TikTok has exploded into a cultural phenomenon, captivating a massive and highly engaged audience, particularly younger demographics. For businesses looking to tap into this vibrant platform, reaching the right users with tailored messaging is paramount. While TikTok offers a range of targeting options, one of the most powerful and direct methods to connect with your existing customer base lies in leveraging your own valuable data: your email list, through the creation of Custom Audiences.
Imagine the ability to directly serve engaging TikTok ads to your loyal customers, re-ignite interest among past purchasers, or nurture leads who have already shown interest in your brand. This isn’t just a possibility; it’s a tangible reality with TikTok Custom Audiences. By securely uploading your email list, you can bridge the gap between your established customer relationships and the dynamic world of TikTok, unlocking a unique opportunity for personalized engagement and impactful advertising.
The Power of Familiarity: Why Reach Your Existing Customers on TikTok?
While TikTok is often associated with new user acquisition and viral trends, its potential for engaging your existing customer base is immense. Connecting with your current customers on TikTok offers several compelling advantages:
- Strengthen Brand Loyalty: Reaching out to your existing customers on a platform they actively use reinforces your brand presence and fosters a sense of connection beyond traditional channels.
- Drive Repeat Purchases: Showcase new products, exclusive offers, or loyalty rewards directly to customers who have already demonstrated an affinity for your brand, increasing the likelihood of repeat business.
- Amplify Brand Advocacy: Engage your loyal customers with content that encourages them to share their positive experiences and become brand advocates within the TikTok community.
- Gather Valuable Feedback: Utilize TikTok’s interactive features (polls, Q&A) to solicit feedback from your existing customers in a fun and engaging way.
- Cross-Promote Content and Offers: Seamlessly promote content from your other marketing channels (e.g., new blog posts, upcoming events) to your TikTok audience of existing customers.
- Personalized Communication at Scale: Deliver tailored ad messages and offers based on your existing knowledge of their purchase history, preferences, and engagement with your brand.
- Cost-Effective Re-engagement: Reaching existing customers is often more cost-effective than acquiring new ones, making TikTok a valuable channel for customer retention.
Creating Custom Audiences on TikTok: A Step-by-Step Guide Using Your Email List
Building targeted ad audiences on TikTok using your email list is a straightforward process within the TikTok Ads Manager:
- Prepare Your Email List:
- Format: Ensure your email list is saved in a compatible format, such as a CSV (.csv), TXT (.txt), or ZIP file containing these formats.
- Data Quality: Clean your email list by removing invalid, misspelled, or outdated addresses to maximize your match rate.
- Hashing (Recommended): For enhanced data privacy and security, it is highly recommended to hash your email addresses using the SHA256 algorithm before uploading. This anonymizes the data while still allowing TikTok to match it with user accounts.
- Navigate to Audiences in TikTok Ads Manager:
- Log in to your TikTok Ads Manager account.
- Click on the “Assets” tab in the top navigation menu.
- Select “Audience” from the dropdown menu.
- Create a New Custom Audience:
- On the Audience page, click the “Create Audience” button.
- Select “Customer File” as the audience type.
- Choose Your Upload Method:
- You will be presented with options for uploading your customer file:
- Upload CSV, TXT, or ZIP File: Select this option to upload your prepared email list file.
- Copy and Paste Data: You can also copy and paste email addresses directly into the interface.
- Import from Customer Data Platform (CDP): If you use a CDP that integrates with TikTok, you can import your customer data directly.
- You will be presented with options for uploading your customer file:
- Upload Your File and Map Identifiers:
- If uploading a file, drag and drop your file or click to browse and select it.
- TikTok will prompt you to map the identifiers in your file to TikTok user identifiers. Ensure that your “Email” column is correctly identified. If you have pre-hashed your data, indicate this during the mapping process.
- Click “Confirm.”
- Agree to Customer File Audience Terms:
- You will need to agree to TikTok’s Customer File Audience Terms, which outline the platform’s policies regarding data privacy and consent. Ensure you have obtained the necessary consent from your customers to use their email addresses for advertising purposes on TikTok.
- Name Your Audience:
- Give your Custom Audience a clear and descriptive name (e.g., “Loyal Customers Email List,” “Website Leads – Last 90 Days,” “Purchasers of Product X”). This will help you easily identify and manage your audiences later.
- Click “Create”:
- Once you have uploaded your file, mapped the identifiers, agreed to the terms, and named your audience, click the “Create” button.
- Audience Matching Process:
- TikTok will then begin the process of matching the email addresses in your list with TikTok user accounts. The match rate can vary depending on factors such as the quality of your list and whether the email addresses are associated with active TikTok profiles.
- You can monitor the status and size of your audience in the Audience manager. It may take some time for the audience to populate.
Leveraging Your Email List Custom Audiences for Targeted TikTok Ad Campaigns
Once your Custom Audience is created and populated, you can begin using it to target your existing customers with personalized and engaging TikTok ad campaigns:
- Campaign Objective Alignment: Choose campaign objectives that align with your goals for reaching this audience, such as Website Traffic, Conversions, or App Installs.
- Precise Targeting: When setting up your ad group targeting, navigate to the “Custom Audience” section and select the Custom Audience you created from your email list.
- Tailored Ad Creatives: Craft ad creatives that specifically resonate with this audience. Acknowledge their existing relationship with your brand, reference past purchases (if applicable), and offer exclusive value.
- Personalized Offers: Deliver special discounts, early access to new products, or loyalty rewards specifically to your existing customers on TikTok.
- Content That Adds Value: Share behind-the-scenes content, tutorials, or user-generated content featuring your loyal customers to further strengthen their connection with your brand.
- Suppressing Existing Customers: In acquisition campaigns aimed at new users, you can exclude your email list Custom Audiences to avoid showing ads to those who are already your customers.
- Combining with Other Targeting Options: You can layer your email list Custom Audiences with other TikTok targeting options (e.g., interests, behaviors) to further refine your reach.
The Benefits of Reaching Your Existing Customers on TikTok
Engaging your existing customers on TikTok through Custom Audiences offers a unique set of benefits that can significantly enhance your overall marketing strategy:
- Increased Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV): By consistently engaging and rewarding your existing customers on TikTok, you can foster stronger loyalty and encourage repeat purchases, ultimately increasing their lifetime value to your business.
- Enhanced Brand Engagement: TikTok’s engaging and interactive format provides a unique opportunity to connect with your customers on a more personal level, fostering stronger brand affinity and encouraging active participation with your content.
- Valuable First-Party Data Utilization: Leveraging your email list allows you to utilize your valuable first-party data to create highly targeted and effective advertising campaigns on TikTok, bypassing some of the limitations of broader targeting options.
- Omni-Channel Marketing Synergy: Integrating your TikTok efforts with your email marketing creates a more cohesive and impactful omni-channel strategy, ensuring consistent messaging and a seamless customer experience across different touchpoints.
- Staying Top-of-Mind: Regularly engaging with your existing customers on a platform they frequent helps keep your brand top-of-mind, increasing the likelihood of future purchases and positive word-of-mouth.
Conclusion:
Creating Custom Audiences on TikTok using your email list is a powerful strategy for connecting with your existing customers on a platform where they are increasingly spending their time and attention. By following the simple steps outlined in this guide and leveraging the unique engagement opportunities TikTok offers, you can strengthen brand loyalty, drive repeat business, and cultivate deeper relationships with your most valuable audience. Embrace the dynamic world of TikTok and unlock its potential to enhance your customer engagement and amplify your marketing success by strategically utilizing the valuable data within your email list.