Greetings Readers! Here is the complete recap of this week’s PPCChat session which was based on Meta & TikTok ads and importance of these creative strategies for Q4. This week’s discussion was handlled by Julie F Bacchini & guest host Courtney Alexander.
Q1: Are you currently managing advertising on Meta or TikTok? If so, for what industry or industries?
Nope. That was easy. @stevegibsonppc
Yes! For a fast food client, several public sector clients, a local retailer, and now, luxury travel. @JuliaVyse
Meta – B2B, b2C Lead gen and e-comm. @360vardi
Yes, I am managing advertising on both Meta and TikTok, for SaaS. @DianaAlinaAldea
Meta in the Home & Garden space as well as B2B app space. @robert_brady
I actually do not have any active campaigns on Meta or TikTok currently. Looking forward to hearing what all you brilliant folks are doing though! @NeptuneMoon
Yes for meta, no for tick tock but are currently looking into options there We have a variety of clients on Meta, DTC food brands, Car part companies, b2b (this has been hardest to get results from recently). @selley2134
Yes! My specialty and preference is small business DTC/retail brands that I get to work with founders or small teams. My brands range from collectable souvenirs to fashion to home decor, to dog collars and harnesses. @courtfalexander
On Meta literally all industries (i.e. QSR, Healthcare, Automotive, etc.), and to a lesser degree, Tiktok (i.e. QSR, CPG) @JonKagan
Meta, yes. An ecommerce client is running FB Ads & boosted posts. We also recently tested FB remarketing for a client in the higher education space. Still haven’t tried anything on TikTok, mainly because we focus on other channels first & their users skew younger. @adclarke10
I mainly focus on Search / Programmatic… but a little healthcare marketing on Meta. @Galliguez
I manage Meta, don’t have any Tik Tok yet. Various industries, we do a charity which is interesting and some eComm clients. @tiffanyjshears
Yes, both but not much TikTok currently. I want to do more but there’s creative barriers for some atm. Industries: mostly ecommerce right now but previously consumer & B2B software. @timmhalloran
Q2: Is this your first Q4 managing advertising on Meta or TikTok? If not your first, for how long have you been advertising on one or the other or both?
On Meta I have been advertising for six years now, while on TikTok for just one year. @DianaAlinaAldea
Done the Q4 thing on Meta (Facebook) for a few years. Every year is different and requires you put in the work. @robert_brady
For Meta it’s been years, across a couple of agencies. For TikTok I’m in year two. Meta changes details on the platform and Placements every ten mins or so. TT changes Products roughly every second day. It’s a lot. @JuliaVyse
Probably 10 years now with Meta. The biggest learning is that anything can work. It’s a matter of how you define success. If you define it well, then you will run successful campaigns. @360vardi
For Meta, no. We treat search and paid social as biddable so our team is cross-trained in both. For TikTok, first Q4 in on it. As the teams still haven’t fully decided whose scope it falls under. @JonKagan
First year going all-in on TikTok ads for Q4. I tested them with one brand last year, but it was on a small spend and it wasn’t a proven platform yet for that brand. @courtfalexander
Not my first rodeo with Meta ads for Q4 though! I’ve been managing Meta ads in some capacity since 2017, but this will be my third BFCM/Q4 focusing exclusively on DTC ads for Q4. @courtfalexander
If we launch tiktok it will be a first for any quarter. Have been running Meta in Q4 for a long time but not for the traditional Black Friday type clients. @selley2134
I’ve had at least 1 client running FB Ads in Q4 for the past 4 years. But it’s looking like this will actually be my first Q4 ~without~ anyone doing so (mainly due to client changes). @adclarke10
Been on Meta for years… but only a little dabbling on TT since last year. @Galliguez
I have been managing Meta for a few years now. We have seen some really big changes. @tiffanyjshears
Any @tiktok_us ad buy marketers out there? What tips do you have? @johnWEllis
Q3: Do you have anything specific or special planned for Q4 on Meta or TikTok?
