WANT TO PROFIT FROM TIKTOK ADS? HERE ARE 6 WAYS

Jairene Cruz

Published on: January 30, 2024
Last Updated on: January 22, 2024

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TikTok has swiftly blossomed into a worldwide sensation, providing enterprises a creative stage to connect with a remarkably diverse and engaged audience.

Renowned for its captivating short video layout and claiming a user base that stretches into hundreds of millions, TikTok offers a distinct and rich playing field for potent advertising strategies. And everybody loves video nowadays — am I right or am I right?

This blog post will dive deep into six dynamic tactics that can enable you to tap into the strength of TikTok ads to fuel revenue and boost your business's profitability. Whether you're a seasoned marketer looking for fresh viewpoints or a business owner stepping onto new digital landscapes, we’ll help you narrow down your options.

So, let's plunge right in!

1. Dropshipping

In the dynamic world of e-commerce, dropshipping has emerged as a popular business model.

It involves selling products manufactured or distributed by a third-party company, eliminating the need for inventory management and shipping logistics. In this model, the dropshipper essentially serves as an intermediary between the product supplier and the customer, facilitating transactions while earning profit from the margins.

For further reading: What Is Dropshipping And How Does It Work?

One of the platforms where dropshipping thrives is TikTok, thanks to its massive user base and highly engaging content. If you already have a TikTok Ads Manager account, you're one step ahead in leveraging this platform for your dropshipping business.

Establish Your Dropship Business

First, you must establish your dropshipping store on an e-commerce platform such as Shopify, Bigcommerve, Woocommerce, and more.

Once set up, you integrate your TikTok business account with your store. This connection lets you direct customers straight from your TikTok ads to your online store.

Add Products to Your Online Shop

Next, populate your online store with products. Actively select items that align with your brand and have proven popularity among your target demographic. Once decided, list these products on your platform, create compelling product descriptions, and pair them with high-quality images. This strategic product addition is pivotal in attracting and retaining potential customers.

Tip: When choosing products to focus on, whatever you do, make sure you don't choose these dropship niches.

While the process sounds simple, this step is arguably the toughest to perform. It would be best to use a dropshipping management tool like Anstrex Dropship to make everything smoother. Learn how to use it here.

Use TikTok for Easy Marketing

Next comes marketing your products on TikTok. The platform offers numerous ways to promote your dropshipping store and its offerings.

These strategies can range from running paid advertisements to collaborating with influencers, or even creating organic content that resonates with your target audience. The key here is to create compelling and engaging content that captures users' attention and encourages them to explore your store.

But since we’re talking about ads here, let’s dive deeper into that.

Here are the ad types that you can try to make TikTok dropshipping more enticing:

• In-Feed Ads: These ads appear in the "For You" feed of users. They feel native to the platform, blending seamlessly with user-generated content. For dropshippers, In-Feed Ads are perfect for showcasing product features or demonstrating usage in a short, engaging video.

• Shoppable Video Ads: Allow users to shop directly from ads, reducing steps for customers and potentially boosting conversion rates.

• Spark Ads: These are ads that you have posted organically in your account and then "boosted" for better performance or more sales. This is useful if you've already seen that the video works well when viewed by your audience organically, but you want to gain more views or engagements.

To make the most of these ad types, make sure that your creatives are engaging and your messaging is clear. Test different ad types to see what resonates best with your audience.

TikTok's extensive reach and high user engagement make it a potent platform for dropshipping. You can turn your TikTok Ads Manager account into a profitable e-commerce venture by strategically advertising your products and managing customer orders.

2. Sell Your Own Merchandise

If dropshipping isn't your forte, or if you already have an offline business you're aiming to digitize, selling your own merchandise on TikTok can be a lucrative option.

Your merchandise, whether clothing, accessories, or any other product, can find its spotlight in the TikTok universe. The key lies in creating engaging ads that resonate with TikTok's predominantly young audience. Here's a quick rundown of what you need to do:

Create an Online Store

Begin by creating an online store on e-commerce websites like Shopify, Bigcommerce, etc (similar to when creating a dropship store), where you can showcase your array of products. There are tons of options out there (free and paid).

3. Sell Digital Products

Digital products encompass various offerings — from e-books and music to software and apps.

