There are plenty of useful metrics that you should be calculating as a TikTok marketer, from click through rates to campaign reach.
But when it comes to TikTok advertising metrics, one number stands out above the rest – and that’s your conversion rate.
Your conversion rate ultimately tells you how effectively you’re transforming clicks and website visits into tangible sales. If your conversion rate is lagging, then you’ll struggle to achieve a positive ROAS. However, if your TikTok ads are successfully converting high-value customers at scale, the sky’s the limit.
Let’s take a closer look at the importance of TikTok conversion rates, explain how you can benchmark results, and reveal 6 proven strategies for boosting your conversions.
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What is your TikTok ads conversion rate?
Your conversion rate (CVR) is one of the most important metrics to track as a TikTok advertiser.
Fortunately, it’s also very simple to calculate.
To figure out your TikTok conversion rate, you’ll just need to follow this formula:
Total conversions OR completed actions / Total clicks x 100%
While the definition of a conversion will vary between advertisers (e.g. downloads, purchases, subscriptions) the idea remains the same. The calculation highlights how effectively you’re converting clicks into customer actions, which is key for maintaining cost-efficient ad spend and improving ROI.
What are the average conversion rates for TikTok ads?
We’ve just explained how you can calculate your TikTok ads conversion rate, and if you’ve followed the formula, you’ll now be left with a percentage.
Easy enough, right? But what does this number actually mean?
While calculating your conversion rate is simple, knowing whether it’s overperforming or underperforming is a different story.
Putting your conversion rate in context is absolutely crucial. If you can’t compare your performance against industry benchmarks (or your own historic results), then it’s going to be very difficult to know whether you’re crushing it or facing problems.
The good news is that we can look at an average TikTok ads conversion rate to help contextualise your results.
The average TikTok ad conversion rate currently sits at roughly 1.1%.
The bad news is that this average conversion rate reflects results from every single industry – and these rates will vary wildly between different sectors. As a result, while the average above can be a handy reference point, it’s a great idea to set your own internal benchmarks to measure performance over time.
Benchmarking your TikTok ads conversion rate
As we’ve already mentioned, benchmarking your TikTok conversion rate is absolutely crucial for accurate measurement.
To begin with, it’s strongly recommended that you start recording ad performance data to set conversion benchmarks over time.
If you’re running TikTok ads on a consistent basis, make sure you’re regularly calculating the conversion rate of different campaigns.
By analysing the conversion rate of each ad campaign, you can begin to identify which audiences, ad creatives, and tactics are delivering the best results. You can then use these insights to inform future strategies, and over time, understand if you’re moving in the right direction.
(Just remember to put these results in context – for example, if you’re comparing the conversion rate of a brand awareness campaign against a retargeting strategy, it won’t be particularly helpful! Try to ensure you’re making fair comparisons wherever possible.)
(Source: tiktok.com)
You can also look at other metrics to build a clearer picture of your overall campaign efficiency.
For example, your click through rate (CTR) is often directly connected to your conversion rate. If customers aren’t clicking through to your website, they won’t be converting, so you need to make sure that your TikTok campaigns are firing on all cylinders.
Set clear benchmarks for your key metrics, monitor how they change over time, and use these learnings to improve your TikTok marketing strategy.
Why is a strong TikTok ads conversion rate so important?
Your TikTok conversion rate is a clear indicator of your marketing efficiency.
Since conversions are ultimately what you’re looking to achieve, whether it’s a newsletter subscription or a product sale, the success of your campaigns hinges on a positive conversion rate.
If you’re struggling to transform clicks into conversions at an efficient cost per acquisition, you’re essentially wasting precious budget on ineffective tactics.
On the other hand, if you’re achieving a solid conversion rate, it’s likely to result in improved cost-efficiency and a superior ROI for your business. The more conversions you can generate with your marketing budget, the better!
However, there are also other benefits to maintaining a strong CVR.
As you drive more conversions on TikTok, you’ll be able to understand more about your best-performing tactics and audiences, creating a positive cycle of optimisations. Plus, the TikTok algorithm favours ads with high relevance and quality, so the better your assets perform the more likely they are to be shown.
