How to Advertise on TikTok in the UK: A Small Business Guide
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
TL;DR: To advertise on TikTok in the UK, set up a free TikTok Ads Manager account, pick a campaign objective, and launch a native vertical video or boost an existing post with Spark Ads. Self-serve minimums are roughly £50 a day at campaign level and £20 a day per ad group, with clicks typically costing about £0.20–£1.20 and 1,000 views around £4–£10. Whatever you run, UK rules mean the ad must be clearly identifiable as advertising.
Why TikTok is worth a small business's time
TikTok is no longer a niche app for teenagers. DataReportal puts TikTok's UK audience at around 26.8 million adults, and Ofcom's Online Nations research shows it reaches roughly 65% of 18–34-year-olds — making it one of the most-used apps among younger adults in Britain. The largest single age group is actually 25–34, so if your customers are millennials or older Gen Z, they are almost certainly scrolling.
What makes TikTok different from other social platforms is its discovery engine. The "For You" feed serves content based on interests and behaviour, not just who you follow, so a small business with zero followers can still land in front of thousands of relevant people. That is why paid advertising on TikTok can work so well for SMEs: you are buying access to an algorithm that is designed to surface new brands.
Setting up TikTok Ads Manager
Start by creating a TikTok Ads Manager account at ads.tiktok.com on desktop and switching your profile to a Business account. You will choose between a Simplified mode, where TikTok automates much of the setup, and a Custom mode that gives you full control over targeting and bidding — most businesses graduate to Custom once they are comfortable.
Campaigns are built in three layers: the campaign (where you set your objective, such as traffic, video views, lead generation or website conversions), the ad group (where you set audience, placements, budget and schedule) and the ad itself (your creative). Before you spend anything on conversion goals, install the TikTok Pixel or connect the Events API so you can measure sales and leads accurately. New ads then go through a review that usually takes up to 24 hours before they go live.
The ad formats you'll actually use
In-Feed Ads are the workhorse: native videos of up to 60 seconds that appear in the For You feed with a call-to-action button. They look and feel like organic posts, which is exactly the point.
Spark Ads let you boost an existing organic post — your own, or a creator's with their permission — while keeping the likes, comments and shares it has already earned. TikTok consistently reports that Spark Ads outperform standard In-Feed ads on engagement, and they are usually the best-value starting point for a small business. Beyond those, Video Shopping Ads plug into TikTok Shop and product catalogues, while premium placements such as TopView (the first thing users see when they open the app) and Branded Mission suit brands with larger budgets.
What it costs — and how to set a budget
TikTok's self-serve minimums are lower than most people think. According to TikTok's own Ads Manager documentation, a campaign-level budget must exceed $50 (about £50) a day, and each ad group needs at least $20 (about £20) a day — the old "you need £500 a day" claim is outdated for auction campaigns. Shopify's UK guidance quotes the same £50 campaign and £20 ad-group daily minimums.
Because TikTok runs on an auction, your actual costs depend on targeting, competition and how good your creative is. As a planning range, expect roughly £4–£10 per 1,000 impressions (CPM) and about £0.20–£1.20 per click (CPC). A sensible starting point for a small business is £20–£30 a day per ad group, held steady for one to two weeks so the algorithm can exit its learning phase before you judge the results or scale up.
Making creative that doesn't feel like an ad
On TikTok, the creative is the campaign. Shoot vertical (9:16), keep it sound-on, and hook the viewer in the first two seconds — most drop-off happens almost immediately. Rougher, authentic, user-generated-style video routinely outperforms polished brand films, so a phone-shot demo or a founder talking to camera can beat an expensive production.
Add on-screen captions, use sounds from TikTok's commercial music library to stay licensed, and finish with one clear call to action. Don't bet everything on a single video: upload three to five variations per ad group and let TikTok find the winners, then pour budget into whatever performs.
Targeting, measurement and the UK rules
For targeting, you can layer demographics, interests and behaviours, or build Custom Audiences from your website visitors and past engagers and then create Lookalikes to find similar people. If you are unsure, TikTok's automatic targeting often does a strong job of finding buyers. Judge success on cost per result and return on ad spend — not vanity metrics like raw views.
Finally, stay compliant. Under the UK CAP Code, enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), all marketing must be "obviously identifiable" as advertising. Ads bought through Ads Manager are labelled automatically, but if you work with a creator, their post promoting you must carry a clear "Ad" label — the ASA has repeatedly ruled that vaguer terms such as "gifted" or a brand mention alone are not enough. Watch the extra rules that apply to categories like alcohol, financial promotions and HFSS (high fat, salt and sugar) food and drink, and make sure any claims you make can be substantiated.
Your quick launch checklist
1) Switch to a Business account and open TikTok Ads Manager. 2) Install the TikTok Pixel or Events API. 3) Pick one clear objective. 4) Set an ad group budget of £20–£30 a day. 5) Upload 3–5 native vertical videos. 6) Choose a focused audience or use automatic targeting. 7) Add a clear "Ad"-style label where a creator is involved. 8) Launch, wait out the ~24-hour review, then let it run for 7–14 days before optimising.
Quick FAQ
How much does it cost to advertise on TikTok in the UK?
TikTok's self-serve minimums are about £50 a day at campaign level and £20 a day per ad group. In practice, budget for roughly £4–£10 per 1,000 views and £0.20–£1.20 per click, though the auction means your real costs depend on targeting, competition and creative quality. Many SMEs start effectively on £20–£30 a day.
Do I need a lot of followers to run TikTok ads?
No. TikTok Ads Manager works independently of your follower count, so a brand-new business account can advertise from day one. Spark Ads can amplify an existing post if you have one, but In-Feed ads run perfectly well with no prior organic presence.
Do I have to label TikTok ads as advertising in the UK?
Yes. UK rules (the CAP Code, enforced by the ASA) require ads to be obviously identifiable. Paid ads bought through Ads Manager are labelled automatically, but influencer or creator content promoting your brand needs a clear "Ad" label — vaguer terms like "gifted" or "sponsored" alone can fall short.
What's the best TikTok ad format for a small business?
For most SMEs, In-Feed Ads and Spark Ads offer the best value. Spark Ads in particular boost native-looking organic posts and tend to earn stronger engagement than standard ads — at a far lower cost than premium placements such as TopView.
TikTok has levelled the playing field for small businesses — you no longer need a huge budget or a big following to reach the right people. Start small, treat every campaign as a test, and let genuinely useful, native content do the heavy lifting. The brands that win here entertain first and sell second. — Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing
The winning formula on TikTok is simple: native creative, a modest test budget, and clear labelling. Start with £20–£30 a day, learn what actually converts, then scale the winners.
Have you tried advertising on TikTok yet — and if not, what's holding your business back from running a first test campaign?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
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Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
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