How to Create a TikTok Ads Manager Account

If you want to tap into TikTok's massive user base, take advantage of its marketing opportunities, and skyrocket your business growth, TikTok Ads Manager is a must-have tool.

With over one billion monthly active users, TikTok offers an excellent opportunity to reach your target audience and drive conversions to meet your sales goals.

This is exactly what the TikTok Ads Manager is designed for: to help you create and manage high-converting ads that will dominate the competition, something for which Foreplay’s Spyder Ad Spy tool is also invaluable. 

In fact, running ads on TikTok is not possible without the Ads Manager, which requires you to have a TikTok for Business account. This brings us to the main point of the day: providing you with an in-depth guide on how to create a TikTok Ads Manager Account. 

Keep reading our TikTok Ads Manager tutorial on TikTok ad account creation to get started with using one of the most powerful marketing platforms with the potential to take your business to the next level. 

Let’s get started by discussing what the TikTok Ads Manager is. 

What is TikTok Ads Manager?

TikTok Ads Manager is an all-in-one platform for creating, managing, and optimizing ad campaigns on TikTok.

It provides a suite of tools to help you target your ideal audience, design eye-catching ads, monitor campaign performance, and fine-tune your strategies for maximum impact.

Below is a perfect example of the TikTok Ad Manager in use. It shows a simple, catchy, yet effective ad for “THE HOUSE,” an outdoor gear clothing company, which was perfected using the TikTok Ads Manager. 

▶️ View Full Video Ad

Moreover, with the TikTok Ads Manager, you have full control over your advertising budget, ad placements, and campaign objectives. Whether your goal is to increase brand awareness, drive website traffic, or boost app installs, TikTok Ads Manager has tools to help on all these fronts.

Furthermore, the platform offers a variety of ad formats, including in-feed video ads, brand takeovers, and sponsored hashtag challenges, allowing you to choose the best fit for your brand and campaign goals.

With the basics covered, let’s move on and find out why you need to create a TikTok Ads Manager account for the best advertising opportunities. 

Why create a TikTok Ads Manager account?

TikTok's user base is a goldmine for businesses looking to expand their reach and engage with a highly active, diverse audience. The platform offers targeted advertising, various ad formats, and a suite of creative tools that allow users to create highly customized ads for the best results. 

Here's why you should create a TikTok Ads Manager account :

Massive global reach

With over 1 billion monthly active users, TikTok offers unparalleled exposure for your brand. Creating a TikTok Ads Manager account allows you to tap into this vast audience and showcase your products or services to potential customers worldwide. 

This level of reach provides an opportunity to connect with diverse audiences across different regions and cultures that you might otherwise not have access to.

Targeted advertising

TikTok offers various engaging ad formats, including in-feed video ads, brand takeovers, and sponsored hashtag challenges. 

This ensures your ads reach the right people at the right time, maximizing your campaign's effectiveness and ROI. 

With these sophisticated targeting options, you can craft campaigns that resonate with specific customer segments, enhancing the likelihood of conversions.

Versatile ad formats

TikTok offers a range of engaging ad formats, including in-feed video ads, brand takeovers, and sponsored hashtag challenges. 

These formats enable you to create compelling, interactive content that resonates with TikTok’s users and drives them to take action. 

Whether you aim to raise brand awareness or encourage direct engagement, TikTok's ad formats provide flexibility to meet your objectives.

For example, here's a short yet eye-catching in-feed video ad for Gillette Razor that only needs a few seconds to capture the viewer's attention. 

▶️ View Full Video Ad

Powerful creative tools

TikTok Ads Manager provides a suite of creative tools to help you design eye-catching, high-performing ads. 

From video templates and music libraries to smart video and automated creative optimization, these tools simplify the ad creation process and ensure your content stands out in users' feeds. 

With these resources, you can produce polished ads that capture attention and reflect your brand’s unique style.

Comprehensive analytics

With TikTok Ads Manager, you can access detailed performance insights and metrics to track your campaign’s success. 

