen previous campaigns that have delivered good ROAS. The campaign output will fluctuate as different factors affect the ad auction for all paid social platforms. 

Related article: New Social Shopping Ads for an Ever Earlier Holiday Shopping Season

How Can TikTok Brand Awareness Objective Increase Campaign Success

One of the key ingredients in creating a successful TikTok Brand Awareness campaign is building a valuable engagement with app users. With TikTok Spark Ads, brands can boost organic or affiliated creator content as a native ad format to drive more authentic audience interactions. Based on Stike’s data, various optimized TikTok Spark Ads campaigns successfully reached and drove action to the ad.

What Are The Available Ad Formats For Awareness Objectives?

Combining a highly-engaging organic content with suitable ad formats can drive awareness, all thanks to TikTok Spark Ads. On the other hand, here’s a list of different ad formats available for Brand Awareness and Interaction objective campaigns: 

Objective	Format	Optimization	Measurement
Awareness and Interaction	Brand Auction or Reach and Video (Auction) Hashtag Challenge (Reservation) Spark Ads (Auction)	Reach and Video Views	CPM Viewability (TBA) Post-Purchase Survey (TBA) Brand lift (TBA) Multi-Touch Attribution (TBA) Media Mix Model (TBA)

Besides the above-mentioned, TikTok Interactive Add-ons are available for Auction but are dependent on the choice of buying type. In addition to providing consumers with a full-screen ad experience with sound-on, media buyers can generate more engagement by adding the following TikTok Interactive Add-ons:

• Display Card – Card type Interactive Add-ons. Highlight exclusive offer to the in-feed ads by adding cards.
• Voting Sticker – Sticker type Interactive Add-ons. Build a connection with your audience by asking about their preferences through the voting sticker.
• Countdown Sticker – Sticker type Interactive Add-ons. Give the feeling of urgency by adding a Countdown timer sticker to your in-feed ads.
• Gift Code Sticker – Sticker type Interactive Add-ons. Consumers are attracted to promos and discounts. Create an exclusive promotional code for your ad video with TikTok Gift Code Sticker.

Related article: Marketers’ guide to TikTok ad specs

TikTok Advertising Solution Offers Reach and Scalability

Media buyers continue to find the right tool in a competitive landscape where advertisers vie for consumers’ attention and keep viewers from swiping to the next video. TikTok Awareness ad objective provides a solution that will add value to every dollar spent on the platform. Brands can meaningfully connect with a broader demographic, from young and active to older and more established audiences.

As TikTok’s viewer base grows, younger audiences from other platforms are switching to TikTok, forcing advertisers to move ad money. As new users come in, TikTok’s Brand Awareness objective is becoming more efficient in increasing reach and engagement to more eyeballs. 

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