# TikTok ads Human Guide

## What This Is For
Guides TikTok Ads setup, creative strategy, and optimization. It gives the agent a clearer input/output frame for social content: what context to ask for, what decisions to make, and what usable artifact to return.

Use this as a human-readable version of the TikTok ads agent skill. It is meant for marketers, operators, founders, and other non-coders who want the workflow without reading agent-specific implementation instructions.

## When To Use This
- Use this when you need a repeatable process for TikTok ads.
- Use this when the task needs judgment, examples, constraints, or a clear output format rather than a one-off prompt.
- Use this when you want to hand an AI assistant enough context to produce a usable marketing artifact.

## When Not To Use This
- Do not use this when you only need a quick factual answer.
- Do not use this when the work depends on private data you cannot share with the assistant.
- Do not use this as a replacement for legal, compliance, financial, or medical review.

## What You Need Before Starting
- The goal or business outcome you want.
- The audience, customer segment, or market context.
- Any source material the assistant should respect, such as notes, briefs, examples, URLs, or brand guidance.
- Constraints such as tone, length, channel, deadline, region, or approval requirements.
- A clear definition of what a good final answer should look like.

## Step-By-Step Workflow
1. State the job clearly: "Use the TikTok ads guide to help me with..."
2. Add context: audience, goal, offer, channel, source material, and constraints.
3. Ask the assistant to identify missing inputs before producing the final output.
4. Have the assistant follow the skill-specific guidance below.
5. Review the result against the final checklist and ask for revisions where needed.

## Skill-Specific Guidance
- **Demographics**: 18–34; Gen Z and younger millennials
- **Creative velocity**: Short-form; native feel; UGC-style performs well
- **Cost**: Often lower CPM than Meta for reach
- **Engagement**: High watch time; sound-on culture
- **Hook (0–3s)**: Pattern interrupt; question; bold statement
- **Vertical**: 9:16 for feed; native to platform
- **Sound**: Music and captions matter; many watch with sound
- **UGC-style**: Authentic; less polished often outperforms
- **First 3 seconds**: Determine if they watch
- **TikTok Pixel** + **Events API**: Server-side for better attribution
- **UTM**: Consistent parameters for cross-platform comparison
- **Minimum**: Varies by objective

## Decision Points And Nuance
The original skill emphasizes: Why TikTok, Ad Formats, Creative Best Practices, Targeting, Tracking, Budget & Bidding, Pre-Launch Checklist, Related Skills.

Use these questions to steer the work:
- What is the intended audience or buyer?
- What source material must be preserved?
- What should the assistant optimize for: clarity, persuasion, accuracy, speed, creativity, or conversion?
- What examples represent the desired quality bar?
- What should the assistant avoid?

## Common Mistakes
- Starting without a clear audience or goal.
- Asking for a final artifact before sharing examples or constraints.
- Accepting a generic first draft without checking it against the intended use.

## Copy-And-Paste Prompt
```text
Use the TikTok ads human guide.

My goal:
[Describe the business outcome]

Audience:
[Describe who this is for]

Context and source material:
[Paste notes, examples, links, or existing copy]

Constraints:
[Tone, length, channel, timeline, must-include items, must-avoid items]

Before producing the final output, ask me for any missing information that would materially improve the result.
```

## Final Checklist
- [ ] The output matches the original goal.
- [ ] The audience and context are reflected in the answer.
- [ ] Important constraints and source material were preserved.
- [ ] The assistant made the relevant decisions explicit.
- [ ] The final artifact is ready to use, review, or hand to the next person.

## Source
This guide was generated from the kostja94/marketing-skills skill entry for `tiktok-ads`.

## Source Skill Notes
These notes preserve the nuance from the original skill. Use them as supporting reference when the workflow above feels too generic.

# Paid Ads: TikTok Ads

Guides TikTok Ads setup, creative strategy, and optimization. TikTok excels at younger demographics (18–34) and viral-style video; use when your audience skews young and you have video creative capacity.

**When invoking**: On **first use**, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On **subsequent use** or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.

## Why TikTok

- **Demographics**: 18–34; Gen Z and younger millennials
- **Creative velocity**: Short-form; native feel; UGC-style performs well
- **Cost**: Often lower CPM than Meta for reach
- **Engagement**: High watch time; sound-on culture

## Ad Formats

| Format | Use |
|--------|-----|
| **In-Feed** | Native video; 9–15s or longer; primary format |
| **TopView** | First impression; premium; awareness |
| **Spark Ads** | Boost organic posts; native; creator partnership |
| **Collection** | Product catalog; e-commerce |

## Creative Best Practices

- **Hook (0–3s)**: Pattern interrupt; question; bold statement
- **Vertical**: 9:16 for feed; native to platform
- **Sound**: Music and captions matter; many watch with sound
- **UGC-style**: Authentic; less polished often outperforms
- **First 3 seconds**: Determine if they watch

## Targeting

| Type | Use |
|------|-----|
| **Interest** | Broad; algorithm-driven |
| **Demographics** | Age; gender; location |
| **Lookalike** | Based on converters or engagers |
| **Retargeting** | Website visitors; video viewers |

## Tracking

- **TikTok Pixel** + **Events API**: Server-side for better attribution
- **UTM**: Consistent parameters for cross-platform comparison

## Budget & Bidding

- **Minimum**: Varies by objective
- **Bidding**: Start manual; switch to automated with conversion volume
- **Creative volume**: Plan for high refresh cadence; creative is main lever

## Pre-Launch Checklist

- [ ] Pixel installed; Events API configured
- [ ] Vertical video creative (9:16)
- [ ] Hook in first 3 seconds
- [ ] Captions included
- [ ] Conversion events defined

## Related Skills

- **tiktok-captions**: Organic TikTok content; Spark Ads boost organic posts; video specs (9:16, captions) align
- **paid-ads-strategy**: Channel selection; creative frameworks; budget allocation
- **landing-page-generator**: LP for paid traffic
- **analytics-tracking**: Conversion tracking; ROAS