Can't catch a break with Tiktok ads - $1,047.22 lost

[capybro]

Hi ya'll,

I've been trying to beat this Tiktok game for months (since April) with no luck.

I've spent $1525.06 on ads and only made $477.84 in revenue.

My best day was $1.20 spend and $40 revenue, but that quickly died the next day.

Even when an ad seems like it's working, it either dies on its own or my duplicated ads never become profitable.

I have no idea why I can’t turn this around. I hear about tons of people in my network that are crushing it with affiliate offers on Tiktok ads using personal loans, auto loans and auto insurance. But I’ve been trying for months and just keep getting my a$$ kicked.

I’ve lost even lost hundreds of dollars more (at least $600) by paying for video creatives. The best working ad was a video I created at home myself but that also didn’t break even.

I'd be delighted if I could just break even.

Maybe someone here can help tell me what I need to do to turn this thing around?

Here are some of my "best performing" creatives, let me know what you think:

IMG_3093 (friend)

7143689038334070021_no_watermark (fiverr actress)

updated car insurance quote tiktok (fiverr video editor)

 

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[JamesAnnaLee]

Hi ya'll,

I've been trying to beat this Tiktok game for months (since April) with no luck.

I've spent $1525.06 on ads and only made $477.84 in revenue.

My best day was $1.20 spend and $40 revenue, but that quickly died the next day.

Even when an ad seems like it's working, it either dies on its own or my duplicated ads never become profitable.

I have no idea why I can’t turn this around. I hear about tons of people in my network that are crushing it with affiliate offers on Tiktok ads using personal loans, auto loans and auto insurance. But I’ve been trying for months and just keep getting my a$$ kicked.

I’ve lost even lost hundreds of dollars more (at least $600) by paying for video creatives. The best working ad was a video I created at home myself but that also didn’t break even.

I'd be delighted if I could just break even.

Maybe someone here can help tell me what I need to do to turn this thing around?

Here are some of my "best performing" creatives, let me know what you think:

IMG_3093 (friend)

7143689038334070021_no_watermark (fiverr actress)

updated car insurance quote tiktok (fiverr video editor)

Hi ya'll,

I've been trying to beat this Tiktok game for months (since April) with no luck.

I've spent $1525.06 on ads and only made $477.84 in revenue.

My best day was $1.20 spend and $40 revenue, but that quickly died the next day.

Even when an ad seems like it's working, it either dies on its own or my duplicated ads never become profitable.

I have no idea why I can’t turn this around. I hear about tons of people in my network that are crushing it with affiliate offers on Tiktok ads using personal loans, auto loans and auto insurance. But I’ve been trying for months and just keep getting my a$$ kicked.

I’ve lost even lost hundreds of dollars more (at least $600) by paying for video creatives. The best working ad was a video I created at home myself but that also didn’t break even.

I'd be delighted if I could just break even.

Maybe someone here can help tell me what I need to do to turn this thing around?

Here are some of my "best performing" creatives, let me know what you think:

IMG_3093 (friend)

7143689038334070021_no_watermark (fiverr actress)

updated car insurance quote tiktok (fiverr video editor)

What makes you think that it's the ads that are the problem here?

Are people who are clicking through with the ads converting well?

There probably more numbers between as spend & revenue that will tell a better story. E.g cost per click, conversion rates etc. Might help if you could share some of those.

 

[OliFarmiloe]

Hi ya'll,

I've been trying to beat this Tiktok game for months (since April) with no luck.

I've spent $1525.06 on ads and only made $477.84 in revenue.

My best day was $1.20 spend and $40 revenue, but that quickly died the next day.

Even when an ad seems like it's working, it either dies on its own or my duplicated ads never become profitable.

I have no idea why I can’t turn this around. I hear about tons of people in my network that are crushing it with affiliate offers on Tiktok ads using personal loans, auto loans and auto insurance. But I’ve been trying for months and just keep getting my a$$ kicked.

I’ve lost even lost hundreds of dollars more (at least $600) by paying for video creatives. The best working ad was a video I created at home myself but that also didn’t break even.

I'd be delighted if I could just break even.

Maybe someone here can help tell me what I need to do to turn this thing around?

Here are some of my "best performing" creatives, let me know what you think:

IMG_3093 (friend)

7143689038334070021_no_watermark (fiverr actress)

updated car insurance quote tiktok (fiverr video editor)

I've found it's that simple, often more natural-looking videos that perform better with eCommerce across the board. Curated Vs Created. So customer/influencer review videos, or someone that's an actual customer using the product.

