TikTok Ads: where a small business should start
Which formats work without a production team, how many creatives you need at the start and what to expect from the first week.
AiryAds Team
Platforms2 min read
TikTok looks like a platform for big brands with big shooting budgets. In reality, simple vertical video shot on a phone works well here, and you can start with a small daily budget.
Formats without production
The simplest format is a short 9:16 vertical video, 15–30 seconds long. Show the product in hand, the process or the result. The first two seconds decide whether people keep watching, so start with the main point.
If you have no time to film, generate creatives with AI in your brand's style. You can use them as they are or as a draft for your own video.
How many creatives you need at the start
Prepare three to five different videos. The platform shows them to different people and quickly works out which performs best. One video for the whole campaign gives it nothing to choose from.
Different openings. The first seconds matter more than the rest of the clip.
Different delivery. A review, a testimonial, before and after.
One call to action. At the end, say what to do next.
What to expect from the first week
For the first few days the platform is learning: the cost per result fluctuates, and that is normal. Don't change the campaign every day, give it a few days to collect data.
Judge the result after the first week, not the first day. By then you can see which video to keep and which to replace.