Real-time data on impressions, clicks, conversions, and more allows you to monitor your ads' performance, identify areas for improvement, and optimize your strategies accordingly. 

This data-driven approach lets you refine your campaigns based on measurable results.

Affordable advertising

TikTok Ads Manager offers flexible budgeting options, allowing you to control your ad spend and achieve your marketing goals without breaking the bank. 

Whether you have a limited budget or want to scale your campaigns, TikTok Ads Manager can accommodate your needs. 

This affordability makes it an ideal platform for businesses of all sizes looking to enhance their digital marketing efforts.

It’s impossible to run ads without it

It is also necessary to note that running TikTok ads without the TikTok Ads Manager is impossible. As we said, it’s a must-have tool for running ads on TikTok. This means that you must familiarize yourself with it right away.

Let’s move on and find out how to create TikTok Ads by setting up the TikTok Ads Manager. 

How to create a TikTok Ads Manager account

Creating a TikTok Ads Manager account is your first step to unlocking the platform's massive potential for your business. 

This can be done in a few simple steps, which we’ve outlined below. Start by signing up for an account and entering your information. 

You’ll also need to add billing information. For the best results, create and connect a TikTok Business Center account. 

Let’s get started with step one, signing up for the TikTok Ads Manager.

Step 1: Sign up for TikTok Ads Manager

The first step to using the TikTok Ads Manager is to sign up for it, which you must do by visiting the TikTok for Business site. So, let’s start there. 

Go to the TikTok for Business Site

To begin, visit the TikTok for Business website and click the "Sign Up" button at the top right corner. A pop-up window will then appear, prompting you to enter your email address and create a strong password for your new account.

Create a secure password

Double-check that you’ve entered your email address correctly; you’ll need to verify it later. When choosing your password, make it as secure as possible by including a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.

Logging in with an existing TikTok account

If you already have a TikTok account associated with your email address, click "Log in" instead and proceed with your existing credentials. 

However, it is generally recommended that you create a separate email and account specifically for your business to keep your personal and professional activities distinct on the platform.

Proceed to the next step

Once you’ve filled in your email and chosen a password, click "Next" to continue with setting up your TikTok Ads Manager account. You can now move on to entering your business information.

Step 2: Enter your business information

Now that you've signed up for the TikTok Ads Manager, the next step is to provide key details about your business, starting with your business name. 

Enter your business name

In the designated fields, enter your official business name exactly as it appears on legal documents to ensure consistency and compliance.

Select your industry

From the drop-down menu, choose the industry that best describes your company. Selecting the right industry category helps TikTok better understand your business and may improve the accuracy of your ad targeting.

Choose your business’s time zone

Carefully select your business's time zone, as this setting cannot be changed later. Your time zone will impact the scheduling of your ads, so ensure you pick the one where your business is physically located to align with your operating hours.

Select your preferred currency

Next, select the currency you wish to use for billing purposes. TikTok Ads Manager supports a wide range of currencies, so choose the one that aligns best with your business’s financial operations.

Double-check your information

Before moving forward, double-check all the information you’ve entered for accuracy. These details are essential for setting up your account correctly and ensuring compliance with TikTok’s advertising policies.

Continue

Once you’re confident that everything is accurate, proceed to the next stage of creating your TikTok Ads Manager account: adding your payment and billing information.

3. Add payment and billing information

The next step in creating your TikTok Ads Manager account is setting up your payment method and billing information. TikTok offers two main payment options: manual and automatic. Let’s take a quick look at what each entails.

Manual payments

With manual payments, you must manually add funds to your account before running ads. Your campaigns will pause once your pre-paid balance is depleted, giving you full control over your advertising spend.

Automatic payments

Automatic payments, on the other hand, charge your registered credit card or other payment method whenever your ad spend reaches a certain threshold, typically every $500 USD. This ensures your campaigns continue running without interruption, but close monitoring is required to avoid overspending.

Let’s find out how to add your payment method. 

