TikTok is easily one of the most talked-about social media platforms of 2020. However, what so many don’t realize is that it has an advertising platform, with tons of useful features that go along with it.
In this article, we’ll take a look at TikTok lookalike audiences and what you need to know about them as you plan to advertise for your brand or clients. Not only that, but you’ll also be able to represent yourself as a user as you learn about all of the different TikTok lookalike audiences available to you.
Let’s dive into what a TikTok lookalike audience entails, the different types, and the phases that correlate with them. Here’s a look into how this feature in the TikTok realm can be discovered further.
What Is a TikTok Lookalike Audience?
A TikTok lookalike audience is best defined as a way to help you find demographic groups that share commonalities with your existing customers. This cool method was also designed to help find audiences that may be interested in your product and grow your reach.
But before you can create a TikTok lookalike audience, you’ll first need to create a TikTok custom audience either based on your ad engagement on website activity tracked by the TikTok pixel.
How Do TikTok Lookalike Audiences Work?
First, you’ll create custom audiences within the platform. Then, TikTok’s algorithms can study the various activity of the custom audiences you built. It analyzes some of the following user characteristics to help you build an even more targeted audience:
- Demographics
- Location
- Operating system
- Interests
After this, the program will seek the other users and groups on the platform who ring out as similar.
Keep in mind that the model only works as well as the audiences provided. TikTok recommends at least 10,000 people on your list in order to ensure true efficiency. It’s also of the utmost importance that the list is accurate and correct. Think of this as a very detail-oriented feature. Without one secured element, the other won’t work to its full potential.
3 Types of TikTok Lookalike Audiences
There are actually three different types of audiences that can help you improve your TikTok ads’ performance system. Consider the purpose and features of each, so you can find which one will work best for you.
Narrow Lookalike Audiences
This particular system will help to find the best customers based on the specific targeting settings you select. Then, all you have to do is show the ads to them for the opportunity of increased impressions.
Balanced Lookalike Audiences
The balanced TikTok lookalike audience is right in the middle of narrow and broad audiences. In my experience, this hasn’t been the best performing lookalike audiences, because it can leave out crucial details to hone in on the most targeted group.
Broad Lookalike Audiences
On the other hand, broad targeting is a system that can find the best-suited people without predetermined boundaries. Leave the targeting options open, and the TikTok algorithm will be set to do all work to find you the right potential customers. Who knows? You might discover a demographic that was not previously on your radar.
What Is the Lookalike Audience Application?
To make it easier for you, TikTok has introduced the capability to use lookalike audiences throughout all of the different phases of ad group delivery. The following are all of the different phases available for developing your audience:
Cold Start
This phase can help shorten the time you have to explore. It will also help the algorithm itself learn more quickly so targeted groups of users will be more interested in the different ads and the products you’re promoting, which will help to obtain conversions faster.
Mature Delivery Phase
If you have a delivery curve that has hit its peak and reached a satisfactory number of conversions, then the lookalike audience is best used to expand your audience further. It will also work to maximize your return on investment.
Decline Phase
If your ad group delivery is in decline, have no fear! You can then use the lookalike audience to extend the life cycle of your delivery.
Next Steps
Create TikTok Lookalike Audiences
Now let’s get this feature set up for you to use. Make sure to upload your customer list before creating a lookalike audience. This is to make sure you avoid any steps when creating your audience. By following the easy guide set up by the platform, you’re naturally able to create the tool you need to execute and deliver an increase in clicks and impressions for your brand.
Manage a TikTok Lookalike Audience
When you log on to manage your audience, all you have to do is make sure you look at the management page under the library section. The following actions are available for you to manage your audience thoroughly and collect measurable data:
- Editing
- Auto-refreshing weekly
- Manual refreshing
- Applying audiences
- Sharing
- Omitting
- Disconnecting with ad groups
- Audience details
All of these actions can be taken in order to edit and maneuver the different audiences at hand. What’s your favorite feature that will allow you to manage your account? Let us know!
Our Final Thoughts
Are TikTok Lookalike Audiences beneficial? When looking at the advanced technology and algorithm, the platform can do wonders for those looking to target different audiences and make the maximum impact.
Have you considered using TikTok Lookalike Audiences or have you already incorporated it into your campaigns before? Let us know your thoughts and how they’ve best benefited you and your brand.
