We live in a digital world and if you’re not online, you may as well not exist. This is why it’s important to have an advertising strategy for driving sales through marketing channels like social media. TikTok ads can be an effective way to reach new customers on its rapidly growing platform. That’s why in this blog post, we will discuss how to use TikTok ads for your dropshipping business.
What are TikTok Ads?
TikTok is the world’s largest video-sharing app and dominates social media with a whopping 700 million monthly active users. TikTok Ads are short videos that last 15 seconds or less, which can be viewed in full on top of other content or within an individual profile’s feed for monetization purposes by creating their own branded channel.

The key to success here is creativity and engagement: find creative ways to engage your audience through compelling content like product demos, interviews with customers, behind-the-scenes footage from events you sponsor as well as anything else! The more engaging it is, the better chance you have at generating high numbers of views on your ad campaigns.
Stick around because we’ll be sharing how to use these ads and maximize their conversion rate.
Why you should be using TikTok Ads
These are a few of the reasons your e-commerce brand should be investing in TikTok ads. 🔥
TikTok has a diverse but young audience
Half of TikTok’s global audience is below the age of 34, with 32.5% being between the ages 10 and 19. The majority of TikTok users are teenagers, but people aged 16 to 24 represent 41% of the user base. If you’re targeting younger generations, TikTok ads can have a high conversion rate.

Video ads are highly engaging
92% of marketers say that video is an important part of their marketing strategy. This is with good reason: video ads are more engaging and can affect customers’ brand perceptions than traditional display or text ads in many cases. TikTok ads, in particular, are video-based which grabs people’s attention and allows you to show off your product or interesting creatives.

TikTok ads are cheaper than other platforms
TikTok ads start at $10 per CPM (cost per 1,000 views) and require a minimum daily spend of $20 USD per ad group. While this is a larger upfront investment compared to other platforms like Facebook, the cost per click can be as low as $0.10-$0.20. This means that in the long term you’re spending less money to generate clicks and sales.
Improve your brand awareness
Do you know how many people use TikTok? More 689 million every month! Using TikTok ads helps dropshippers reach an incredibly wide audience. Instead of building that audience yourself (which you should try as well), you can instantly tap into it.
Influencer marketing on steroids
There are few strategies that work better for e-commerce brands for driving revenue than influencer marketing. Think about it. You take somebody with a loyal following, have them promote your product, and you start rolling in the money. Okay, maybe not that simple but you get the point. 34% of brands find influencer marketing has a better return on investment than other channels.

As a dropshipper, you can create ads of influencers using and promoting your product to reach a massive audience and drive revenue. With TikTok having such an impressionable and young crowd, influencer marketing can net you some serious money.
How to Get Started With TikTok Ads for dropshipping
Next, let’s get into the nitty gritty of actually getting started with TikTok ads for dropshipping.
Step 1: Sign up for TikTok Ads
The first step to create a TikTok ad is creating a business account. Click “Get Started” here to begin.

Enter a phone number/email, set a password, and enter the verification code they send you. Click “Sign Up” once you’re finished.

Add your website URL and enter your billing information on the next page.
If you already have a business account, move onto the next step.
Step 2: Create your first TikTok Ads campaign
Now for the fun stuff. Select “Campaign” from the top navigation and click “Create” to make your first ad campaign.

Choose an advertising objective. They include website conversions, website traffic, app installs, and lead generation. Assign the campaign a name as well.

Step 3: Create an Ad group
The third step is to assign an Ad Group Name. This should describe one or more ads that share a similar goal. You can also select a TikTok Pixel or create one during this stage.

Scroll down and choose what placement and targeting options you would like to use. There are automatic placement, location based, demographics, interests, and device.

Set your daily or lifetime budget after this. You can have the ad run continuously or up until a certain date. The optimization goal you select will also change whether or not you reach a wider audience (Clicks) or more targeted (Conversion.) You can also choose between a Cost Cap or Lowest Cost bidding strategy.

Step 4: Create the Ad itself
There are two options you can choose from when creating TikTok ads: video and image.

Keep in mind that if you are delivering ads directly on TikTok and not its partnering networks, you must upload a video ad. Pick the cover, enter an ad name, and the sales copy.
We recommend the following strategies for writing better ad copy:
- Target the customer’s pain points and position your product as the solution.
- Use strong calls to action like “Buy now” or “Shop today.”
- Use emotional power words and explains the benefits of how the product will improve their life.
- Create a sense of urgency or scarcity by positioning the product as limited or hard to get.
Step 5: Measure performance
One of the most important parts of running TikTok ads as a dropshipping business is measurement. After all, don’t you want your campaigns to drive a good ROI? Naturally, you need to keep an eye on your analytics.
Click the “Reporting” tab from the top navigation.
On the left side, you can navigate between “Dimensions” and “Metrics.” Dimensions include campaigns, ad groups, ad, targeting, and other settings. Metrics include key performance indicators like CPC, conversions, CTR, etc.
Final thoughts on TikTok Ads for dropshipping
If you’re a brand that’s dropshipping products, you’d be crazy not to try TikTok ads. They’re effective if you’re targeting younger crowds and sell physical products. Video content has never been more consumed and engaged with than ever before as well.
To get started, sign up for a TikTok Business account. It will ask for some basic information and you’ll be up and running in no time. From there, create your first campaign and pay careful attention to the reporting dashboard. Split test creatives and targeting to continually increase conversions.
If you need media buying experts to take care of your TikTok ads for you, apply to secure a spot on our waitlist.