TikTok launches new measurement and retail solutions for advertisers

Short-form video platform TikTok has launched new ad solutions and performance tools to help brands drive engagement and achieve their business outcomes on the platform. 

The announcement, made at Advertising Week New York, is part of the social media network’s aim to help brands leverage the full power of its platform, especially after it launched its new search ads solution at the end of last month called TikTok Search Ads Campaign. 

David Kaufman, global head of Monetisation Product Solutions and Operations, said: “TikTok is building for the future. We have been listening, learning, and innovating with our advertiser partners to continuously develop solutions that deliver performance.

“TikTok is a unique ecosystem where culture, discovery, and commerce come together. Our goal with these new solutions is to empower brands to engage their communities on TikTok and achieve business results."

Available from this week and across various global markets, the new performance tools include Smart+, which automates the performance advertising process across targeting, bidding, and creative. 

To do this, advertisers will need to input their assets, budgets and targeting goals into TikTok Symphony—the platform’s creative AI suite—and Smart+ will automatically select or create the best creative asset, which targets the right customer at the right time. 

The solution targets three campaign objectives:

• Smart+ Web Campaigns and Smart+ Catalog Ads drive traffic and lower funnel actions;
• Smart+ App Campaigns focuses on users installing the app and driving conversions; and
• Smart+ Lead Generation Campaigns turn leaned-in audiences into high-value customers. 

During a press briefing on the new features, a TikTok spokesperson said advertisers will have the option to control certain aspects of their campaigns manually and that the company aims to provide control and transparency in campaign management and optimisation. 

Other commerce and retail optimisation solutions include extending its out-of-home offering with the launch of Out of Phone: Retail—an in-store digital ad solution, which allows brands and retailers to showcase organic and branded TikTok content in retail locations—available globally from today. The aim is to bridge the gap between online engagement and in-store purchases. 

Lastly, TikTok is also introducing enhanced measurement capabilities including conversion lift studies, which measure the real impact of TikTok ads on sales beyond the last click; and privacy-enhancing technologies that integrate with third-party providers to unlock insights from first-party data while ensuring privacy.

During the call, TikTok also spoke about GMV Max—another new automated marketing optimisation solution for TikTok Shop sellers, which automates campaign creation, targeting, bidding, and creative selection to maximise gross merchandise value (GMV). 

First teased at TikTok World, this is the first solution from the platform to optimise across all shoppable placements on TikTok including its for you page, shop tab, and search.

This article first appeared on Campaign's sister site, Performance Marketing World.