TikTok introduced a new artificial intelligence (AI) platform on Monday aimed at simplifying the ad creation and deployment process for advertisers on its app. Named Smart+, this AI-driven platform automates every phase of an ad campaign, from initial creative design to targeting the appropriate audience. With a strong emphasis on performance marketing, Smart+ enables clients to assess the effectiveness of their advertising efforts.
Launch of TikTok’s Smart+ Platform
In a recent newsroom post, TikTok outlined its new advertising offerings aimed at allowing marketers to initiate campaigns more efficiently and at a reduced cost. These solutions were unveiled during Advertising Week on Monday, with Smart+ being the standout announcement. This platform serves as a performance automation tool, designed to manage entire ad campaigns in alignment with the brand’s specifications.
According to TikTok, advertisers simply need to input their creative assets, budget, and campaign goals. The Smart+ platform then takes over, automatically generating and selecting the appropriate creative materials, identifying the target audience, and optimizing ad presentation to encourage user engagement. Notably, these creative assets are produced using TikTok Symphony.
The company also reported that internal tests revealed a 52 percent increase in return on ad spend when utilizing the Smart+ platform. Within Smart+, three primary AI-driven workflows have been established. The first, Smart+ Web Campaigns, is designed to manage end-to-end ad campaigns that focus on increasing traffic to advertisers’ websites while minimizing the steps required to reach those sites.
Complementing this is the Smart+ Catalog Ads workflow, which automatically curates relevant product recommendations based on users’ interests and activities within the app. The second workflow, Smart+ App Campaigns, leverages TikTok’s discovery capabilities to facilitate installs and conversions for mobile applications.
Additionally, the Smart+ Lead Generation Campaigns workflow allows advertisers to convert engaged audiences—those who have previously shown interest in similar products—into potential customers through native lead generation solutions.
Alongside the Smart+ platform, TikTok also unveiled Out of Phone: Retail, a digital advertising initiative for in-store environments. This service enables brands and retailers to showcase both organic and branded TikTok content in physical retail spaces, thereby connecting online engagement with in-store purchasing behaviors.
