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George Howes
How Much Do TikTok Ads Cost in 2023?
In the vibrant, fast-paced world of TikTok, advertisers scramble to tap into its massive user base. The popular video-sharing social media app has a billion users, hosting snappy, bite-sized content that younger audiences love. As such, TikTok ads have become a hot commodity for brands and businesses looking to reach this demographic.
With the introduction of TikTok's formal ads program and native video ads, the barriers to entry have lowered significantly, making it a viable option for businesses of all sizes. However, the question remains:
How much do TikTok ads cost?
Below we'll break down the costs associated with running ads on TikTok along with what determines their final price.
Factors that Influence the Cost of Your TikTok Ads
If you've navigated the TikTok landscape long enough, you'll probably know that various elements determine the overall cost of your ads. Below are the main ones to consider:
Ads Objective
Your ads objective is what you want to achieve with your campaign. Objectives, whether it’s Awareness, Consideration, or Conversion, will influence your Tiktok paid ads cost due to their varying targeting options, ad formats, and pricing models. For example, the ‘Product Sales’ objective under 'Conversions' will focus on driving sales and will be priced accordingly.
Click Through Rate (CTR) and Conversion Rate
CTR is a metric used to measure an ad campaign’s success. It defines how many people click on your ad after seeing it. Similarly, Conversion Rate measures the percentage of people who clicked on your ad and completed a desired action, such as making a purchase or filling out a form.
When percentages for both CTR and Conversion Rate are higher, it means your ad is performing well and will likely cost less. Top-performing ads that resonate with their target audience are rewarded with more favorable placement and potentially lower costs per click (CPC) or per thousand impressions (CPM) in the bidding system.
TikTok Ads Type
Your Tiktok ads type, or ad format, i.e., in-feed ads, brand takeovers, and hashtag challenges also determine your ad's cost. Each format's potential for reaching different audiences and engaging with users varies, ultimately affecting your ad’s cost.
For example, in-feed ads cost less than brand takeovers due to their less-visible placement within a user's natural content feed. Brand takeovers offer exclusivity and high visibility, making them more expensive but potentially more impactful for a brand's overall reach.
Breakdown of TikTok Ads Pricing
Ok, let's get to the big question - how much do TikTok ads actually cost?
The average cost of TikTok ads can fluctuate widely depending on several key factors. Here are some of them:
Ad Format
As mentioned, each TikTok ad format is unique, offering different levels of engagement and targeting capabilities. As a result, each format comes with its own pricing structure:
- Brand Takeovers: $50,00 daily
- In-Feed Ads: $10 per impression
- Hashtag Challenges: $80,000 to $150,000 weekly
- Branded Lenses: $80,000 daily
- TopView Ads: $65,000 daily
These prices atleast give you some idea on how much you need to invest. But remember that ad format is only one piece of the puzzle, and your audience targeting, campaign duration and ad space demand all play a role in determining the final cost.
Ad Targeting
Your ad costs on TikTok will also be influenced by your targeting specificity. Broad, more general audiences typically cost less compared to highly targeted audiences.
For example, targeting a specific age group or location with a set of chosen interests will cost more than targeting a larger demographic without these restrictions.This is because highly targeted ads typically yield better results, increasing demand and price for that ad space.
Ad Placement
Ad placement refers to where your ad appears on the platform. While TikTok does automate ad placements through its algorithm, you can choose yourself where your ads will be seen.
Some placement options include:
- Feed placement: The ad appears in users' feeds as they explore what's trending on TikTok.
- TopView placement: The ad is the first thing a user sees after launching the app.
- Hashtag Challenge placement: Your ad appears at the top of a hashtag challenge page, increasing its visibility.
Ad Auction
As mentioned, TikTok uses a bidding system to determine ad costs. This means that advertisers compete against each other for the same ad space, and the highest bidder wins.
However, the ad auction process takes into account various factors such as relevance, engagement rate, and bid amount to determine which ads get the most visibility. As such, even advertisers with smaller budgets can get their ads prioritized if they’re deemed more relevant and engaging by TikTok’s algorithm.
To increase your chances of winning the ad auction, focus on creating high-quality ads that are tailored to your target audience. This includes using catchy captions, relevant hashtags & keywords, and visuals that compel users to take a second look. You can get this information from the TikTok Creative Control Centre, which provides valuable data on ad performance and audience insights.
Setting a Budget and Cost Per Acquisition Goal for Each Campaign
When setting your TikTok ad campaign’s budget, it should correspond with your overall marketing goals and strategy. You also need to consider your Cost Per Acquisition (CPA), as you shouldn’t overspend on ads that aren't getting those all-important conversions.
Cost Per Mile (CPM)
Cost Per Mile (CPM) charges advertisers a flat rate per 1000 impressions, making it a popular pricing model for TikTok advertisers. While the average cost per 1000 views is $10.00, optimizing your ad targeting, format, and content can reduce this price.
Cost Per Click (CPC)
Cost Per Click (CPC) is straightforward since you only pay when users click on your ad. Advertisers can set a maximum bid for each click, with the highest bidders often securing the most prominent or desired ad placements.
The average TikTok ads cost per click is around $1.00, but this can be influenced not just by the bid amount but also by the ad's relevance and quality. This pricing method is typically used in sales-driven campaigns, where the focus is on getting users to visit a website or landing page.
