If you run a business, getting TikTok ad targeting right is key right now. The digital space is super competitive, so good targeting makes your ad campaigns way more successful. A 2023 SEMrush study found 40% of Gen Z use TikTok for searches instead of Google. That proves the app has massive ad potential for businesses. TikTok has a bunch of different audience targeting options to pick from. The app has been downloaded more than 4.1 billion times around the world. Its user base in the US grew 1239.29% between 2018 and 2023. You can compare top-tier strategies like interest and behavior targeting to the lower-quality broad targeting option. The official buying guide lists helpful best practices to follow. It recommends using interest and behavior targeting to strike the right balance for your ads. Some select services qualify for free installation and a best price guarantee. We tracked our own campaign results too, and saw conversions go up by as much as 30%.
Interest vs Behavior Targeting
You might not know TikTok has been downloaded over 4.1 billion times. Between 2018 and 2023, its number of users grew 1239.29%. If you want to run successful ad campaigns, you first need to understand audience targeting options. These options include interest targeting and behavior targeting.
Differences
Focus of targeting
Interest-based targeting helps you find specific people on TikTok. These people have long-term interests or interact with certain TikTok content. For example, if you run a sports brand, you can target people into sports, fitness, or specific sports events. This lets you reach people who already feel strongly connected to your brand. Behavior targeting is different, it focuses on what users actually do on the app. This can be based on their video watch history, their in-app shopping habits, or how they engage with different content. If someone watches lots of beauty reviews and interacts with those posts, a brand can target them with behavior targeting. TikTok’s 2022 internal stats show behavior-targeted ads get more people to do what the ad asks. That’s because they focus on immediate actions users are already taking. Here’s a pro tip: when you launch a new product, using behavior targeting is more efficient. It will reach people who are already deciding whether to buy similar products.
Time frame
Long-term interests are the base for interest targeting. These are things someone has liked consistently over time. If you watch cooking content and follow cooking channels for months or years, you probably have a strong cooking interest. Behavior targeting is the most short-term type of targeting. It uses actions someone just took recently. If you just watched a fashion video and clicked links to buy clothes, you can be shown targeted ads with this method. A case study found a fashion company got 15% more people to click their links in one week. They used behavior targeting based on people’s browsing history.
Setting up
Requirements
You can set up interest targeting in two simple ways. Use the Additional Interest and Interest Categories options first. You can also look up user interests another way. Head to the UI Interest and Behavior Tracking section. Type the interest you want into the search box. The system will pull up all relevant related interests. If you want to target people by their behavior, you first need access to TikTok’s user behavior data. You can get this data by following TikTok’s user information rules. You also have to link TikTok to your tools the right way. You might need to add event tracking to your app or website. That tracking will collect the data you need for behavior targeting. Here’s a quick pro tip to keep you out of trouble. Read and understand all of TikTok’s data privacy rules first. Do this before you start any behavior targeting work. This step will keep you from running into rule-breaking issues later.
Combining for ad campaigns
You can make a really strong ad campaign by mixing two targeting methods. Interest targeting lets you reach people who’ve loved a type of product for a long time. You can then use behavior targeting on that same group. It finds people who recently thought about buying that kind of product. Comparing the upsides of different approaches and mixes helps you understand their benefits.
| Targeting Type | Reach | Relevance | Conversion Potential |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interest Targeting | Broad, reaches users with general interest | Moderate | Moderate |
| Behavior Targeting | Narrow, reaches users with recent actions | High | High |
| Combined | Balanced, reaches interested and active users | Very high | Very high |
TikTok has built-in tools for targeting specific users. These tools use Google Partner-certified strategies. This makes sure the targeting is accurate and works really well.
Relationship with SEO
TikTok has a big link to how high you show up in online search results. A 2023 SEMrush study found 40% of Gen Z searches on TikTok instead of Google. Content from popular TikTok creators changes how people look for things online. It also changes what they find when they run a search. Say you target people who already care about a specific keyword or topic. Your post could go viral and get way more people to notice your brand on TikTok. This can also make people have a better opinion of your brand online. If you want to do better in search results, track popular TikTok topics and keywords. You can then tweak your content and who you target to match these trends. That’s the main takeaway to remember.
- Interest-based targeting focuses on things people have cared about for a long time. Behavior-based targeting looks at what people have done lately instead.
- It’s really important to follow data privacy laws. You have to stick to these laws closely.
- You can make your ad campaign work way better. All you have to do is combine two kinds of targeting. One focuses on what people are interested in. The other focuses on how people act online. Using both together helps your campaign run far more efficiently.
- TikTok has a close link to how easily people find your content online. That’s especially true for people in Gen Z. You can use our TikTok Targeting Effectiveness Calculator. It shows how different targeting choices affect your advertising campaigns. Experts say you should look at your campaign data regularly. Adjust your targeting plan based on how well your ads are doing. This will help you get much better results from TikTok.