These intangible goods have the advantage of instant delivery and zero inventory costs, making them ideal for online sales.

The key to successfully selling these products on TikTok lies in understanding your audience and crafting compelling, targeted ads.

TikTok's predominantly Gen Z and millennial user base is tech-savvy and appreciative of creative, genuine content. This makes it a potentially lucrative platform for promoting digital products.

However, understanding your target market's preferences and behaviors is crucial. Here are some tips to do that, which you can incorporate into your TikTok ads:

Create a Sneek Peak

TikTok users are hooked on stories; they crave narratives that take them on a journey. Therefore, to attract this dynamic and story-loving audience, create a series of chapter readings, each in its own video. Begin by introducing your digital book or audiobook in a video that would intrigue the users.

Then, for each successive video, dive into a different chapter of your story. This serialized approach will keep your audience on their toes, waiting for the next installment of the story. Moreover, ensure that each video includes a link for users to access more of the story.

Whether it's a link to read the next chapter of a book or to listen to an extended version of the audio, this strategy provides an immediate opportunity for interested TikTok users to delve deeper into your content.

You can actually just run ads on the first video, then provide a link to the next video (still within your TikTok profile), and then you can encourage them to click on the link in your bio for a full version of the e-book. It's up to you how many snippets you want to provide, but the key here is getting them hooked!

By capturing their interest with an enticing story and offering them easy access to more, you are likely to see a surge in engagement and sales of your digital product.

Encourage Stitching and Boost Your Reach

Take advantage of TikTok's 'Stitch' feature to exponentially amplify your reach. The Stitch feature allows users to clip and integrate scenes from your ads into their content, effectively becoming part of your ad campaign.

Start by encouraging viewers in your TikTok ad to 'Stitch' your video and tag your account. This call-to-action can spark a wave of user-generated content showcasing your digital product, and allow you to harness the creativity of TikTok's user base for your benefit.

From the 'Stitched' videos that tag you, carefully select the most engaging and creative ones. With the user's permission, these can be promoted, leveraging their unique perspectives to add a fresh spin to your advertising efforts.

This approach not only multiplies your visibility but also builds authentic connections with the TikTok community, fostering a sense of community around your brand.

Alternatively, you can structure your initial TikTok ad to explicitly invite viewers to 'Stitch' your content, thereby extending your reach without additional ad spend. This will incentivize the TikTok community to participate actively in your campaign, spreading your message more widely and leading to a higher rate of engagement and potential conversions.

Making Your Music Go Viral on TikTok

If you're a musician or a songwriter, TikTok provides a vibrant platform to popularize your music. One effective strategy is to encourage TikTok users to feature your songs in their videos. Here's how you can do this:

• Start by crafting a unique and catchy tune. TikTok's young and creative user base is particularly responsive to music that is original and distinctive. Your song should ideally be energetic, memorable, and easily loopable, as these elements make it perfect for TikTok's short-form videos.

• Create a challenge or a dance routine around your song. TikTok thrives on challenges, which encourage mass user participation and create viral content. Couple your song with a fun, easy-to-follow dance routine or a creative challenge, and encourage TikTok users to recreate it with your song in the background.

• Boost your videos. If you've got little to no following, boosting your video is the best way to get other people's attention. Don't shy away from TikTok Ads, even already popular musicians do this!

• Make sure to promote your song and the associated challenge through other social media platforms as well. Cross-promotion can help you reach a wider audience and increase the chances of your song catching on.

• Engage with users who use your song. Show appreciation by liking, commenting, and sharing their videos. This not only enhances user engagement but also builds a positive relationship with your audience, promoting further use of your music.

By implementing these strategies, you can effectively encourage TikTok users to feature your music in their videos, increasing your song's exposure and offering a significant boost to your music career.

Leveraging User-Generated Reviews to Boost App Adoption

User-generated reviews can play a pivotal role in convincing potential users to try your application. Authentic reviews, shared by real users, resonate strongly with prospective adopters because they offer a real-world evaluation of your app's benefits and functionality.

Consider running a TikTok challenge that invites users to share their reviews and experiences with your app in a creative way. This user-generated content can serve as potent testimonials, showcasing your app's quality and functionality to a wider audience, and potentially driving increased app adoption.