Generally speaking, though our entry point for clients is a minimum ad spend of $2,000 a month. Anything less than $1,000 monthly it's hard to get enough data flowing through the A/B testing matrix we set up to actually learn what does and doesn't work for you quickly enough.

Have you considered other platforms like paid ads on FB & Insta. We still see a lot of clients getting attention and engagement on Tiktok, but the majority of purchases coming from Insta with remarketing campaigns.

 

[btcx]

Keep on tweaking and trying to make your ads better.

Your first ad is pretty decent. There's just a few tweaks I'd make such as adding "insurance" to the first subtitle so your target audience who are scrolling and focusing on the video stop scrolling and watch it. This might sound like I'm nitpicking something minor but keep on reading:

The few frames/seconds matter the most on any social media. This is especially apparent on TikTok where videos are short and people keep on scrolling for something interesting they want to watch.

Instead of your target audience thinking "Oh, too bad I already bought a car. If that was ad I just scrolled past legit, I would have loved to save 25% on my car I bought," they will think "Man, my car insurance is expensive as hell. I would love to save 25%!"

Immediate change with just one word.

 

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[doster.zach]

Hi ya'll,

I've been trying to beat this Tiktok game for months (since April) with no luck.

I've spent $1525.06 on ads and only made $477.84 in revenue.

My best day was $1.20 spend and $40 revenue, but that quickly died the next day.

Even when an ad seems like it's working, it either dies on its own or my duplicated ads never become profitable.

I have no idea why I can’t turn this around. I hear about tons of people in my network that are crushing it with affiliate offers on Tiktok ads using personal loans, auto loans and auto insurance. But I’ve been trying for months and just keep getting my a$$ kicked.

I’ve lost even lost hundreds of dollars more (at least $600) by paying for video creatives. The best working ad was a video I created at home myself but that also didn’t break even.

I'd be delighted if I could just break even.

Maybe someone here can help tell me what I need to do to turn this thing around?

Here are some of my "best performing" creatives, let me know what you think:

IMG_3093 (friend)

7143689038334070021_no_watermark (fiverr actress)

updated car insurance quote tiktok (fiverr video editor)

First one is not too bad, but feels like every other insurance ad I’ve seen.

Either need to do a better at showcasing your value skew in the first 3 seconds or try something others aren’t doing.

 

[BizyDad]

Tagging @mikecarlooch

 

[Goodfella999]

What is your goal with the marketing? To collect leads and sell them?

 

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[Xeon]

I thought it's said that for TikTok ads to shine, the ads shouldn't be looking like ads but more of just another TT video. When I'm immersed in scrolling the TT feed looking at funny videos, college girls twerking, guys slipping off their skateboards and hitting their nuts, cute cats eating cakes, and suddenly in comes an ad blasting about cars and figures, I would be annoyed af and immediately swipe up to the next funny video.

Maybe you can try finding girl(s) on Fiverr to dance (on top of a car) to the currently trending songs on TT, and at the end of the song, the music stops and the car horns 2 times (to further get attention), then your ad message comes out in the form of text slapped onto the video (use the TT built-in text editor, not video software).

Just an idea...

 

[MitchC]

How many sales have you made?

How many landing page visits?

Tiktok needs a heap of data to optimise. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve killed a winning ad too early looking at those numbers.

Strange niche to pick for Tiktok too, why not dropship? You’re getting sales so it’s clearly possible but does seem strange to me that people would scroll Tiktok and suddenly change their insurance

 

[Roli]

Hi ya'll,

I've been trying to beat this Tiktok game for months (since April) with no luck.

I've spent $1525.06 on ads and only made $477.84 in revenue.

My best day was $1.20 spend and $40 revenue, but that quickly died the next day.

Even when an ad seems like it's working, it either dies on its own or my duplicated ads never become profitable.

I have no idea why I can’t turn this around. I hear about tons of people in my network that are crushing it with affiliate offers on Tiktok ads using personal loans, auto loans and auto insurance. But I’ve been trying for months and just keep getting my a$$ kicked.

I’ve lost even lost hundreds of dollars more (at least $600) by paying for video creatives. The best working ad was a video I created at home myself but that also didn’t break even.

I'd be delighted if I could just break even.

Maybe someone here can help tell me what I need to do to turn this thing around?

