Creating TikTok Ads For Bands And Musicians

TikTok thrives on music, so it’s the perfect platform to run ads for bands and musicians. Not only can TikTok streamline your journey to musical success, but it can also help you grow on other platforms. However, creating adverts on the platform can be easier said than done.

When creating TikTok ads, the layout isn’t much different from the Facebook Ads Manager. Ads are divided into three sections: campaign, ad group, and ad. You also have various objectives you can choose from, like driving traffic to your website or boosting conversions to other platforms like Spotify. It’s best to link your TikTok account and promote existing content.

Whether you want to grab the attention of music industry professionals or grow your TikTok following, this post has you covered. We’ll discuss why TikTok is worth the bet and how you can set up your ad campaign.

Why Use TikTok Ads to Promote Your Music

In the world of social media, TikTok is revered for its viral potential. This phenomenon doesn’t only relate to influencers but also to musicians. Since audio is integral to the platform, music artists have the unique opportunity for users to discover their tracks without breaking a sweat.

But how does music spread through TikTok more seamlessly than other social media platforms? The answer is simple: Users on TikTok can easily use audio clips they’ve heard elsewhere to make new videos.

This process is a critical driver in a song’s potential to go viral on the platform. Sometimes, your music may be used for a dance challenge or lip sync. As a result, a chain reaction is often triggered, inspiring more users to create their own videos using the same track.

Once your track starts making waves and the TikTok algorithm picks up on its popularity, it’s amplified to new viewers. That further fuels content creation with the new track. This is all organic, so imagine what you can achieve with TikTok ads for bands.

Considering cases like Doja Cat’s ‘Say So’ becoming a major hit because of TikTok, the platform can be a game-changer for your career. Whether you’re playing odd gigs at a local dive bar or selling out venues, the platform’s users won’t discriminate.

Besides the viral potential, TikTok ads can be helpful for conversions to other platforms. Suppose you want to drive users to listen to your latest release on Spotify. In that case, running a band ad for the track on TikTok can drive traffic to the platform and increase streams. 

TikTok Ads 101

Before diving into TikTok ads, you should get your music on the platform. Therefore, ensure your chosen music distributor offers distribution to TikTok. If they don’t, find a music distributor offering TikTok music distribution services.

Sugo Music Group is a premier music distributor and publisher. With over three decades of experience in the industry, they distribute music to over 200 music streaming and download platforms. Plus, they have a vast network and an expert team to help you gain career momentum.

Once your music is available on TikTok, it’s time to set up your ads account. Visit TikTok for Business and log in if you already have an account. If you don’t have an account, sign up for one.

As you may notice, the TikTok Ads Manager is similar to the Facebook Ads Manager. In other words, you have a campaign, ad group, and ad. "Campaign" is where you choose your objective, while "Ad Group" is where you set your target audience and budget.

The final step is creating the ad. Here, you will link your TikTok account and choose the video you want to show users. The best-performing TikTok ads for bands are between nine and 15 seconds. However, you can create an ad up to 60 seconds.

Furthermore, the key to creating engaging TikTok ads is using high-quality, creative content that resonates with your target audience. This can be anything from music videos to participating in popular challenges related to your music.

How to Create TikTok Ads

1.   Set up Your Campaign

Under "Campaign" in the TikTok Ads Manager, choose an objective for your promotion. To decide on the most suitable goal, consider what you want to achieve with your TikTok ad.

Do you want to drive your existing followers to Spotify to stream your tracks? Is building your following on the platform your priority?

Ads for bands and musicians can fall under any of the following objectives:

1. Awareness: These help you raise brand awareness by enhancing your reach. The primary type of ad objective under this section is "Reach."
2. Consideration: These objectives are meant to make people curious about your brand. Sub-objectives include driving traffic to a specific link (Traffic) and boosting your TikTok followers and page views (Community Interaction).
3. Conversion: These goals send users to another platform like Spotify or Instagram. "Website Conversions" is a sub-objective you can choose under this objective.

Once you select your objective, give your campaign a name. Furthermore, you can decide whether to run a split test to compare the performance of two ads.

You also have the option of toggling budget optimization. This will enable TikTok to maximize your budget across the different ads you create. However, it's best to leave it unchecked if working with a small budget.

If creating ads for bands on TikTok is your first attempt at advertising, consider setting a budget. This will ensure you don’t overspend on the ad.

2.   Select Your Target Audience

Next, you’ll set up the ad group, which entails choosing your target audience. Creating a targeted ad for bands on TikTok ensures that people likely to interact with your ad see it.

TikTok has some targeting features. However, they may be limited or inaccurate compared to other ad platforms. Still, you can target audiences based on demographics, such as location, age, gender, and language. You can also zero in on their interests and behaviors.

A best practice when it comes to interests and behaviors is to begin targeting the latter. This is because you’ll likely get the best results from an ad targeting behaviors.

