Analyze, Measure, and Reach a Wider Audience

3.3 Advertising on TikTok: Take Advantage of TikTok Ads

Now that you are almost a PRO on TikTok, you have probably come across an ad or two on the platform.

If you have, then the time has come to learn about TikTok Ads! It’s the perfect moment to start promoting your content and increasing visibility for your personal brand, clients, or company.

To get started, you will need to register on TikTok Ads Manager. Unlike other platforms, on TikTok you will have to create and manage your ads directly in their tool: TikTok Ads Manager.

In addition, you will need to set up a company account on TikTok. This does mean that you’ll need a TikTok Business account linked to Ads Manager. You can either switch your current profile to Business or create a separate Business account for your brand or client.

Even if you mainly work as a content creator, understanding how ads work is a big advantage: brands and agencies expect both creators and social media managers to know how organic content can be turned into effective campaigns.

What is TikTok Ads Manager?

TikTok Ads Manager is going to be your command center where you create, optimize and measure your ads!

How to create an account in TikTok Ads Manager

This is a simple step that you must complete in order to access your ad control panel: Click here to create your TikTok Ads Manager account.

Add all the information requested by TikTok: country or region, time zone, name, phone number, the currency you will be billing in and if you work for an agency.
Then click on ‘Register’.
You can now start making your ads.

For social media marketers, Ads Manager lets you:

Set up and manage campaigns for multiple brands or clients.
Test different audiences, creatives, and objectives.
Export performance reports and use them in your strategy decks.

For creators, it helps you:

Understand how your UGC can be reused as paid content.
Offer “content + paid usage” packages.
Run small tests on your own videos before pitching concepts to brands.

Types of ads on TikTok

Before we get down to business and since you already know the power of TikTok and its advertising, we’ll show you what types of ad formats you can have in the app: you will also have examples of advertising in TikTok.

It is an ad that is displayed to capture the full attention of the user with multiple possibilities in full screen and without other distractions. The user sees the ad and devotes full attention to the content.

✅Up to 60 seconds long.
✅ You can include sounds and have it play automatically.

Use case: Ideal for big launches or hero campaigns (for example, a new product drop, seasonal campaign, or major event). Social media marketers can use this to maximize reach on a key date, while creators might appear as the “face” of the TopView in collaboration with the brand.

This is the type of ad that appears to the user as soon as they open the TikTok app. They are the most expensive ads, because they appear when you enter the app ensuring that the user is going to see it.

✅ Video played in full screen.
✅ Possibility of adding static or dynamic images.
✅ From 3 to 5 seconds long.

Use case: Great for awareness (retailers, events, entertainment releases).

You are more than likely familiar with these types of ads. They appear in the feed of your ‘For You’ page.

✅ Up to 60 seconds of playback.
✅ This video acts as a regular post, so users who reach your ad can interact with it: like it, comment, etc.

Use case: Perfect for always‑on campaigns, traffic, and conversions.

One of TikTok’s most successful content types are videos with a challenge that are accompanied by a hashtag.

Here, the brand tests the engagement of users by proposing a challenge, which they can share and go viral by reaching new users.

In this type of advertising on TikTok:

✅ Your hashtag will appear as a banner for 6 days in the ‘Trends’ section.

Users will be able to see the hashtag and the instructions to that challenge.

Use case: Ideal for UGC at scale. You can design a challenge (e.g., “show your routine”, “show your favorite product hack”). The hashtag usually gets premium placement in the Trends/Discover section for several days, driving participation.

If you have created a filter, special effects or stickers, use them to promote your brand or online store.

By advertising these details, users will be able to use them in their videos and make them go viral.

✅ Reach more people by enhancing the user experience with filters and special effects.
✅ Make your brand viral and attract new users.

Use case: Great for playful, visual brands (beauty, fashion, sports, entertainment).

This is an ad format that promotes organic content published by the account advertising it or by other content creators, as long as they have the creators’ authorization to do so.

Within the Privacy screen, each creator can choose which videos they want to authorize for ads and which they don’t.

This is content that appears natively in the ‘For You’ Feed.

This type of ads allows you to continue to see interesting content for the user, since it respects their interests, while allowing companies to promote themselves through their publications or those of other content creators.

Use case: Very powerful for both social media marketers and creators. Marketers can take a top‑performing organic video (from the brand account or from a creator, with permission) and scale it with budget. Creators benefit from more reach and followers, while brands convert more efficiently because the content looks native.

This type of advertising is perfect to increase sales, through uploading videos on TikTok giving visibility to your products. Discover your potential customers during the buying process. You can use two types of ads: video shopping ads and LIVE shopping ads.

Use case: Ideal for e‑commerce brands and service providers selling digital products.

TikTok allows you to grow on the platform with its “Promote” ads feature. In four simple steps, you can advertise a TikTok from the app: choose the post, set a goal, define a budget, complete the payment, and then wait for the results! You can choose to increase views, visits, or followers.

Use case: Perfect for creators and social media marketers who want to quickly test paid promotion without setting up a full campaign. You can boost a video that is already performing well organically, then use the learnings to build more advanced campaigns in Ads Manager.

Types of ads on TikTok

By now, you understand the types of ads TikTok offers and how to set up your Ads account.

But running ads isn’t just about budget and targeting — creativity plays a huge role. That’s why TikTok provides several built-in tools to help you improve your ad performance, spot trends, and produce stronger content.

What solutions does the social network offer you?

Creativity Center: Explore trending data, sounds, hashtags, and performance insights to inspire your next videos.
Creator Marketplace: Find the perfect TikTok creator to promote your brand (or be found by a brand).
Creative Exchange: Connect with the best creatives to create your videos.
Creative Tools: Use TikTok’s editing tools and templates for your videos.

If you want to know more about how ads work from scratch, check out TikTok Academy!

TikTok Academy

From Creating Ads to Measuring What Works

Using TikTok’s creative tools helps you launch campaigns. But the real difference between guessing and growing lies in understanding your results.

That’s where Metricool comes in.

Metricool connects your organic TikTok content and your TikTok Ads account in one dashboard, so you can see the full picture and make data-driven decisions.

How Metricool Supports Your TikTok Strategy

1. Connect TikTok and TikTok Ads

Link your TikTok profile and Ads account to view organic videos and paid campaigns side by side.

If you manage multiple brands or creators, you can keep all profiles and ad accounts organized in one place — and compare performance easily.

2. Track Organic Content to Find “Ad-Ready” Videos

Monitor growth, engagement (likes, comments, shares, watch time), and views to identify which videos resonate most.

Turn top-performing organic posts into Promote campaigns or Spark Ads — or use them as inspiration for new ad creatives.

3. Measure TikTok Ads Performance

Access key metrics such as:

Impressions
Clicks and CTR
Conversions (purchases, sign-ups, app installs)
Cost metrics (CPM, CPC, total spend)

Compare campaigns, creatives, and objectives to understand what’s delivering the best results — and where to allocate more budget.

4. Learn, Adjust, and Plan

Use real data to refine your strategy:

Replicate winning hooks, formats, and first-three-second patterns
Test variations
Align your content calendar with paid campaigns
Double down on formats that consistently perform

5. Manage Your Entire Social Strategy in One Place

Combine TikTok organic and paid data with other platforms (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, etc).

Schedule posts, organize campaigns on a unified calendar, and track bio traffic and ad results with tools like SmartLinks.

Your Learning Journey

Explore what’s next and stay on track. You’re in control of your progress!

Let’s keep learning!

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Here are the answers to Module 2 Quiz:

1: a
2: b
3: a
4: c
5: b

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