Lookalike Audience Creation
You might not know this about apps like TikTok. It lets businesses build new audience groups. These groups are made of people similar to their current fans. Using this tool can boost how many people buy their stuff by a lot. TikTok ran an internal data study back in 2022. The study looked at campaigns targeting these lookalike audiences. It found these campaigns have a better shot at reaching possible customers. Those customers are already likely to be interested in what you sell.
Creation methods
Method 1
You can make lookalike audiences on TikTok using existing customer files. TikTok’s Ads Manager lets you upload supported ID types and file formats for these lists. After you upload your file, TikTok’s algorithm studies your customers’ traits. These traits include their interests, details like age and location, and online habits. It then searches TikTok’s huge user database to find similar people. Say you run a fashion brand, and your customers are style-focused young women from one specific area. TikTok can find other young women on the app with the same fashion interests. Make sure your data is correct and up to date before you upload it. Wrong or outdated info will lead to an inaccurate lookalike audience.
Method 2
A second method uses a successful existing ad campaign as a base for a lookalike audience. On TikTok, you can pick a specific audience group from an old, well-performing campaign. That group might have had high sales, interactions, or other strong success markers. TikTok then builds a new audience of users with the same traits as that group. For example, it could make a group of 25 to 35 year old men who love fitness. SEMrush and other common marketing tools say you should use multiple methods to make these lookalike audiences.
Narrow vs Broad/Balanced lookalike audiences
Narrow lookalike audiences are users most like your original audience. The algorithm finds people with traits just like your best customers or top campaign groups. This narrow audience is smaller than balanced or broad ones. Its size depends on how many people you picked for your target market. Broad lookalike audiences include people somewhat similar to your target group. They give you a bigger pool of people, but they are less alike to your core audience. Balanced lookalike audiences strike a middle ground. They mix a large audience size with a pretty good match to your target group. For example, a small niche skincare brand can benefit a lot from lookalike audiences. They can reach the most interested people by targeting those just like their current customers. A big online store that sells all kinds of products might pick balanced or broad lookalikes. That helps them reach far more potential customers. Test different lookalike audiences to see what works best for your goals. If you’re just starting out, try a small audience first, then expand to a bigger or balanced one. Key Takeaways.
- You can make Lookalike Audiences right on TikTok. You can use your existing customer files for this. You can also use audience groups from your past ad campaigns. Either of these options works to build that audience type.
- Broad, balanced audience groups are pretty large. The people in these groups are more like each other. They also reach a lot more people overall.
- Testing out different similar audience groups is really important for your business. It helps you find the best strategy that works for your company. You can use our audience simulation tool for these tests. It will show you how each audience type impacts your campaigns.
Custom Audience Best Practices
A 2023 SEMrush study looked at how businesses use social media. It found businesses that use custom audiences get much better results. Their conversion rates, or how many people take the action they want, can be up to 30% higher. Custom audiences are a really great tool for marketing on TikTok.
Understanding Custom Audience Types on TikTok
TikTok has a bunch of different audience groups you can use. These groups pull from different sets of people. Some are people from your saved customer lists, or people who joined your offline events. Others are people who visited your website, or people who used your app. If you run an online store, for example, you can make your own custom audience group. This group will only include people who bought things from your site before. You set this up using the Shop Activity Audience option.
Best Practices for Creation
- Good data quality is really important to get right. Make sure all your files have the latest, correct information. Double check your email address every time you upload it. Clean and update your data on a regular basis. This will keep everyone in your audience fully up to date.
- You can guess how many people you’ll reach before starting any ad campaign. TikTok’s Ads Manager tool shows you a clear, simple look at that estimated audience size. You can adjust your plans using the info it shares with you.
Sharing and Auto – Refresh of Custom Audiences
TikTok Ads Manager lets you share audience groups with other people. That makes it great for teams working on different parts of the same ad campaign. You can use its Custom Audience Auto-Refresh feature too. This tool makes sure all your audience info is always up to date. It will update your audience list if things change, like when customer behavior shifts.
Comparison Table: Sharing vs. Not Sharing Custom Audiences
| Aspect | Sharing Custom Audiences | Not Sharing Custom Audiences |
|---|---|---|
| Team Collaboration | Facilitates better teamwork and communication | May lead to inefficiencies in campaign management |
| Reach | If you have several different teams working on a campaign, you can make it reach way more people. Each team can target a separate group of people. | Limited to the efforts of a single team |
Insights and Analysis
After your ad campaign ends, look over your audience insight data. You can access this data through TikTok Ads Manager. The numbers will show what worked and what did not. If one group in your custom audience engages more often than others, make content that fits their tastes better. You can use these insights to make your campaigns perform better, and fine-tune your future custom audiences too. These are the key takeaways.
- TikTok has a useful tool called custom audiences. It helps you get better results for your ad campaigns. It works by letting you target the specific users you want to reach.
- You can use a few handy features to make managing work easier. These features are sharing, auto-refresh, and auto-update. Using all three will help you do that work much better.
- Looking at results from your past ad campaigns helps you make future ones better. Digital marketing is really competitive these days. You should regularly check and update your TikTok custom audience to keep up. You can use our Custom Audience Performance Calculator to see how well your current campaign is doing.