Behaviors encompass how a user interacts with TikTok videos (Video Interaction). This can be whether they watch the video until the end, comment, or like. It also includes who they interact with on the platform (Creator Interactions). Therefore, you can target users who follow or view pages of people who create music content.

TikTok is as unique as they come. Therefore, if you don’t use the platform often, it’s crucial that you get a feel for the content before running an ad.

3.   Choose a Budget & Schedule

After selecting the relevant targeting options, set a budget. The minimum daily budget on TikTok is 20 USD. Also, set the date to launch your TikTok ad.

4.   Link Your TikTok Account

Under the ad section, link your TikTok account by selecting an option from the drop-down or logging in.

5.   Choose/Upload Your Ad Creatives

One thing to note with TikTok ads for bands and music artists is that you can create them using your existing content. These are called Spark Ads.

Therefore, when you link your TikTok account, you can select your best-performing video for the ad. Ensure you choose a video with comments and likes to act as social proof for viewers. Users will be more likely to engage with a video that already appears to be popular on the platform.

Alternatively, you can upload a new video and write a description. However, using the organic content you already have on TikTok is best if it is an option.

6.   (Optional) Create an Instant Page

An instant page is similar to the ‘Link in Bio’ page you would create for your Instagram page. It’s like a landing page with links to different websites. And it’s beneficial because it loads fast and can get you straightforward conversion results compared to sending users to your website.

Now, this option may not be available on all campaign objectives. But if you do see it, create one. Then, add different links to your Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, or Instagram accounts.

Best Practices for TikTok Ads

1.   Understand the Ins and Outs of TikTok

TikTok is as unique as they come. Therefore, if you don’t use the platform often, it’s crucial that you get a feel for the content before running an ad.

Consider what type of content within your category strikes the chord with most users and why. Is it behind-the-scenes videos? Or do more people gravitate toward cover songs?

By trying to understand what content is popular and the reasons behind this popularity, you’ll gain invaluable insights for planning your TikTok campaigns.

2.   Conversion is Key

Getting a bunch of followers and engagement on TikTok is excellent. However, the ability to convert followers into real-life active listeners and fans sets famous music artists apart from successful musicians.

Therefore, with every TikTok ad, consider how to convert viewers into fans and keep them chasing your music. You can achieve good conversions by leveraging the song page automatically attached to every song officially distributed on TikTok.

Users will be directed to the song page whenever they click on an audio clip. Here, your Spotify or Apple Music account should be linked. This will enable users to listen to the entire song on your preferred music streaming platform.

3.   Use Split Testing

Split testing entails running two ads with different content simultaneously to determine which performs best. This strategy ensures you get the maximum bang for your buck without wasting money on ineffective ads.

Therefore, toggle the split test option when creating ads for your band or music on TikTok. Then, ensure that the videos you test are entirely different. For instance, one can be a behind-the-scenes highlight reel from your recent tour and the other a teaser for an upcoming release.

That way, you can determine what resonates the most with users. Remember, testing is vital for ads, so test and tweak until you find one promotion that delivers the desired results.

4.   Review the Results

It’s essential to review the results of your band adverts as often as possible. This will help you determine how users are receiving your ads and eliminate any guesswork on your part.

Within the TikTok ads manager, you’ll have access to several key performance indicators (KPIs), such as:

• Clicks
• Click-through Rate (CTR)
• Conversions
• Paid follower
• Paid likes
• Paid profile visits
• View durations

Based on your chosen promotion objective, there are specific KPIs you’ll need to keep an eye on. For instance, consider the cost per conversion and conversion rate with conversion campaigns. The sweet spot in that case would be a high conversion rate at a low cost per conversion.

For a "Brand Awareness" objective, track your "Reach" and "Impressions" metrics. In contrast, the "Click-through Rate" and "Cost Per Click" (CPC) are vital considerations when running an ad to drive traffic to your website.

If your ad objective is "Community Interaction," keep an eye on "Paid Followers" and "Profile Visits" metrics. Also, assess the view durations to determine how many people watch specific sections of your video.

All this data will help you improve and adjust your adverts accordingly. Therefore, pay attention to the relevant KPIs and leverage the data to make the most of TikTok ads for bands campaign.

The Bottom Line

TikTok has long captured the internet’s attention and has been responsible for several musicians’ rise to stardom. This is because of its viral effects, which result from content chain reactions on the platforms that propel overlooked songs to become hits.

Therefore, if you have a small following or you’re reviving your presence on TikTok, substantial exposure is a few ads away. The effectiveness of TikTok ads can depend on several factors, such as the type of ad you’re running, the objective, and your target audience.

Still, the platform can skyrocket the visibility and popularity of musicians and bands. However, before setting up your first campaign, get a feel of the content that rises to fame on the platform.

Once you’re ready to create a campaign, consider promoting existing content on your page to drive better engagement. If you’re yet to post your first TikTok video, check out our comprehensive guide on TikTok music promotion. As effective as TikTok ads for bands are, it's worth noting that there's more to building a loyal fan base. Ideally, your campaign should be part of a larger content plan to significantly impact your music career.