This article is about 3 things to consider when designing an ad for TikTok. Tiktok is without a doubt one of the most popular social media apps. Between all the different types of videos and live streaming, you will always find something to watch on Tiktok. But how much do you really know about the TikTok app?
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TikTok is the house of viral videos, it’s a highly engaging platform that ranked as the most downloaded app in 2020 and 2021 with 162% DAU growth in 2019-2020. Its user base in the U.S. alone is growing at a staggering pace of five-folds and this means a lot of potential for business growth.
TikTok is a short video platform, ranging from 15 to 60 seconds where every second counts. And potentially millions of people waiting to see what you have to offer, but be careful expectations are high and users hit boring content very hard.
Here are the top 3 things to consider when designing an ad for Tiktok.
1# Create ads with vertical video in mind
TikTok is a vertical platform and you should leverage that by uploading videos with an aspect ratio of 9:16 to get the full potential of higher performance. Also, vertical videos maximize the user and brand experience.
TikTokers care about how native your ad is in their platform and they will reward you with lots of engagement if you meet their expectations. In addition to making vertical videos, you have to think musical.ly and add background music, what does that mean?
TikTok is actually built atop another musical platform named Musical.ly where all users record videos while lip-syncing the lyrics of the song. With the right background music, you will spark greater engagement and attention. But try to be conscious of what specific sounds/songs to use that fit your brand and helps capture your audience’s attention.
Read the TikTok creative specifications here.
2# Hook them and give value
There are many videos on TikTok and the information overload is real. Your goal is to produce a video that gets the user’s attention, it’s everything and if you don’t get the attention needed, you will be scrolled.
To get their attention, you should start with something unusual or a high-impact visual that hooks them to stop scrolling and check out your video. This could be anything from a smile, a crazy-looking design, or just a stop sign as your thumbnail. 
Try to discover what motivates your target audience and keeps them engaged. Maybe it’s a design where you have a text and a person in shock, surprise, or just an open mouth. In any case, your target here is to hook them in and improve your engagement rates which will enhance your overall performance of the ad.
In addition to that, you have to be concise and keep videos short because TikTok users get bored very fast and you don’t want that. They are already bombarded with videos and information all the time, some are ads from competitors and others are just silly videos.
So, think of TikTok ads as your best elevator pitch where you have less than 60 seconds, and the less time you take to give your pitch, the likelihood of getting someone’s attention will increase and the better your message will spread. Just stay focused and be quick about it but without affecting the quality of your ad.
Learn More: TikTok Ad Budget Calculator
3# Don’t make ads. Make TikToks!
TikTok Ads have changed the way we do ads. Having a company brand book, outlining tone, do’s and don’ts, look and feel…etc aren’t the main aspects of making an amazing ad on TikTok, it does things, it has a completely different logic. 
TikTok will need you to go beyond the traditional approach and really focus on the audience by adjusting the way you tell a story. This is why creating a standard ad won’t work here. Instead, you need to focus on virality and how your video could make a huge noise among all these other videos.
Virality isn’t something you could easily achieve and it comes after tons of experimenting and testing. But viral videos come in many forms and the simplest ones are those built atop of trends.
You should adapt your message to the latest trends by choosing viral music, effects, dance, or challenges; this way your odds get better and better and your chances of enhancing the performance of a campaign increases as your ad gets noticed or even outperforms your competitor.
Conclusion – An Extreme Algorithm
TikTok is taking over the world, with tons of amazing business growth opportunities that you could leverage.
Learn More: TikTok Growth Strategy 2023
However, their algorithm is so good that it reached an extreme level of personalization. You could spend hours and hours without realizing the time is passing just because the algorithm knows exactly what to show and when to show it.
As an advertiser, this is the two-edged sword that will reward you so much if your creative meets its expectations OR be your nightmare if you use an average video ad which isn’t something you want for your campaigns or business.Here is a real-life example from one of our clients, KaufDA. We tested in-house produced creatives and creator content in collaboration with influencers and you guessed it, we found our magic wand video for KaufDa by combining inspiring and authentic storytelling in one concept.
Read the KaufDA full case study and results.
However, the process isn’t easy, it requires a ton of testing and what works for one brand, won’t work for the other. But considering the 3 pieces of advice above will help you produce something that should stand out in a very competitive area or just reach out to us, we will help you find the magic wand video that will nail it for your performance marketing.
That’s it for this one, comment and share. Ciao!
