5 ways to make the best TikTok ads using social media creators

Byline: Tim Sovay, chief business development & partnerships officer, CreatorIQ

Research shows that consumers respond better to social media ads featuring influencers.

According to TikTok, 71% of users say they purchased a product because of the authenticity of the creator who recommended it. And 56% of customers feel they can trust a brand more when a creator shares its products.

It’s about trust, which is why more brands are featuring creators in their ads than ever before. But finding success with this strategy is not as easy as just throwing a creator in front of a camera and letting it roll.

CreatorIQ and TikTok recently joined forces to learn what separates the best-performing creator-led ads from the pack. The results are available in the newly released white paper, 5 Keys To Successful TikTok Creator Ads.

Here are the five proven guidelines the report says brands should follow to best leverage creator partnerships and make the most impactful TikTok ads.

1. Grab attention from the start

Your first goal is to stop the viewer's infinite scroll with an effective hook right from the start. Not only does this increase engagement, but also the overall impact of the ad. According to TikTok, 90% of ad recall impact and 80% of awareness impact are captured within the first six seconds.

Showing a creator at the very outset of an ad is one strategy that has shown notable success. According to TikTok, showing a person or creator in the first two seconds of an ad increases hooking power by 50% and improves ad recognition by 32%.

2. Foster a Personal Connection

One of the things that make creators so successful is their ability to connect with followers. Creators are relatable and approachable in ways that most brands could never achieve. So harness that by encouraging your creator partners to engage and interact with viewers using such tactics as:

• Addressing your Audience: Greeting viewers increases brand recall by 122%, saying “you” in the first five seconds increases purchase intent by 128%, and speaking directly to viewers increases the likelihood of engagement by 1.5x.
• Increasing face time: Entertainment ads that show a person’s face drive a 148% lift in brand recall.
• Get vocal: A sample of Food & Beverage ads suggests that voiceovers drive a 63% uplift in purchase intent.

3. Show your product in action

Customers trust the referral of a person they know and trust. Creators are particularly powerful in this role, with six in 10 TikTok users saying that creators are more influential than traditional celebrities, according to TikTok.

That’s why ads that show creators using products are so effective. For instance, unboxing videos drive a 31% uplift in attention, and ads where creators show off products have an 89% uplift in brand recall and 47% in purchase intent.

4. Use the right creative elements

Save your glossy production values for TV. TikTok is more homespun by design. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pay attention to the critical details. Things like sound, music, text, and pacing matter.

For instance, nine out of 10 users say sound is vital to the TikTok experience, while ads with music drive a 61% uplift in brand recall and 177% in purchase intent. Ads with text overlays are 1.4x more likely to hook users than those without. And fast-paced ads drive a 162% lift in recall within the beauty sector.

5. Close with a clear call to action

Remember the point of the ad is to sell a product or service. So be sure there’s a clear and unambiguous path to doing so. Why waste all that effort getting attention and engagement if you don’t direct the viewer to your preferred action?

Strong written CTAs generate a 205% uplift in purchase intent. Using a display card CTA button gets a 69% lift in brand recall.

With these five tips, brands can build an effective TikTok marketing program using creator partnerships. But beware: these guidelines are just that. Be sure not to micromanage your creative partners by adhering too strictly to each of the steps listed. Use this guide to provide a framework for the project, and then let them flex their creative muscles on their own. That’s the whole point of working with creators after all.

For more data on each of these tips, plus real-life examples of brands putting them into action, download CreatorIQ’s free white paper 5 Keys to Successful TikTok Creator Ads today.