TikTok Ads: Everything you need to know in 2025

1. In-feed Ads

In-feed ads are the standard ad format on TikTok and appear between user videos while scrolling through the For You Page. These ads can be up to 60 seconds long, supporting full-screen and sound-on formats, as well as customizable call-to-actions and website links.

2. Branded effects

Branded effects allow brands to create interactive and shareable custom filters, stickers, and special effects lasting up to ten days on the platform. They increase user interaction, encouraging people to create content featuring the brand’s custom effect.

3. Hashtag challenges

Hashtag challenges are a unique ad format where brands can involve the TikTok community by encouraging them to create content around a campaign theme marked with a specific hashtag. This increases engagement and virality as users participate and share their videos.

4. TopView Ads

TopView ads capture attention as they appear at the very top of the TikTok feed when users first open the app. These ads can last up to 60 seconds and play with sound and full-screen video – particularly effective for achieving maximum visibility and a high number of impressions.

5. Branded takeovers

Branded takeovers are full-screen ads that appear when a user first opens TikTok. These can be 3-5 seconds of static or dynamic content, including videos or GIFs. This format helps capture user attention immediately with branded elements and the option to include a link to drive traffic.

6. Spark Ads

TikTok Spark Ads allow brands to boost organic posts by others or their own content as native ads. This format helps increase the authenticity of TikTok Ad content since you can leverage existing posts that users may have already interacted with or shown interest in.

7. Carousel Ads

Carousel Ads enable showcasing a series of images and videos in a single ad, each with its own clickable call-to-action. This format is excellent for businesses that want to highlight multiple products or various features of a single product in a compact medium.

8. Video shopping ads

Video shopping ads are tailored for eCommerce businesses that want to drive sales directly from the app. These ads link directly to product pages where users can complete a purchase. This seamless integration can significantly increase conversion rates.

9. Image ads

Image ads appear in the news feed among user content. They are simple, static images that can include an embedded link to direct users to a landing page. This TikTok Ad type is suitable for campaigns focusing on high-quality visuals with less emphasis on video content.

10. Dynamic showcase ads

Dynamic showcase ads use real-time, performance-driven personalization to display relevant products to users based on their behaviors and preferences. This type of TikTok Ad is highly effective for retargeting and increasing relevance for a specific target audience.

11. Collection ads

Collection ads allow users to browse products without leaving TikTok. This format combines the power of video with the ability to showcase a collection of products – users open the app and have an immediate path from discovery to purchase.

12. Deeplinks

Deeplinks in TikTok Ads direct users to specific content or pages within an app or website, bypassing navigation barriers and streamlining the user journey. This is particularly useful for promotions where a specific landing page is crucial for campaign success.

13. Pangle Ads

Pangle ads are served across the broader ByteDance ecosystem, which includes other apps and platforms. This allows advertisers to extend their reach beyond TikTok to a larger, diversified audience, leveraging cross-app data for targeted advertising.

Step 2. Pick an advertising objective

Define the goals for your campaign, for example, increasing brand awareness, driving traffic to a website, or boosting conversions. TikTok Ads Manager allows you to choose from various advertising objectives, so make sure to align them with your business goals appropriately.

Step 3. Create a name for your campaign

Create a new campaign on your TikTok account by selecting the appropriate campaign type based on your chosen objectives. Naming your campaign is important for later analysis and management, especially when running multiple campaigns simultaneously.

Step 4. Create and name your ad group

You can create multiple ad groups within each campaign to test different creatives, target audiences, or ad placements. Again, naming each ad group descriptively based on its unique focus will help you organize and track their performance more efficiently.

Step 5. Set a target audience

Identify and set your target audience based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and more. TikTok provides valuable tools to precisely target your ads to users most likely to be interested in your products or services, enhancing campaign effectiveness.

Step 6. Set an ad group budget and schedule

Determine the budget for each ad group and decide whether it will run on a daily or lifetime budget basis. Setting a schedule for your ads is also essential to ensure they are displayed at optimal times for engagement during high user traffic.

Step 7. Set bidding and optimization

Choose your bidding strategy based on what you’re willing to pay per impression, click, or conversion. TikTok offers several bidding options to optimize your ads for the best possible results, depending on your campaign goals.

Step 8. Upload an ad

Upload the creatives for your ads, including videos, images, or text. Ensure your content is engaging and follows TikTok’s Ad creatives guidelines to maximize user engagement and meet the platform’s standards.

Step 9. Set your destination page

Link your ads to an appropriate landing page that reflects the campaign’s message and encourages users to take your desired action, like installing an app or buying a product. This could be your website’s homepage, a specific product page, or a custom landing page.

Step 10. Submit your ad

Once your ad is ready and all settings are configured, submit it for review. TikTok will verify that the ad meets all advertising policies – format and functionality, prohibited content, and restricted content – before it goes live; otherwise, it might not be accepted or perform well.

1. Use music

Music is essential to the TikTok experience. Including popular or catchy tunes increases an ad’s appeal and makes your content stand out in a multi-sensory medium. Test out music that aligns with the brand message and ensure it’s in the public domain or commercially licensed.

2. Hook the viewer in 3 seconds

TikTok is naturally fast-paced. Start your ads with a compelling hook – be it an intriguing question, a surprising fact, or an eye-catching visual – to grasp and keep the viewer’s interest. This increases the chance of the audience taking action.

3. Update your ads

Regularly updating your ads with fresh content and new messages prevents ad fatigue. Trends on TikTok change rapidly, so by staying current, you ensure that your ad content remains relevant and engaging.

4. Collaborate with other creators

Partnering with TikTok creators and influencers can amplify your reach and lend authenticity to your brand. Creators already have established audiences who trust their content, which can be an organic way to introduce your brand to new audiences and make the ad feel more genuine.

5. Include CTAs

Clear CTAs guide users on what to do after watching your ad. Whether it’s visiting a website, joining a challenge, or following your TikTok page. Effective CTAs convert viewers into active participants and potential customers. Make it clear, compelling, and easy to follow.

Use built-in and third-party analytics tools

The TikTok marketing system provides comprehensive analytics through its Ads Manager, which offers detailed reports on performance metrics like views, engagement, and user demographics.

In addition to TikTok’s own tools, consider integrating other platforms for deeper insights or third-party aggregate data. Tools like Google Analytics, Hubspot, or Sprout Social can offer additional layers of data analysis and cross-platform performance assessment.

Segment your campaign data

Break down your data by demographics, ad type, or placement to find which segments are performing best. This can massively help tailor your ads to target the most responsive audiences and is especially useful for long-term brand development and engagement.

Conduct A/B testing

Regularly test different versions of your ads (A/B testing) to see what content, formats, and messages resonate best with your audience. Since you’re using very similar content, A/B testing can help you zone into smaller details that affect the overall performance of your TikTok videos.

How to run ads on TikTok with A/B testing? Simply adjust elements like the CTA, music, visuals, language use, and even branded hashtag options to determine which variations perform best.

Set campaign benchmarks

Finally, just as you would set a goal, make sure to introduce performance benchmarks. These can be based on your industry standards if you can find them, or past campaign performances. This comparison can help identify areas of brand strength and opportunities for improvement.