If you haven’t lived under a rock the past few years, you know that TikTok isn’t just a platform for lip-syncing and trendy dance moves anymore. TikTok is considered a marketing powerhouse and can skyrocket your brand to viral success overnight. But don’t break out into a TikTok victory dance just yet.
The secret to marketing success in 2022 is out, and 40% of marketers are taking advantage of TikTok advertising. So, how can you compete while unlocking your brand’s advertising potential on the platform?
We have scoured TikTok’s Creative Center and identified three breakthrough TikTok ads that will help you master marketing trends on the platform. If you didn’t know already, the Creative Center is a must-have for any business on TikTok and can be used to gain insight into advertising success stories.
Ready to learn more and unlock your marketing potential on the platform? We’ll tell ya exactly what it takes to get your ad noticed.
Read on to find out how to optimize your TikTok ads now!
Advertisement 1: Music City Creative
Campaign Objective: Conversions
Two stars (what the content does well):
- Behind-the-scenes content
- Length of video
A wish (what could improve):
- A clear call to action
Music City Creative is a small business and queer-owned apparel brand. At nearly 3,000 likes, their ad showcases one of their most popular shirt designs and has struck a chord with their TikTok audience. “Y’all means you all” is displayed proudly on the front of the tee.
The apparel brand unveiled the process of manufacturing its top-selling product and generated a lot of buzz. How? Well, they created content with their TikTok audience in mind. Believe it or not, TikTok users love engaging with behind-the-scenes content.
They also optimized the length of their video. If you have a lot to squeeze into an advertisement, the optimal ad length on TikTok is between 21 to 34 seconds. This advertisement sits at a sweet spot, 26 seconds to be exact. Conversions achieved!
Music City Creative killed it with this advertisement, but there’s still room for improvement. Even though their CTR jumped by the end of the ad, they didn’t take advantage of the opportunity to establish a clear call to action. Did they merely want their audience to click the link to their shop? If so, they should vocalize it! Make your video more compelling by adding captions or text bubbles.
So, what can we learn from this?
- Always plan your content with your TikTok audience in mind. What are TikTok users most likely to engage with on the platform? Learn more about engaging TikTok content here.
- Pay attention to the length of your content. The shorter, the better! Remember, the optimal ad length is less than 34 seconds.
- Make sure your content has a clear call to action. Consider what you want your audience to do. Then, add text to finalize it.
Advertisement 2: Gen Z Girl Gang x Adobe Express
Campaign Objective: App Installs
Two stars:
- It’s creative and tells an inspiring story
- It targets one of TikTok’s largest demographics
A wish:
- Keep the ad shorter!
Gen Zers are generally experts in the art and science of making content. I mean, they basically grew up on social media.
With a whopping 60% of Gen Z using TikTok in 2022, it makes sense why they’re creating so much quality video material online!
It’s time to meet the next generation of social media influencers – Gen Z Girl Gang (GGG). The group is a collective made up mainly of young people who aim to spread equity and bridge generational gaps, all while building community online.
Adobe saw their potential and decided to collaborate. It paid off! GGG ultimately achieved almost 5,000 likes on their advertisement. So, what’s their secret?
GGG’s ad accomplished something that is no easy feat on TikTok’s advertising platform; they produced a creative and inspiring piece of marketing content. The founder of the organization, Deja Foxx, starts by introducing herself, “when I started my organization out of my college dorm room, I used Adobe Express…to create our first ever posts and stories to really build our brand.” Inspiring, right?
Who doesn’t like hearing motivational stories about young entrepreneurs chasing their dreams? Especially as a young entrepreneur yourself, you might be encouraged to engage with their advertisement.
On top of creating an inspiring and creative story to encourage young people to download their app, Adobe was also able to target a Gen Z audience by collaborating with GGG. The likes speak for themselves! It’s remarkable what you can do when you cater relevant content to your audience.
Is there anything GGG could improve here? While GGG and Adobe Express garnered a massive click-through rate by the end of their video, there may have been potential to get even more app installs. Over 60% of brands that show off their product within the first 3 seconds of an advertisement achieve the highest CTRs. In other words, this ad was on the longer side at a lengthy 32 seconds. However, GGG and Adobe Express chose to prioritize telling an authentic story to their audience, and it ended up working in their favor.
So, what can you learn here?
- Craft an inspiring story.
- Target a Gen Z audience. Consider who they are most likely to engage with on the platform.
- Keep your ad concise, and show off your product early in the video.
Advertisement 3: Paper and Packaging Board
Campaign Objective: Traffic
Two stars:
- Vivid colors and uses eco-friendly brand messaging
- Short and snappy
A wish:
- Add text to enhance story-telling
Brands promoting their products aren’t the only groups who find marketing success on TikTok. The Paper and Packaging Board, a government-appointed body, aimed at encouraging the use of paper-based packaging, successfully produced an ad with over 3,000 likes. Not too bad!
The Paper and Packaging Board took several actions to achieve their campaign objective. Their promotional campaign, How Life Unfolds, used vivid colors and eco-friendly messaging alongside a unique animation of cute forest animals rapping about sustainability. It is the shortest ad on our list at 15 seconds. And, at the 10-second mark, their CTR went through the roof.
Ultimately the How Life Unfolds campaign succeeded in its objective, but if the board genuinely wanted to optimize its content, they should introduce closed captioning or other text into their videos. Closed captioning is not only an excellent idea for accessibility reasons, but also text generally aids in storytelling and content optimization.
Overall, they did a great job!
What can you learn from this?
- Add vivid colors. Use images and frames that promote your brand’s message.
- We might sound like a broken record at this point, but keep your ad short and snappy.
- Add text or closed captions to enhance your storytelling.
Recap
So, why are these ads so successful? Well, let’s take a look at some of the factors that contribute to their success. First of all, they’re creative and exciting. They capture people’s attention and make them want to watch them all the way through. They also use the unique features of TikTok that other platforms don’t offer, such as the ability to add text to video. Second of all, they’re relevant. The brands and organizations that produce these ads know their target audience and create content that appeals to them. As a final note, the most successful ads keep their videos as concise as possible. They know the importance of keeping their viewers engaged. Incorporate these techniques into your TikTok marketing strategy today!
Want to learn more? Check out our other blog content on TikTok!
Click here to learn more about the basics of creating trending TikTok content.
Click here to study up on 5 TikTok video formulas guaranteed to make your brand go viral.