Looking to scale your brand with TikTok in 2025? TikTok advertising offers a unique opportunity to boost engagement and showcase your brand’s personality in creative ways. However, with the ever-evolving nature of this dynamic platform, understanding the different TikTok ad types can be challenging. In this blog post, I’ll break down all types of TikTok ads, explain how they work, and help you choose the right one to align with your campaign objectives.
Why TikTok Advertising?
TikTok isn’t just another social platform. It’s a marketing powerhouse where brands can turn trends into sales. If you’re not leveraging TikTok advertising, you’re missing out on one of the most engaging and fastest-growing ad channels today.
Reach global audience
TikTok has rapidly become the go-to platform for younger demographics. Users aged 18-24 account for 33.3% of its total traffic, while the 25-34 age group makes up 36.1%, showing a strong presence of millennial and Gen Z users.
If your brand targets digitally savvy consumers who are highly receptive to trends, TikTok provides unmatched potential for audience targeting and engagement.
Enjoy high engagement rates
TikTok’s unique recommendation system prioritizes content that resonates with users, making it an ideal space for advertisers seeking high user engagement. Compared to other platforms, TikTok ads perform significantly better, with an average 17.5% engagement rate, far surpassing Instagram’s 3.5% and Facebook’s 1.7%. This makes it one of the most effective channels for brands looking to boost ad performance.
Access advanced targeting options
TikTok’s advertising platform is designed to deliver highly precise audience targeting, allowing brands to connect with the right consumers based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and even device types. With types of TikTok ads tailored to different campaign goals, businesses can reach niche audiences with data-driven accuracy. This ensures that ad placements generate maximum visibility and engagement.
Unlock engaging TikTok ad types
TikTok offers a variety of ad types designed to capture attention and drive user engagement. By leveraging types of TikTok ads that align with your campaign objectives, you can create highly interactive experiences that resonate with your target audience and maximize ad performance.
Types Of TikTok Ads
1. TikTok In-Feed Ads
TikTok In-Feed Ads are video ads that appear naturally within users’ For You Page (FYP), blending with organic content. These ads autoplay as users scroll, making them feel like part of the TikTok experience rather than traditional promotions. Advertisers can incorporate call-to-action (CTA) buttons, leading users to a landing page, app download, or purchase.
The success of In-Feed Ads relies heavily on creative assets and storytelling. Since TikTok prioritizes engaging content, brands should focus on videos that are entertaining, informative, or trend-driven. A well-structured bidding strategy and campaign optimization ensure that these ads reach the right audience targeting segments for maximum impact.
Best for: Brands looking to boost user engagement and drive direct conversions.
2. TikTok Spark Ads
TikTok Spark Ads take a unique approach by amplifying organic posts instead of creating entirely new ad content. This means brands can boost their own videos or collaborate with influencers to promote their products more authentically. Unlike standard ads, Spark Ads retain original post features such as likes, shares, and comments, making them feel more genuine.
Because these ads appear as regular TikTok content, they generate stronger ad relevance scores and user engagement. They work particularly well for businesses that already have strong-performing videos and want to maximize their reach.
Best for: Brands leveraging organic content or influencer partnerships to drive credibility and engagement.
3. TikTok TopView Ads
TikTok TopView Ads offer premium visibility by displaying a full-screen video ad as the first content users see when they open TikTok. These ads are designed to command immediate attention, making them ideal for large-scale campaigns.
Unlike other TikTok ad formats, TopView Ads allow longer video durations (up to 60 seconds), giving brands more space to tell their story. Since these ads are non-skippable and highly visible, they naturally generate high brand awareness and user engagement.
Best for: Advertisers focused on mass visibility and maximizing first impressions.
4. TikTok Brand Takeover Ads
Brand Takeover Ads are the most exclusive types of TikTok ads, appearing instantly when users launch the app. These full-screen ads eliminate distractions, making them highly effective for grabbing attention and delivering a direct message. They can be short videos or static images, often directing users to a Branded Hashtag Challenge or an external landing page.
Because only one advertiser per category can run a Brand Takeover Ad per day, competition for placements is high. Brands must ensure their bidding strategy and creative assets are optimized for maximum impact.
Best for: Businesses aiming for instant exposure and high-impact advertising.
5. TikTok Branded Hashtag Challenge Ads
A Branded Hashtag Challenge is one of TikTok’s most interactive ad formats, encouraging users to create and share content around a specific brand-driven challenge. These ads appear in users’ feeds, Discover pages, and a dedicated hashtag landing page where participants can engage.
This format aligns with TikTok’s user-generated content aesthetic, making ads feel more like trends rather than promotions. By leveraging a mix of auction-based ads and influencer collaborations, brands can amplify participation and drive large-scale campaign optimization.
Best for: Brands aiming to build community-driven engagement and viral reach.
6. TikTok Branded Effects Ads
Branded Effects Ads allow businesses to create custom filters, stickers, and AR effects that users can apply to their videos. These interactive elements blend seamlessly into TikTok’s creative ecosystem, enabling brands to integrate themselves into organic content.