We have several campaigns planned to run on Meta in Q4, not so many for TikTok though. @DianaAlinaAldea
Great questions! I think this year’s Q4 will be different than in past years. We’re post-COVID, entering a recession, and ads and performance as a whole has been a bit down YOY for my brands and the ones I’ve seen over the past few months. @courtfalexander
Yep! Here’s a tip for this group: TikTok has a takeover product that you can retarget off of, & you can sequence creative. Imagine your brand owning the whole screen every time someone opens TT, w/a different creative on each open. it’s a lot. and I’m excited! @JuliaVyse
It’s the holidays, buy stuff while you can still get it/afford it. @JonKagan
Most of our clients right now are focused on Search or haven’t seen major success on FB, so we’re helping with some boosted posts but not any full-on campaigns. @adclarke10
We have a couple of clients looking to make a push for Q4, but also have some hesitant clients w/ expensive products that are pulling back due to the economy save some budget. Meta is not really a primary platform for any of our clients so it’s usually first to get cut. @selley2134
What should brands be doing? Right now, TESTING! Go ahead and launch some pre-holiday/gifting creatives. Get people thinking about your brand/product and who they might gift it to. @courtfalexander
Go ahead and start seeding your product with creators if you haven’t already. Aim to have all of your raw creative NO LATER than the end of October, and ideally all creative edits ready to go by early to mid-November. @courtfalexander
Surround yourself with like-minded advertisers. The Founders Membership is a great place for this for all budget sizes. This allows you to do testing and research and hear from others on what is or isn’t working around the world. @courtfalexander
Finally, start preparing! Plan your BFCM weekend as needed to make sure you’re available to make changes as needed. Create a Plan A, B, C, etc., so that you know if/this, then/that for anything that could be thrown your way, good or bad! @courtfalexander
Meta: I’m part of a few betas, so we’ll see what happens with those. Most of what I’m doing on those channels revolves around creative ways to use lists and 1st party data. I have been dabbling in Advantage+ for a few ecom clients and its doing decent. @timmhalloran
Q4: What is your biggest concern or challenge regarding Meta and/or TikTok advertising heading into Q4 this year? Is it different from last year (if you advertised on these platforms then)?
Clients are more weary of the economic conditions. Amazon running prime day in October may cut into some BF/CM sales. All leading to smaller budgets for these platforms. @selley2134
My biggest challenge regarding Meta advertising is related to the retargeting campaigns, which became less powerful compared to how they were in the past. @DianaAlinaAldea
Biggest concern for all of these channels is how to measure the impact. relying on platform reporting has always been over-inflated, but relying on last-click attribution was also a problem. @360vardi
Meta is kinda old hat… even with all the changes. But the challenge of creating TT ads that are authentically native to the platform will take some stretching for some (dusty) companies/industries. @Galliguez
Does anyone else feel like Meta is just more buggy lately? And that targeting (including LAL) has been shaky? @robert_brady
Data loss is not our friend. Retargeting will be more consolidated, which means ad creatives can’t be as targeted and specific to where that customer is in their purchasing journey. @courtfalexander
There’s also much more competition and buy-in on TikTok ads this year. CPMs are higher than they were last year as it becomes a legitimate platform for DTC companies and profitable ads. @courtfalexander
Creative, now more than ever has to be top-notch. This doesn’t mean produced and expensive, but rather, resonates with customers, gets their attention quickly, addresses how the product is a NEED (not even a want), and why it’s better than any other competitors. @courtfalexander
Videos are great, obviously 100% necessary in your creative strategy, but don’t forget about static images and graphics. Try to allow your creative to stand out from the crowd. Solve problems and make it a MUST BUY NOW creative. @courtfalexander
Meta: Performance. And, predicting performance. Learning periods really cut profitability close when you’re needing to make changes and product revenue is around $60-120. I don’t even know if I could make money on products on Meta that cost less than $50 anymore. @timmhalloran
Same issue every year, advertisers assuming you’re going to get last-click conversions directly from these platforms, and not understanding the value of owned media. @JonKagan
Q5: Do you have any favorite resources or follows that help you keep up with the latest in Meta and/or TikTok advertising?
