ADVERTISING
TikTok Ads: why most campaigns fail to deliver results
TikTok Ads remain one of the paid channels with the lowest CPM on the Italian market, but most campaigns fail for one specific reason: they import…
- WHAT WORKS
- Videos that look like normal content. Glossy advertising gets skipped
- WHO'S THERE
- Far more than teenagers, and costs are still low
- PRODUCTION
- Shot on a phone, edited tight
IN SHORT
On TikTok you need videos made for TikTok. An ad recycled from Instagram is spotted instantly there, and skipped. Views cost less than elsewhere, and they pay off if the first second grabs attention and every stage of the buying journey has its own message. Spark Ads, search ads, live streams and TikTok Shop, for e-commerce, food, training and even companies selling to other businesses.
The format rules
THE AD HAS TO LOOK LIKE ANY OTHER VIDEO
01
The audience
Who will see the ad: your lists, lookalikes, interests, people who have already visited you.
02
The creative
The vertical format is the message. We produce variants and pit them against each other.
03
The test
Every two weeks we switch off what isn’t delivering and move the budget to where it works.
What’s included
WHAT WE DO,
IN PRACTICE
01
Clear goals before filming
Measurable goals, an audience split by age, location and behaviour, a flexible budget with a share set aside for testing.
02
Videos shot for TikTok
Short stories filmed specifically for the platform, with the hook in the first second and a direct message. If needed, we bring in creators.
03
Every format on the platform
Spark Ads to boost content that already works, search ads, live shopping and integration with TikTok Shop.
04
Test, watch, move the budget
What works today might stop working tomorrow. We test formats and content, and move the budget to where it performs.
Videos that grab attention, decisions made on the numbers
On TikTok you win with short visual stories that make good use of every second, and with a clear message for your audience. Every campaign is a story that fits into the flow of the platform and into your style.
The decisions, though, are made by the data. We watch the numbers while the campaign runs, see what works and adapt. We test formats and content, and new features as soon as they come out, because curiosity is part of the method. A share of the budget always goes on A/B tests.
How we work
FROM ZERO TO A RUNNING CAMPAIGN, IN FOUR STEPS
STEP 01 OF 04
01
We find the tone
On TikTok, glossy advertising gets skipped. You need a direct way of speaking, sometimes far from the company's official tone.
02
We produce in batches
Instead of one perfect video, five or six versions shot quickly. Tight editing and the first two seconds make the difference.
03
We test and cut
We pit them against each other and see which ones keep people watching and bring clicks. The others get switched off without regrets.
04
We bring the lead home
A form inside TikTok or a dedicated page, depending on what you sell. The step from video to lead is where almost everything gets lost.
WHAT WE WORK WITH
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We did it for
THE PROJECTS WHERE
WE DID IT
Better said up front
WHEN WE ADVISE AGAINST TIKTOK ADS
NO
Your audience isn't there
For some industrial niches, the audience on TikTok is too scattered. We check before we suggest it.
NO
The company won't accept that tone
It takes a freedom of language that not every management team feels able to allow. Better to know before filming.
NO
You want to reuse your TV ads
A horizontal video cropped to vertical is easy to spot and gets skipped. You need material designed for the format.
The questions we get asked
THE QUESTIONS WE GET ASKED MOST
How does advertising on TikTok work?
Ads appear between one video and the next, full screen, and you can also boost content already published by you or by a creator. They work when they look like normal videos on the platform, shot vertically and with a hook in the first few seconds.
Is TikTok only for companies selling to consumers?
No. Business decision-makers watch TikTok too, and the platform lets you choose the audience precisely. For companies selling to businesses it works when it shows the human and creative side of the company: people, processes, expertise, leaving the brochure tone at home.
How much does the creative matter?
It's almost everything. The budget matters less than the quality of the first second of video and how well it fits the platform. That's why we dedicate time and part of the budget to producing and testing variants.
We’ve written about it
WHAT WE’VE WRITTEN ABOUT IT
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LET'S TRY FIVE VIDEOS
AND A SMALL BUDGET
We start small, see what keeps people watching and then decide. Thirty minutes to set up the test.