Since these ads encourage user engagement, they work well alongside other types of ads on TikTok, such as Branded Hashtag Challenges. A well-designed Branded Effect can increase brand awareness while making marketing feel fun and interactive rather than forced.
Best for: Brands looking to enhance creative engagement and build long-term brand recall.
7. TikTok Carousel Ads
TikTok Carousel Ads offer a swipeable image format, allowing advertisers to showcase multiple products or features within a single ad. Unlike video-based TikTok ads, Carousel Ads are designed for detailed storytelling, letting users explore different visuals at their own pace.
By implementing conversion tracking and audience targeting, brands can optimize their Carousel Ads for product discovery and higher click-through rates. This format is particularly effective for eCommerce brands that want to highlight a collection of items or multiple selling points.
Best for: Brands looking to showcase multiple products or detailed visuals in a single ad unit.
8. TikTok Video Shopping Ads
TikTok Video Shopping Ads integrate shoppable product promotions into TikTok’s content ecosystem, allowing users to explore and purchase items without leaving the app. These ads appear in various placements, including in-feed videos, live streams, and product showcase tabs, offering multiple touchpoints for conversion.
This format supports seamless transactions by linking directly to a brand’s product catalog, improving conversion tracking and streamlining the purchase process.
Best for: Businesses looking to boost direct sales and simplify the shopping experience on TikTok.
How To Choose the Right TikTok Ad Type?
With so many TikTok ad types available, selecting the best one for your campaign can be challenging. Here’s how to determine the most effective types of ads on TikTok for your brand.
Identify your advertising goals
Before choosing an ad format, define what you want to achieve. Are you looking to build brand awareness, increase user engagement, or drive direct conversions? Each TikTok ad format is designed to serve a different purpose, so your objectives will determine the best fit.
For example, if your goal is massive visibility, TopView Ads or Brand Takeover Ads offer high-impact exposure. If you’re focusing on direct response, In-Feed Ads or Video Shopping Ads are better suited for conversion tracking and measurable results.
Consider your target audience
Understanding your audience targeting is crucial when selecting the right types of ads on TikTok. Different demographics engage with content in unique ways, and some formats work better for specific user behaviors.
For example, Gen Z users are highly responsive to interactive content, making Branded Hashtag Challenges and Branded Effects Ads ideal for engagement. On the other hand, Spark Ads are perfect for brands looking to leverage influencer content and existing social proof. Aligning your ad choice with your audience’s preferences will increase your ad relevance score and campaign success.
Assess your budget and resources
Not all TikTok ad types require the same investment. Auction-based ads, such as In-Feed Ads and Spark Ads, allow for flexible budgeting, making them accessible for businesses of all sizes. Meanwhile, premium placements like TopView Ads and Brand Takeover Ads come at a higher cost but deliver unparalleled reach.
Consider your creative production capabilities as well. Some TikTok ad formats require high-quality video content, while others, like Carousel Ads, can be executed with compelling images. Matching your budget with the right ad type ensures that your campaign remains cost-effective without sacrificing impact.
Creating engaging ad content
No matter which types of TikTok ads you choose, your success hinges on creative assets that capture attention and drive action. TikTok users expect entertaining, authentic, and visually engaging content—traditional corporate-style ads don’t perform well here.
Focus on storytelling, trends, and dynamic visuals to make your ads feel native to the platform. If you’re running In-Feed Ads, ensure that your call-to-action (CTA) is clear and placed strategically to encourage interaction. For Branded Hashtag Challenges, your content should be simple yet compelling enough to inspire user participation.
Optimizing ad placement and timing
Choosing the right ad placements and timing can significantly impact user engagement and campaign performance. For example, TopView Ads and Brand Takeover Ads work best when launching a product or creating buzz around a major event, as they maximize exposure within a short period.
Meanwhile, In-Feed Ads and Spark Ads can be optimized using campaign scheduling and audience insights to reach users at peak engagement times. Leveraging TikTok’s bidding strategy to target high-activity hours ensures better visibility and ROI.
Monitoring ad performance
Once your campaign is live, continuous conversion tracking and performance analysis are essential for refining your strategy. Monitor key metrics such as click-through rates (CTR), engagement rates, and cost-per-click (CPC) to determine which TikTok ad types are delivering the best results.
Use A/B testing to optimize elements like creative assets, CTA placement, and bidding strategy. TikTok’s Ad Manager provides detailed insights that allow you to tweak your approach in real time, ensuring that your ad spend is always working efficiently toward your goals.
Wrap-up
Understanding all TikTok ad types is key to running successful campaigns that drive engagement, awareness, and conversions. By selecting the right ad format and continuously optimizing your strategy, you can maximize your brand’s impact on one of the fastest-growing social platforms. If you found this guide helpful, don’t forget to follow us because we have a lot more in store for you
