How TikTok cuts through the noise and builds deeper connections

At TikTok, our dedication to maintaining an immersive and engaging experience for our audience means that, in our distraction-filled world, we are uniquely placed to provide an ad experience that benefits brands and users alike.

The digital world has become an inherent part of our daily lives, but the crowded digital space and constant barrage of content from multiple sources means that consumer attention is scarce and that brands are finding it increasingly difficult to build deeper connections with their audiences. Research shows that despite this crowded digital landscape and overexposure of brands, TikTok advertising cuts through the noise and helps build deeper connections with audiences.

We partnered with Neurons Inc, a consumer neuroscience agency, to explore how much attention is paid to TikTok ads compared to other platforms and how this impacts the upper funnel. As part of the study, which was conducted in-lab in a privacy-safe environment, 293 UK participants were invited to browse through a mock TikTok, Facebook or YouTube app and scroll through a feed that combined ads and user generated content. The users' visual attention was recorded with innovative eye-tracking equipment, and participants completed surveys before and after the session. Read on to learn what made ads effective in building brand awareness, recall and favourability.

TikTok advertising cuts through the noise

TikTok's immersive audience–first approach has garnered over 1 billion monthly active users worldwide. While high user numbers are an essential part of any platform, so is a high rate of engagement and consideration. Research shows that consumers have longer fixation on TikTok ads than ads on other platforms – this means that TikTok users are more likely to truly watch an ad as opposed to just gaze over it.¹ In fact, TikTok users are focused on the screen for 75% of the time an ad is playing, compared to just 45% for other platforms.¹

TikTok's immersive experience also motivates consumers to notice products in ads faster than on any other platform. Products in TikTok ads capture consumers' attention 6% more than other platforms and are seen 41% faster than products on other platforms.¹

TikTok ads also drive brand recall and awareness as ads seen on TikTok are more liked and better remembered than ads on other platforms. Further, seeing brands on TikTok drives favourable feelings towards the brand – users' opinions about a brand's favourability rose 8% three weeks after seeing a TikTok ad, compared to 0% on other platforms.¹

TikTok doesn't just cut through the noise to reach consumers, we also motivate users to foster deep and positive connections with the brands they interact with on the platform – 73% of TikTok users said they feel deeper connections to brands on TikTok than on other sites and apps they use.² Our research shows that impressions on TikTok ads have a unique, prolonged effect on the upper funnel, uniquely driving ad likeability, relevance and brand familiarity in the long term.

What does this mean for your brand?

TikTok advertising generates deeper connections over time because advertising on our platform increases brand recall, likeability and favourability. Brands can leverage the prolonged effect of TikTok advertising on the upper funnel with an always-on approach.

Head to TikTok Ads Manager to start driving deeper connections.

References

1. Marketing Science UK Brand Building 2021 conducted by Neurons Inc 2. TikTok Marketing Science Global Community and Self-Expression Study 2021 conducted by Flamingo