Here are some of my "best performing" creatives, let me know what you think:

IMG_3093 (friend)

7143689038334070021_no_watermark (fiverr actress)

updated car insurance quote tiktok (fiverr video editor)

I think the answer is in your last video "Are you looking for car insurance?" No, because I'm like 12.

What other socials are you trying? Instinctively I would not think there are enough people who can drive and are old enough to care about the cost of their insurance.

How's Google going for you? At least there you are appearing to people typing insurance into the search bar.

 

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[mikecarlooch]

I think if you're going to get someone to actually watch an ad, it can't feel like an ad.

Personally, if I saw an ad like this on TikTok I'd scroll immediately. It's the way the video looks, the tone of the voice of the actors, it doesn't feel genuine, it feels like I'm being sold.

I don't believe in all of the "Tricks" to get someone to watch a TikTok video like for example there are some ads that will show something that looks weird at the beginning in order to get people to keep watching, but then people feel sold.

One thing I've noticed that appears interesting is getting a controversial celebrity off of cameo to make an ad, and leaving the cameo logo in. People appear to think it's funny and go as far as to share the ad with friends, still, it's not very genuine..

When I think of Car Insurance, I think of boring. If I'm scrolling on TikTok as a 20-year-old guy it's going to take more than an attractive chick telling me I can save 25% on my car insurance.

I have a brother that scrolls on tiktok for hours a day. When I look at him scroll, he gives a video 0.2 seconds to determine if he will give that video his attention or not.

If you wanted me to click that link with actual interest you'd have to do the following:

1. As soon as I come across the video it needs to be structured as an entertaining Storytime video with a big, bold, legible text wall explaining the storytime. Maybe you can take car insurance and in some way turn it into an emotional story? Can you get someone to tell a story about car insurance that's so emotional that they cry in the video? And can you message that story in a way that doesn't come across as a boring car insurance ad?

2. I need to understand WHY. A lot of people while watching the video also need to be educated on why it's important that they get 25% off their car insurance. Is there a mind boggling statistic about car insurance that would make people go "Whoa... I need to save 25% on my car insurance.."?

3. The video needs to look and feel natural, not salesy. I'd be more willing to watch if it was an old lady telling a story or something of that nature.

So in my opinion - It should be emotional, entertaining, and it should explain WHY.

-Mike

 

[Andy Black]

Lol. Thought this was funny, and relevant to this thread.

TikTok - Make Your Day

 

[TCMorgan]

Hi ya'll,

I've been trying to beat this Tiktok game for months (since April) with no luck.

I've spent $1525.06 on ads and only made $477.84 in revenue.

My best day was $1.20 spend and $40 revenue, but that quickly died the next day.

Even when an ad seems like it's working, it either dies on its own or my duplicated ads never become profitable.

I have no idea why I can’t turn this around. I hear about tons of people in my network that are crushing it with affiliate offers on Tiktok ads using personal loans, auto loans and auto insurance. But I’ve been trying for months and just keep getting my a$$ kicked.

I’ve lost even lost hundreds of dollars more (at least $600) by paying for video creatives. The best working ad was a video I created at home myself but that also didn’t break even.

I'd be delighted if I could just break even.

Maybe someone here can help tell me what I need to do to turn this thing around?

Here are some of my "best performing" creatives, let me know what you think:

IMG_3093 (friend)

7143689038334070021_no_watermark (fiverr actress)

updated car insurance quote tiktok (fiverr video editor)

These LOOK like ads. Ad creative should be contextual to the platform you're running it on. Tiktok is also a trend-hungry platform. Can you incorporate any up-and-coming trends into your ads? (Current trends are already too far behind)

As @mikecarlooch said - these ads are an instant scroll for me.

I think the answer is in your last video "Are you looking for car insurance?" No, because I'm like 12.

What other socials are you trying? Instinctively I would not think there are enough people who can drive and are old enough to care about the cost of their insurance.

How's Google going for you? At least there you are appearing to people typing insurance into the search bar.

More than half of Tiktok's userbase is between 16-34. The platform has aged up significantly in the last 3 years. Products for homeowners are crushing for us, so car ownership should be OK as well if the ads and landing page are good.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[capybro]

What makes you think that it's the ads that are the problem here?

Are people who are clicking through with the ads converting well?

There probably more numbers between as spend & revenue that will tell a better story. E.g cost per click, conversion rates etc. Might help if you could share some of those.

