TikTok Advertising 
TikTok video ads have gained tremendous popularity due to their immersive and creative nature. Indeed, they have allowed brands to engage with a massive audience and promote their products or services effectively. That’s why a solid understanding about the TikTok ad specs and best practice is essential to maximize the impact of your video ads. In this article, we will show you the newest updates about the TikTok video ad specs and best practice so you can confidently run your video ads.
TikTok ads specs in a nutshell
When it comes to creating ads, it is important to pay attention to 2 distinct types of specifications: image ad specs and video ad specs. Understanding and adhering to the unique specifications of each can allow advertisers to effectively tailor their creative assets to maximize engagement and impact with their target audience.
TikTok Image ad specs
TikTok offers the image ad specs for that apply to the Global App Bundle and Pangle placements. While Global App Bundle is an integrated traffic solution that places ads on ByteDance’s rising apps (Capcut, Fizzo), Pangle allows advertisers to run ads in placements on 3rd party apps while benefiting from app monetization solutions for publishers.
TikTok Image Ads would appear at best in the following formats.
| Global App Bundle | Pangle | |
| Placement | Resso: Take over | Interstitial Ads: Normal Interstitial Banner Ads: Normal Banner, Icon-only Banner, Video thumbnail banner Native Ads: Normal Native, Video thumbnail native App Open Ads: Normal App Open |
| Ad composition | Image + Brand/app name (logo) + Skip ad button and [Landing page URL] + CTA button | Image creative + brand or app name (logo) + ad description + CTA button |
| File type | .jpg, .jpeg, .png | .jpg, .jpeg, .png |
| Size & Resolution | Size within 100MB and resolution 720*1280px | Size within 100MB and resolution 1200*628px / 640*640px / 720*1280px |
TikTok video ads specs
Although TikTok provides specs for 3 different placement (TikTok, Global Bundle, and Pangle), this section will focus primarily on the specs in the TikTok placement.
Ad composition
A regular In-feed ad or Spark ad will consist of:
- Video creative
- ad display image
- brand or app name (logo)
- ad description
- CTA button
To delve deeper into the specifications, let’s analyze the ad specs for the two most popular types of TikTok Video ads: In-feed Ads (Non-spark Ads) and Spark Ads.
TikTok In-feed Ads (Non-spark Ads) specs
Non-spark ads refer to the video ads that seamlessly appear within users’ TikTok feeds. However, this type of ad will require advertisers to upload the video on TikTok Business Center first prior to publishing. That’s why TikTok provide precise restrictions and specs so that they can ensure optimal performance and compatibility.
Video creative specs
- Aspect Ratio: 9:16, 1:1, or 16:9
- Video Resolution: The resolution should be at least 540*960px, 640*640px, or 960*540px.
- File Type:.mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp, or .avi
- Video Duration: Though videos can range from 5 to 60 seconds, they should ideally be between 9 and 15 seconds in duration
- Bitrate: within 516 kbps
- File Size: within 500MB
Ad display image specs
- Aspect Ratio: 1:1
- File Type: .jpg, .jpeg, .png
- File size: <50 KB
App Name, Brand Name & Ad Description
- App names: 4-40 Latin alphabet letters and 2-20 Asian characters.
- For brand names: 2-20 Latin alphabet letters and 1-10 Asian characters.
- Ad Description: 1-100 Latin alphabet letters and 1-50 Asian characters.
Note:
– Emojis are not supported in the app name, brand name, or ad descriptions. For ad descriptions, special characters like “{ }” or “#” also should not be included.
– Punctuation marks and spaces are considered as characters.
– On certain mobile phone models and operating systems, longer text may not be fully visible on the screen.
TikTok Spark Ads specs
TikTok Spark Ads offer a unique advantage as they stem from organic videos created by any TikTok account. What this means is that they are not subject to the same strict video specifications as regular ads! Therefore, with this type of ad, brands are more likely to enhance their authenticity and supercharge engagement.
