With over a billion active users globally, TikTok has transformed from a simple video-sharing app into one of the most powerful platforms for digital marketing. Its unique algorithm and highly engaged user base make it the perfect space for creating viral content, including advertisements. Brands that can successfully leverage TikTok’s creative and fast-paced environment can not only increase their visibility but also build a strong connection with their audience. However, creating ads that go viral on TikTok requires more than just placing an ad — it takes strategy, creativity, and a deep understanding of the platform’s culture.
In this guide, we’ll explore advanced strategies to help you craft TikTok ads that are not only engaging but have the potential to go viral.
1. Understand Your Audience and Their Culture
The cornerstone of any successful marketing campaign is understanding your audience. When it comes to TikTok, this is especially crucial. TikTok’s user base is unique, primarily consisting of Gen Z and Millennials, both of which are known for their discerning taste in content and their preference for authenticity. To make an impact with your TikTok Ads, you must first understand what resonates with this audience.
Delve into Audience Behavior
To reach this audience effectively, you need to observe what types of content they engage with most. Spend time exploring the “For You” page, where TikTok’s algorithm serves up content based on users’ interests and engagement patterns. This page is a goldmine of data on trending content styles, humor, challenges, and even music that resonates with the platform’s users.
Align Your Ads with User Expectations
Rather than creating content that feels overly promotional, your TikTok ads should align with the content users are already watching and engaging with. This means blending in with TikTok’s unique mix of humor, creativity, and storytelling. If your ad feels too much like an ad, users are likely to scroll past it. Ads that mimic the tone and style of popular user-generated content tend to perform better, as they feel more authentic and part of the TikTok experience.
For example, if you’re targeting a younger audience, you might want to incorporate humor, memes, or popular TikTok lingo into your ad. Similarly, brands targeting music lovers can use trending sounds or collaborate with artists to make their ads more relatable.
2. Leverage TikTok Trends and Challenges
TikTok is a trend-driven platform. What’s popular today might be forgotten tomorrow, but for brands that can tap into these trends at the right moment, the rewards can be immense. TikTok’s users love to engage with trending challenges, sounds, and memes, making it a hotbed for viral content.
Jump on Existing Trends
A successful TikTok ad often incorporates elements of what’s already trending on the platform. Whether it’s a viral dance challenge, a popular sound clip, or a trending hashtag, aligning your content with these elements can drastically improve your ad’s chances of being noticed and shared.
For instance, if there’s a popular dance trend, consider incorporating your product or service into the dance in a creative way. You can also use TikTok’s built-in features like Hashtag Challenges, where brands encourage users to participate by creating their own content using a branded hashtag. This type of user-generated content can help your ad spread organically, reaching a much larger audience.
Create Your Own Branded Challenge
If you’re feeling more ambitious, you can create your own branded challenge. Some of TikTok’s most successful ad campaigns have come from brands launching viral hashtag challenges. These challenges invite users to create content around a specific theme, using a branded hashtag that you create. Not only does this generate buzz, but it also encourages massive user engagement.
An example of this is the #GuacDance challenge by Chipotle, which encouraged users to create their own dance celebrating guacamole. The challenge resulted in over 250,000 video submissions, generating millions of views and a significant boost in brand visibility.
By creating challenges that are fun and easy to participate in, brands can capitalize on TikTok’s highly interactive culture and boost the potential virality of their ads.
3. Keep It Short, Punchy, and Engaging
TikTok is designed for short-form content, and users have become accustomed to consuming videos in quick bursts. Although TikTok allows videos up to 60 seconds long, the sweet spot for ads tends to be 15 seconds or less. In this limited time frame, you need to grab the viewer’s attention and deliver your message clearly.
The Importance of the First Few Seconds
The first few seconds of your ad are crucial. This is where viewers decide whether to keep watching or scroll to the next video. Use bold visuals, intriguing statements, or unexpected elements right at the start to captivate viewers immediately. Engaging intros with movement, humor, or curiosity-provoking content can help draw users in.
