Guide to TikTok Campaigns: Mobile Apps Edition
TikTok has taken the world by storm, becoming one of the most popular social media platforms globally. With its engaging and interactive short-form videos, TikTok provides an opportunity for brands to reach a vast audience, particularly in the mobile app space.
Moreover, TikTok’s enchanting world of short videos holds the key to captivating audiences like never before (we must all agree). So, let’s uncover together the secrets to crafting compelling TikTok campaigns for your mobile apps – whether you are a beginner or just looking for some ideas.
How Does TikTok Work for App Marketers?
TikTok offers app marketers a vast and engaged audience, making it an excellent platform to promote apps effectively. With various ad formats like in-feed ads, branded hashtag challenges, branded effects, and top-view ads, marketers can creatively showcase their apps and encourage user engagement.
Partnering with TikTok creators further boosts reach and credibility. The platform’s targeted advertising ensures ads are shown to relevant demographics, maximizing app installs.
What is crucial with TikTok marketing is to have authentic and visually appealing content to capture users’ attention and drive interest.
Moreover, TikTok provides analytics tools that allow app marketers to track the performance of their content and ad campaigns. These insights help marketers refine their strategies and optimize their campaigns for better results. Overall, TikTok offers app marketers a captivating and influential platform to connect with potential users, strengthen brand loyalty, and achieve their campaign goals.
Why Is TikTok a Great Marketing Tool for App Promotion?
TikTok is a powerful marketing tool for app promotion due to its vast and engaged user base of over 1.06 billion active users worldwide. Its engagement rate of around 17.5% in 2023 and average user spending 55.8 minutes per day on the platform (it was 52 minutes in 2021) make it a great space for marketers.
With diverse ad formats like in-feed ads, branded hashtag challenges, and branded effects, TikTok offers creative possibilities to promote apps effectively.
Influencer marketing on TikTok holds significant influence, with more than 66% of users trusting influencer recommendations. Additionally, the platform’s cost-effective advertising and lower CPCs than META (sometimes they can even be $0.10 to $0.30) make it appealing to app marketers of all sizes.
TikTok Campaigns Tips and TikTok Mobile Apps Strategy
TikTok’s expansive global user base across demographics and its emphasis on short, visually compelling content give app marketers an effective channel to showcase features, demonstrate functionality, and create buzz around their apps, leading to increased downloads and user engagement.
Let’s focus on a few tips and strategies to make the most out of TikTok.
1. User-Generated Content Is the King
UGC stands as the most powerful and impactful ad format witnessed on TikTok to date. Leveraging the creativity and authenticity of user-generated content, brands can seamlessly integrate their messaging into the fabric of the TikTok community.
By adhering to the platform’s “don’t make ads, make TikToks” mantra, advertisers can forge genuine connections with users, resulting in higher engagement and resonance.
The organic nature of UGC resonates with the audience, as it feels relatable and authentic rather than intrusive or overtly promotional. It has proven to be incredibly effective in capturing users’ attention, evoking emotions, and inspiring action by encouraging app installs and further in-app events.
The power of UGC on TikTok lies in its ability to transform traditional advertising into an interactive and enjoyable experience. This unique fusion has redefined the advertising landscape, making UGC a vital and potent tool for brands aiming to make a lasting impact on the platform.
2. Test Spark Ads
TikTok’s Spark Ads for app promotion offers a win-win situation for brands and creators. Our clients have witnessed as much as a remarkable 25% improvement in critical metrics like CPI and CPA compared to traditional ads.
Creators gain free visibility, while advertisers leverage their fame to endorse apps, creating authentic and engaging content that resonates with users.
3. Test App Profile Page
The App Profile Page on TikTok can be seen as a comparable alternative to Custom Product Page ads, albeit with some differences in functionality. While it may elongate the user conversion funnel, it has the potential to be an effective advertising tool.
Our experience with some clients has shown improvements in performance, while there have been instances where it did not yield the desired results.
The App Profile Page offers a dedicated space for advertisers to showcase their apps, providing users with more in-depth information about the app’s features, benefits, and user experience. This extended interaction may contribute to better user understanding and potentially higher-quality conversions.
