All About TikTok Ad Specs
Although TikTok articulated its philosophy on advertising as, “Don’t make ads. Make TikToks,” TikTok wants you to make ads—and, even if you don’t know it yet, you want to make ads on TikTok.
"*" indicates required fields
TikTok meant that your ads should fit in seamlessly with non-advertising TikToks. Your TikTok ads should reflect the entertaining and unique nature of content created by non-commercial users. To do that, TikTok provides TikTok Ads Manager for businesses, but to use it, you need to understand TikTok ad specs and the best practices that will set your brand up for success.
It’s essential to keep in mind that when you decide to put your brand on TikTok, you also need to determine how to allocate your time between organic posts and paid ads. Each has pros and cons, and your TikTok advertising strategy will likely incorporate both.
Sneak Preview: All About TikTok Ad Specs
INTRODUCTION
As both a digital marketing agency and a brand that advertises on TikTok, we understand that TikTok ads represent a massive opportunity at the forefront of the digital marketing landscape, particularly for companies that want to reach potential customers in the under-40 demographic, particularly women in this age group. However, we also understand that it can be overwhelming with so many options for structuring your ads while complying with TikTok’s specifications. Here is a simple guide to TikTok ad specs and best practices for video-based and image-based ads to help you get started.
In case you haven’t already, connecting Google Ads and Analytics accounts should be the first move with any and all Ads campaigns. Many of the key features and metrics you’ll learn in this guide can be tracked and measured in Google Ads—but in Analytics, additional context can be gleaned from onsite behavior. Let’s get started!
TikTok Ad Specs for Video Ads and Image Ads
As a video platform, TikTok naturally supports various types of ads in the video medium. However, TikTok does allow image-based ads on the news platforms it owns, so it may be worth considering whether that medium also suits your plan to promote your product or service. We’ve outlined both options in greater details below.
Video Ads Specs
The TikTok app itself, as well as its separate news apps (BuzzVideo, TopBuzz, Babe), support video ads. However, since video ads are not uniquely available on the news apps the way image ads discussed below are, this guide to video ads will focus on the TikTok app.
Here is a rundown of TikTok in-feed video ad specs:
- Format can be .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp, or .avi.
- Your file size cannot exceed 500 MB.
- Your bitrate must be 516 kbps or under.
- TikTok provides a series of short videos that users can’t stop watching, so video ads range in length from 5–60 seconds.
