Don't Make Ads, Make TikToks - o'rlly?

We conducted a test as part of a campaign for a family movie that hit theaters in the second half of last year. 2020 wasn’t kind to the cinema industry, so the campaign data doesn’t offer a strong benchmark for standard situations. However, it was an excellent opportunity to compare Facebook’s ad system with TikTok’s solutions.

Here are some of our key takeaways:

The myth of TikTok ads being expensive? Busted. In similar campaigns run on both Facebook and TikTok, the cost per thousand impressions on TikTok was, on average, more than twice as low! Not only were impressions cheaper, but the cost per click was also noticeably lower—by 35.5%.

Our experience with TikTok’s advertiser panel left us with mixed feelings. On the positive side, its interface is more visually appealing and readable compared to Facebook’s solutions. On the downside, its current ad configuration options are quite limited. Features like ad editing, duplication, and other basic functionalities could be improved. That said, we believe this will evolve quickly, and TikTok’s tools will soon match its competitors.

TikTok’s slogan proved to be true during our campaign. Using the same ads as on Facebook’s network doesn’t work well on TikTok. On Facebook, users engaged with videos significantly longer: between 5% and 17% of users watched at least half the video. On TikTok? Just 2.5%.

In summary:

Even with lower engagement rates, TikTok campaigns were more cost-effective than those on Facebook’s network. If your target audience matches TikTok’s user base, it’s definitely worth exploring this platform. 😊

Special thanks to my teammate Ola Wojciechowska for her help in preparing this analysis!