To TikTok, or not to TikTok … that is the Question

The Pros and Cons of TikTok Advertising 

People spend *a lot* of time on TikTok - and not just Gen Z. In a forecast of time spent on social media platforms, TikTok users aged 25 - 54 spend over 45 minutes per day on the app. This is much more time spent on any other social media platform.


This is great news for advertisers as this age bracket has more spending power than the younger generation. As a brand, how do you decide if you want to wade into TikTok? Below we’ve outlined some Pros and Cons of TikTok Advertising. 


TL;DR TikTok is a great place to get in front of a global audience using targeted ads. But! TikTok advertising is pretty expensive and without the right ads that feel organic to the platform - and more importantly organic to your brand - you run the risk of not getting the results you want. 

PROS

  1. You can get specific with your ads and it's easy to track performance within the platform

  2. Expands your brand's reach. If desired, you can go global!

  3. Reach a diverse audience and countless niches. Don’t be fooled that it’s only composed of 16-24 year olds.,59% of users are over the age of 25. 

  4. Ads feel personalized since they are served alongside organic content. This gives you the freedom to make something unique and/or work with an influencer whose page aligns with your brand.

  5. There are numerous versatile ad formats that help facilitate strong engagement.

    1. Ad formats include top view ads, brand takeover ads, in-feed ads, and more

  6. Audiences can engage with your ads in unique ways which helps extend your reach.

    1. Stitch your videos, duet your videos, use your sound for their videos 

CONS

  1. Tiktok ads aren’t cheap. - ads require a daily budget of $50, but it’s often recommended that you spend no less than $100/day - and that’s just for starters.

  2. Creative must be monitored and swapped frequently and you must use video (static images do not perform well) and if you’re working with an influencer, you can give branding dos/don’ts but you will lose some of your creative oversight

  3. Despite the short video length, creating high quality, engaging content requires a large investment of time and money.

  4. If the ads don’t feel organic or relevant, it’s easy to scroll right past them. 

  5. Tiktok is becoming more competitive  as many advertisers are expanding advertising here.

If you want more information on TikTok advertising, don’t hesitate to contact us or check out these helpful resources: 

References:

https://www.insiderintelligence.com/content/gen-zers-aren-t-only-tiktok-addicts 

https://brands.joinstatus.com/advertising-on-tiktok 

https://www.mkfm.com/news/technology-in-mk-with-biztech/the-pros-and-cons-of-tiktok-for-businesses/ 

https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2020/08/11/advertising-on-tiktok 

https://propelrr.com/blog/tiktok-marketing-pros-and-cons 

Photo: ©Markus Winkler