According to TikTok, here are the specs of Spark Ads that you’ll need to keep in mind
Video creative specs
There will be no restrictions for Video Ratio, Video Resolution, File Type, Video Duration, Bitrate, and File Size.
Ad display image specs
Similar to an In-feed ad, the display image will have the specs as below:
- Aspect Ratio: 1:1
- File Type: .jpg, .jpeg, .png
- File size: <50 KB
App Name, Brand Name & Ad Description
- Ad captions can be left blank if desired.
- You can include Account tagging, Emoji, and hashtags in the captions of your Spark Ads.
- The ad Display Name and Text will automatically reflect the content of the chosen organic post and cannot be edited during the ad creation process on TikTok Ads Manager.
TikTok ads specs best practices
While TikTok is dominating social media with its short-form, vertical video content, there’s no doubt that creative elements significantly contribute to TikTok’s success. Let’s discover the 5 powerful elements with the 7 best practices to make a viral video. to make a viral video.
Attractive audio sound
Don’t forget to add sound on TikTok! According to TikTok guidelines, all video creatives must have accompanying audio. Also, sound is a potent attention-grabbing element on TikTok because 93% of users spend time on the app with sound on, especially music. As a result, this most widely-used type of audio accounts for 3 out of 5 of all TikTok ads. It’s recommended by TikTok to choose songs without sudden interruptions to maintain a seamless user experience.
For brands that intend to run Non-spark Ads, remember that the audio names will be automatically generated as “Promoted Music”, and there will be no option to modify the names.
Although less common, voiceovers are also featured in 39% of ads. If used properly, voiceovers can enhance the overall viewer experience by immersing them in a deep storytelling process. Comparing to a normal, natural voiceover, the impact of voice-overs may be amplified by using vocal effects, which can result in a +1.7x larger boost in consideration.
Amazing text and captions
Text is a prominent way to highlight key messages. Text boxes are employed in 86% of all ads while text overlays and branding in the caption are also included in most ads (71% and 76% respectively). Here are 2 ways to improve the quality of your text:
Pay attention to the appearance of text overlays
Text is useful for illustrating or underlining important information, but it must be used with care to strike a good balance between volume and timing. Don’t exaggerate and pay attention to when and how it appears. Once the viewers have read the title, brand name, or CTAs in on-screen captions, they are more likely to stick until the end of the video.
Think less and faster when putting text into your TikTok ads. In comparison to different timings, TikTok’s sweet spot for displaying text has been found to be between 5 and 10 words per second. Additionally, according to a worldwide study, viewers of sponsored ads consume information more thoroughly and process captions 38% quicker than they do for organic ads.
Localization is Key
According to TikTok, incorporating the official local language in your caption or text is an absolute must. Why? Well, here’s the scoop: videos that don’t align with the local language might miss the mark and not receive approval from the local ad policy team.
Also, using the local language will surely help you reach a wider audience base that resonates with your content.
Catchy Calls to Action
CTAs aim to encourage viewers to take action so they are likely to appear as a CTA button or textual language on a landing page to make a purchase or to “Download Now.”
According to a US study, CTA display card ads increase recall by over 45% and likeability by 19%. Additionally, placing a CTA in the opening frame boosts conversions by more than 44% compared to placing it later in the first two seconds. 80% of the best-intended ads feature a call-to-action prompt, according to an analysis of the similarities across high-performing brand lift campaigns.
So, how can you craft irresistible CTAs? The key lies in being concise, crystal clear, and unapologetically action-oriented. Infuse your CTAs with energetic action verbs, instill a sense of urgency or exclusivity, and make sure they seamlessly blend with the overall tone and message of your ad.
By doing so, you’ll captivate your target audience and inspire them to take that exhilarating leap towards your desired outcome.
Credible TikTok creators and talent
Creators give a personal touch to their creative work by frequently addressing viewers directly and having one-on-one conversations with them. 41% of TikTok ads use this strategy. Additionally, when influencers, verified users, or creators publish content about a product or company, 65% of users claim that they really enjoy those content.