How to add payment and billing information

To add your payment method, follow the simple steps outlined below.

1. Navigate to the Billing or Payment section in your TikTok Ads Manager dashboard.
2. Click on “Add Payment Method” and select your preferred option, such as credit card or PayPal.
3. Enter your billing details, including your name, card number, expiration date, and billing address.
4. Review and submit your information.

Please remember that all billing information must be accurate and up-to-date to ensure your ads run smoothly. TikTok's advertising policies also require that your payment method match your business's country of operation.

Once you’ve added payment information, you’ll need to create your first ad account under that business account, so let’s do that now.

4. Set up your first ad account

Once your business and payment info is complete, you'll be prompted to create your first ad account under that business. Unless you are running a massive and multifaceted campaign, a single ad account should suffice.

Your TikTok ad account acts as a hub for all your advertising activities on the platform. It's where you'll create and manage your campaigns, set budgets, define target audiences, and track performance metrics. 

Here are a few tips for starting your first ad account.

Provide a name for the ad account

When setting up your ad account, you'll need to provide a name for easy identification, especially if you plan on running multiple accounts in the future. 

Choose a name that reflects your business or the specific campaigns you'll be running. You’ll also get to choose from various other options, such as access permissions.

Modify permissions and access

At this stage, you can also grant access to your ad account to other team members or partners. TikTok Ads Manager offers various user roles and permissions to ensure the right people have access to the tools they need while maintaining account security.

Once all information has been entered, you can finalize your account and start running your first TikTok ad campaign. 

5. Submit your account for review

Once you've entered all the necessary information and double-checked it for accuracy, it's time to submit your TikTok Ads Manager account for review. Click the Submit button at the bottom of the page, and TikTok's team will evaluate your account details.

The review process typically takes up to 24 hours, during which your account status will display as "Under Review" on your Ads Manager dashboard. While you can still access your account and even create new ad campaigns during this time, your ads won't begin running until your account is officially approved.

Ensure your business and website comply with TikTok's advertising policies to ensure a smooth approval process. This includes restrictions on certain industries, products, and content. Familiarizing yourself with these guidelines beforehand can help you avoid any potential issues or delays in getting your account approved.

Once your account is verified, you’ll then have access to your account ID, which you’ll need to perform other tasks, such as connecting to the Business Center. 

Finding your account ID number

To find your TikTok Ads account ID, start by logging into the TikTok Ads Manager with your login credentials. Once you’re logged in, look at the top menu bar, where you’ll see your account name on the right side. Click on the dropdown arrow next to your account name. This will display a menu with your account information, including your account ID.

Assuming your account gets verified, you can then move on to the final important step in setting up your TikTok Ads Manager and using it to the fullest: connecting it to your TikTok Business Center account. 

Below, we’ll explain why it's so important to have one of these accounts in combination with your TikTok Ads Manager. 

Steps to take after finalizing your TikTok Ads Manager account

Once your TikTok Ads Manager account is ready to go, you can start getting to work, although as mentioned above, before you start creating your first ad campaign, a good idea is to connect your TikTok Ads Manager account with the TikTok Business Center.

Keep reading to find out how to connect your TikTok Ads Manager Account to the Business Center and then start creating a compelling campaign. 

6. Connect TikTok Ads Manager account to TikTok Business Center

To streamline your TikTok advertising efforts, consider linking your TikTok Ads Manager account to your TikTok Business Center account. Although related, the TikTok Ads Manager is not the same as the TikTok Business Center, which can cause confusion for many.

The TikTok Business Center is ideal for multiple people or larger organizations that need a variety of tools to streamline and organize their TikTok advertising efforts. It allows organizations to centralize all assets for a more cohesive advertising experience. 

For the best results, it’s strongly recommended to have a TikTok Business Center Account in combination with your TikTok Ads Manager. Combining both will help you create, manage, and optimize TikTok Ads to drive leads, conversions, and sales. 

Let’s create a TikTok Business Center account.

