TikTok Automation: The Ultimate TikTok vs The Optimizer Comparison

If you are advertising on TikTok in 2023, you probably know how quickly this platform evolves and how demanding it can be to keep up. 

This is why more and more advertisers are relying on TikTok automation tools in 2023. Essentially, these tools take over routine and time-consuming tasks from you, so you can focus on strategy and growth. 

In this article, we will discuss TikTok automation tools, and compare the benefits of using the automated rules offered by TikTok versus The Optimizer. 

Although The Optimizer is our own tool, we promise to be unbiased and explain when it makes more sense to use each platform.

TikTok Automation: The Similarities

Both The Optimizer’s and TikTok’s rule engine have the same core function – to automate campaign optimization through a set of conditions. How it works is that you are programming the system to take a certain action each time a condition is met. For example, “if conversions are less than zero, pause the ad”. 

Both platforms do a great job of automating routine processes, such as pausing underperforming ads, increasing (or decreasing) budgets based on performance, day parting and more. 

While both TikTok and The Optimizer share the same core function, there are some key differences between them. In the next few sections, we will first highlight the additional  functionalities of The Optimizer, and then discuss when to use each platform.

TikTok Automation: Connecting Multiple Accounts

Let’s jump right in with the main benefit of using The Optimizer. With our TikTok automation tool, you have the ability to connect as many different TikTok accounts as you need. After you have connected your accounts, you can manage all of them from one single platform.

This is especially important for agencies or advertisers that manage multiple TikTok accounts for different clients or offers. With our Global Rules, you can apply automation rules on an account level without having to log into each account manually each time. 

If you are also advertising on different platforms, such as Meta (Facebook & Instagram), Google, or native platforms like Taboola and Outbrain, you can also connect those accounts to The Optimizer and manage everything from one place. This will give you a quick snapshot of what is happening with your campaigns at all times and allow you to outsource routine campaign optimization tasks for all your advertising channels. 

TikTok Automation: Blended Data

An important part of optimizing your TikTok campaigns is the ability to track revenue or conversion data outside of TikTok, and using this data to set up automated rules. 

If you are using TikTok’s in-platform automation, you are inevitably limited to their reported data. While this is a simple and cost-effective solution, it’s not always accurate or detailed enough. 

This is why most advertisers are using separate third-party trackers. If you are using a tracker such as ClickFlare, Voluum, or Google Analytics, you can connect your tracker with The Optimizer and benefit from blended data. Below, you can see an overview of all the trackers and search feed providers we have a direct integration with.

By connecting your tracker, you can set smarter automated rules based on accurate revenue data. For example, you can set conditions such as, “If the tracker ROI is lower than 0%, pause the TikTok ad group”. 

With this functionality, you will be able to make informed decisions based on all your available data.

TikTok Automation: Leveraging Custom Metrics

Apart from being able to incorporate third-party tracker data in your automated rules, with The Optimizer you can also use an immense amount of metrics to set rule conditions. 

While TikTok’s automation solution allows you to select about a dozen pre-determined metrics, The Optimizer offers close to a hundred different metrics. 

If you use specific numbers or calculations as part of your optimization strategy, with our tool you can calculate up to ten custom metrics of your choice, which you can later use to set up automated rules. 

You also have a lot of freedom in choosing which metrics are showcased in your reports. That way, you can only focus on the metrics that really matter to you and filter out the irrelevant data.

TikTok Automation: Cloning Top Performing Ad Groups

One of the rules commonly used by seasoned advertisers is automatically cloning ad groups that are performing well. This is a process you cannot currently automate on TikTok, and it comes in handy when you want to boost the success of an ad group without increasing your budgets by more than 20% (as per TikTok’s advice). 

If you want to read more about similar winning strategies on TikTok (with examples), here is our article about the top 6 strategies to scale on TikTok.

TikTok Automation: Pre-built Rule Templates

If you are just getting started with TikTok automation, it can be useful to have some pre-built rule templates you can use as inspiration. 

TikTok already offers four rule templates. You can use a template for turning on your ad at a specific time, automatically raising bids, increasing budgets based on performance, and pausing ads with high costs. 

The Optimizer offers over 20 ready-made templates that are categorized to help you find what you need faster, and they range from simple to complex to accommodate your needs. 

TikTok Automation: Rule Schedules

When it comes to setting automated rules, you also need to decide how often you want the system to check if the conditions you have set were met. 

TikTok allows you to run the rule either every 30 minutes or once a day. 

If you are working with larger budgets, broader audiences, or if you are in the testing stage, you may need to run your rules with a higher frequency than what TikTok has to offer. 

The Optimizer offers 11 different rule schedules, with the highest frequency being as often as 10 minutes, and the lowest being weekly. You can also adjust the rules to run hourly or twice daily, giving you more flexibility with your strategy. 

TikTok Automation: Maximum Conditions Per Rule

The final difference between The Optimizer and TikTok’s built-in automation tool is the amount of conditions you can set per rule. 

TikTok allows a maximum of five conditions per rule, which generally should be enough to create simple automations. However, if you want to build more complex rules with over five conditions, The Optimizer has no maximum amount of conditions. 

TikTok Automation: Cost

We promised to be unbiased, and when it comes to costs, TikTok’s automation engine is free while The Optimizer is a paid tool. 

If you only have one TikTok ad account that you can easily manage manually, or if you are spending less than $10K a month on ads, you may want to get started with TikTok’s in-platform automation rules first. 

But if you are working with higher budgets, multiple accounts, and different traffic sources, The Optimizer will save you an immense amount of time and money that TikTok’s simple setup can not do right now.

TikTok Automation: Conclusion

Regardless of which rule engine you deploy, you need to consider TikTok automation if you want to scale fast and keep up with the platform’s competitive pace. 

Both TikTok and The Optimizer can help you automate campaign optimization processes. TikTok’s automation setup is free, but it has less functionalities than The Optimizer. 

The most important advantages of The Optimizer are the ability to connect multiple ad accounts and traffic sources, automatically clone top performing ad groups, and leverage blended cross-platform data with custom metrics. 

If you want to know more about how The Optimizer can help you, read our case study on how one of our clients made $195K per month with TikTok ads using our tool.