Marshall Perry - The Definitive Guide to TikTok Advertising

The Definitive Guide to
TikTok Advertising

How to Access 1 Billion People in 10 Minutes

Perry Marshall and Dennis Yu

Copyright 2022 Perry S. Marshall & Associates

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic, or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author or publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information regarding the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the author or publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022902472

ISBN: 978-1-7354211-4-8

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Why This Is The Most Important Business Book Youll Read This Year

This graphic says it all:

Image 1.1: 2021s Internet Traffic Rankings (Data - CloudFlare)

TikToks leap from #7 to #1 is astounding. (Jumping from #7 to #3 would be impressive!) Yet while most people will frame this as a business success story, or a power of social media story, or a some folks didnt have anything better to do during a pandemic than binge-watching 30-second cat videos story the real story is:

YOU will possess an incomparable advantage when youre among the first to master a new advertising medium.

As the author of the worlds most popular books on Google and Facebook ads, I have lived this not once but twice - not only for myself but for some 500,000 small businesses that have directly benefited from my books and courses.

I have consulted in over 300 industries and worked personally with thousands of entrepreneurs. The surest way to gain a toehold, then foothold, then stranglehold in ANY market is having a NEW advertising medium create a NEW market.

The hardest way to get ANY business off the ground is to saunter into an existing market and pit yourself against existing players who were already dominating existing media before you came in.

If you own a microbrew, what are your chances of getting traction on network television against Coors and Budweiser? What are your odds of getting new customers in Super Bowl commercials?

Your odds are not merely small. Your odds are zero.

What are your odds on TikTok? On TikTok, you have a fighting chance. In fact, you have an advantage over big players because TikToks users are likely to be much more interested in microbrews than the King of Beers.

Between 2002 and 2007, Google Ads was the hottest new medium. Back then, the average guy on the street didnt even realize Google had ads in the first place.

Google opened its advertising system for business in February 2002 and I opened my first account two months later. The foothold I gained in those early days gave me a sustainable advantage for years . Exposure on Google was much less expensive and more effective than most other places you could advertise; I and thousands of others figured out how to work the system and once we were established, it was remarkably difficult for rivals to displace us.

Facebook hit the mainstream around 2011. The magic carpet ride began anew - with different rules.

For the first two years or so, Facebook ads were a dodgy wild west, working far better for some than for others. Slowly Facebook got their act together Then once again for 4-5 years, Facebook traffic was cheap and plentiful for people who knew how to work the system.

Today, hundreds of thousands of companies owe their very existence to these platforms because of their commitment to adapt their advertising, their marketing, their messaging, and their business models to the idiosyncrasies of their systems.

You can predict with absolute certainty what will happen in the next 3-5 years with TikTok:

Right now, in 2022, TikTok is very wild west as the world has not yet figured it out. Its unfamiliar to most advertisers, and legions of people only think of it as free social media. Recall that it took a few years for the world to even figure out what youre supposed to do with social media platforms like Twitter. Today, its entirely clear what you do with them. The same will happen with TikTok.

During this wild west period, it will seem difficult, but most people will find that with persistent and consistent effort, it only takes a few weeks to get the hang of it.

You will gain a lead over competitors, and while they are still content to wrangle with Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube, the secrets of TikTok begin to reveal themselves to you. As you participate with other members of our community, youll experience esprit de corps as you discover things that literally nobody else in the world knows.

Youll develop an almost preternatural sense of how the platforms work and what your audiences respond to.

Your business will grow supremely adapted to TikTok and its idiosyncrasies and youll grow to love the platform. Over time youll accumulate an audience and fan base - yes, even as an advertiser and not an organic player - your position will solidify and youll become an established player.

During the next several years you will co-evolve with the platform. As you are able to invest more and more profits back into the business, it will become nearly impossible for rivals to compete with you.

But I dont even like TikTok

Some people adore TikTok and spend all day there. Other people wish it would go away. Same with Facebook and Google and everybody else. All of us have feelings about the various platforms.

TikTok is an emotional firehose.

TikTok is too irrational.

Its so politically correct.

Its just singing, dancing, silly stuff, and entertainment.

I see videos then I never find them again.

People randomly hate stuff for no reason.

Guess what I dont like Facebook. I dont enjoy spending time there and I log in to look at my news feed maybe once a month. But that hasnt kept me from giving Facebook lots of money and getting lots of clients from them.

You dont have to like the New York Times - or even be a reader - to advertise in the New York Times. The question is simple: Will the platform give you more customers? If the answer is yes, spend the money and pick up new clients.

But the only people on TikTok are kids and 20-somethings.

Not true. My wife is 52 and shes a TikTok fanatic. For Halloween, she dressed up as her favorite TikTokker, V of Under The Desk News. Dont forget - people were saying the exact thing about Facebook 10 years ago.

Fact is, people of all ages are on TikTok. If youre selling industrial presses to 55-year-old men, TikTok is probably not your best source of traffic - but yes, millions of 55-year-old men are on TikTok. Please remember that everyone has a different feed that is immediately and eerily customized by the worlds most addictive algorithm. The older half of the population will be the fastest-growing segment of new TikTok users for the next few years.

Youll recall that the only 20-somethings argument was true when Facebook first came out too.

Heres whats important to understand: were not teaching you to go viral. Were not teen influencers trying to become social media stars. What we can do is drive great business results without needing to go viral, just like we do with Facebook and Google ads. We dont need to act like celebrities!