4. Run 4-5 Creatives at the Same Time
Running 4-5 creatives simultaneously has proven to be an ideal approach in our experience. With this number of creatives, advertisers can test different variations and styles to see what resonates best with the TikTok audience.
TikTok’s algorithm is designed to optimize ad performance, and it’s possible that it may allocate more budget to the creative it deems most effective. This is a common practice in many advertising platforms, as it aims to maximize the ad’s impact and reach.
It’s important to remember that each creative should be distinct and have a unique angle, whether it’s in the ad copy, visuals, or the call-to-action. This way, advertisers can ensure that they are testing meaningful variations that offer valuable insights into the target audience’s preferences.
In conclusion, running 4-5 creatives simultaneously is a recommended strategy on TikTok, allowing advertisers to test and optimize their campaigns effectively. By gathering data on ad performance and understanding the platform’s algorithmic behavior, advertisers can make informed decisions to improve the overall effectiveness of their TikTok advertising efforts.
5. Test Various Targeting Strategies
While it is accurate that the primary demographic on TikTok consists of Gen Z, it’s essential to recognize that the platform’s vastness enables significant outreach to older audiences as well.
Our experience has demonstrated positive outcomes for our clients on TikTok (ODXC, PhotoSi), indicating its effectiveness as a substantial and diverse platform beyond its core demographic.
Just like with many other platforms, a universal strategy doesn’t always apply. It’s crucial to experiment and gauge outcomes for yourself. Explore approaches such as testing lookalike audiences, employing broader targeting, and targeting specific interests to determine what works best for your goals.
If you’re interested in generating a lookalike audience from your customer list, please be aware that by default, this feature is exclusively accessible through IDFA and GAID matching. Nevertheless, if you have a TikTok Account Manager, they can facilitate the activation of email matching for your account.
Conclusion
Our comprehensive guide to TikTok campaigns equips you with the knowledge and strategies needed to get the best out of the immense potential of TikTok for promoting your mobile app.
By embracing the dynamic nature of short-form video content and leveraging TikTok’s platform, you can elevate your app marketing efforts, drive user adoption, and ultimately achieve greater success in today’s competitive digital landscape. Start implementing these insights today and watch your app’s success, but don’t forget to think holistically.
FAQ
What Does a Promoted TikTok Look Like?
A promoted TikTok is a visually captivating ad that seamlessly blends into users’ TikTok feeds. When scrolling through their For You page, users may encounter a promoted video that appears similar to regular user-generated content.
These ads often feature eye-catching visuals, engaging music, and a call-to-action, enticing viewers to take specific actions, such as downloading a mobile app or visiting a website.
TikTok Ad Examples
TikTok ads come in various formats, each with its unique charm. Here are some popular TikTok ad examples:
- In-Feed Ads: these ads appear as native videos on users’ For You page, integrating smoothly with organic content.
- Branded Hashtag Challenges: brands create challenges to encourage user participation, creating a wave of user-generated content around the campaign.
- Branded Effects: brands can design their augmented reality effects to enhance user engagement and brand awareness.
- Top-View Ads: high-impact, full-screen ads that appear when users open the TikTok app, ensuring maximum visibility.
How Much Are TikTok Ads?
TikTok ad costs can vary depending on several factors, including ad format, targeting options, ad duration, and the intended audience’s location. In general, TikTok offers flexibility in budgeting, allowing advertisers to set daily or lifetime budgets based on their campaign goals.
TikTok Ad Cost
Several factors can influence the cost of TikTok ads. However, TikTok is always cheaper to advertise than META (Facebook). The most common pricing models include:
- Cost-per-click (CPC): marketers pay when users click on their ads.
- Cost-per-thousand impressions (CPM): advertisers pay based on the number of ad impressions (per 1,000 views).
- Cost-per-view (CPV): marketers pay when users watch their video ads to completion.
Remember that ad costs can vary depending on the ad type, target audience, and competition within your niche. It’s essential to monitor your ad performance and adjust your budget and bidding strategy accordingly to achieve the best results.
Interested in testing TikTok ads to scale your audience and result on a performance-driven basis? Get in touch with us.
Writers: Ekin & Jovana
