TikTok has introduced several new targeting and boosting features with Promote, which enables users to turn any of their existing TikTok videos into ads in a few easy taps. Announced, February 8, 2023.

These new features are designed to help TikTok creators – including influencers, advertisers, brands, and small businesses – drive traffic back to their profiles, reach their target audiences, amplify their creator marketing budgets, and turn viewers into potential leads.

YouTube launched Promoted Videos back in November 2008, and Facebook launched promoted posts in 2012. So, this isn’t a new concept.

But the fact that TikTok is expanding Promote’s features is a signal that creators need more ways to boost their videos on the platform – especially in the wake of controversy that erupted last month when Forbes reported: “TikTok’s Secret ‘Heating’ Button Can Make Anyone Go Viral.”

The new Promote features give TikTok creators additional tools to target their desired communities and choose exactly how they can interact with their ads – just in case TikTok employees decide to stop manually boosting videos’ reach by using a “heating” button that bypasses the algorithm intended to drive the TikTok experience.

Promote’s New Suite Of Features

More Profile Views

The new “more profile views” goal allows advertisers to drive traffic directly to their TikTok profile.

With this new call to action, brands get more ways to tell their story or show off a range of products or services.

Promote For Others

The new “Promote for Others” option enables marketers to boost content, influencers, or partners.

This new feature also enables marketers to promote a creator’s videos or LIVE videos to help increase views by their target audience.

Location Targeting

There’s a new location targeting option, in addition to the existing audience targeting options for gender, age, and user interests.

This allows small businesses with physical locations to directly target their local community.

More Messages

The new “more messages” goal allows small businesses to drive traffic directly to their TikTok inbox.

This provides service businesses, B2B brands, and businesses that take custom orders with more customer interaction to close their sales.

Interview With BlitzMetrics CEO Dennis Yu

As I mentioned, promoting your videos isn’t a new concept.

So, I decided to interview Dennis Yu, the CEO of BlitzMetrics and co-author of “The Definitive Guide to TikTok Advertising.”

He’s spent a billion dollars on Facebook ads across his agencies and agencies he advises – and TikTok creators will want to know about his “Dollar a Day” strategy.

Here are my questions and his answers.

Greg Jarboe: First of all, tell us about your “Dollar a Day” strategy.

Dennis Yu: “Greg, as you know, we spent $1 billion largely on Facebook ads using Dollar a Day to be able to drive sales at all three stages of the funnel.

And we know that, on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn, the campaign objectives are all exactly the same, from awareness to consideration to conversion. They’re literally the exact same all-day ad systems built against the exact same campaign objectives.”

GJ: But what do you do after spending a dollar a day for seven days to promote a particular post?

DY: “I look at the analytics. If it’s good, then I’m going to put in $2 a day for another 20 or 30 days. I might put $10 a day, but I’m allowing this thing to initially test. Right.”

GJ: So, what do you think about TikTok’s Promote features?

DY: “Promote has been around for at least a year (for me), and it works just like boosting on Facebook. Instead of $1 a day, it’s $5 a day minimum.”

GJ: So, what kind of results have you seen promoting TikTok videos?

DY: “I’ve boosted about a thousand posts across a range of accounts to test performance by objective (see screenshots).”

Screenshot from TikTok, February 2023

“Video views have been the most effective, by far, getting half a penny a view to three cents a view – with average watch times similar to organic.

So, if your video organically did well, then boosting it will “throw fuel on the fire.” But if it sucks, no amount of money will overcome that.”

GJ: Do you have any recent examples that you can share?

DY: “See screenshots from a promoted post I just did, which I’ve re-promoted five times.”

Screenshot from TikTok, February 2023

“Notice the video is about how much a pilot makes, but Alex isn’t wearing a uniform or in front of a plane.”

Screenshot from TikTok, February 2023

“But the comments are from pilots, even though I can’t choose pilots as targeting.”

Screenshot from TikTok, February 2023

“TikTok’s algorithm is that good. So, if you have great content, simply put money on it to get more of the same.”

Screenshot from TikTok, February 2023

GJ: Do you have any concluding thoughts or tips that you’d like to share?

DY: “TikTok’s cost of video ads is one-third that of Facebook because the advertiser demand hasn’t caught up to the traffic yet.

So, anyone who has had success on Facebook should port over their campaigns to TikTok to take advantage – so long as they have vertical video.

TikTok intentionally designed its ad system to be familiar to people who run Facebook ads – its teams have told me this.”

Editor’s note: The interview has been lightly edited for clarity, brevity, and adherence to our Editorial Guidelines. The views expressed by the interviewee in this column are his alone and do not necessarily represent the view of Search Engine Journal.

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