TikTok In-feed Ads: Overview, Types & Tutorials

In this article, we’re here to guide you through a comprehensive understanding of TikTok in-feed ads, from creative production to ad optimization, and showcase how to create compelling ad content on TikTok. Whether you’re aiming for brand exposure, app downloads, or driving sales, hope this article can find you well.

Part One: Overview of TikTok In-feed Ads

TikTok boasts over 1.5 billion active users, allowing everyone to create and share creative short videos easily. This platform is particularly beloved by younger audiences, especially Gen Z and young millennials. They actively express themselves on TikTok, seeking content that resonates emotionally and sparks inspiration.

These ads naturally blend into users’ personalized recommendation feeds, with ad durations precisely controlled between 10-60 seconds. Similar to crafted mini-dramas, they can capture the audience’s attention in a short time.

The popularity of this pattern of TikTok ads largely stems from their seamless integration with TikTok’s social content ecosystem. More importantly, the video ad format aligns with users’ purpose of enjoying video content on TikTok, creating a strong alignment between ad messages and user interests.

Part Two: TikTok In-Feed Ad Types and Specifications

TikTok offers two main purchasing options for in-feed ads: TikTok Auction In-Feed Ads and TikTok Reservation In-Feed Ads.

1. TikTok Auction In-Feed Ads

Advertisers set a budget and bid on the number of impressions they want to achieve in real time. The platform’s algorithm then selects the best ads to display to the target audience. This flexible method allows advertisers to adjust prices based on demand and competition.

2. TikTok Reservation In-Feed Ads

This option allows advertisers to reserve specific ad placements and the number of impressions (including reach and frequency). It’s ideal for campaigns that have specific requirements for timing or high exposure. This method enhances your control over ad placements, ensuring that your ads are displayed precisely at the time and location you designate.

A unique feature of in-feed ads is that they seamlessly blend into the “For You” page, making them appear indistinguishable from native content. However, when creating these ads, it’s crucial to ensure that key visual elements are not obstructed by TikTok’s user interface.

Here are the specifications for TikTok in-feed ads:

  • Duration: 5-16 seconds, with 15 seconds recommended.
  • Dimensions: 16:9, 9:16, or 1:1.
  • Resolution: 1280x720px, 720x1280px, or 640x640px.
  • File Format: Common formats like .mov, .mp4, etc., with a maximum file size of 500MB.
  • Profile Image: 1:1 ratio, in .jpg, .jpeg, .png formats, under 50KB.
  • Brand Name: 1-10 Asian characters or 2-20 Latin letters.
  • Description: 1-50 Asian characters or 12-100 Latin letters, without special characters.

Part Three: Limited TikTok Ad Campaigns

To enhance ad performance and simplify management, TikTok imposes limits on the number of campaigns, ad groups, and ads that can be active within a single ad account. These limits include:

  • Number of Campaigns per Ad Account: 999
  • Number of Ad Groups per Campaign: 999
  • Number of Ads per Ad Group: 50

If too many ad groups are running simultaneously, similar ad groups may end up competing against each other, which can negatively impact overall ad performance over time. To address this issue, you can try reducing the number of ad groups running at the same time. This approach increases the likelihood that the remaining ad groups will complete the learning phase, achieve stable results, and extend their average lifespan.

TikTok has established three levels of ad group quantities. Each ad account has a basic quota, determined by the highest monthly spend of that account over the past 12 months. It should be noted that active ad groups refer to those that are “Running” or “In Review.”

If you plan to add more ad groups, consider increasing your monthly budget. Alternatively, to create new ad groups, you can pause those with low or no spend. When the number of your active ad groups approaches half of the limit, the ad management platform will display a monitoring indicator showing your ad account’s remaining quota.

Part Four: How to Set Up TikTok In-Feed Ads

After familiarizing yourself with TikTok in-feed ads, the setup process is straightforward.

1. Choose Your Ad Creation Method

  • Simplified Mode: Allows you to quickly set up an ad in just five minutes.
  • Custom Mode: Enables you to create highly personalized ad campaigns tailored to your specific needs.

2. Simplify the Ad Creation Process

If you choose the simplified mode, the next crucial step is to define your objective. You will need to select one of the following options: increase traffic, drive community engagement, generate leads, or boost website conversions. If none of these options meet your needs, you can switch directly to the custom mode for more tailored settings.

When switching to custom mode, make sure that you have successfully added the TikTok Pixel. This feature can be configured by going to the toolbar and clicking on “Events”. Next, you’ll need to build your audience by using the available filters:

  • Location: You can only select your own country or nearby areas. For example, if you are in the UK, you cannot directly choose the US or Canada. Additionally, some countries allow you to select more specific regions or cities.
  • Demographics: This includes age and gender, helping you understand who your ad is targeting.
  • Interests and Behaviors: This filter helps you find individuals most interested in your products or services, ensuring your ads are more precisely targeted.

TikTok also offers an automated audience optimization feature that, based on ad performance, automatically targets similar users to those who have interacted with your ads. This feature requires some time to learn and adjust, so it’s recommended to try this feature when you have a sufficient budget. The next step is to set your daily budget and upload your ad content. You can either use existing posts from TikTok or upload new videos.

3. Custom Ad Creation

This feature is particularly suited for experienced advertisers but is also relatively user-friendly for beginners. Here’s how to start:

(1) Set Your Objective

If you choose “Product Sales,” you will need to decide whether to use your product catalog or showcase products through the TikTok Shop. Additionally, if you focus on conversion outcomes, you need to add a pixel to your app or website to better track ad performance.

(2) Set Up Ad Groups

After selecting your objective, the system will guide you through adding ad groups. Each ad group allows you to configure various aspects, including ad settings, audience targeting, budget, and scheduling. Based on your objective, you can further refine your ad group by optimizing placement, content relevance targeting, content exclusion, bid type, and bid strategy. The platform will estimate your ad reach in the top right corner of the page based on your targeting settings, helping you make more informed decisions.

(3) Add Ad Creative Materials

Adding creative materials to your TikTok in-feed ad campaign is similar to the simplified mode but offers more flexibility. You have three main options:

  • Upload Existing Assets: If you already have ready-made ad videos or images, you can upload them directly.
  • Select from Creative Library: If you have previously created ads that performed well, you can choose from your creative library.
  • Create New Creative Materials: Design entirely new creative specifically for this ad campaign to give your ads a unique touch.

Once you’ve completed the steps above, your TikTok in-feed ad is ready to go live! Next, be sure to continuously monitor the ad’s performance and make optimizations based on the data feedback.

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