For example, Gymshark, a popular fitness brand, often uses fast-paced editing and eye-catching visuals to capture the audience’s attention in the first few seconds. This approach ensures that users are hooked and are more likely to watch the ad to the end.
Use Storytelling Techniques
Even within a short video, you can still tell a story. Whether it’s a problem-solution format, a before-and-after transformation, or a humorous skit, storytelling makes your content more relatable and memorable. People are drawn to narratives, and even in just 15 seconds, you can create an emotional connection that resonates with viewers long after they’ve watched your ad.
Prioritize TikTok’s Vertical Format
Since TikTok is a mobile-first platform, it’s essential to create ads optimized for vertical viewing. Videos that aren’t formatted correctly, like horizontal or square videos, can disrupt the viewing experience, leading to lower engagement rates. Full-screen vertical ads not only look better but also feel more immersive, making them more likely to capture and hold viewers’ attention.
4. Collaborate with TikTok Influencers
Influencers play a pivotal role in TikTok’s ecosystem. Many users turn to influencers for content inspiration, product recommendations, and entertainment. Partnering with TikTok influencers can help your brand gain credibility and extend its reach to a wider, more engaged audience.
Choosing the Right Influencer
Selecting the right influencer is critical to the success of your TikTok ad campaign. It’s important to choose influencers whose audience aligns with your target demographic. Beyond just follower count, consider engagement rates and the type of content they typically create. The influencer’s style and tone should also be consistent with your brand image.
For example, fashion brands often partner with influencers who create style lookbooks, while fitness brands might collaborate with influencers who focus on workout routines. By choosing influencers that naturally align with your product, your brand can seamlessly integrate into their content.
Allow Creative Freedom
TikTok influencers know their audience better than anyone else, so it’s essential to give them creative freedom when collaborating on an ad campaign. Let them shape the content in a way that feels authentic to their personal brand while still aligning with your messaging. Influencers who are allowed to express themselves authentically are more likely to create content that resonates with their audience, making your ad feel like a natural extension of their content rather than a forced promotion.
5. Optimize for TikTok’s Algorithm
The key to virality on TikTok lies in the platform’s algorithm. TikTok’s algorithm favors content that generates high engagement, including likes, comments, shares, and watch time. It’s designed to push content that performs well to the “For You” page, where users discover new content tailored to their interests.
Encourage Engagement
To optimize your ad for TikTok’s algorithm, focus on creating content that encourages interaction. You can do this by adding strong calls-to-action (CTAs) that invite users to like, comment, or share the video. For example, you can ask viewers to share their thoughts in the comments or tag a friend who would enjoy the product you’re advertising.
Additionally, creating content that prompts users to participate in challenges, duets, or stitch features can lead to user-generated content, further amplifying your ad’s reach.
Use Popular Music and Sounds
Music plays an integral role in TikTok’s culture. Many of TikTok’s viral trends are driven by specific songs or sound clips. When creating your TikTok ad, consider using popular or trending music that is relevant to your message. TikTok’s algorithm tends to favor videos that use popular audio tracks, so by incorporating these into your ad, you can improve its chances of being seen by a wider audience.
Experiment with TikTok Ad Formats
TikTok offers several ad formats, each with its own unique advantages:
- In-Feed Ads: These ads appear in users’ feeds as they scroll through the “For You” page. They feel more native and allow users to interact with the ad by liking, commenting, or sharing.
- TopView Ads: These ads appear when users first open the app, making them highly visible and impactful.
- Branded Hashtag Challenges: These invite users to participate in a challenge using a branded hashtag, fostering user-generated content and engagement.
- Branded Effects: These include custom filters, stickers, and effects that users can add to their own content, further promoting your brand in a fun and creative way.
By experimenting with different ad formats, you can find the best way to engage your target audience and maximize the chances of your content going viral.