How to run ads on TikTok?

Running ads on TikTok is simple and can be done through TikTok Ads Manager. After creating an account and logging in, you’ll set up a campaign, choose your objective, define your target audience, and set your budget. You can choose from various ad formats like In-Feed Ads, Branded Hashtags, and Spark Ads. Once the campaign is set, you can launch your ads and monitor performance through the Ads Manager.

What are good TikTok ad conversions?

Good TikTok ad conversions depend on your campaign objectives, but generally, a conversion rate of 2-5% is considered solid for many industries.

Where is TikTok Ads Manager?

TikTok Ads Manager can be accessed by signing up for an account on the TikTok Ads platform. Once logged in, you can navigate to the dashboard where you can create, manage, and track your ad campaigns. The TikTok Ads Manager is where you’ll set your campaign goals, select your audience, and monitor the performance of your ads. It’s available globally, providing all the tools you need to optimize your TikTok ad strategy

A practical guide to TikTok ads: What is it and how to create a TikTok campaign?

Q: How much do TikTok ads cost?

TikTok ads operate on a bidding system, where you can set a budget and bid for ad placements. The cost of TikTok ads can vary depending on factors like the type of ad format, your target audience, and the competition for ad space. Typically, businesses can expect to pay between $0.10 to $0.30 per click (CPC) or $6 to $10 per 1,000 impressions (CPM) for in-feed ads.

TikTok is quickly becoming a key player in the advertising world, with its dynamic content format and massive, highly engaged user base. If you're looking to drive leads, boost brand visibility, and convert prospects into customers, TikTok ads offer an incredible opportunity.

This guide will walk you through the different ad formats available on TikTok and how you can integrate them with SleekFlow to optimize lead conversion.

TikTok ads: why they matter for your business

What are TikTok ads?

TikTok ads are paid, short-form promotional videos designed to blend seamlessly with user-generated videos while driving measurable business outcomes..

As one of the fastest-growing social platforms globally, TikTok enables businesses to reach a highly engaged audience at scale. Promotional content on TikTok can appear in users’ feeds, within hashtag challenges, as sponsored video content, or through interactive formats that encourage direct engagement. This flexibility allows brands to support a wide range of goals, from brand awareness and consideration to lead generation and conversion.

TikTok Ads Manager: your hub for running ads

To run ads on TikTok, you’ll need to have a TikTok Business Account and have access to TikTok Ads Manager. This is the platform where you can create, manage, and analyze your ad campaigns. On this platform, you'll have access to all the tools needed to set up your campaigns, define your target audience, set budgets, and track performance.

Types of TikTok ads you can use to reach your audience

TikTok offers various ad formats, each designed for different kinds of campaigns and goals. Some of the key TikTok ad formats include:

In-feed ads: Appear natively within users’ For You feed as they scroll. They blend seamlessly with organic content, support multiple objectives, and are skippable, making them suitable for both brand awareness and performance-driven campaigns.
Brand Takeover and TopView ads: These ads are full-screen placements that appear immediately when users open the app, delivering maximum reach in a short time.
Shoppable ad solutions: TikTok supports commerce-focused ad experiences that allow users to discover products and take action without leaving the app. These formats help shorten the path from discovery to purchase through product links, TikTok Shop, or in-app checkout, making them effective for conversion-focused campaigns.
Spark ads: Amplify existing organic or creator content while preserving native engagement signals such as likes, comments, and shares, to spread brand awareness and create a viral effect. Because they feel authentic and socially driven, Spark Ads are particularly effective for building trust and driving mid-funnel engagement.
Non-feed placement ads: TikTok Messaging Ads invite users to start a direct conversation with a business. This non-feed format enables one-to-one interactions, making it ideal for campaigns that require qualification, personalization, or consultative selling.
Lead generation ads (Instant Forms): TikTok Lead Generation Ads allow businesses to collect contact details through Instant Forms without redirecting users off the platform. These forms are often pre-filled with profile information, reducing friction and improving completion rates for high-volume lead capture.

Understanding pricing: how much do TikTok ads cost?

TikTok uses a bidding system, where advertisers set their budget and bid for ad placements with campaign minimums starting at US$500. Thus, pricing for TikTok ads is flexible, and the cost depends on several factors, including the type of ad, target audience, bidding strategy, and campaign length. Tiktok ads cost and tiktok ads pricing can vary based on these elements, but generally, businesses can expect to pay either per impression, per click, or per action. For example, businesses can expect to pay about US$0.10 to US$0.30 per click (CPC) or US$6 to US$10 per 1,000 impressions (CPM) for an in-feed ads campaign.

It’s important to plan your budget carefully and monitor performa

nce to ensure you’re getting the best return on investment (ROI) for your ad spend.

How to target TikTok ads effectively

TikTok offers flexible targeting across demographics, interests, and behaviors. You can also reach users who have interacted with similar content, creators, or ads—making it effective for both prospecting and retargeting.

Ad targeting decides who sees your ad. Conversion quality is shaped by what happens next. With SleekFlow, you can extend targeting into the conversation itself by segmenting leads based on responses, intent, and behavior, then triggering personalized follow-ups automatically.

How to place ads on TikTok: a step-by-step guide

Setting up your TikTok ads account

TikTok Ads Manager dashboard interface showing the campaign creation page

To get started, you’ll need to sign up for TikTok Ads Manager. Once your account is created, you can log in to access the dashboard where you can manage all aspects of your campaigns. Setting up an account is simple and provides access to all the necessary tools to create effective TikTok ad campaigns.

Running ads on TikTok

Once you’re logged into TikTok Ads Manager, the next step is to create your first campaign. You’ll choose your campaign objective (e.g., brand awareness, traffic, conversions), set your budget, and define your target audience. TikTok allows you to select detailed targeting parameters, ensuring that your ads reach the right users.

From lead generation to conversion: Navigating the customer journey in TikTok

Once your TikTok ads start generating leads, the real challenge is converting them while intent is still high. TikTok is effective at capturing attention, but slow replies, manual follow-ups, or fragmented conversations often cause high-quality leads to drop off.

SleekFlow helps bridge this gap by centralizing TikTok leads alongside WhatsApp, Instagram, and other messaging channels in one workspace. First responses can be automated, AI agents handle initial qualification, and smart routing ensures high-intent leads are assigned to the right sales representatives without delay. This keeps conversations moving smoothly from first message to meaningful engagement.

Maximize your TikTok ad campaigns with SleekFlow

SleekFlow support TikTok Business Messaging API integration: turn TikTok views and conversations into conversions with AI

As one of the first omnichannel messaging platforms to collaborate with TikTok, integrating SleekFlow with TikTok Message Ads and Instant Forms also strengthens campaign performance over time. Every chat interaction on TikTok feeds engagement data back into the TikTok Ads algorithm, helping improve optimization while giving teams full visibility into the end-to-end customer journey.