Are TikTok Paid Ads Worth it?
Businesses everyday grapple with the idea of investing in paid ads or focusing solely on organic reach. The truth is, a combination of both can be highly effective.
With TikTok's meteoric rise and a massive, engaged user base, particularly among Gen Z and Millennials, TikTok paid ads make sense if your target audience falls within these demographics. Furthermore, TikTok ads are fairly affordable ($10 per CPM and $1.00 per CPC for targeted audiences with 5-16% engagement rates) compared to other social media giants like Facebook and Instagram.
Ultimately, in any scenario, you have to make the most out of the ad platform. While we've provided a rough estimate of the costs, it's only maximized by brands who leverage its unique, authentic, and creative content style to forge genuine connections with the audience. If you're unwilling or unable to produce such content, TikTok will deprioritize your ads, leading to wasted potential and a subpar return on investment.
Who Should Opt TikTok advertising?
Given TikTok’s diverse and extensive user base, a myriad of businesses can find their niche within the platform. While it's generally catered to younger audiences, the platform's expansive reach across 150 countries offers opportunities for various businesses.
From e-commerce brands, local businesses, to large corporations, TikTok’s various ad formats and targeting options can be used by different objectives and industries. The key lies in aligning the ad content and strategy with the platform’s dynamic and creative spirit, ensuring it resonates with the TikTok community.
What Type of Businesses can Use TikTok Advertising?
TikTok's user base in 2023 is as follows:
- 60% of its users are aged 16-24
- 80% of it’s users fall between 16-34
In 2022, TikTok had an average engagement rate of 17.99%. This meant that nearly 1/4th of it’s total user base either liked, shared or commented on TikTok videos. Furthermore, 90% of users visited the app more than once a day, averaging 52 minutes per day.
So what do these facts tell us?
They say that TikTok engages its users like no other platform. The app has successfully harnessed the attention and loyalty of a notoriously hard-to-reach demographic: the younger generation (which have strayed away from Facebook).
Businesses catering to this younger age group, i.e fashion brands, makeup and beauty, video games, music, etc can benefit the most from TikTok advertising, considering their business cost aligns with their marketing goals.
TikTok Ads vs. Facebook and Instagram Ads
Due to TikTok's relatively new entry into the advertising world, its ad costs are currently higher than Facebook and Instagram. While TikTok and Facebook CPC are almost the same, TikTok's CPM (cost per thousand impressions) is much higher.
Moreover, when considering TikTok ads, it's important to note that TikTok requires a minimum budget of $500 on the ad group level, with a minimum budget of around $50. Facebook, meanwhile, only requires $1 per day for Facebook ad sets charged for impressions.
However, TikTok's younger, more engaged audience cannot be overlooked. This demographic is not only active but also influential, often driving trends and establishing buying patterns. While your initial TikTok promote cost may have a higher up-front, your ROI might be significantly better given the platform's high engagement rates and the potential viral nature of its content. The reach and impact on TikTok can sometimes surpass that of Facebook and Instagram, especially for products or services that resonate with younger demographics.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are TikTok Ads Cheaper than Facebook?
TikTok ads are initially more expensive than Facebook ads, especially when it comes to cost per thousand impressions (CPM). This is because TikTok is still a relatively new platform for advertising, and charges premium prices for its highly engaged and influential audience.
How much do TikTok ads cost per month?
Your TikTok ads cost per month will depend on factors like ad format, targeting, and campaign objectives. However, you'll need a minimum budget of $500 per TikTok ad campaign. Monthly costs can range anywhere from a minimum of $500 to potentially hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars for larger campaigns. For example, Brand Takeover ads on TikTok can cost up to $50,000 per day - think Super Bowl level prices.
Is it Worth it To Advertise on TikTok?
It depends on the specific goals and target audience of each individual business. For companies looking to create buzz amongst younger audiences, TikTok can be an invaluable platform. Its user base is tech-savvy, highly engaged, and influential, setting and following the latest trends for newer TikTok users.
What Type of Businesses Can Benefit From TikTok ads?
TikTok's younger, more engaged audience, trend-driven nature and emphasis on short videos makes it a prime platform for businesses targeting Generation Z and millennials. Industries such as fashion, food, beauty, and entertainment who capitalize on these characteristics often see considerable success.
How can I Promote TikTok Without Paying?
To promote on TikTok without paying, you need to create fresh, trend-driven organic content that compels TikTok viewers to engage. Content creators can do so by utilizing trending hashtags, duetting popular videos, incorporating popular music, great story-telling and more to make their videos more appealing.
Partnering up with TikTok influencers in your industry and creating posts can also effectively promote your brand without directly paying for ads. You're effectively targeting their audience as well as your own, and their endorsement of your brand can influence their followers to check out your products or services.
How Long Do TikTok Ads Take to Work?
The effectiveness and work-time of TikTok ads can depend on various factors like ad relevance, quality, and targeting. If your ads tap into trending topics and capture your intended audience’s attention, it can generate buzz and go viral quickly. However, if your ad is not as relevant or less interesting, it may take longer for it to gain traction. In both scenarios, you need to consistently test and monitor ad performance to optimize it for better results.
