Anthony McGrath

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TikTok ads

TikTok ads that look like TikTok

Polished ads tend to fall flat on TikTok. What works is creative that feels native, tested fast and often, backed by tracking that tells TikTok who actually buys. Campaigns, creative direction and Events API tracking, managed hands-on.

Talk about TikTok adsWhat's included
  • 22 years in digital marketing
  • Hands-on: you work with me, not a junior
  • UK, US, Dubai and Australia

By Anthony McGrath · Updated

What does TikTok ads management involve?

TikTok ads management covers campaigns, creative, audiences, tracking, landing and reporting. TikTok is a creative-first platform. Anthony McGrath does the work himself, with 22 years in digital marketing, for businesses in the UK, the US, Dubai and Australia.

Best for
Businesses spending, or ready to spend, on paid ads and wanting profit, not clicks
What you get
Campaigns, Creative, Audiences, Tracking, Landing, Reporting
First step
Audit: your account, tracking and landing pages checked, with a plain-English list of what is wasting money.
Where
The UK, the US, Dubai and Australia, working remotely across time zones
Who does the work
Anthony McGrath, hands-on, with 22 years in digital marketing

Winning on TikTok

TikTok is a creative-first platform. The first two seconds decide everything, and ads that look like ads get skipped. Creator-style videos, Spark Ads and fast testing win.

Tracking matters just as much. Without the Events API, TikTok misses many conversions and struggles to optimise, especially on iPhone traffic.

What's included

Campaigns, creative and tracking.

Campaigns

  • Smart+ and manual campaigns
  • Sales, lead and traffic objectives
  • TikTok Shop ads
  • Budgets moved to winners

Creative

  • Hooks, scripts and briefs
  • Creator and UGC sourcing
  • Spark Ads from organic posts
  • Weekly creative tests

Audiences

  • Broad targeting
  • Custom and lookalike audiences
  • Retargeting
  • Interest and hashtag targeting

Tracking

  • TikTok Pixel and Events API
  • Shopify integration
  • Deduplication
  • Attribution windows set right

Landing

  • Mobile-first landing pages
  • Instant pages where they fit
  • Offers for TikTok audiences
  • Speed checks

Reporting

  • Creative performance
  • Blended return across channels
  • Monthly summary
  • Next tests planned

Before and after

An example of switching to native creative and Events API tracking.

  • Hook rate (3-second views): 18% before, 34% after
  • Cost per purchase: 52 before, 31 after
  • Conversions TikTok could see: 58% before, 92% after

An example of the kind of change this work aims for, based on typical starting points. It is not a promise or a specific client result: every business starts somewhere different. Money figures are shown without a currency: the same pattern applies in pounds, dollars, dirhams or Australian dollars.

How it works

  1. AuditYour account, tracking and landing pages checked, with a plain-English list of what is wasting money.
  2. PlanCampaigns, budgets and targets agreed around profit, not vanity numbers.
  3. Build and launchCampaigns built or rebuilt cleanly, with conversion tracking tested first.
  4. Manage and reportHands-on weekly management and a clear monthly report on what your spend made.

Platforms and tools

  • TikTok Ads Manager
  • Smart+
  • Spark Ads
  • TikTok Events API
  • TikTok Shop
  • CapCut
  • Shopify
  • GA4
  • Triple Whale

Questions

Is TikTok worth it for my business?

If your customers are on TikTok and your product shows well on video, usually yes. It works especially well for consumer brands and local services with a visual angle.

Do I need to make lots of videos?

TikTok needs fresh creative regularly. Simple phone-shot videos often outperform expensive productions, and creators can help with volume.

What are Spark Ads?

Ads that use real organic posts, from your account or a creator's, keeping the likes and comments. They usually perform better than standard ads.

Do you run TikTok ads in the UAE and Australia?

Yes. Campaigns can target the UK, the US, the UAE and Australia.

Anthony McGrath

About Anthony McGrath

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A UK-based freelance digital marketer with 22 years across Shopify, WordPress, WooCommerce, Magento, conversion rate optimisation, funnels, Google, Meta and TikTok ads, SEO and tracking. He works directly with businesses in the UK, the US, Dubai and Australia, so the person who plans the work is the person who does it. More about Anthony or connect with him on LinkedIn.

Get started on TikTok properly

Tell me what you sell and who buys it. You get a TikTok plan with creative ideas and a test budget.

Talk about TikTok ads