Creating a new TikTok Business Center account

If you still need a TikTok Business Center account, create one by clicking the Business Center icon in the top-left corner of your TikTok Ads Manager dashboard. You may also directly visit the TikTok Business Center site. Just fill in the required information, and you're good to go. It takes just a few minutes.

Linking the TikTok Business Center to the TikTok Ads Manager

For those with an existing TikTok Business Center account, follow these steps to connect your TikTok Ads Manager account:

1. Access your TikTok Business Center dashboard and navigate to the Advertiser Accounts section.
2. Click on Request Access to connect your current TikTok Ads Manager account.
3. Enter your TikTok Ads Manager account ID, which you can find by clicking on your account name at the top right corner of your Ads Manager dashboard.
4. Select your desired role: Admin, Operator, or Analyst. Admins are automatically approved, while Operators and Analysts require approval from the account's Admin.

Once you’ve linked everything together, you can start creating your first TikTok ad campaign, which we briefly touch on below.

7. Create a TikTok ad campaign

Getting started with your first TikTok ad campaign is simple once you’re familiar with the TikTok Ads Manager. Here, we outline the first few steps to get you started with your first TikTok ad campaign, starting with choosing an objective.

Choose your campaign objective

After logging into TikTok Ads Manager, head to the "Campaign" tab and click "Create" to start. You’ll first select a campaign objective, such as traffic, conversions, or app installs. Choosing an objective aligns TikTok’s ad optimization with your desired outcomes, ensuring your ads are designed to drive specific user actions.

If you’re having trouble defining your campaign objectives and finding inspiration, Foreplay’s Discovery tool can help you filter through countless of the best-performing TikTok Ads to find the ones that work best to achieve specific goals. 

Set your ad group parameters

Next, you’ll move on to the ad group settings. Define your target audience by specifying demographics, interests, behaviors, and device types. Additionally, you can set a budget and schedule to control when your ads will be displayed. This step ensures your ads reach the right users at the right time.

Select your ad format

Finally, choose the ad format that best suits your campaign goals. TikTok offers several engaging formats, including in-feed videos, branded effects, and sponsored hashtag challenges. 

Use TikTok’s creative tools to design attention-grabbing ads that resonate with your audience and encourage interaction.

Once you’ve set up your ad campaign, review all settings to ensure accuracy, then submit your ad for approval. Once approved, your ad will be live and ready to drive results!

Final thoughts

Creating a TikTok Ads Manager account opens the door to one of today's most impactful advertising platforms. By following each step to set up your account, from signing up to connecting with the TikTok Business Center, you’re equipping your business with tools to reach TikTok's vast and diverse user base. 

The TikTok Ads Manager offers flexibility, advanced targeting, creative tools, and analytics that allow you to develop high-converting campaigns, no matter your budget. With these features, your business can enhance its digital marketing efforts and drive meaningful results in a highly engaging space.

Once your account is set up, the next step is to dive right into campaign creation, where you can take advantage of TikTok's numerous ad formats and powerful optimization tools. 

As you continue to monitor and refine your campaigns, you'll gain valuable insights that will enable you to maximize your advertising efforts. With TikTok Ads Manager, you're not just launching ads; you're building a connection with a community of potential customers, positioning your brand to grow in a way that would otherwise not be possible.

If you’re short on ideas for your TikTok campaigns, Foreplay can inspire you! 

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to get approved for a TikTok Ads Manager account? 

Typically, accounts are reviewed and approved within 24 hours, allowing you to start your campaigns swiftly.

What industries are not allowed to advertise on TikTok? 

While most industries can advertise, TikTok restricts certain categories like tobacco, weapons, and adult content.

How do I add new users to my TikTok Ads Manager account? 

You can assign roles and permissions to new users directly through the account settings.

What creative specs do I need to follow for TikTok ads? 

Ensure your ad creatives meet TikTok's specifications for format, size, and duration to maintain quality and compliance.

How can I improve my TikTok ad performance? 

Continuously analyze ad metrics, test different creative approaches, and refine targeting to enhance performance.