Best of all, when you are tagged in their videos, you can also use these videos to your growing list of TikTok ad creatives. Here's a good example of a UGC video review that has been boosted as an ad that we found using the Anstrex In-Stream Tool:

4. Promote Affiliate Products or Programs

TikTok's emergence has paved the way for innovative marketing strategies, including affiliate marketing.

Affiliate marketing involves endorsing other businesses' products and receiving a commission for each sale made through your referral link. The key to success in this model largely depends on your ability to reach potential customers and convince them of the product's worth. This is where TikTok Ads become invaluable.

Users of this platform appreciate authenticity and creative content, which should be reflected in your promotional material.

However, social networks are notorious for not allowing affiliate links! How, then, can you promote affiliate programs? There are actually two ways to go about this, and we'll discuss them in step 4 of the guide below.

Steps to Promote Affiliate Offers/Products on TikTok

1. Identify Your Niche

First, you must identify the niche that affiliate programs align with your content and audience. These could be products or services you personally use or believe would bring value to your followers.

2. Apply for Affiliate Programs

Once you've identified suitable affiliate programs, visit their websites or the affiliate networks they work with to apply. The application typically involves filling out a form with details about your content, audience, and promotional strategies.

After submitting your application, wait for approval from the affiliate program. The waiting period can vary depending on the program.

3. Access Your Affiliate Links

Upon approval, you will receive unique affiliate links or codes for the products or services you'll be promoting. These links are crucial as they track the traffic and sales you generate.

4. Promote your Affiliate Links

This is where it gets tricky, so we'll separate this into two sections: the whitehat option and the greyhat/blackhat option:

• White Hat Strategy: Create your own landing page

The primary issue TikTok Ads has with affiliate links lies in the branded link. TikTok only allows the actual brands to use their links, so if you're only an affiliate, you're out.

To circumvent this, it is advisable to create your own landing page, which means your own domain name. This webpage should be informative and engaging, providing details about the product or offer, allowing users to learn more about what you're promoting before they decide to click through.

Crucially, this page needs to include a clear Call to Action (CTA), guiding users to the next step. This approach tends to align better with TikTok Ads' policies, increasing the chances of your ad being approved, while still effectively driving traffic through your affiliate link.

• Greyhat Strategy: Cloak your Links

This involves using a cloaking tool, which gives you a link bearing your own domain name, but redirects the user to the affiliate page.

The ingenuity of this tactic lies in its ability to effectively "block" the TikTok Ads' approval team or bot from viewing the affiliate page and instead, directs them to a clean page, typically a landing page that you initially created.

The advantage of this strategy is its efficiency — potential customers are taken directly to the affiliate page without having to pass through an intermediary landing page, eliminating the risk of low viewership. This reduces your advertising costs.

However, the cloaking strategy carries its own risks. If discovered, this approach can lead to your ads account being banned. Therefore, while it might offer a more direct route to your affiliate page, it must be employed with caution, understanding the potential implications.

5. Monitor Your Campaign

Once your ad is live, monitor its performance regularly, especially if you're going for the greyhat technique. TikTok Ads Manager provides analytics that can help you understand your ads' performance and whether you need to make any adjustments.

Remember, success with affiliate marketing doesn't happen overnight. It requires patience (lots and lots), testing, and optimization.

5. Create a TikTok Shop

TikTok Shop, an e-commerce platform within TikTok, is a goldmine for marketers. This feature lets businesses showcase products directly on their profiles, transforming their TikTok presence into a fully-fledged online store.

It basically allows you to set up an online store within TikTok — no need for a third-party e-commerce tool. And since the user doesn't have to leave TikTok to view your store, there's less friction to getting more eyes on your products. This means less cost and more sales for you!

One important note, though: only physical products can be sold. Here's a quick guide:

Firstly, set up your TikTok Shop.

