What we do on TikTok

How do TikTok ads work?

TikTok ads are mostly full-screen vertical videos with sound that sit between organic videos in the user's personalised For You feed. They are managed through TikTok Ads Manager: the campaign objective is set at campaign level, targeting and budget at ad group level, and the video and copy at ad level. Users can like, comment on or share the ad, or tap the button to go to your website or app.

What sets TikTok apart from other platforms is that distribution depends more on interest in the content than on a network of followers. The algorithm decides who to show a video to by looking at watch time, rewatches and engagement. That is why, on TikTok, the creative itself carries much of the weight of targeting. We explain the basics of platform choice and creative language on our LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube advertising page; here we focus on TikTok's own tools.

Which ad formats are available on TikTok?

On TikTok, the ad format determines where and how the ad appears in the feed, how much attention it draws and how it is bought. Some formats can be bought by anyone through the auction, while others are reserved and bought through the platform's sales team.

TikTok rolls out new options, such as ads shown in search results and shopping-focused formats, at different times in different countries. So before recommending a format, we check that it is available in the target market and in your account.

Why do Spark Ads matter so much?

Spark Ads is the format that lets you use an organic post already published on TikTok by the brand or a creator as an ad. The ad appears under the account's name with its profile link, and the likes, comments and follows that come from the ad are credited to the post itself. Users see not a brand's ad but a person's video in their feed.

• To use a creator's post, a time-limited authorisation code is obtained from the creator; we write the usage period and advertising rights clearly into the collaboration agreement.
• We pick posts that are watched well organically as ad candidates, rather than trying to rescue a weak post with budget.
• Comments multiply along with the ad; we make replying to negative comments and questions part of the campaign plan.
• On every post we apply the label showing that the content is a paid partnership, along with the platform's disclosure rules.

How do we work with creators?

On TikTok, a creator is someone who can tell the brand's message in the platform's own language and who is trusted by their audience. The right creator can show the same product far more naturally than the brand's own account can. We choose creators not by follower count but by audience fit, viewing patterns, the quality of their comments and the tone of their past collaborations.

We use TikTok's tools for finding and collaborating with creators alongside our influencer management team's own selection and contract process. We give the creator a framework rather than a script: the benefit to get across, the claims to avoid, how the product should be shown and the call to action. Leaving the rest of the storytelling to the creator's own style stops the video from looking like an ad.

How is creative production planned for TikTok?

Creative production on TikTok is not a one-off shoot but a production line that runs continuously. Because the same video is shown to the same audience many times in a short period, creatives wear out faster than on other platforms. So we build every campaign from interchangeable pieces.

1. 1.Library of openings: we edit the same video with different opening seconds and test which opening holds watch time.
2. 2.Modular editing: we shoot the product demonstration, the moment of use, the answer to an objection and the call to action as separate pieces, and produce new combinations.
3. 3.Sound and captions: we choose music from the platform's library of sounds cleared for commercial use, and add on-screen text for people watching with the sound off.
4. 4.Safe zone: we place text and product shots within the safe area of the screen so they are not hidden beneath interface elements.
5. 5.Refresh calendar: we keep new variations ready before the performance curve starts to fall.

We can use the platform's own AI-assisted creative tools to generate ideas and produce variations quickly, but a person always checks that the result fits the brand identity and the advertising policies.

How are targeting and automation used on TikTok?

On TikTok, targeting can use age, location, language, interests, in-platform behaviour, custom audiences and lookalike audiences. Even so, narrow targeting often makes distribution harder. We usually start with a broad audience and let the system learn who is interested from the video itself.

TikTok's automated campaigns, which it calls Smart+, hand targeting, budget and creative distribution to the system. This option works in accounts with solid measurement and enough conversion data. In new accounts, we first learn which messages and audiences work through manually managed campaigns, and then switch on automation with that knowledge. Restrictions on age and sensitive categories are set by platform policy, and we never build campaigns that go beyond those limits.

How is the impact of TikTok campaigns measured?

Measurement on TikTok starts by setting up events from the browser via TikTok Pixel and from the server via Events API together. When both sources send the same event, we deduplicate it with an event ID to prevent double counting. We send no data without the user's consent, and we treat consent management in line with Turkish data protection law (KVKK) as part of the set-up.

On TikTok, users often watch a video, leave without clicking and later search for the brand on another channel. Looking only at post-click conversions therefore understates TikTok's contribution. We track view-through conversions separately, follow changes in brand searches and direct traffic during campaign periods, and set up controlled regional tests where appropriate. We compare the results side by side with Meta campaigns, where we also test the same videos in Reels placements.

How are brand safety and comments managed on TikTok?

Brand safety is the set of measures taken so that an ad does not appear among or next to content that could harm the brand. TikTok offers different sensitivity levels for in-feed inventory in the ad account. For brands that do not want to be near sensitive topics, we choose the stricter level and, where necessary, audit placements with independent verification tools.

• We set up filters that hide certain words in ad comments before the campaign starts.
• We write ready answers to questions about the product, price and delivery together with customer services.
• We note objections that come up repeatedly in the comments and use them as the subject of the next video.
• We recommend managing comments rather than switching them off entirely; a silent ad does not inspire trust in the feed.

Which businesses is TikTok suited to?

TikTok is strong for products that are easy to explain visually, whose moment of use can be shown and that are bought on quick decisions: cosmetics, fashion, food and drink, homeware, mobile apps, education and local experiences. Its audience is not made up only of young people, but the message does need to be told briefly and naturally.

In corporate sales with long decision cycles, TikTok is usually not the main channel but a channel for employer branding and awareness. Nor do we recommend TikTok to a business that cannot produce videos regularly; a campaign launched with a single video soon wears out and leaves a misleading result.

If your product needs more explanation than a short video can hold, YouTube, where viewers do their research before deciding, may be a better starting point. For brands that use both platforms, we position TikTok for discovery and sparking curiosity, and YouTube for detailed explanation and comparison.