How to Use TikTok Ads Manager? Advertising 101

If you’re a business owner or marketer in 2026, you can’t afford to ignore TikTok. With over 1 billion active users worldwide, this video-sharing juggernaut has become a goldmine for reaching Gen Z and millennial audiences.

And you know that posting normal posts is not gonna make it, you need to level up your game with TikTok’s powerful advertising tools, and one such thing you can’t overlook is TikTok Ads Manager. But how to use TikTok Ads Manager?

If you are unaware of what this tool can do, you can create, launch, and optimize paid ad campaigns that can skyrocket your brand’s visibility and engagement on the app. From setting up your ad account to crafting irresistible video ads, this guide will walk you through every step of the process.

How to Use TikTok Ads Manager?

Getting started with the TikTok Ads Manager is pretty easy, here is a small step-by-step guide on how you can use TikTok Ads Manager.

Create an Ad Account

Go to https://ads.tiktok.com and click “Get Started“.
Enter your email/phone number and business details.
Select your country, time zone, currency, and submit for approval.

Create a Campaign

Click “Dashboard” > “Get Started” under “Create your first ad“.
Select your advertising objective (Awareness, Consideration, Conversion).
Set campaign budget and schedule.

Set Up an Ad Group

Name your ad group.
Choose placements (automatic or manual).
Define audience targeting (location, demographics, interests, etc.).
Set ad group budget, schedule, and optimization goal.

Create an Ad

Link your TikTok Account if you are not logged in.
Upload videos/images for your ad creative.
Write ad text and select call-to-action.
Choose identity (your brand account or custom).
Set destination URL.
Preview and submit the ad for review.

Install the TikTok Pixel

In the Ads Manager, go to Management > Events > Manage Pixels.
Create a new pixel and install it on your website.
Set up conversion events you want to track.

Monitor Performance

Use the Ads Manager dashboard to track metrics like impressions, clicks, and conversions.
Analyze performance and make optimizations as needed.

Be sure to follow TikTok’s advertising policies and creative best practices for optimal performance. Regularly refresh ad creative to prevent audience fatigue.

Create Your TikTok Ads Account

TikTok Ads Manager Features

Exploring the features of TikTok Ads Manager can help marketers tailor their advertising strategies effectively. This section delves into the targeting options and ad formats available within the TikTok Ads Manager.

Targeting Options

TikTok Ads Manager offers a variety of targeting options, allowing advertisers to reach their desired audience with precision. These options include:

Demographics: Target users based on gender, age groups (ranging from 13-17 to 55+), and household income (US only).
Location: Target users by country, region, or city.
Interests and Behaviors: Target users based on their interactions with videos, creators, and other content on TikTok.
Device-Related Factors: Target users based on connection type, operating system, device model, carrier, and ISP.

Additionally, TikTok Ads Manager allows for the creation of Lookalike or Custom Audiences based on customer files, engagement, app activity, website traffic, shop activity, and more.

Ad Formats

TikTok provides a variety of advertising formats to suit different campaign objectives. These formats include:

In-Feed Ads: Short videos or still images that appear in the ‘For You’ feed, blending seamlessly with user-generated content. These ads can include a clickable CTA button for driving traffic to external landing pages or app downloads (Aspire). For more details on creating effective In-Feed ads, visit how to use TikTok Ads Creative Center.
TopView Ads: Full-screen ads that appear at the top of the For You feed upon opening the app. These ads, with a duration of up to 60 seconds, are ideal for brand awareness due to their wide reach and high impressions.
Brand Takeover Ads: High-impact ads that are the first thing users see when opening the app. These ads can be in video or image format and offer guaranteed high reach and performance, with a 100% Share of Voice for the day they are featured.
Branded Hashtag Challenge: Encourages user-generated content by engaging audiences through a co-creation challenge. It involves video ads, a featured banner on the Discover page, and a central hub page aggregating challenge submissions from around the world.
Branded Effects: Allows brands to create shareable branded stickers, filters, and effects for users to incorporate into their video content. These effects can be used in standalone campaigns or integrated into Branded Hashtag Challenges for increased audience engagement.

Monitoring TikTok Ad Performance

The performance of your ad campaigns is crucial for optimizing your advertising strategy on TikTok. TikTok Ads Manager provides several tools to help marketers track and analyze their campaign performance effectively.