The conversion rate for those clicking through the offer is pretty high, which is why I believe there's something on the ad level that needs improvement

I've found it's that simple, often more natural-looking videos that perform better with eCommerce across the board. Curated Vs Created. So customer/influencer review videos, or someone that's an actual customer using the product.

Generally speaking, though our entry point for clients is a minimum ad spend of $2,000 a month. Anything less than $1,000 monthly it's hard to get enough data flowing through the A/B testing matrix we set up to actually learn what does and doesn't work for you quickly enough.

Have you considered other platforms like paid ads on FB & Insta. We still see a lot of clients getting attention and engagement on Tiktok, but the majority of purchases coming from Insta with remarketing campaigns.

True, I need to make my ads seem more natural and not like ads, and increase my budget.

I can't run these affiliate offers as easily on Facebook and Instagram because of their terms

Keep on tweaking and trying to make your ads better.

Your first ad is pretty decent. There's just a few tweaks I'd make such as adding "insurance" to the first subtitle so your target audience who are scrolling and focusing on the video stop scrolling and watch it. This might sound like I'm nitpicking something minor but keep on reading:

The few frames/seconds matter the most on any social media. This is especially apparent on TikTok where videos are short and people keep on scrolling for something interesting they want to watch.

Instead of your target audience thinking "Oh, too bad I already bought a car. If that was ad I just scrolled past legit, I would have loved to save 25% on my car I bought," they will think "Man, my car insurance is expensive as hell. I would love to save 25%!"

Immediate change with just one word.

Will implement these ideas

First one is not too bad, but feels like every other insurance ad I’ve seen.

Either need to do a better at showcasing your value skew in the first 3 seconds or try something others aren’t doing.

Definitely going to split test different angles for the first 3 seconds now

What is your goal with the marketing? To collect leads and sell them?

They're affiliate offers that pay out per lead

I thought it's said that for TikTok ads to shine, the ads shouldn't be looking like ads but more of just another TT video. When I'm immersed in scrolling the TT feed looking at funny videos, college girls twerking, guys slipping off their skateboards and hitting their nuts, cute cats eating cakes, and suddenly in comes an ad blasting about cars and figures, I would be annoyed af and immediately swipe up to the next funny video.

Maybe you can try finding girl(s) on Fiverr to dance (on top of a car) to the currently trending songs on TT, and at the end of the song, the music stops and the car horns 2 times (to further get attention), then your ad message comes out in the form of text slapped onto the video (use the TT built-in text editor, not video software).

Just an idea...

I'll try something like this. I've tried using Fiverr girls with little success but maybe they just need better direction

How many sales have you made?

How many landing page visits?

Tiktok needs a heap of data to optimise. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve killed a winning ad too early looking at those numbers.

Strange niche to pick for Tiktok too, why not dropship? You’re getting sales so it’s clearly possible but does seem strange to me that people would scroll Tiktok and suddenly change their insurance

Definitely not that many sales, maybe around 200. And I'm trying these offers because word is that people have been crushing with them, but that hasn't been the case for me.

I think if you're going to get someone to actually watch an ad, it can't feel like an ad.

Personally, if I saw an ad like this on TikTok I'd scroll immediately. It's the way the video looks, the tone of the voice of the actors, it doesn't feel genuine, it feels like I'm being sold.

I don't believe in all of the "Tricks" to get someone to watch a TikTok video like for example there are some ads that will show something that looks weird at the beginning in order to get people to keep watching, but then people feel sold.

One thing I've noticed that appears interesting is getting a controversial celebrity off of cameo to make an ad, and leaving the cameo logo in. People appear to think it's funny and go as far as to share the ad with friends, still, it's not very genuine..

When I think of Car Insurance, I think of boring. If I'm scrolling on TikTok as a 20-year-old guy it's going to take more than an attractive chick telling me I can save 25% on my car insurance.

I have a brother that scrolls on tiktok for hours a day. When I look at him scroll, he gives a video 0.2 seconds to determine if he will give that video his attention or not.

If you wanted me to click that link with actual interest you'd have to do the following:

1. As soon as I come across the video it needs to be structured as an entertaining Storytime video with a big, bold, legible text wall explaining the storytime. Maybe you can take car insurance and in some way turn it into an emotional story? Can you get someone to tell a story about car insurance that's so emotional that they cry in the video? And can you message that story in a way that doesn't come across as a boring car insurance ad?

