TikTok stopped being just dance videos a long time ago: it's a serious advertising channel with a young audience that's ready to buy. But what does advertising on TikTok really cost?
Below are the amounts to plan for, the cost everyone underestimates, and an honest answer to the question: do it yourself or outsource?
TikTok's minimum budgets
TikTok enforces minimum budgets: count on roughly €50 per day at campaign level and about €20 per day per ad group. Serious testing doesn't happen on pocket change.
For a meaningful test phase, a budget of roughly €500 to €1,500 per month is realistic: enough to test variants and learn which videos and audiences work. Cost per thousand impressions is often still relatively low compared to Meta — exactly why this channel is interesting right now.
The hidden cost: creatives
On TikTok you don't win with a polished banner but with videos that don't feel like ads. Native content, fast cuts, a strong first second. And because videos burn out quickly, you need a continuous stream of fresh creatives.
So budget for production too: filming yourself costs time, outsourcing costs money. Smart move: combine it with content automation, so one shoot turns into multiple variants.
Do it yourself or outsource?
Doing it yourself is fine to learn the channel, if you have time for targeting, the pixel, testing and editing. The learning curve mostly costs you months and wasted budget on tests a specialist skips.
Outsourcing pays off once real budget is involved: a specialist gets more out of the same media budget, spots faster what works and keeps your creatives fresh. Agencies charge a management fee ranging from a few hundred to thousands of euros per month.
What does outsourcing TikTok ads to me cost?
No surprises: you get a fixed quote upfront, matched to your media budget and goals — including agreements on creatives. See what I do with TikTok ads or plan a free call.
Amounts mentioned are indicative (2026) and can vary per situation and platform policy.
Is TikTok right for your business?
TikTok works especially well when your audience is under forty and your product can be shown visually: e-commerce, food, lifestyle, local businesses with personality. Is your audience not there? Then I'll say so honestly and we'll look at a channel that does fit.
