TikTok is one of the main places Saudi audiences discover new food spots, products and brands. Advertising there is different from Instagram: the ads that work look and sound like normal TikTok videos. This guide covers how TikTok ads are set up, what they cost to start and what to film.
How a TikTok ad campaign is built
- Campaign: your objective, such as reach, traffic, video views, community interaction, lead generation, app promotion or sales.
- Ad group: who sees the ads, where, when and with what budget.
- Ad: the video, the text and the call to action.
The main ad formats
- In-Feed ads. Videos that appear in the For You feed between normal videos. Most campaigns use these.
- Spark Ads. You boost your own organic post, or a creator's post with their permission, so the likes and comments stay on the original video.
- TopView. The first video people see when they open the app. It is booked in advance and suits big launches with big budgets.
- Branded effects. Sponsored effects people use in their own videos.
Minimum budgets
TikTok Ads Manager requires a daily budget above 50 US dollars at campaign level and above 20 US dollars at ad group level. If you choose a lifetime budget, the ad group minimum is the daily minimum multiplied by the number of days, so a 31 day ad group needs at least 620 dollars. Budgets are charged in your account currency, and you cannot switch between daily and lifetime budgets once an ad group is live.
Like other platforms, TikTok runs an auction, so the cost per result depends on your objective, audience and season. Plan for a testing period before judging the results.
Targeting
You can target by location, including Saudi cities, plus age, gender, language, interests and behaviours, which are based on the kind of videos people watch and interact with. You can also build custom audiences from your customer list, your website visitors and people who engaged with your videos, then create lookalikes. TikTok often recommends starting broad and letting the algorithm find the right people, then narrowing once you have data.
Install the TikTok Pixel
The TikTok Pixel and the Events API report purchases, sign ups and other website actions back to TikTok, so the system can find more people who act, not only people who watch. Set it up before your first sales campaign.
What to film
- Shoot vertically on a phone. Over produced TV ads usually get skipped.
- Hook people in the first two seconds with the result, the problem or a surprising moment.
- Use real people speaking Saudi dialect, showing the product in use.
- Use music from TikTok's Commercial Music Library, which is cleared for business use.
- Add on screen text so the message works without sound.
- Make three to five versions, then refresh the creative every few weeks.
Common mistakes
- Recycling a polished TV commercial instead of making native TikTok content.
- Changing budgets and audiences too often during the learning phase.
- Running sales campaigns with no pixel.
- Ignoring the comments under ads, which are often questions from people ready to buy.
Let us run it for you
Our paid advertising service plans, films and runs TikTok ads for Saudi brands, and our content creation team makes the vertical videos that feed them.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum budget for TikTok ads?
TikTok requires a daily budget above 50 US dollars per campaign and above 20 US dollars per ad group, or the lifetime equivalent for the number of days the ad group runs.
What are Spark Ads?
Spark Ads let you promote an existing organic TikTok post, from your account or a creator's account with permission, so the engagement stays on the original video.
Should I advertise on TikTok or Snapchat?
It depends on where your customers spend time and what content you can make. Many Saudi brands test both with small budgets, then move money to the one with the lower cost per result.
Want TikTok ads that feel like TikTok? Book a free call.