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How to Activate Data from BigQuery to TikTok Ads

Retargeting efforts used to rely on email campaigns and cookies, but as these decline so does the power of many retargeting strategies. 

The answer is to leverage first-party data to target the proper ad audiences on platforms like TikTok. 

Considering that TikTok ads reach up to 50.3% of adults in the U.S., especially young adults, the platform can be a powerful tool for targeting younger audiences. Using your first-party data, you can create audiences for targeting, lookalike, and exclusion. 

It all starts by activating the data from your data warehouse to TikTok ads. 

Here’s what you need to know about activating your data from BigQuery to TikTok Ads. 

Manually Import Data to TikTok Ads

One option is to import your data to TikTok via CSV. Here are the steps for creating custom audiences on TikTok Ads Manager:

  1. Create a CSV file from a BigQuery table. 

  2. You’ll then need to format the CSV file to have the correct headers using Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel. 

  3. Within TikTok ad manager, select “Create a Custom Audience.”

  4. Select the source for your customer audience. “Customer File” describes those already in your database. 

  5. Choose the format of customer IDs.

  6. Upload your CSV file. 

  7. Name your audience. 

  8. Click “Confirm” to finalize. 

BigQuery to TikTok Ads via GrowthLoop

While you can manually import your first-party data to TikTok, there’s a better solution. Using GrowthLoop, you can activate your customer segments from BigQuery to TikTok ads within 5 minutes. After doing it once, your data warehouse syncs to TikTok and will continue to update automatically. 

  1. Connect your BigQuery data cloud to GrowthLoop as the source by entering your data credentials. 

  2. Set your TikTok ads account as the destination. 

  3. Using GrowthLoop’s audience builder, craft your custom audience. You could also use one already in your account. 

  4. Choose the percentage of treatment and control experimentation that you want. 

  5. Export to TikTok ads. The audience name in TikTok will sync with the name you set in GrowthLoop.

Opt for a one-time sync of your audience or enable ongoing sync between BigQuery and TikTok ads. Automatic sync will add any new users as they fit the audience criteria. 

Overall, the process is quite similar to activating Snowflake to Facebook Ads or Snowflake to Instagram Ads. However, the benefits of each platform differ, and for many marketing teams connecting to several social media channels is beneficial for different campaigns.

GrowthLoop Streamlines Data Activation 

To make the most of your first-party data, you need to connect it with your marketing platforms. GrowthLoop is here to streamline your data-driven marketing strategies by accelerating data activation. Export your raw data sets to over 30 destinations, including TikTok Ads, within minutes. 

Want to learn more? Book your free demo with our software specialists. 

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