6 expert strategies for improving your TikTok conversion rate
So, we already know that your TikTok conversion rate is pivotal to campaign efficiency and long-term success on the platform.
Now it’s time for the good stuff.
Below are 6 proven strategies that will help you increase your conversion rates, scale up your TikTok sales, and optimise your marketing strategy.
1. Refine your TikTok creative strategy
The quality of your TikTok ad creatives is directly connected to your conversion rate.
Creativity is king on social media, and this is particularly true on TikTok. The TikTok feed is packed with content designed to grab attention, so if you want to stand out and convince your audience to click, you’ll need to produce eye-catching assets.
An easy win is to keep your creative assets short and sweet.
Make a big impact on your audience as quickly as possible, and lead with a compelling hook that will grip your customers. This could be a unique product benefit, a surprising customer statistic, or a brand guarantee – anything to stop your audience from scrolling on.
You can’t convince TikTok users to convert without capturing their attention first, so remember to start strong and deliver your key selling points ASAP.
It’s also a good idea to capitalise on the latest TikTok trends, whether that’s a hashtag challenge or an audio snippet. If your audience feels like your TikTok ads are authentic and relatable, they’re more likely to engage with your content. In fact, data shows that 74% of viewers pay closer attention to ads that are ‘TikTok-first’ rather than generic.
High-performing creatives will lead to clicks & conversions, so always think about how you can improve your assets and gain a competitive edge.
(Source: tiktok.com)
2. Optimise your audience targeting
If you’re going to boost your TikTok conversion rate, then you need to reach the audiences that are most likely to interact with your brand. It’s as simple as that.
This is why accurate and efficient audience targeting is fundamental to improving conversion rates.
Start by defining a clear and relevant target audience for your business. Using customer data is a fantastic way to tighten up your targeting, but don’t worry if you’re lacking these insights – starting with a broad approach is never a bad thing.
Once you’ve established your target audience, you can begin to identify performance trends and experiment with new segments. For example, you might see a particular Interest group engaging with your ads, or a specific demographic driving consistent conversions.
Always focus on your key metrics (i.e. CTR, CVR) when analysing audience performance, and if you’ve discovered a high-performing segment, keep building on it.
Retargeting strategies can also be ridiculously efficient on TikTok and will help you drastically improve your conversion rates. Be sure to leverage Custom Audiences to target hot prospects who have already engaged with your business.
3. Launch data-fuelled A/B testing
Consistent A/B testing is a surefire way to identify the audiences, creatives, and tactics that will boost your conversion rates. The more you test and learn over time, the faster you’ll be able to optimise your TikTok strategy and scale up conversions.
To set up effective A/B tests, you’ll need to start by establishing your test variables.
There are multiple variables that you can test on TikTok, including:
- Audience targeting
- Bidding strategies
- Creative assets
- Headlines/ad copy
- CTAs
It’s best to focus on testing a single variable at a time so that you can confidently identify which changes have driven any performance improvements. You’ll also need to allocate sufficient budgets between test ads/campaigns to ensure a fair comparison.
It’s also crucial to clarify which metrics you’ll be tracking as part of your split test. For example, if you want to determine which audience segment generates the strongest conversion rate, don’t be distracted by irrelevant metrics (e.g. video views, engagements.)
Establish your priority metrics as a business, and utilise A/B tests to identify the tactics that achieve them!
Test, learn, optimise, and repeat. If you stick to a data-driven testing routine, you’ll inevitably see significant improvements in your TikTok conversion rate.
4. Utilise strategic, action-oriented CTAs
Never underestimate the power of a persuasive call to action when it comes to TikTok advertising.
Your CTA can be hugely influential on customer actions, and as a result, it can also have a direct impact on your conversion rate.
To make sure your CTA effectively drives action, select copy that aligns closely with your customer journey. For instance, if you’re sending prospects directly to a product page, choosing ‘Buy Now’ makes total sense. However, if you’re asking them to learn more about your business, a softer CTA (e.g. ‘Discover Now/Learn More’) is a better fit.
If your CTA meets user expectations, it will create a smooth customer experience that lends itself to conversions. On the other hand, if there’s a disconnect between your CTA and landing page, it will likely feel quite jarring to your audience.