I’m not just saying this because @andrewfoxwell is sponsoring today’s chat – Foxwell Digital’s blog and emails are a top resource for me. @AkvileDeFazio (who will be guest co-hosting next month) is also a great follow. @herrmanndigital for TikTok esp. @NeptuneMoon
The single most helpful resource for me is the Founders Membership, hands down. I help manage it, but learn something new multiple times a day. We have advertisers from around the world with amazing insights and ideas that can’t be found anywhere else. @courtfalexander
I also love Facebook Ad Library for research and creative ideas. Note that you can’t see which creatives are working, BUT I pay attention to how long ads have been running, as well as how many placements those ads are in to gauge that. @courtfalexander
I’m a fan of the TikTok creator library for research and inspiration. @courtfalexander
I also use Foreplay (@foreplayzach) for saving ideas by brand and downloading those videos to share with clients and creators. @courtfalexander
Finally, I’m a big fan of @getsocioh for custom catalogs for DABAs or DPAs, as well as @MotionApp_ for the best creative analysis and beautiful graphs. @courtfalexander
I like listening to @TodMaffin on the daily and the @MarketingOClock crew on Fridays. @Galliguez
I go in waves. Right now I’m enjoying the pleaseadvise.io newsletter for broader digital. Also, @MattNavarra always has insider info & good advice. Of course, @andrewfoxwell too for extra specific paid social / ecom insights. Sometimes tldrmarketing.com @timmhalloran
Just some of them @jaketheadnerd@Gil_RunDMG@CoryDobbin@navuud@therahulissar@herrmanndigital @DianaAlinaAldea
I was also just recently on @mattlady‘s DTC/Marketing Podcast and that episode should be airing soon, talking about creative for Q4! @mattlady link that podcast here for the #PPCChat community. @courtfalexander
No. It’s why I come to Twitter. I also enjoy the @digi_chad42069 because sadly, I get more up-to-date info from an internet ad agency meme page, than I do from the platforms. @JonKagan
Q6: What other questions do you have, in general, and/or for Courtney about Meta or TikTok advertising?
For a client just starting with TikTok, what advice do you have to get them a quick start? @robert_brady
@robert_brady Great Q! Definitely install the pixel on the site as soon as possible. TikTok needs data! I would also start with totally broad targeting and also start with a higher funnel objective like ATC before going to IC and then PUR. @courtfalexander
Also, creative is KING on TikTok ads. If you have any organic TikTok/Reels videos that have done well, use those. I also tell my clients to not start TikTok ads until they have a bank of content AND an incoming flow of new content. TikTok needs more creative than Meta! TikTok is also great for testing new creatives before adding to Meta ads because of the nature of users watching videos and them being more likely to want to discover new things and be entertained with TikTok content. @courtfalexander
We’re mainly using the FB Pixel & Google Analytics/GA4! We also tried setting up the FB Conversions API, but it’s a big technical lift & their developers have had a number of issues, so we haven’t been able to use that yet. Are there any that you’ve had success with? @adclarke10
@adclarke10 For Shopify stores, my favorite is @triplewhale and it’s reasonably priced, and pays for itself with the accurate reporting it can provide. I’m also excited to test @getsocioh‘s pixel they just released last week, and they also offer custom catalogs for DABAs/DPAs. @courtfalexander
Do you think Meta, and Tiktok will be forced to let programmatic platforms bid on their inventory at some point? have you or anyone tried to bid on Meta inventory via Microsoft Ads (it’s supposed to be available to some advertisers)? @360vardi
@360vardi Such an interesting question! I’m actually not sure on this one. @andrewfoxwell what do you think? @courtfalexander
Yeah anyone using @MicrosoftAds MultiPlatform yet? Wondering how that experience is going for folks.. @Galliguez
More so, can we just call Snap dead yet? @JonKagan
PPCChat Participants
- Steve Gibson @stevegibsonppc
- Julia Vyse @JuliaVyse
- Daniel Vardi @360vardi
- Diana-Alina Aldea @DianaAlinaAldea
- Robert Brady @robert_brady
- Julie F Bacchini @NeptuneMoon
- Shaun Elley @selley2134
- Courtney Alexander @courtfalexander
- Jon Kagan @JonKagan
- Ashton Clarke @adclarke10
- Dave Galliguez @Galliguez
- Tiffany Shears @tiffanyjshears
- Tim Halloran @timmhalloran
- John W. Ellis @johnWEllis
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