If you’re following along at all with the TikTok news, you’ll know that the app faced a temporary ban in the US followed by a quick reversal – for now. The platform has become a global smash hit since it lets users post short-form videos with ease, along with seamless app navigation enabling them to instantly view and interact with videos they may be interested in.
The engaging nature and popularity of the app is not lost on advertisers looking to engage with a captive audience. From paid influencer campaigns to sponsored content, there are a variety of ways advertisers can capture the attention of their intended audience on TikTok. But with the fate of TikTok still undecided, what options do healthcare advertisers have to diversify their social media budgets?
- The Reel deal: The obvious shift would be Meta’s Reels. Instagram in particular skews younger and has a general demographic similar to TikTok. The ad formats also align well to Reels so little to no lift would be needed on the part of creative teams. Active Meta Ads users know the ad platform hasn’t always been the most user-friendly. Meta seems to be responding to this by making improvements to the campaign setup experience. Meta also has robust ad targeting options with the advertiser’s pick of using predefined Meta segments, demographic segments, and third-party segments.
- Short(s) and sweet: Another alternative is YouTube and its YouTube Shorts. With similar functionality to Reels and TikTok, YouTube has seen success with its rollout of Shorts. The downside of YouTube is that advertisers are limited to first-party data targeting – in other words, data they have collected themselves. For healthcare advertisers, this might mean they’ll be missing large swaths of their potential audience.
Though Meta and YouTube provide the most similar platform to transition to in the wake of a potential TikTok ban, it may also mean more impressions and views will be needed to make up for a lack of ad exposure on TikTok. Typically more impressions = more money; however, with a targeted campaign, budgets won’t necessarily need to inflate too much.
While more impressions may be needed to increase ad exposure and drive consumers and healthcare providers alike to action, advertisers deploying highly targeted audiences will be able to funnel advertising spend to an audience that aligns with their target condition. And if you’re in the market for one of these audiences, you’re in the right place.
Author bio:
Issy Cohen
Issy Cohen is Director, Advertising Operations at PurpleLab. In her current role, she has successfully implemented operational processes and provided strategic guidance to the sales, customer success and leadership teams, helping drive the company’s growth in a highly competitive market. Prior to her current role, Cohen was instrumental in leading and expanding the paid social advertising business at Lasso, growing it by 286% year over year.