Numerous data sets indicate that demonstrating a brand’s variety through a diverse group of individuals effectively drives the audience’s post-exposure behavior. Hence, don’t feel obligated to stick with one spokesperson, just feel free to mix things up and show the inclusivity and diversity of your values.
Currently, many brands are seeking brand collaboration solutions in order to boost the authenticity, as well as the credibility of their products. In case you are a small to medium businesses with a tight budget, we suggest you use TikTok Creator Marketplace. This platform enables you to find creators within your desired price range, ensuring that you can make the most efficient use of your financial resources.
Extra element: Stunning ad visual
We think this element, though important, is easy to be overlooked. Since TikTok is all about delivering an immersive experience, a low-quality visual can disrupt your viewers’ experience, hence resulting in a low watch time. To ensure an aesthetically pleasing ad visual, it is recommended to follow these three best practices:
High video quality
Video quality matters to viewers’ experience on TikTok. No one stays long with a low-resolution image or video. To ensure a high retention rate, your resolution should be at least 720p so that users can have a good experience watching your ad video.
Focus on an immersive, full-screen experience
TikTok provides an immersive full-screen experience, with over 98% of the most popular videos using this feature. So, there’s no reason why brands should shy away from this format when it comes to running ads.
To make the most of TikTok’s vertical full-screen experience and fully utilize the screen space, it is recommended to shoot videos in a 9:16 aspect ratio. Neglecting to utilize all the space provided by TikTok can result in a disruptive user experience, as your ad may not seamlessly blend with other TikTok videos.
Align your key creatives in the center
Remember to keep the key creative elements in the center of the screen. This keeps them from being obscured by the description or logo and having their sides slightly cropped to adjust to various display sizes.
Recently, TikTok has developed its own image cropping tool to simplify the user experience. With that, you can create and upload image ads of any aspect ratio and resize them to meet the quality requirement.
Include vibrant visual effects
Visual effects are one of the most advantageous options to make your TikTok video more dynamic and attractive. The most popular effects on the platform comprise filters and transitions that can draw the audience’s attention and reach more target users.
Bonus tips: Suggestion for optimizing TikTok Ads Specs
To help you make the most of TikTok ads, there’re a few things you need to memorize.
Optimal Background Color
Since the text color and UI icons on the TikTok app are white, it’s advisable to avoid using a transparent or white background for your creative. This is to ensure that nicknames, ad captions, and music captions remain visible to viewers.
Mind the “#” Symbol
The use of the “#” symbol in your creative is permitted for commercial, sponsored, and organic hashtag challenges. However, it is not allowed for non-commercial hashtags with commercial intentions. Exercise caution when incorporating hashtags into your content.
Avoid Watermarks
It’s important to note that no watermarks, including the TikTok watermark, are permitted in the ad creatives. Ensure that your content is free from any form of watermark.
Don’t Mimic TikTok Interface
When creating your ad creative, it’s essential to avoid mimicking the TikTok interface. This means that your content should not resemble or imitate the design elements, layout, or appearance of the TikTok app itself.
Preview your ads
Before launching your TikTok ad campaign, it is crucial to thoroughly preview your ads to ensure they meet the platform’s specifications and guidelines. By doing so, you can verify that the ad’s visuals, audio, and text are aligned and optimized for the TikTok experience.
Additionally, previewing your ads allows you to double-check that you have followed the best practices for ad creative, such as using attention-grabbing visuals, concise and compelling messaging, and incorporating the unique elements that resonate with TikTok’s user base.
Ready to create high-performing TikTok ads?
It’s not big of a deal to master all the TikTok ad specs & elements and effectively use appropriate specifications. With the basic information above, you can leverage your ads and drive your campaign to success.
If you’re still confused with diverse TikTok ad elements and specs, good news: we got your back! You can consider our app NestAd – a powerful TikTok ads management software that aims to simplify ad creation. Our app is exclusively built for small and medium businesses, so beginners can avoid the hassle when trying out TikTok ads!
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