In-feed ads
Videos in the For You feed, chosen by objective: reach, traffic, video views, community interaction, leads, app installs or sales.
Best for: The default. Start here, optimised for the result you actually want.
TikTok
ads.
TikTok ads are short vertical videos shown in the For You feed, and now in TikTok search, bought in an auction like Meta's. In Australia they can reach 10.9 million adults, about half of all Australians 18 and over. The catch is creative, not budget: TikTok's own advice is 3 to 5 videos per ad group, with new ones added as results drop. Under-16s can't have accounts here, and TikTok says they aren't served ads. I run TikTok ads on the same rule as everything else: judge them on sales or leads, not views.
Written by Dan Picken, founder. Last checked 2 November 2026.From my audits
Where TikTok
budgets leak.
TikTok is the newest channel I offer. These patterns come from paid social generally, and they show up on TikTok faster because creative wears out faster.
- 1
One video, run until it dies
A single ad carries the whole budget for weeks. Results slide, and the answer is a budget cut instead of new creative.
- 2
TV ads cut down to vertical
A polished brand ad, cropped to 9:16 with the logo first. It looks like an ad, so people scroll past it like one.
- 3
Judged on views
Cheap views reported as success, with no pixel or Events API checking whether anyone bought.
- 4
Search placement left on by accident
New campaigns show in TikTok search by default. Sometimes that's useful. It should be a decision.
- 5
Platform numbers taken as gospel
TikTok's conversion count and GA4's never match. Without your own sales data, nobody knows which is closer.
How TikTok works now
Nobody searched.
So the video has to earn it.
TikTok shows people videos they didn't ask for. An ad gets the same test as every other post: does it hold attention in the first seconds?
- 01
The first seconds decide it
TikTok's creative guidance says to put the key message in the first 3 seconds and a hook in the first 6, shot vertically, with sound, and with real people in it.
What I do: Open with the problem or the product, not the logo animation. Write the first line before anything else.
- 02
Volume beats polish
TikTok recommends 3 to 5 creatives per ad group and 3 to 5 ad groups per campaign, and adding new creative to an existing ad group when results trend down, rather than starting again.
What I do: Plan videos in batches. A shoot that produces ten usable clips is worth more than one perfect ad.
- 03
Brand early, feeling high
Research TikTok commissioned with System1 found ads showing the brand in the first 2 seconds held attention better, and ads built on happiness wore out more slowly than ads built on surprise.
What I do: Show who you are early, and aim for a feeling people don't mind seeing twice.
The last finding is TikTok's own commissioned research, run with heavy users in the US, UK and Europe, so read it as TikTok's case for itself.
Creative planner
How many videos
does your budget need?
On TikTok the budget is rarely the bottleneck. The videos are. Put in your budget and target cost per result. It works out how many ad groups the budget can feed under TikTok's own rules, and how many new videos that means each month.
The starting numbers are examples. TikTok doesn't set a refresh schedule; it says to add new videos when results drop. This assumes each refresh adds a full new set of 3 to 5 per ad group.
New videos to make each month
-
What you can run
Five ways in,
and when to use each.
Most accounts need two or three of these, not all of them.
Spark Ads
Your own posts, or a creator's with their permission, run as ads.
Best for: When an organic post is already working, or a creator makes something better than you could.
Smart+ campaigns
TikTok's automated campaign: it handles targeting, bidding and creative rotation, including spotting tired ads.
Best for: Once tracking is solid and you have plenty of creative. Automation needs good inputs.
Search placement
Ads shown in TikTok search results. Automatic search placement is on by default and isn't keyword-based. Keyword search campaigns are available in Australia for web conversions.
Best for: When people search TikTok for your category, like recipes, beauty or travel ideas.
Lead ads
An instant form inside TikTok, your own site's form, or a message.
Best for: Services and courses. Expect more volume and lower intent than a website form, so qualify fast.
How most TikTok accounts run.
How I'd run yours.
Most accountsHow I do it
CreativeOne or two videos, made once.A creative plan with a refresh date, built from what buyers search and say.Buyer State Mapping
Success measureViews, likes and cheap clicks.Sales or leads, checked against your own records.
TrackingPixel only, or nothing.Pixel plus Events API, deduplicated, with offline sales where possible.
BudgetSpread thin across many ad groups.Enough per ad group to learn, following TikTok's 10 times cost per result guide.Spend Curve
ProofTikTok's own conversion report.A test with a holdout, or a before-and-after in your sales data.Cause Testing
How it works
Four steps.
Nothing hidden.
- 01
Free audit
I check whether TikTok suits your buyers and your capacity for video, before you spend anything.
- 02
Tracking first
Pixel and Events API set up and tested, with sales or leads as the goal.
- 03
Creative plan
Hooks and scripts from what your buyers search and say, and a shoot plan with a refresh date.
- 04
Launch and refresh
A small number of well-funded ad groups, new videos added as results drop, judged on sales or leads.
What you get
- A fit check: whether TikTok suits your product and buyers
- Pixel and Events API set up and deduplicated
- A creative plan: hooks, scripts and a refresh schedule
- Campaigns set up to TikTok's budget and creative guidance
- Spark Ads and creator permissions handled properly
- Reporting on sales or leads, checked against your own records
- Direct access to me, start to finish
Signals this works on
Out of the 8 signals every page and ad sends.
- Pattern interrupt
- Emotional activation
- Relevance signal
Questions
people ask.
How much do TikTok ads cost?
There's no set price: you bid in an auction. TikTok's help page lists minimum daily budgets above $50 per campaign and $20 per ad group, without naming the currency, so check what Ads Manager shows you. It also suggests a daily budget of at least 10 times your cost per result.
Can I target under-16s on TikTok in Australia?
No. Under the social media minimum age law, TikTok is one of the platforms that must keep under-16s off, and TikTok says under-16s in Australia aren't served ads. If your product appeals to teenagers, write for adults and parents.
Is TikTok Shop available in Australia?
Not for selling locally. In March 2026, TikTok's local general manager said she was not aware of any plans to launch it in Australia. Some Australian brands sell through it overseas. Recheck before planning around it.
Why don't TikTok's conversions match Google Analytics?
TikTok lists the reasons itself: it reports a conversion on the day of the ad view, counts across sessions, and visits from its in-app browser can show in GA4 as direct. It can also count people who watched at least 6 seconds and bought later, through engaged view-through attribution. Neither number is the truth; your sales records are.
Do influencers have to label paid TikTok posts?
Yes. TikTok requires the commercial content disclosure setting on posts that promote a brand. The ACCC's sweep found 81% of 118 influencers it checked raised concerns, often for hiding brand ties.
Which businesses can't advertise on TikTok?
Political ads are not allowed at all. Payday loans and most crypto products are prohibited, and credit, loans and investments are limited to adults with licensing. Weight loss claims are 18+ only, with no guaranteed results.
Make them stop
scrolling.
Takes a minute. Audits come back within 1 to 2 business days. For anything else, I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
What happens next
- 1I'll ask for read-only access, or just your website for a search audit.
- 2I go through it and write up the 3 biggest fixes.
- 3A 20-minute call to walk you through it. No pitch unless you ask.
Keep going