How to Make TikTok Ads That Slap
Welcome back to Funnel Vision, the weekly newsletter that puts performance creative & growth marketing in focus. Brought to you by the crew at Ready Set.
TikTok users in the U.S. average 95 minutes daily on the app. In just 90, you could instead learn to juggle three balls—and spend the last five posting your newfound talent.
Here’s what’s inside:
Reading time: 5 minutes
How to Make TikTok Ads That Slap
TikTok’s U.S. future may still hang in the balance, but advertisers are doubling down anyway. A glance at the numbers reveals why.?
Important: ByteDance, TikTok’s notoriously secretive parent company, never publicly shares revenue figures. These revenue projections are estimates—albeit by very smart analysts—but estimates nonetheless.
For marketers, the question is no longer whether TikTok matters—it's how you can squeeze every possible dollar out of your ad spend on this platform.
It starts with mastering these four core pillars.
1. Tap into trends (but do it right)
Leveraging trends can supercharge your TikTok ads—but only if executed thoughtfully.?
Jumping on trending memes, hashtags, or sounds can catapult your brand into the spotlight quickly, but it’s a delicate balancing act. Done well, trend-based ads feel fresh, relevant, and engaging. Done poorly, they risk alienating audiences—especially eagle-eyed Gen Z, who are quick to call out lazy or opportunistic attempts.
The key is to be swift, decisive, and authentic. Success ultimately boils down to two critical elements:
One brand this does this really well is Lemonade. Their product, insurance, is boring. Their content makes it fun, like this playful spin on the #hopelesscore trend.
??Tip: Use tools like TikTok’s Creative Center to track trending content, sounds, and hashtags.
2. Make ads that don’t feel like ads
People go to TikTok to be entertained.
The best-performing ads are often the ones that blend seamlessly with organic content—they look and feel less like ads and more like something you’d watch for fun.
Great storytelling is key here.?
Make ads that take viewers on a quick, captivating journey; a narrative with a clear beginning, middle, and end. This content resonates because people feel connected to relatable scenarios and characters. They emphasize their challenges and celebrate their triumphs—aided by your product.
(That’s why trends are so powerful; they’re ultimately just storytelling frameworks packaged in bite-sized, repeatable formats.)
Consider this Super Bowl ad from Stella Artois. And yes—we know it's not a TikTok ad, and most brands don't have Beckham-and-Damon-sized budgets.
3. Put People Front and Center
User-generated content (UGC) is always a safe bet for performance creative content.
On TikTok, however, UGC ads reign supreme.
The TikTok audience demands authenticity and connection, making UGC-style ads particularly powerful because they naturally deliver both. Overly polished advertiser content sticks out (see above, ads that feel like ads) and get swiped on.
So when creating TikTok ads, lean into authentic, human-driven storytelling over polished, product-centric content.
This Hims ad, which features a real barber, leans on the dynamic between the two characters to create a relatable and organic scenario.
?? Interesting: We’ve found across multiple clients that ads with opening shots showing people’s faces—and, funnily enough, their hands—perform better than ads that don’t.
4. Nail the basics
It may seem simple, but getting the basic best practices right really is half the battle.?
Seriously, you’d be shocked at how many advertisers overlook “simple” stuff, like:
Just tackling these three things already puts you ahead of most TikTok advertisers.
Some more advanced, but still very achievable, tactics include…
Using TikTok’s signature features like greenscreen and voice overs to give your ads immediate familiarity and make them feel native to the platform.
Aiming for a DIY aesthetic. TikTok is a platform that rewards scrappy, authentic, and imperfect content, meaning polished production can actually work against you.
Stick to structures that are proven to sell. Include a hook that reels in viewers, memorable selling points, and a compelling call to action.
Optimize for both sound-on and sound-off. TikTok is a sound-on platform, so take the audio elements of your ad into consideration. That said, it’s good practice to include captions to maximize accessibility.
Shorter is better. 30 seconds is the standard. Some recommend going even shorter: 9–15 seconds for in-feed ads.
Need help cracking the TikTok creative code??
Repurposing your Meta ads won’t cut it on TikTok—winning on this platform demands purpose-built creative made specifically for TikTok’s unique audience.
At Ready Set, platform-specific performance creative is our specialty. Our team creates TikTok-first content designed to grab attention, drive engagement, and deliver measurable results.
Ready to see how we can level up your TikTok ads? Get in touch—and let's talk about how we can help your brand stand out and scale up.
CLICKABLE LINKS ???
?? Why rumors of Duolingo’s beloved owl mascot’s demise are greatly exaggerated—and what marketers can learn from 2025’s most viral social campaign.
?? OpenAI rolls out GPT-4.5, the “largest and best model for chat yet” that excels at softer skills like emotional intelligence, writing, and not hallucinating.
?? Publicis Groupe to acquire ad tech firm Lotame—the latest in a spree of ad-world M&A deals. Contract reportedly printed on eggshell with Romalian type. Nice.
??? Volvo released its first ad created entirely by AI—and doesn’t show a single vehicle. Question is, will it move people to drop $80k on an EV?
??? Tech giants to advertisers: “Trust the algorithm…” Advertisers to tech giants: “Hmmm, we don’t know about that.” The WSJ details the pros and cons of AI’s growing influence in ad buying.
?? Turns out Zuckerberg is just getting warmed up—here’s are Meta’s next strategic moves in their “year of intensity”.
AD OF THE WEEK ?
This deceptively simple ad from fintech company Brigit checks all the boxes of high-performing TikTok ad.
Brand: Brigit | Length: 25 seconds | Platform: TikTok
WHY IT WORKS ??
?? This ad didn't just piggyback off an existing trend, it created a new one. Constant iteration boosts your chances of striking viral gold.
?? It tells a story in less than 30 seconds. There’s humor, relationship dynamics, conflict & resolution—all the ingredients of a compelling (if brief) narrative.
?? The charismatic talent makes the scenario feel genuine, setting the stage perfectly for subtly introducing the product and highlighting its core value.
?? Low-tech, smartphone-shot footage paired with basic text overlays creates an authentic, scrappy aesthetic that feels right at home on TikTok.
Catch you next time!
That’s all for this week. Thanks for reading. Seeya next time ??