How to run successful install app campaigns on TikTok?

TikTok is the app that has outranked Facebook/Messenger and Instagram in the App global ranking (iOS + Android), becoming the number one most downloaded app in 2020.

This significant audience is now exploitable owing to the release of its own platform of campaign management since late 2019 (except for the Asian market).

A platform that we use since its release at Addict Mobile, more than 30 apps have been tested and 300k€ have been spent. Here are a few tips for a successful launch of your future campaigns.

What makes TikTok so unique?

TikTok offers an immersive experience to its users, by providing an exclusively full-screen type of content, where challenges and choreographies go together.

Be they artists, content creators, newcomers or influencers, TikTok provides a space for its users to express themselves and their creativity.

All of the content is found in the feed, which users must incessantly scroll in order to uncover all it has to offer. Concerning the app install campaigns, the ads are exclusively integrated into this feed.

The price of the CPM is 3 to 6 times lower than all of the other sources. This allows to work on the notoriety of the brand by sharing lower costing ads, alongside performance.

The Click Through Rate is up to 2.5 times (5%) higher: the users of the platform consume a lot of content as well as ads. They click more and interact more.

The slightly lower conversion rate (CVR) is due to this high click-through rate and this very curious audience =>As a result, it is of utmost importance to have a creation that is as adapted to the platform as it is in adequation with your service in order to trigger the audience’s interest. The App Store Optimization, therefore, plays a very important role.

The CPI remains competitive because the CPM is very low and the CTR is very high.

Make TikToks not ads

Forget what you have learned for other platforms. On TikTok, the key is creation, much more than elsewhere, as the algorithm was primarily designed for the performance of visual content.

In order for your campaigns to be effective, it is necessary to be immersed in the world of TikTok and to understand its laws. The most effective ads are the most in tune with the platform and fit the best in the feed. For the best immersion, open a TikTok account in order to reproduce the user’s manners of expression (filters, challenges, music, dance…).

The platform recommends doing at least 1 video per week. It is necessary to be productive and to have a wide imagination.

Among the hundreds of visual content that we have tested for our clients, we have learned the following tips that we share with you to maximize your acquisition campaigns for your app:

Make it short: The user must be drawn into the content in the first seconds. The high CTR shows us that the users of TikTok are more open to clicking on ads. Take advantage of this to retain the attention of the user from the beginning and for the longest time possible. Be surprising and original to then get to the point.

Use the same type of visuals (filters, challenges, real images) and the same manners of expression (embedded text, dance, music). Stay humble and simple as if you were posting as an actual user of the app.

Music is mandatory: Before anything, think of a « sound design » or use the music already available on the platform.

Be attentive to the user interface: The experience is full screen but TikTok’s user interface is added on top of your content. Be mindful of superposing text: put the important elements in the center of the screen to avoid one text covering up another, like your titles or your icons for example.

Abiding by the rules: To avoid rejections of your ads, be attentive to the rules of TikTok => do not use superlatives, do not include CTA, nudity, lies or even lone minors in your advertisements.

Exploiting every targeting: the funnel method

Targeting by age, interest or by looks a like is possible on the platform. Use this method in order to correctly identify what is effective:

Be as wide as possible: only apply targets based on demography when you have strict restrictions, otherwise, let the algorithm run.

Test your audience as much as possible using interests: find the most effective targets:

 A great variety of available interests (Match 3 Games, Travel, Comedy…)

The user’s behavior and their 220 sub-divisions: A user who has viewed a content in relation to his app during the last 15 days can be targeted

Lookalikes: an often very effective format on Acquisition sources.

Avoid testing different audiences in the same adset: otherwise, you risk a reduction of your potential users. Prefer 1 adset per audience type.

Adapt your creation based on the performances: once you have identified what is effective in terms of age, gender and interests, adapt your creation accordingly.

Knowing the possibilities of the platform

Dynamic audiences => They make possible the creation of lookalike audiences directly on the platform, without always having to upload new audiences with your tracking tool. The result? Automatically updated audiences which allows to target or retarget with more precision, or even to exclude users who use the app.

DPA (dynamic product ads): allows to upload an automated product catalog directly onto the platform and to automatically adapt the creation with the products, the prices, and the users.

Shoppable ads, a new format that allows to highlight products or specific promotions with a redirection to the product in question directly on the app.

From our point of view, we see projects that work on all age groups, so leave your preconceptions behind and try TikTok, you will be surprised.

Addicts has access to products to go even further, so do not hesitate to contact us if you need help to manage your campaigns on TikTok. (Max bide conversion, Whitlist on the unavailable countries, creation tools). Addict is on the frontline of all these methods. Reach out to us in order to launch your campaigns.