Ad performance is becoming increasingly less dependent on campaign setup and more dependent on creative. This means now more than ever, an ad-specific content strategy is vital for strong ad performance. Adapting ad creatives to best practices in the field as well as presenting them in such a way that stands out is key. For industry-specific examples of best-performing ad content styles, read on.

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Fashion/Accessories

Fashion content should tap into the aesthetics and visuals, or highlight the virality of a product. Typically, Meta calls for a mixture of high-quality campaign imagery, and UGC which shows the products more authentically. Unlike other platforms, TikTok should have more of a UGC, styling focus, but high-quality videography can be applied effectively to more luxury brands.

Style Tips/ Ways to Style

The styling angle works due to its heavily organic, inspirational nature. Rather than selling a specific product, it shows the customer the final look they’ll achieve which is great for inspiring individuality. On TikTok, the hook ‘Style Tip’ or ‘Style Hack’ encourages a strong thumb-stop ratio, of up to 40% in some cases, from enticing viewers to continue watching to see the tip. This style could be adapted for Meta through UGC, collages or lookbooks. 

Try ons

Try-ons, hauls and lookbooks showing the product range bring a strong sense of social proof and authenticity you wouldn’t typically see elsewhere. Unlike the usual model or campaign imagery you see onsite, UGC or up close videos indicate overall quality and fit in a more candid way. This can be adjusted based on the platform as well as the brand identity. Typically this works best in a UGC format for the most authentic representation of the products, but a more high-end, high-definition approach can be used for luxury brands. 

Top Products

GIFs or product imagery of hero products are a great way to build on existing traction, with text overlay indicating virality, popularity or necessity being a strong approach to developing social proof ‘The perfect Summer X’ ‘The only X you need’. On TikTok, hooks indicating the popularity of a product, such as ‘top 3 picks’ or the only ‘X’ you’ll need bring a great thumbstop, enticing customers to continue viewing to see the product. This is the same for numbered listicles, which attract a strong level of view through with the customer feeling enticed to view all numbered products.

Check out this Foreplay board for more examples!

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Beauty

With the makeup and beauty market being heavily saturated, authentic reactions and results to products brings a strong sense of social proof which can’t be achieved from other platforms. However, this comes at a price - with a large percentage of beauty brands now having a TikTok following, ads need to tap into the uniqueness of every product, to show why it stands out from all other versions on the market. 

Demos and Tutorials

This style is key for social proof, as it shows real-life results which wouldn’t be seen in typical ad campaigns. Having a creator or model applying the product shows the final finish in a trustworthy and authentic manner can bring around 3x more click-rate than a more packaging-focused approach. 

Satisfying content

Swatches, pumps of products or ASMR are a strong approach for beauty brands. Firstly, it’s a heavily organic content style, blending into the feed and consequently reducing the urge to scroll and easily increasing thumb stop ratio and watch time by around 25%. Although it doesn’t have the social proof of a creator, the swatch angle also eliminates the need to try before you buy - using it to show strong colour payoff on palettes, or different shades of a skin product reassures the customer that the product is for them. 

Testimonials

This is a strong tactic to really stand out from the market. Not only does it bring the social proof of a tutorial with a creator using and loving the product, but also provides personal context or experience, posing the product as a real solution to a problem. It’s also a subtle way of incorporating an us vs. them approach, showing the product to stand out from the market and be the key to solving a specific pain point. 

Check out this Foreplay board for more examples!

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Lifestyle/Gifts

What about ads for more niche products? Any product has the potential to succeed in ads, with TikTok shop bestsellers ranging from cleaning products to supplements to plushies. The key across both platforms is to tap into the uniqueness of each product, showing why it is a necessary purchase and how it will improve the user’s life.  ‍

Comment Responses

Responding to TikTok comments with your own videos is a great way to show social proof. A comment with a positive experience of sentiment shows new customers that the product is already loved by others. It also indicates a strong sense of community surrounding your brand or product. Presenting your brand as engaged with followers encourages more interaction from an organic perspective which will increase overall reach. 

Reasons Why

Listicle content generally brings a strong thumb-stop ratio and watch time. The reasons why angle takes this to a more explicit level, clearly outlining multiple USPs and solutions brought with the product to bring strong purchase intent through text overlay. This works great for products in more competitive markets to capitalise on aspects of the product unique to them, but it is also a strong approach for more unusual products by posing them as something the customer didn’t know they needed. 

Mashups/Collages

Pulling together different pieces of UGC and reviews into one gif or TikTok video takes social proof to the next level, showing a vast number of people to have had a positive experience with the product and highlighting its popularity and virality. 

Check out this Foreplay board for more examples!

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Most importantly, make sure your ads communicate their USPs and the uniqueness of the brand identity. Authenticity is key.

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Note: Foreplay is one of the most important tools we have in our agency toolbox. You can read about how we use it every day over at Foreplay's blog.

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Spy on your competitors and get inspiration for your next winning ad using Foreplay. Go to this link for a week's trial completely free!

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If you you an e-commerce brand and need help with your TikTok marketing strategy - look no further. Get in touch and book a call with Joe or Freddie to look into ways that we can help you!

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Written by Katy Henderson: Senior Media Buyer