‘TikTok’ — how (not) to advertise on this platform?

The ‘TikTok’ algorithm stands out for its ability to read users’ tastes/interests/behavior and pick relevant, engaging videos accordingly. The content is delivered precisely to the users who might genuinely find it appealing. On top of that, ads usually look naturally integrated into the regular content stream, so users perceive them as ordinary videos. This not only reduces the tendency to ignore advertising but also increases user engagement, because they watch the ad content not as advertising but as just another interesting post in their feed.

To achieve great results, drive more engagement from your target audience, and grow your existing customer base, the ‘TikTok Ads Manager’ offers a wide range of ad content formats. Since this is still new in Lithuania, it’s important to get familiar with the possibilities of each one.

• ‘Top View’ ad. A content format that lets ad videos appear in the main feed with an integrated call to action button — when clicked, users are taken to external websites.
• ‘Top View’ ad. A format that appears as the first video as soon as the app opens. Content units of up to 60 seconds are perfect for ensuring very wide reach for the brand, so they have to be engaging.
• ‘Brand Takeover’ ad. Full-screen ads are the very first thing users see when they open the app, so they leave a strong impression and guarantee great reach for very large brands.
• ‘Branded Hashtag Challenge’ ad. This interactive ad format invites users to take part in various challenges using specific pre-created hashtags. This helps grow brand awareness and audience engagement.
• ‘Branded Effects’ ad. By creating various unique effects, filters, or other graphic elements, users are invited to use them in their own content — in this way fostering an interpersonal connection between the audience and the brand.
• ‘Spark’ ad. Using this format, brands can take videos that have already been uploaded and gained more popularity and use them for advertising purposes — to grow brand awareness and user engagement.

‘TikTok’ advertising effectiveness depends not just on creativity but on the ability to fit into authentic community culture. Users on this platform are looking for short, interesting, and organic stories where the visual aesthetic, sounds, and content format match their expectations.

• Effective storytelling. ‘TikTok’ users value fast and clearly structured storytelling that creates an emotional connection in just a few seconds. Brief, engaging story delivery helps hold attention while conveying the essence of the brand in an interesting way.
• Music and visual effects. To strengthen impact, various sounds, music, and visual effects are often used — these help grab and hold users’ attention and let those elements be reused when creating other videos.
• User-generated content (user generated content). User-generated content often looks natural and authentic because it resonates with the ‘TikTok’ community. For example, a quick, clearly and simply delivered message attracts the Gen Z audience.

• Big organic reach.
• Attracting younger audiences.
• Plenty of creative freedom.
• A wide choice of content types.

• Limited reach for older audiences.
• Short content lifespan.
• Heavy competition.
• The need for constant creativity.