Most buyers don’t walk your neat little funnel stages; they move around. People scroll, forget you, maybe see you again, maybe not, and then three weeks later, they suddenly remember your name while they’re half-asleep ordering something. And TikTok accelerates that chaos. Instead of trying to slot users into funnel stages, think about how to earn recognition in the moments that matter. This is just how the landscape has changed over the recent years. In this article, we’ll break down the new reality of advertising via TikTok and look at some practical tips that will make this process easier.
Typically, marketing funnels assume order and think that people are “progressing.” They’re not. They’re bouncing all over the place, seeing your ad in the midst of entertainment clips, forgetting you exist, hearing about you from a cousin, googling you at work, then finally buying at 11 PM after reading some random review.
TikTok just magnifies the chaos because the platform was built as an entertainment platform, and it does not make direct response marketing easy, even though it’s possible. Yes, a third of TikTok users are 25–34, but they’re not lining up to be moved down your funnel stages. They’re watching funny skits, hacks, and half-baked rants. They’re scrolling for dopamine hits. If you’re lucky, you slide into their memory bank enough times that when they actually want what you sell, your name pops up first.
Unlike Meta’s ecosystem, where retargeting is tightly tied to direct-response funnels, TikTok interactions lean more toward impression-driven trust building. Users often need multiple light-touch exposures before the brand feels familiar enough to be considered.
Let's say someone needs a project management tool for their growing team. Here's what actually happens:
That journey spans several months and usually includes multiple touchpoints, none of which follow your funnel logic. The TikTok video wasn’t the sale; it was the first exposure.
Practical tip: When creating content, assume viewers will not remember you the first few times they see your content. Use recurring themes, consistent hooks, or a branded visual cue, so recognition builds over time.
The touchpoint that gets credit is usually the last one (your branded search campaign), but the touchpoint that created the opportunity was that TikTok video they half-watched while procrastinating.
The old “TikTok is just for teens” idea has shifted dramatically since 2023. In 2024, the platform was already dominated by the 25–34 cohort in many markets, and older age groups are growing quickly, too — so TikTok now reaches more working professionals and decision-makers than it used to.
TikTok’s 35–44 cohort has surged in recent years (e.g.,+31% since 2020), while the 45+ user slice in general is growing faster than the younger demographics (e.g. a jump from 2% in 2019 to 26% by 2025), and many of these users are decision-makers who need time to evaluate options, secure budget and coordinate timing.
Industry surveys also show rising B2B adoption: a 2023 industry survey found a substantial share of B2B marketers using TikTok as part of their mix, and major B2B brands (Salesforce, ClickUp, and others) now use short-form video to demonstrate workflows and product tips rather than hard sells.
Actionable content ideas:
That’s how you sneak into users’ memory and stay there until the timing hits.
Focus on two simple goals that actually align with how the platform works and how people buy: earn trust and give proof.
Earn trust with the people who aren’t ready to convert just yet. Most of your TikTok audience will never convert, and that's perfectly fine. Many won’t buy today. That’s fine. Some will need you in six months, some will recommend you tomorrow. Your job is to show up, teach, and share something genuinely useful. Your job is to stay top-of-mind and build credibility: show up with productivity tips, insights, and behind-the-scenes hacks that position you as the go-to when timing clicks.
Stay visible to the ones who are close to buying. Some portion of your audience is already in-market or will be soon. Don’t pitch. Prove. Use testimonials, show the real results, and be transparent about how you work. Give them evidence that sticks so when they’re ready, you’re the only rational choice.
Practical tip: Short testimonial clips or stitched customer shoutouts work well here because they feel organic to TikTok’s culture.
That is the essence: trust for the future, proof for the now. Everything else tends to overcomplicate what buyers actually need. And the additional beauty of this approach is that it doesn't require complex campaign structures or elaborate tracking setups, since you create content that serves both purposes simultaneously.
The biggest mistake is applying Meta advertising logic to TikTok campaigns, so you must stop copy-pasting Meta playbooks. If you’re optimizing for clicks and immediate conversions on TikTok, most likely you’re tanking your reach. TikTok algorithm doesn’t prioritize your CTR, it cares if people actually watch your video, comment “lol same,” or share it with a friend. You can have a video that drives zero clicks but goes viral because people stick around, and that’s worth more long-term than a 2% click rate.
Another common pitfall is mapping content too rigidly. Users don’t walk through your neat little TOFU ? MOFU ? BOFU path. People are messy, they zigzag, they forget you. A first-time viewer could buy on the spot, and a follower of six months might be forever window shopping.
The obsession with hard calls to action also backfires on TikTok. Hard CTAs like “Sign up now!” often fall flat, as they feel out of place in a feed built on entertainment. TikTok users smell sales pitches a mile away. Instead, use soft pivots, give value first, credibility second, and CTA third. Do it softly: “If this helped, we’ve got more on the site.”
Tracking every metric is another trap. TikTok is less effective as a direct click-to-buy channel; it’s a trust-builder, so it’s hard to expect perfect attribution. Over-engineering campaigns to track every touchpoint only leads to wasted effort.
Practical tip: Track indirect signals like search volume for your brand name or website visits after TikTok spikes, as they often reveal more than in-app CTR.
The alternative to funnel thinking is presence thinking. Instead of trying to move people through stages, focus on being consistently helpful in your area of expertise. Be the brand that shows up, helps, and earns mindshare before someone even realizes they need you.Â
Why it works: somebody might stumble on your video in January, binge three of them, then forget about you. Five months later, their problem explodes, and suddenly, you’re the name they Google. You won’t see “TikTok” in your attribution report, but the seed you planted closed the deal.
And it’s not about posting perfect content. But users remember the account that keeps showing up. Trust isn’t built by just bluntly declaring, “we’re experts, you can trust us.” It’s built when people watch you solve problems in real time. Let your knowledge speak for itself.
Practical tip: Make it a routine: 3–5 videos per week, mixing education, behind-the-scenes, and light entertainment. Consistency matters more than one-off viral hits.
Winners on TikTok treat it as a brand engine, not a short-term conversion machine. Show expertise. Be useful. Stay visible. Conversion comes later (and faster) because trust builds up. Practice shows that most TikTok viewers won’t buy right away, and that’s fine. You’re building authority for the few who will, and for the referrals they’ll send your way.
