11 form TikTok Ads You Might Not Know About

TikTok is a promising advertising platform for businesses across various industries. Therefore, understanding the different types of TikTok ads is crucial. It helps you determine which format is best suited for your product and brand. Currently, TikTok ads are categorized into two main types:

Brand Awareness Ads:

• In-Feed Ads
• Spark Ads
• Top View Ads
• Brand Hashtag Challenge
• Brand Effect Ads
• Reach and Frequency Ads
• Top Feed Ads

E-Commerce Ads:

• Dynamic Showcase Ads
• Collection Ads
• Deeplink Ads
• TikTok Shopping Ads (Online Shopping)

TikTok Ad Formats for Brand Growth

Different types of TikTok ads serve different marketing objectives. Some are designed to increase brand awareness, while others focus on maximizing conversions for landing pages, websites, or app downloads. To achieve these goals, businesses should use the following ad formats:

In-Feed Ads

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In-Feed Ads are video ads lasting between 5 to 60 seconds that appear naturally among videos on the For You page. This is one of the most commonly used TikTok ad formats, accessible to all users and easy to set up through TikTok Ads Manager. These ads are highly effective in increasing brand awareness and driving user purchases.

Spark Ads

Spark Ads on TikTok allow brands to boost engagement through authentic and organic-looking content. Businesses can choose existing trending videos from their own TikTok channel or from Key Opinion Consumers (KOC) and Key Opinion Leaders (KOL) for advertising. This approach makes the video feel less like a paid ad, increasing user engagement and conversion rates.

Advantages of Spark Ads on TikTok:

• Uses existing videos
• No restrictions on size, resolution, or duration
• Supports features like Duet, Stitch, and Stickers, and allows users to use the original ad sound
• Provides more detailed metrics than other ad formats, such as:
  • Paid followers
  • Profile visits from paid ads
  • Clicks on the music used in the ad
  • Clicks on fixed text elements
  • Click-through rate on fixed text elements

Top View Ads

Top View Ads appear immediately when users open the app, displaying in full-screen mode for 3–5 seconds before automatically transitioning into an In-Feed ad. Thanks to this prime visibility, Top View Ads offer superior brand awareness and can optimize conversions through a customizable CTA button.

Key Features of Top View Ads:

✅ The same Top View video ad does not repeat for the same user within a single day but will reappear daily during the campaign period.
✅ The full-screen clickable format effectively directs users, increasing conversion rates and traffic to landing pages, hashtag pages, or branded effects.

Branded Hashtag Challenge

A Branded Hashtag Challenge is an ad format where brands create a unique hashtag (e.g., #InMyDenim, #Maybeli), encouraging content creators and TikTok users to include the hashtag in their relevant videos. This organically spreads the brand’s message and product awareness.

This format leverages user-generated content (UGC) for promotion, making it feel natural and engaging rather than a traditional advertisement. As a result, users don’t feel like they are watching a forced ad, leading to higher engagement. However, Branded Hashtag Challenges are primarily for brand awareness and do not directly drive conversions.

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Branded Effect

Branded Effect Ads use stickers, filters, and motion effects to highlight a product or brand name. This format promotes interactive engagement between users and brands, as the content is created directly by the users.

Industries like beauty, fashion, and gaming benefit most from Branded Effect Ads. By integrating product features into the effects, TikTok users can virtually “try out” the product, sparking curiosity and increasing purchase intent.

Reach and Frequency (R&F)

Reach and Frequency (R&F) Ads maximize brand exposure while allowing advertisers to control ad frequency based on a fixed bid price. R&F ads are often combined with In-Feed Ads to increase reach and engagement.

With R&F Ads, you can predict impressions, reach, and frequency in advance based on your chosen fixed bid price.

Read more: How much does TikTok advertising cost?

Top Feed Ads

Top Feed Ads optimize the placement of Reach and Frequency (R&F) ads, ensuring they appear at the top of the For You Page (FYP) when users scroll through TikTok. This increases visibility compared to traditional mid-feed ad placements.

TikTok Ads for E-Commerce

TikTok offers various e-commerce ad formats that allow businesses to sell directly on the platform or redirect users to landing pages or websites for purchases. If you’re running an online business, consider the following e-commerce ad solutions:

Dynamic Showcase Ads

Dynamic Showcase Ads (DSA) are automatically generated video ads created in real-time based on pre-existing ad templates. These ads dynamically pull product details (images, features, prices, stock levels, etc.) from a brand’s catalog.

Benefits of DSA Ads:

✅ Optimized ad delivery for better targeting
✅ Improved customer acquisition with real-time personalization
✅ Reduced campaign management time with automated ad creation

Collection Ads

Collection Ads are a type of In-Feed video ad (appearing on the For You page), enhanced with a product cart tag as a customized CTA button. When users tap on the product tag, they are directed to the Instant Gallery Page, where a curated list of products from the catalog is displayed.

Advantages of Collection Ads on TikTok:

✅ Enhances product discovery for users
✅ Personalizes product video ads
✅ Provides a seamless shopping experience

Deeplink to Marketplace

TikTok Deeplink Ads allow users to directly access products on e-commerce platforms like Shopee or Lazada. This format improves user experience and maximizes ad effectiveness for businesses.

For sellers on e-commerce platforms, TikTok Deeplink Ads optimize off-platform advertising with key benefits such as:
✅ Shortening the customer purchase journey
✅ Improving engagement and retention rates
✅ Enhancing targeting, upselling, and boosting ROI

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TikTok Shopping Ads

TikTok Shopping Ads is the name of a new set of advertising solutions that allow TikTok Shop sellers to promote their products through various display methods.

The latest TikTok Shopping Ad solutions include:

Video Shopping Ad

A format that lets users purchase directly from videos in the feed. This ad type combines the product display feature of Collection Ads with an intelligent distribution algorithm, ensuring ads reach users at the final stage of their buying journey.

Live Shopping Ad

This ad format utilizes live-streaming events as ad content. Viewers can interact directly with sellers and purchase products via pinned links or product tags within the live session.

Catalog Listing Ad

Catalog Listing Ads display one or multiple products from the same category in a list format—similar to Collection Ads. Advertisers use bidding strategies to get their products displayed in the most optimized positions.

Conclusion

We hope this article has helped you understand the different TikTok ad formats. If your campaign requires exclusive ad formats not available on personal accounts, feel free to contact us for support!

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