Have you tapped into TikTok marketing yet or hired a TikTok advertising agency to help you grow your business? Smart move if you have. TikTok has exploded to over a billion monthly users, making it a digital hub brands can’t afford to ignore.
But standing out takes more than slapping logos on recycled YouTube ads. TikTok has its own culture. Its own unwritten rules. Master them and unlock connections with audiences unlike anywhere else.
In this article, I’ll reveal TikTok advertising strategies most brands miss – four secret tools helping some companies gain strong momentum. Use them now to get a leg up on the competition while these tools remain under the radar!
Let’s unlock the four advertising tools that boost results beyond typical campaigns.
Four Secret TikTok Advertising Tools to Grow Your Business
Tool #1: TikTok Trending
TikTok equals today’s epicenter of internet cool. What pops off here dictates wider culture for a minute – then fades as tastes move on.
Brands killing it have their fingers on the pulse of these shifts. Predicting viral trends may seem fruitless for outsiders – but TikTok’s Trending tool flips the script. This game-changing trending tool reveals real-time rising hashtag challenges, sounds, effects, and more, gaining momentum with the core Gen Z audience.
Think of it like an oracle. By the time a dance or meme trends organically, it’s likely on its way out soon. But spot it first in TikTok Trending? You can ride waves early when impressions surge rather than play catch-up.
Bake In Trends
This real-time visibility lets you bake fresh trends into branded content as they emerge. The goal is to integrate your brand messaging and content into emerging trends gaining momentum on TikTok.
By spotting rising hashtag challenges, audio clips, dances, etc., early in TikTok’s Trending tool, you can organically incorporate elements of rising viral content into your ads.
This makes your messaging feel like a natural part of the current cultural conversation. And not disjointed or awkwardly forced.
You “weave” your brand story into the same trends users are already engaging with and sharing.
This earns attention fast from young audiences seeking the next new thing even before reaching tipping points.
Trend Translation
You must try to understand what makes things go viral on TikTok.
People share trends that:
- Tap into the prevailing sentiment
- Spark friendly competition
- Enable creative expression
Create messaging that reflects the feeling of rising trends. Adapt their themes in a unique way rather than copying outright.
It’s about riding cultural undercurrents versus chasing flashes in the pan. Put in this work, and your brand can transcend simply advertising to become part of the conversation.
Tool #2: Ad Library
TikTok makes peeking pro advertising strategies as easy as a few clicks with the TikTok Ad Library.
The Ad Library serves up a searchable database of campaigns running right now, plus top historical performers across niches. Think masterclasses by category revealing:
- Creative approaches
- Ad formats
- Targeting methods
- What messages resonate
Deconstruct these proven winners to dodge rookie mistakes under the learning curve. Build on formulas connecting with audiences for inspiration to craft your brand’s viral content uniquely.
Ad Autopsy
I suggest rolling up your sleeves with the Ad Library using a method I call Ad Autopsies.
Slice into the anatomy of individual ads using dissection questions like:
- How does this visual style grab attention as I scroll? Should I make my images busier?
- What about the text makes me instantly curious? How punchy is my headline game?
- Does this transition trick amp pacing to hold my focus? Should my intros be longer?
- How are sound and effects used here to make the experience feel more vibrant?
Studying the top ads in your industry shows what works. Apply those winning strategies to connect with viewers immediately when your content appears.
Eventually, you’ll build your winning formula for stand-out ads.
Tool #3: TikTok Shop
TikTok puts over a billion potential shoppers right in your pocket. They are primed and receptive to discover and potentially buy new items.
About 50% of TikTok users said they found new products through ads posted by a brand or product on the platform.
But micro-attention spans mean you’ve got seconds to convince viewers your product is for them before endless For You Page options beckon.
TikTok Shop makes this possible by enabling direct retail integration. That lets you tag shoppable products right within video ads. Fans can then purchase featured items seamlessly without ever leaving TikTok.
The result?
It removes barriers so you can sell products with just a few clicks.
Demo Days
Use shoppable video spots for lively product demos showing off the hottest features. Then, spotlight limited-time promo codes or flash sales, kicking urgency into high gear.
Use HD videos to showcase products from all angles. Show influencers demonstrating how to use the items. This extra visual detail provides more impact than basic image ads.
Clearly convey unique selling points through sight, sound, and motion. That allows potential customers to evaluate merchandise more dynamically than static product images.
Track & Tweak
But simply enabling on-platform checkout won’t automatically translate to conversions. You’ve got to monitor performance carefully and then optimize based on insights.
Ask questions like:
- How far into my videos are most viewers tapping to shop?
- Do certain products see higher conversion rates than others?
- What promotions or discounts perform best?
- Which viewer segments show the highest intent signals?
Let data guide your testing. Then, double down on the messaging, products, and promos to stick with audiences. Keep refining until you have mastered converting product discovery into sales.
Tool #4: TikTok Creative Challenge
User-generated content resonates, unlike other forms of marketing. It’s real people authentically showcasing love for brands they support. This rare authenticity stands out and engages viewers feeling exhausted by constant advertising.
TikTok Creative Challenge lets you rally this passion around playful calls to action tied to your brand.
The Approach
It works like this:
Brands create sponsored contests asking TikTok creators to make original videos about their products.
For example, participants may showcase a new drink in recipe videos. In exchange, creators can earn prizes like money, free branded merchandise, or wider exposure.
American lifestyle brand Converse wanted streetwise styling clips showing off new sneakers. The results captured authentic brand love rippling across feeds.
The Creative Challenge tool flexes serious creator muscle while spotlighting products. And you might even discover fresh talent to rep your logo as a welcome bonus!
Spark Joy
Challenges check every box for the platform’s gamified virality:
✅ Interactive – Users engage hands-on through content creation
✅ Social – Friends watch and react together
✅ Rewarding – Prizes trigger TikTok’s competitive side
The effect snowballs as trending hashtags. It spreads the brand message widely and reaches the creators’ followers and beyond.
Soon, you’ll inspire not just sales but true delight that earns loyalty beyond single purchases.
Dive In!
I advise you to start small using micro-challenges targeted toward loyalists. Learn what motivates participation. Then, build upon formats that work best before enlisting influencer star power.
The key is to frame challenges to spotlight your products playfully, not just push sales. Meet creators on their creative wavelength, then watch the brand impression roll in!
TikTok, at its best, fosters human connections that convert audiences into communities. Use challenges to show what your brand stands for above just the products you sell. Send out that beacon, then welcome all who resonate with the tribe!
It’s Time To Shine
You now know four powerful TikTok advertising tools that many brands haven’t discovered yet. These tools remain untapped goldmines while companies underestimate TikTok’s potential.
Master them before others wake up to gain a competitive edge!
- Trending guides you to the pulse of changing tastes.
- The Ad Library reveals what messaging pops.
- Shop removes all buying friction
- And Challenges rally authentic advocacy
So what now?
Use these tools to research what your audience wants. Then, create ads that organically fit TikTok’s creative culture rather than hard product promotions.
Do that well; you’ll form rare connections that convert impressions into intent. Stand for something bigger than transactions in your niche. Foster communities rooted in creative expression like only TikTok enables. I’m rooting for you to unlock the potential of that billion-strong audience and convert them into loyal fans. That’s when the big brand magic happens!
See also: Who is the most followed on TikTok?