It’s also vital to pick a CTA that’s clear, bold, and action-oriented. Make sure your customers know exactly what to expect when they hit the button, and wherever possible, reiterate the benefits of clicking your ad.
Finally, be tactical with the placement of your call to action.
Data shows that including a CTA in your TikTok ad text can deliver a 152% lift in conversions, meaning a simple adjustment can have a colossal impact on performance.
(Source: tiktok.com)
5. Harness the power of UGC on TikTok
User Generated Content is like gold dust on TikTok, and incorporating these assets into your ad campaigns can skyrocket conversion rates.
But why are UGC TikTok videos so effective?
Well, UGC feels inherently more authentic and native than super-polished assets.
If a potential customer feels like a real human is using/promoting your brand, they’re naturally more inclined to believe the messaging.
UGC also provides you with powerful social proof (i.e. customer testimonials) to elevate your TikTok assets, and this can be a game-changer for your conversion rates. Plus, a lot of the most popular content on TikTok has that raw UGC ‘feel’, which means your ads will fit right in.
Ultimately, UGC helps you to build trust with your target audience – and for e commerce brands aiming to drive conversions, trust is a vital ingredient.
(You should also consider how you’re going to consistently harvest UGC assets on TikTok. For example, setting up a unique hashtag or launching a social media contest.)
(Source: tiktok.com)
6. Think about the end-to-end customer journey
While your actions on the TikTok platform will have a major impact on your conversion rate, if you truly want to maximise conversions, you’ll need to think about the bigger picture.
That means bridging the gap between TikTok advertising and your website, and ensuring that every stage of the customer journey is optimised for seamless conversions.
Although your TikTok campaigns will need to drive high volumes of clicks to your website, if you want to transform this traffic into sales, you’ll have to turn your site into a well-oiled conversion machine.
Below are a few best practices that will help you to optimise the TikTok customer journey and maximise your conversions:
- Consider the user experience from initial click to checkout, and ensure that your chosen landing pages are well-designed and easy to navigate
- Ensure that your website is fully functional, with a clear structure and fast loading speeds
- Leverage strategic pop-ups/promotions to secure conversions from new visitors
- Segment your TikTok retargeting audiences (e.g. website visits, cart abandonments, etc) to tailor creative messaging and increase conversions
When you start thinking about the end-to-end customer journey, you’ll almost certainly identify new opportunities for increasing your conversion rate.
Best practices for launching TikTok ads that drive conversions
While there’s no silver bullet that will miraculously transform your TikTok conversion rate, by following a few proven best practices, you can dramatically increase your chances of success.
Firstly, aim to establish a clear and consistent analytics routine.
To track your conversion rates (and more importantly, improve them) you’ll need to be able to check benchmarks, analyse data, and implement optimisations. That means you need to be confident using the TikTok Ads Manager to measure performance and make changes.
Boosting your TikTok conversion rates is an ongoing process, so if you can stay diligent with campaign reporting and ad optimisations, you’ll be on the right track.
Audience targeting is another key component of TikTok marketing, but when it comes to new campaigns, don’t be afraid to cast a wider net. It can be tempting to immediately focus on more granular audience segments, but niche targeting doesn’t necessarily equal conversions.
Instead, be patient and allow the TikTok algorithm the scale it needs to gather learnings.
Your conversion rates will inevitably fluctuate when you launch a new campaign because it takes time for the TikTok platform to collect data and make optimisations. Don’t panic – let the dust settle, and only start implementing changes when the learning phase is over.
Finally, if you’re struggling to increase your conversion rates, then partnering with TikTok experts will enable you to tap into specialist expertise and leverage cutting-edge tactics to drive superior results.
Useful tools and resources for TikTok advertising
Looking for additional help with your TikTok ads marketing goals?
We’ve got you covered – below are some handy resources that will provide you with the information you need.
How To Use TikTok For Business To Grow Your Brand
TikTok Top Feed Ads: How to Use Them
Your TikTok conversion rate is incredibly important to the success of your ad campaigns, so make sure you’re keeping a close eye on this golden metric.
Through a combination of data-driven optimisations, high-quality TikTok creatives, and smart targeting tactics, you can give yourself the best chance of ramping up conversions and crushing your marketing objectives.