Here's a step-by-step guide:

1. Start by visiting the official TikTok Seller Center website. The link to the seller center depends on your location, though. Find them here: https://seller.tiktok.com/
2. Register as a seller. You can do this using your existing TikTok Account or by providing your Phone and Email details.
3. After logging in, you'll need to provide information for your shop's Warehouse/Pickup Address. This includes selecting your country/region, and providing a street address, the name of a contact person, the postcode, and a phone number.
4. Next, you'll need to provide a return address for your shop. You have the option to use the same Warehouse/Pickup address for returns. Alternatively, you can set up a different return location by providing a return warehouse address, the name of a contact person, the postcode, and a phone number.
5. Once you've agreed to the necessary terms and conditions, click on "Start Your Business."
6. Verification of your identity and eligibility will be required at this point. If you're an individual business owner, you'll need to upload images of both sides of your passport, national ID, or driver's license. If you're a corporation, you'll need to upload a government-issued identification document of the legal representative, company director, or person with significant control (PSC), as well as a business license, registration, or similar official documents.
7. After submitting your documents, wait for your account application to be reviewed and approved. If your account doesn't pass review, you'll receive instructions on how to resubmit your documents.
8. To receive payments and process returns, bind a bank account to your shop. Provide your account name, bank name, bank account number, email, address, and building number. For individual business owners, the account name should match the registered name. For corporations, it should match the company name.
9. Click "Submit" to finalize the bank account binding process.
10. After completing these steps, you'll be able to start adding products to your TikTok Shop.

For more detailed instructions, refer to the TikTok Seller Center Help page.

Start Creating Shoppable Ads

After receiving confirmation that your shop is ready, you can start creating shoppable ads. Go back to your TikTok Ads dashboard, create a new ad, and you'll now see an option to add products from your shop directly to the ad.

Create engaging TikTok videos showcasing your items in action. These could be unboxing videos, product demonstrations, or customer testimonials. The goal is to show your audience the value of your products entertainingly.

TikTok Shop offers a lucrative opportunity for businesses to drive sales and increase profits directly from their TikTok profiles. You can turn your TikTok followers into customers by setting up an attractive shop, creating engaging content, running targeted ad campaigns, and fostering a community.

6. Promote Your Services

Over the years, TikTok has become an effective medium for promoting various services, including skills tutorials or training videos. Whether it's singing, drawing, painting, writing, or any other skill, TikTok Ads can help you reach a wider audience and increase enrollments.

You can get more leads and sign-ups if you use TikTok Ads. Here's an example of someone offering singing lessons and promoting these services using TikTok Ads (and yes, we used our TikTok Ads spy tool here, too!):

Strategies for Promoting Your Services on TikTok Using TikTok Ads

1. Utilize User-Generated Content (UGC): Encourage your clients or users to share their experiences with your services on TikTok. This not only provides authentic content but also helps to build trust with your potential clients.
2. Use Hashtags Strategically: Incorporate trending or industry-related hashtags in your ads to increase their visibility. You can also create your own branded hashtags to help users discover you more easily.
3. Create Tutorial Videos: Show your audience how your services can solve their problems. If you offer painting lessons, for example, you could provide a step-by-step guide on creating a masterpiece.
4. Offer Exclusive Deals or Discounts: Create urgency and encourage immediate action by offering limited-time offers or discounts exclusively for your TikTok audience.
5. Run Contests or Giveaways: These can be a great way to engage your audience and spread the word about your services.
6. Showcase your expertise: Post clips of your students hitting high notes if you offer singing lessons. If it's a writing course, share testimonials from attendees who've published their work. This demonstrates your credibility and gives potential customers a glimpse of what they can achieve.

While you can certainly gain clients when you go for the organic route, you can gain quicker recognition with the help of TikTok Ads. You might even become a viral hit! Remember: the more eyes on your offer, the better.

Wrapping Up

In conclusion, TikTok is a game-changer in the digital marketing landscape, offering numerous avenues for businesses to expand their reach and boost profits. From affiliate marketing to TikTok Shop and promoting services, the platform empowers businesses with tools to attract and engage a vast audience.

Whichever money-making option you choose, an effective TikTok strategy involves understanding your audience, creating engaging content, leveraging TikTok Ads, and fostering a brand community. Remember, success on TikTok comes from continual refinement, testing, and optimization.

So, get started, monitor your progress, and adjust your strategy to maximize your TikTok marketing efforts. With patience and persistence, you can turn TikTok into a profitable marketing channel for your business.