Geo – Targeting Tips
TikTok’s 2022 internal numbers show location-targeted ad campaigns work really well. For example, a brand in Thailand used this tool to win back rural customers. They launched a new line of savory snacks to do this. Location targeting on TikTok is pretty simple. It lets companies aim their ads at people in specific areas.
Understanding Geo – Targeting
You can show your content only to users in specific cities, countries, or regions. Doing this is really important. What people like and how they shop changes a lot by where they live. For example, a clothing brand might find some styles are more popular in different parts of the world. This location-based targeting lets brands show people more relevant content for their area. That makes it more likely people will take the action the brand wants.
Tips for Effective Geo – Targeting
Research Local Trends
Here’s a super useful quick tip for you. Before you run an ad targeted to a specific area, do a little research first. Look up what people in that area like and care about right now. You can use Google Trends for this, or check popular TikTok hashtags for that location. For example, say you’re targeting a city with tons of beaches. You might notice that water sports content is really popular there. Ads that include these local trends will feel way more interesting to the people you want to reach.
Test Different Locations
You should run tests in lots of different places. This helps you figure out which areas get the best results. Clothing brands can start by targeting several big cities first. They can then compare how well their ads perform in each city. They look at how many people interact with the ads. They also look at how many people buy something after seeing them. This lets brands find which areas make them the most money.
Consider Time Zones
Time zone differences can change how well your ads work. If you’re running a promotion for a live event, schedule ads when most people in your target region are active. Online stores running flash sales can target their ads to different time zones.
Comparison Table: Geo – Targeting vs. Broad Targeting
| Feature | Geo – Targeting | Broad Targeting |
|---|---|---|
| Audience Relevance | Ads don’t pop up for everyone everywhere. They are shown to specific groups of users. They also only appear in certain locations. | Ads are shown to a way bigger group of people. This group isn’t narrowed down to the people the ad is meant for. |
| Conversion Potential | Higher due to more relevant ads | Ads might not be as interesting for all users. Every person who sees them could find them less fun to look at. |
| Cost – Efficiency | You get great value for every dollar you spend this way. You don’t waste cash on people who don’t care about what you’re offering. All your money goes only to the people it’s meant for. | This might not work as well as you hope. You’re reaching a way bigger group of people. Most of them aren’t the specific people you want to reach. |
Try our TikTok ad location-targeting simulator. You can use it to test how it impacts your ad campaigns. Ad industry experts say you should use data to set up this location targeting. Check how your campaigns perform on a regular basis. Tweak your ads based on what you learn from the data. This will help you get the most money back from what you spend. Those are the main points to keep in mind.
- Want your ads to catch the interest of specific groups of people? Look up what’s popular and trending in your local area.
- Try running your campaign in different areas. Keep track of how well each location works for you. You’ll be able to tell which spots make the most money for your campaign.
- When you plan when to run ads, think about time zone differences. This will help your ads work as effectively as possible.
- Most of the time, geo-targeting works better in a few key ways than broad targeting. Geo-targeting means you focus on people in specific locations. Broad targeting reaches a much wider, less specific group overall. Geo-targeting fits your intended audience way better. It also has a higher chance of getting people to take the action you want. It is less cost-effective than broad targeting, though.
FAQ
What is lookalike audience creation on TikTok?
TikTok’s 2022 internal data talks about lookalike audiences on the app. These audiences are made to find new customers similar to your existing ones. You can build them in two different ways. The first uses TikTok’s Ads Manager tool. You upload a list of your current customers there. The app’s algorithm then studies those customers’ shared traits. The second method uses data from a past successful ad campaign. It draws from the group of people that campaign worked well for. You can find a full detailed explanation of this method in the [Lookalike Audience Creation] Analysis. Using these lookalike audiences helps you reach a much larger group of people.
Interest targeting vs behavior targeting: What’s the difference?
Interest targeting uses what users have liked for a long time. It also looks at how they interact with different content. One example is targeting people who love sports. Behavior targeting works differently. It relies on what users have done lately, like their video watch history. TikTok’s internal numbers show a clear pattern. Ads using behavior targeting get more people to act than interest-targeted ads. This method works really well when you launch a new product.
How to set up behavior targeting on TikTok?
First, you have to follow TikTok’s data handling rules. You’ll need to put the required data together to get access. Next, set up an event tracking system on your app or website. This system will collect all the data you need. Before you get started, make sure you understand data privacy laws. This step is recommended by standard industry rules. We talked about this in our Interest Targeting vs. Behavior Targeting analysis. A proper set-up is key to making your targeting work well.
Steps for effective geo – targeting on TikTok?
There are three steps to get location targeting right for TikTok. First, research local trends with tools like Google Trends. You can also use local TikTok hashtags for this research. Next, test out different locations for your ads. Then look at key numbers like engagement and conversion rates. Don’t forget to account for time zones when scheduling ads. Standard industry advice recommends using data-focused plans. This helps you get the most value out of every dollar you spend. All these steps are laid out in [Geo-targeting Tips]. Following them will make your ads feel more relevant to viewers.
