TikTok has experienced a meteoric rise in recent years, evolving from a simple short-video platform into a true game-changer in digital marketing. With over a billion monthly active users worldwide, the platform offers not only entertainment but also an invaluable opportunity for businesses to showcase their products and services to a broad audience.
Particularly exciting is TikTok's latest performance advertising tool , which allows advertisers to make their campaigns even more precise and targeted. However, while this development is promising, it also raises questions – especially regarding the controversial trend of buying TikTok followers.
In this article, we take a closer look at TikTok's new performance advertising tool, discuss its impact on digital marketing, and examine how buying followers fits into this picture – or perhaps more accurately, why this trend should be questioned in today's marketing landscape.
TikTok's performance advertising: What is the new tool?
TikTok recently introduced a new tool for performance advertising. Photo by Solen Feyissa @solenfeyissa, via Unsplash
TikTok recently introduced a new performance advertising tool that allows brands and advertisers to make campaigns on the platform even more targeted and results-oriented.
Until now, many companies have primarily used TikTok for branding purposes (in the case of artists, this is referred to as personal branding ) – that is, to increase brand awareness and boost their visibility. However, with this new tool, the focus is increasingly on performance measurement and maximizing return on investment (ROI).
What makes this tool so special?
In the following video from Ferris Bühler Communications, you will learn which characteristics make TikTok performance marketing particularly attractive for advertisers and what advantages it offers:
1. Automation and machine learning
TikTok relies on sophisticated algorithms optimized through machine learning. These algorithms analyze user interactions in real time and automatically adjust advertising campaigns to achieve the best results.
Advertisers can therefore rely on their ads being shown to the right people at the right time.
2. Target group precision
One of the new tool's greatest strengths is its ability to define target groups with extreme precision. Based on the vast amount of user data that TikTok collects, advertisers can target specific demographic groups or behavioral patterns.
Whether based on age, gender, interests or even interaction behavior – the new performance advertising tool makes it possible to target exactly the users who are most likely to convert.
3. In-Depth Analytics
TikTok's new performance tool offers detailed insights into campaign performance. Instead of relying solely on superficial metrics like views or likes, advertisers can conduct deeper analyses to understand exactly which ads are performing best and why.
This not only makes it easier to optimize ongoing campaigns, but also helps in planning future strategies.
Performance advertising and organic growth: The key to success
Performance advertising leads to organic growth and sustainable success
What makes TikTok's new tool so valuable is the ability to precisely measure campaign success and adjust strategies based on the results. Unlike traditional advertising methods, where it's often difficult to determine the actual impact of an ad, performance advertising allows for a clear link between investments and results. But why is this so important?
On a platform like TikTok, where the competition for attention is extremely high, simply having a presence isn't enough. Companies need to ensure that their content is not only seen, but also seen by the right people – those who are genuinely interested in their product.
Organic growth, meaning the natural growth of a brand without the use of paid advertising, remains a key success factor.
TikTok's performance advertising helps support this organic growth by giving brands the tools to create more efficient campaigns that focus on genuine interactions and engagement.
How to Advertise on TikTok in 2024 (Tutorial) – Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners
In the video tutorial by content creator Vilius Lite (YouTube: @ViliusLite) , you will be guided step-by-step through all the features of TikTok Ads:
The TikTok Pixel
Why TikTok Ads?
The optimal advertisement
Campaign strategy
Set up a campaign
Scale the campaign
Scaling strategies
Buying TikTok followers: A controversial topic
Against this background, the question arises: Where does buying TikTok followers fit into this picture?
Buying followers , likes, or views is a practice that has existed on social media for years. Numerous providers offer companies and individuals the opportunity to artificially inflate their follower counts. At first glance, this may seem attractive—a larger follower base can strengthen the trust of potential customers and create the impression that a brand is popular and influential.
However, buying followers brings with it numerous disadvantages, which are becoming increasingly serious in the modern marketing landscape, especially with the introduction of performance advertising.
Why buying followers is a dangerous fallacy
1. No real interactions
Purchased followers are often inactive or consist of bots. These users do not interact with the brand's content, resulting in disproportionately low engagement (likes, comments, and shares) compared to the number of followers.
However, algorithms like TikTok's prioritize content that generates genuine engagement. If a brand has many followers but little interaction, this can lead to lower visibility.
2. Loss of credibility
Consumers are becoming increasingly suspicious of brands that boast artificially inflated follower counts. Especially on platforms like TikTok , where authenticity and organic growth are valued, buying followers can quickly backfire.
Users often notice when a brand has an unnaturally large number of followers but few genuine comments or interactions.
3. Worthless data
One of the biggest advantages of TikTok's new performance advertising tool is the ability to create precise campaigns based on real user data. However, if a brand falsifies its follower base through purchased accounts, this data becomes worthless.
The information gathered does not reflect the actual target audience, and advertisers risk drawing incorrect conclusions and making their campaigns inefficient.
4. Sanctions and suspensions
Platforms like TikTok have taken measures against the purchase of followers. In some cases, this can even lead to accounts being sanctioned or permanently banned.
Companies that want to build their credibility and reach risk long-term damage with such practices.
TikTok's performance advertising as a solution for sustainable growth
Instead of relying on buying followers, brands should invest in sustainable strategies to achieve organic and authentic growth. TikTok's new performance advertising tool offers a clear alternative. Through precise targeting options, machine learning, and detailed analytics, companies can present their content to the right users – people who are genuinely interested in their products and willing to engage with the brand.
This tool allows brands to build long-term relationships with their followers, foster genuine engagement, and naturally increase their reach. This not only leads to better results in terms of conversions and sales but also strengthens the credibility and trust of the target audience.
Conclusion: Authenticity over artificial popularity
TikTok's new performance advertising tool is a game-changer for advertisers looking to unlock the platform's full potential. In an era where authenticity and genuine engagement matter more than ever, buying followers is an outdated and risky strategy. Businesses focused on sustainable growth and authentically connecting with their target audiences should leverage tools like performance advertising to achieve real results.
Although TikTok as a platform is not without controversy, and a US court is even considering a ban , this is not yet being discussed in the European Union. Therefore, the platform will continue to be an important component in the marketing mix for young creatives here.
Ultimately, it's not the sheer number of followers that defines a brand's success, but the quality of the interactions and the strength of the relationship with those followers. TikTok offers the opportunity to cultivate these relationships – and that's a far more valuable asset than any purchased popularity.
Owner and Managing Director of Kunstplaza. Journalist, editor, and passionate blogger in the field of art, design, and creativity since 2011. Successful completion of a degree in web design as part of a university study (2008). Further development of creativity techniques through courses in free drawing, expressive painting, and theatre/acting. Profound knowledge of the art market through years of journalistic research and numerous collaborations with actors/institutions from art and culture.
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