Dashboard Overview

The Dashboard page on TikTok Ads Manager offers an overview of key performance metrics, ad spend, and the status of campaigns. This centralized view allows users to assess performance trends and identify key indicators that may require further investigation.

Impressions: Number of times ads were displayed.
Clicks: Number of times ads were clicked.
CTR (Click-Through Rate): Percentage of clicks relative to impressions.
CPA (Cost Per Action): Cost incurred for each desired action (e.g., download, sign-up).
ROAS (Return on Ad Spend): Revenue generated for each dollar spent on ads

Campaign Insights

The Campaign page provides a more detailed view, allowing users to filter for specific campaigns and customize columns to display the most relevant data. This page also breaks down audience data, offering insights segmented by:

Age
Gender
Location
Interest
Device

TikTok Ads Manager offers both Custom Reports and Pre-defined Report templates, allowing users to select specific dimensions and metrics to display in their reports. Reports can be exported in xlsx or csv formats for easy reference.

Using PiPiADS for TikTok Ad Analysis

PiPiADS is a powerful analytics tool that provides in-depth insights into your TikTok ad campaigns. By integrating with your TikTok Ads Manager account, PiPiADS allows you to track and analyze a wide range of performance metrics.

Some key parameters you can monitor with PiPiADS include:

Impressions, reach, and engagement rates across different ad placements.
Cost per view, click conversion, and other efficiency metrics.
Audience demographics like age, gender, location, and interests.
Creative performance to identify top-performing videos/images.
Conversion tracking for website events, app installs, and purchases.
Detailed breakdowns by campaign, ad group, and ad level.

With its user-friendly dashboard and in-depth reporting, PiPiADS is quite an excellent choice for making data-driven decisions, optimizing your ad spend, and maximizing your return on investment from TikTok advertising.

Try PiPiADS for $1 Only

Optimizing TikTok Ads

Effectively optimizing your ads on TikTok is crucial for driving engagement and achieving your marketing goals. It’s important to create content that resonates with the TikTok audience. Here are some creative best practices:

TikTok-First Content: Ads that are designed specifically for TikTok can capture viewers’ attention more effectively. Such ads drive 3.3x more actions, including clicks, likes, and shares, compared to other platforms.
Trends Utilization: Capitalize on storytelling templates created by the TikTok community. 77% of users appreciate when brands use trends, memes, or challenges to create new content. This approach helps in connecting with new customers.
Frequent Refreshing: TikTok ads need to be refreshed often to prevent creative fatigue. Follow production principles such as shooting vertically, using high-resolution footage, and understanding the “safe space” on TikTok.
Structured Videos: Structuring your ad videos with a hook, body, and close can lead to increased engagement. A strong call-to-action at the end of the video tends to yield better customer response.

Answering the Common Queries

Is There a Minimum Ad Spend on TikTok?

There is no minimum, but a daily budget of at least $20/day per ad group is recommended for best results.

What Ad Formats are Available on TikTok?

TikTok offers in-feed image and video ads, spark ads to boost organic content, and pangle ads for TikTok’s audience network.

How Long can TikTok Video Ads be?

TikTok video ads can be 5-60 seconds long. 15-second vertical videos are recommended as they can also be used for Instagram Stories.

What Targeting Options are Available for TikTok Ads?

You can target by gender, age, location (country level), interests, and custom audiences built from your TikTok pixel data.

How Frequently Should I Refresh My Ad Creatives?

Aim to have 1-3 creatives per ad group and refresh with 5-8 new creatives every week to avoid ad fatigue.

How Can I Get Started with a Limited Budget?

Start with a $5-10K budget focused on 1-2 objectives like driving website traffic and conversions. Target relevant audiences and test creatives.

Ready to Crush TikTok Ads?

And there you have it – your crash course in mastering the TikTok Ads Manager! It may seem a bit daunting at first, but trust me, once you get into it and start experimenting, you’ll be a pro in no time.

Remember, the key to success on TikTok is to let your creativity shine and keep your finger on the pulse of the latest trends.

I would suggest testing different ad formats, targeting strategies, and optimization tactics until you find the secret sauce that works for your brand. With a little persistence and a lot of personality, you’ll be raking in the views, likes, and sales before you know it.

Happy Advertising!

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How to Use TikTok Ads Manager? Advertising 101