Hey everyone!
I wanted to share a campaign I ran recently that brought in a solid 81% ROI using TikTok’s Back-to-Business free ad credits. This was a short test, but the results were strong enough that I think it’s worth documenting here for anyone curious about combining free ad budgets with a good offer.
At the time, TikTok was offering new U.S. business accounts $300 in ad credits, plus a 1-to-1 ad spend match for additional spend, up to $2,000. The accounts had to be registered to a business and verified. The credits had to be used before the end of December 2020.
I was able to buy a few of these pre-verified accounts for about $25 each from sellers. For this test, I used just one account to promote a car insurance lead-gen offer that paid $8.50 per lead.
Here’s how I structured it:
The ads were short, direct, and focused on cost savings with a quick solution.
Before sending traffic to the offer, I used a simple one-step form prelander. The visitor entered their ZIP code, then was redirected to the main offer page. This acted as a small filter to boost quality and intent before hitting the advertiser’s form.
It’s worth noting that TikTok’s internal stats showed fewer conversions than what actually came through. The real numbers were based on the network’s tracking:
The simplicity of the funnel (ad → prelander → offer) and the ROI make this a model I can replicate with other verticals. Car insurance worked well, but the same approach could be applied to health insurance, home services, or even financial lead-gen offers.
This was a small test using just one account, but scaling across multiple accounts or combining with other traffic sources could multiply results significantly.
I’ll be testing variations of this with different offers and prelanders soon—so stay tuned for updates. If anyone else is working with TikTok lead-gen campaigns, I’d love to compare notes.
I wanted to share a campaign I ran recently that brought in a solid 81% ROI using TikTok’s Back-to-Business free ad credits. This was a short test, but the results were strong enough that I think it’s worth documenting here for anyone curious about combining free ad budgets with a good offer.
The TikTok Ad Credit Opportunity
At the time, TikTok was offering new U.S. business accounts $300 in ad credits, plus a 1-to-1 ad spend match for additional spend, up to $2,000. The accounts had to be registered to a business and verified. The credits had to be used before the end of December 2020.
I was able to buy a few of these pre-verified accounts for about $25 each from sellers. For this test, I used just one account to promote a car insurance lead-gen offer that paid $8.50 per lead.
Campaign Setup
Here’s how I structured it:
- Objective: Conversions
- Optimization: Pixel installed on the post-lead submit page
- Targeting: Age 18–55+, no specific interest targeting (broad audience)
- Ad Creatives:Can’t share the exact creatives, but the general theme was relatable, personal, and benefit-driven. For example:
- “I was paying $XXX/month for car insurance, but now I pay $XX thanks to this site.”
- “We don’t all drive at the same time – why overpay for car insurance?”
- “This site found me a cheaper policy in less than 60 seconds.”
The ads were short, direct, and focused on cost savings with a quick solution.
Prelander Strategy
Before sending traffic to the offer, I used a simple one-step form prelander. The visitor entered their ZIP code, then was redirected to the main offer page. This acted as a small filter to boost quality and intent before hitting the advertiser’s form.
Results
It’s worth noting that TikTok’s internal stats showed fewer conversions than what actually came through. The real numbers were based on the network’s tracking:
- Test Period: Dec 2 – Dec 17, 2020
- Leads Generated: 215
- Payout per Lead: $8.50
- Total Revenue: $1,827.50
- Real Ad Spend: $994.10 (after using $300 free credit + 50% ad spend match)
- Account Cost: $25
- Net Profit: ≈ $808.40
- ROI: 81%
Takeaways & Lessons Learned
- Free ad credit promos can be gold mines if you can get them in time and pair them with a high-converting offer.
- The biggest challenge wasn’t the traffic or the creative—it was finding reliable TikTok account sellers.
- Broad targeting worked here because car insurance is a wide-reaching niche, but the ad creative still had to resonate with everyday frustrations (overpaying, finding deals quickly).
- Even if you miss the free credit window, CPMs often drop after promo periods because competition decreases.
Why I’ll Test This Again
The simplicity of the funnel (ad → prelander → offer) and the ROI make this a model I can replicate with other verticals. Car insurance worked well, but the same approach could be applied to health insurance, home services, or even financial lead-gen offers.
This was a small test using just one account, but scaling across multiple accounts or combining with other traffic sources could multiply results significantly.
I’ll be testing variations of this with different offers and prelanders soon—so stay tuned for updates. If anyone else is working with TikTok lead-gen campaigns, I’d love to compare notes.