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TikTok Advertising: Strategy & Best Practices

diksha
January 5, 2026
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Marketers look for new ways and platforms to market their products and services. TikTok provides multiple opportunities for you to grow your business and increase sales. The success of this app has attracted the interest of many marketers. It helps them in reaching new audiences. You can tap into this global audience using TikTok ads manager, which is an in-built in the app specifically for this purpose.

TikTok has grown massively ever since it has been launched. With over 1.5 billion monthly active users. It is a short-form mobile video platform that shares user-generated content. TikTok is the fifth most popular social media platform. The total number of TikTok downloads is more than 6.1 billion cumulative downloads. 39% of users purchase products and services they discovered on TikTok. Also, 74% of TikTok users stated that it has inspired them to find out more about a product or brand online.

In this article, we’ll discuss TikTok advertising, best practices for creating TikTok ads and some examples of great TikTok ads.

What is TikTok Advertising?

TikTok ads are paid promotional content that smoothly integrates with short-form videos in users’ feeds. These ads can be in multiple forms, such as in-feed video, branded hashtag challenges or sponsored effects. Brands advertising on TikTok can target specific interests, demographics, behaviour, etc to reach their target audience. TikTok ads provide you access to their growing user base and help in driving engagement, brand awareness and sales.

The majority of the TikTok audience is Gen Z. This generation is expected to add nearly $9 trillion in global spending by 2034, surpassing other generations. The average engagement rate of TikTok is 2.5%.

Users retain 95% of messages when they are delivered via video. TikTok is video-centred, making TikTok video ads one of the most effective ways to engage with audiences. TikTok is also available in 154 countries with 75 different languages. If your business operates internationally, TikTok advertising helps you reach audiences in other markets. Also, it comes in various types such as

TikTok Spark Ads: These are native ad formats that let advertisers tap into the power of authenticity by supercharging organic content.
TikTok Collection Ads: This ad format allows users to find, browse and discover products on their mobile devices in full-screen mode.
TikTok Branded Effects Ads: It allows businesses to design an ad with their own custom filter on the app. This ad lasts up to 10 days at a time and helps in increasing user engagement.
TikTok Branded Hashtag Ads: Branded hashtags encourage users to record themselves performing something and post it using the defined hashtag.
TikTok TopView Ads: These ads are similar to brand takeover and aim to increase brand exposure.
TikTok Brand Takeover Ads: These ads pop up as soon as users open the app, take over the screen for a few seconds and then change into an In-Feed video ad.

Best Practices for Creating TikTok Ads

Here are some of the best practices for creating TikTok ads

Attention-Grabbing Hook: Make your hook attention-grabbing and thumb-stopping. The first two seconds and the hook are extremely important. Use TikTok trends and transitions to create scroll-stopping content.
TikTok Native Feel: Create ads that resonate with the TikTok community. Try to create content which feels like it is created by users, not a brand. Shoot vertical videos on your mobile phone. Incorporate popular fonts, sounds and editing techniques to make your ads more engaging and authentic.
Trending Sound & Hashtags: Use trending sounds and hashtags as one of the most effective ways to boost engagement and visibility. Stay updated about the latest trends, especially in your niche.
Influencer: Collaborating with TikTok influencers can help you in reaching new audiences and add credibility to your ad. When collaborating with influencers, create a balance between providing creative freedom and ensuring effective on-brand messaging. Inform influencers about your campaign goals, specific guidelines, key talking points, etc.
Compelling Offer: TikTok users who are price-conscious are attracted by offers. Try to feature a discount or offer in your ad.
User-Generated Content: Use user-generated content for boosting authenticity. Users get attracted by content that they find relatable. Encourage your customers to create TikTo video featuring your products and run a branded hashtag challenge to attract more users and create a wave of UGC. You can repurpose this content in your ad campaign.

Example of Great TikTok Ads

Here are some of the great TikTok Ad examples

MERIT: MERIT is a vegan and cruelty-free cosmetics company that opened its TikTok ad with compelling offers. For every first order, the company will ship new customers a free signature bag loaded with products. The ad showcased each item, creating excitement around the offer. The ad is paired with popular trending songs that users of the platform resonate with. By aligning with current trends, MERIT increases the likelihood its ad will resonate.
KOHO’s collaboration with the NBA: KOHO took collaboration to the next level by partnering with the NBA for the playoffs. They gave out gift cards and generated sign-ups.
#BMWeDrive-BHC: BMW, a world-class automobile brand that wanted to promote a plug-in hybrid vehicle in South Korea, BMW eDrive. The brand collaborated with famous K-pop musician Henry as part of its “e-ideal Vibe” campaign. This campaign attracted 45.99 million video views from 3,400 participants. It also attracted 6.29 million engagements.
Fly By Jing: In this TikTok ad, food brand Fly By Jing partnered with food influencer TiffinyCooks to demonstrate how easy it is to use the brand’s product. By collaborating with a known influencer, you can generate awareness and build trust with the audience. It also provided an offer that users can get 10% off by clicking on the CTA and using the code.
#NikeShesBallin: In partnership with UEFA European Women’s Championship, Nike and TikTok tried to change how women athletes are perceived and instill a love for football. They used TikTok in a way that felt native. Nike partnered with 36 TikTok creators and launched #NikeShesBallin, a BHC that supported TopView, Top Feed, In-feed, and Spark ads across six European markets. The campaign witnessed 3.6 billion views of the hashtag challenge on the platform. It also increased the audience reach.
Maybelline New York’s TopView Ad: Maybelline New York kicked off their campaign with a TopView ad mashup featuring key creators from the campaign. It showed how brands can use creators to make their TikTok ads interesting, engaging and native to TikTok. TopView Ad revealed a 5% increase in CTR compared to the industry benchmark and 2% increase in engagement rate with over 22 million views.

TikTok advertising can help you reach relevant audiences, engage and drive conversions. Want to boost your business on TikTok? Lumia 360 can help you in managing and growing your customer base with our smart solutions. From crafting relevant and engaging content to creating viral and engaging ads to analyzing data, we got it all covered. Our social media marketing strategies will help you in growing your business. To know more, email info@lumia360.com or call 515-668-5599.