Thread by @richstemecom

The 5 biggest mistakes I made when I started with TikTok Ads (so that you don’t have to repeat them):

1. Wrong ad style

TikTok works best with UGC (User Generated Content) types of videos.

Being used to Facebook Ads that are very commercial and explain every benefit of the product, I tried the same on TikTok.

But, I quickly learned is that these typical “ad” formats don’t perform well on TikTok.

As a result, my expensive ad didn’t work nearly as well as I expected.

So, I started browsing through the TikTok Creative Center to look at the type of ads that worked and had tons of engagement.

I realized that the best-performing ads didn’t look like ads at all. They looked like any other organic TikTok video.

It was simply a person wearing the product dancing to a good tune or a baby falling asleep quickly to the sound of a nanny-cam they were advertising.

There was barely any talking, no product benefits explanation, no fancy formats, nothing like that.

2. Wrong priorities

Another mistake I made before ever launching my first TikTok ad was putting too much of my time and focus into an ad strategy.

Being used to the saturated Facebook ads market, I thought that targeting, time of the day, and every other little thing that goes into an ad strategy matters the same on TikTok.

I was surprised when I saw that the creative mattered much more than my strategy.

On TikTok, it’s all about the right product, the momentum, and the creativity.

So, forget about the science, the algorithms, and things like these on TikTok. Here is the order of importance on TikTok:

Winning Product → Creative → Scaling Strategy → Landing Page (Product Page) → Customer Service → Shipping Times

3. Targeting and niche limitations

TikTok has more general targeting options compared to Facebook, where you can target very narrowly.

For instance, let’s say you’re selling golfing equipment. On Facebook, you literally have an interest called “Golf”. However, the closest you can get to this targeting on TikTok is simply “Sports”.

So, when I was searching for a product to sell on TikTok, I wasn’t aware of these limitations, and I always struggled to place the right product in front of the right audience.

After a while, I figured out that general products work much better than a drilled-down niche and a unique product.

Of course, it’s always good to niche down. But, the problem comes when you try to advertise this product to people that need to see it.

I’m trying to choose more “normal”, general, and everyday products with catchy creatives from then on. These can be products that are desirable for almost everyone, like home products, kitchen products, or clothing.

Or products that solve a problem that a large demographic is concerned with.

And, guess what? It works like a charm.

4. Not following trends

I have to be honest - I wasn’t active on TikTok at all when I started launching TikTok ads.

And, I thought it’s okay, you know, I mean I read all the ad policies and knew what goes into creating and releasing an ad.

It turns out - knowing stuff just in theory wasn’t enough!

What I failed to consider is the power of TikTok trends.

Typically, TikTok trends are viral but short-lasting. Each trend burns out in some weeks.

Now, if I’d joined the platform before, I would’ve known that, and I would’ve recognized the possibilities. But I didn’t.

After a while, I started scrolling through my FYP more and looking at random videos. And I could clearly see emerging trends and patterns.

So, I decided to jump to the possibility and tie a product to a trend. It worked instantly, and sales were skyrocketing!

TikTok is far less saturated than Facebook, so if you’re able to connect a product to a current trend (whether it’s a sound, a dance, etc.), you’ll start cashing out right away!

Remember that on TikTok, TRENDS = EARNINGS!

5. Success is easier, scaling is harder

On Facebook, it’s tough to find a winning product that sells. However, scaling is much easier once you’ve found the right product. You split test, kill the ads that don’t work, scale the ones that do, and you’re good to go!

However, TikTok had a very different success curve.

On TikTok, finding a winning product couldn’t be simpler. Simply check out their Creative Center or scroll through your FYP feed, and you’ll get tons of product ideas that sell.

Needless to say, I was astonished at how quickly I saw the first success! However, I failed to prepare myself for what came next.

Although TikTok worked much faster than Facebook, it was all based on passing trends that last a couple of weeks and then die out.

So, naturally, my product died off with the trend, and I wasn’t prepared at all.

I would’ve planned my next steps and spent more time thinking of my scaling strategy if I’d known this would happen.

Do you have any other TikTok trial and error examples? I'd love to hear them!

Thanks for reading. Let me know if this was helpful!

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I will be sharing my experiences with TikTok Ads, E-commerce, and Dropshipping here.

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