2. I need to understand WHY. A lot of people while watching the video also need to be educated on why it's important that they get 25% off their car insurance. Is there a mind boggling statistic about car insurance that would make people go "Whoa... I need to save 25% on my car insurance.."?

3. The video needs to look and feel natural, not salesy. I'd be more willing to watch if it was an old lady telling a story or something of that nature.

So in my opinion - It should be emotional, entertaining, and it should explain WHY.

-Mike

Will try implementing these, thanks

These LOOK like ads. Ad creative should be contextual to the platform you're running it on. Tiktok is also a trend-hungry platform. Can you incorporate any up-and-coming trends into your ads? (Current trends are already too far behind)

As @mikecarlooch said - these ads are an instant scroll for me.



More than half of Tiktok's userbase is between 16-34. The platform has aged up significantly in the last 3 years. Products for homeowners are crushing for us, so car ownership should be OK as well if the ads and landing page are good.

Good idea, I'll try adding in trends and recent news stories

 

[CrimsonNight]

I think if you're going to get someone to actually watch an ad, it can't feel like an ad.

Personally, if I saw an ad like this on TikTok I'd scroll immediately. It's the way the video looks, the tone of the voice of the actors, it doesn't feel genuine, it feels like I'm being sold.

I don't believe in all of the "Tricks" to get someone to watch a TikTok video like for example there are some ads that will show something that looks weird at the beginning in order to get people to keep watching, but then people feel sold.

One thing I've noticed that appears interesting is getting a controversial celebrity off of cameo to make an ad, and leaving the cameo logo in. People appear to think it's funny and go as far as to share the ad with friends, still, it's not very genuine..

When I think of Car Insurance, I think of boring. If I'm scrolling on TikTok as a 20-year-old guy it's going to take more than an attractive chick telling me I can save 25% on my car insurance.

I have a brother that scrolls on tiktok for hours a day. When I look at him scroll, he gives a video 0.2 seconds to determine if he will give that video his attention or not.

If you wanted me to click that link with actual interest you'd have to do the following:

1. As soon as I come across the video it needs to be structured as an entertaining Storytime video with a big, bold, legible text wall explaining the storytime. Maybe you can take car insurance and in some way turn it into an emotional story? Can you get someone to tell a story about car insurance that's so emotional that they cry in the video? And can you message that story in a way that doesn't come across as a boring car insurance ad?

2. I need to understand WHY. A lot of people while watching the video also need to be educated on why it's important that they get 25% off their car insurance. Is there a mind boggling statistic about car insurance that would make people go "Whoa... I need to save 25% on my car insurance.."?

3. The video needs to look and feel natural, not salesy. I'd be more willing to watch if it was an old lady telling a story or something of that nature.

So in my opinion - It should be emotional, entertaining, and it should explain WHY.

-Mike

This 1000x.

Also, read classic marketing/sales books. I don't remember the name, maybe it's Cashvertising? Anyway, in summary: Funnel existing emotions to the product. Let the customers imagine their life with the product. Create a story.

 

[CrimsonNight]

Lol. Thought this was funny, and relevant to this thread.

TikTok - Make Your Day

This guy is legit top G. He is killing it with Amazon FBA and creating a SaaS for Shopify store research.

Sorry to derail this thread.

 

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[biophase]

This guy is legit top G. He is killing it with Amazon FBA and creating a SaaS for Shopify store research.

Sorry to derail this thread.

Personally the URL is scammy to me.
CarsInsurance? doesn’t make sense we know it should be CarInsurance. It’s just sounds off to me. I’d find a better URL.

 

[Leech]

I thought it's said that for TikTok ads to shine, the ads shouldn't be looking like ads but more of just another TT video. When I'm immersed in scrolling the TT feed looking at funny videos, college girls twerking, guys slipping off their skateboards and hitting their nuts, cute cats eating cakes, and suddenly in comes an ad blasting about cars and figures, I would be annoyed af and immediately swipe up to the next funny video.

Maybe you can try finding girl(s) on Fiverr to dance (on top of a car) to the currently trending songs on TT, and at the end of the song, the music stops and the car horns 2 times (to further get attention), then your ad message comes out in the form of text slapped onto the video (use the TT built-in text editor, not video software).

Just an idea...

Thats what i was thinking. The Ad seems out of place among all the other tiktok Videos. You need to remember that the attention span of the Tiktok audience is really short compared to f.e. Youtube Ads.
Ty to instantly catch them. tell your fiver actress, to be energetic maybe a little wild to make your viewer not skip the ad.