Home Digital Marketing Why Are Your TikTok Ads Not Delivering? 8 Common Reasons

Why Are Your TikTok Ads Not Delivering? 8 Common Reasons

by Stewart Gauld
Last updated on April 8th, 2024
Why Are Your TikTok Ads Not Delivering? - 8 Common Reasons

Are your TikTok Ads not delivering? In this TikTok agency guide, stay tuned as we investigate why your TikTok campaigns aren’t getting the results you hoped for!

Have you started running TikTok campaigns but have suddenly realized your ad group hasn’t been receiving any impressions?

I get it……this can cause some anxiety! It’s quite common to wonder if your campaign setups are causing this issue or if there’s a problem with TikTok.

Well, don’t worry, you’re not alone!

Many advertisers face similar challenges when it comes to TikTok ads not delivering. But that’s where I step in!

I’m here to highlight eight possible reasons for your TikTok ads not delivering and offer you some tips and tricks to troubleshoot this for your future campaigns!

Read more: How To Create TikTok Ads? 

What Is TikTok Ads Not Delivering?

What Is TikTok Ads Not Delivering_

Advertisers often face the issue of their ‘TikTok ads not delivering’ on the platform. But what does that term actually mean?

This means that the TikTok Ad fails to generate any results or impressions and doesn’t reach the intended audience or gain the desired engagement.

Basically, your TikTok Ads aren’t reaching your audience’s ‘For You’ page for some reason!

If this has ever happened to you, you’ll know just how frustrating it is, as you’ve already spent your ad budget on an ad that isn’t receiving any impressions or interaction.

Before I get into why this might happen and how to identify when it does, it’s essential to understand the difference between ‘not spending’ and ‘not delivering.’

Read more: How To Drive Leads With TikTok Marketing. 

TikTok Ads Not Delivering vs Not Spending

You may have encountered the terms ‘not spending’ and ‘not delivering,’ but you might wonder, what is the difference between the two?

These are separate issues but can impact each other, resulting in TikTok Ad delivery problems.

Here’s a quick definition of the two:

  • ‘No delivery’ happens when the ads run and spend but don’t generate impressions or engagement.
  • ‘Under-delivery’ (not spending) means your ads don’t spend your expected daily budget.

If you’re experiencing problems with your TikTok Ads not spending, it could be due to inefficiencies in your content or budget allocation.

On the other hand, TikTok Ads not delivering are likely to be caused by issues within your account.

Read more: How To Install TikTok Pixel On Shopify? 

How Do I Know If My TikTok Ads Are Not Delivering?

How Do I Know If My TikTok Ads Are Not Delivering_

So, now, you’re probably thinking……how do I check if my ads are not delivering?

Well, it’s actually pretty easy to determine if your TikTok ads are delivering! You can do this by:

  • Heading to your TikTok Ads Manager.
  • Within your Ads Manager, select the ‘Campaign’ header.
  • Under ‘Status’ next to your campaigns, you’ll see the status of each campaign.

If you notice a red icon and ‘Not delivering’ next to your campaign, it hasn’t been delivered, and you must interfere!

Read more: How To Use Linktree To Add Links To Instagram And TikTok. 

Why Are Your TikTok Ads Not Delivering? Common Reasons

Why Are Your TikTok Ads Not Delivering_

If your TikTok Ads are not delivering, there’s no need to panic!

You can take matters into your own hands by identifying and fixing the root cause so your ads can be delivered to your audience swiftly.

So, without any delay, let’s delve into some of the reasons for this issue and get your ads up and running again: 

Insufficient funds in your TikTok Ads account

If you’ve chosen Manual Payment as your preferred payment method for TikTok Ads, having a zero balance in your account may be why your TikTok ads are not delivering.

For manual payments, you must have a balance within your TikTok Ads account before your ads can be officially delivered to users.

Once your ads start running, the charge will be automatically deducted from your account balance.

So, when the money on your account runs out, your ads will cease to be displayed and won’t receive any impressions.

Luckily, the solution is super simple – all you need to do is top up your account balance!

You can do this by following these easy steps:

  • Log in to your TikTok Ads account.
  • Navigate to ‘Tools,’ then select ‘Payment’ within the ‘Settings’ section.
  • Click ‘Add balance’.
  • Type how much you want to add.
  • Choose your preferred payment method and type the necessary payment details.

And that is it! It’s that easy!

I suggest you wait for it to be processed, then recheck your account balance to ensure it’s been updated successfully. 

Your TikTok Ad Isn’t Within Schedule

Another top reason why your TikTok Ads might fail could be due to an incorrect schedule time.

You might notice this when tracking your ad performance! Basically, if you choose a period that doesn’t match the dates your ads are actually running, you won’t see any results.

Alternatively, It’s important to double-check your ad schedule times!

If you set a time range for the future, you obviously won’t be able to see your ad group being delivered because it has yet to start running – makes sense, right?

Well, the good news is that this issue is easy to fix!

Simply check whether you’ve set the start time correctly and that your time zone is accurate to ensure your ads get delivered as intended. 

Your TikTok Ads Are Under Review Or Rejected Status

If you have ads in the review or rejected status, your TikTok Ads may not be delivered due to issues meeting TikTok’s ad review requirements!

Luckily, TikTok has developed an ad review checklist that helps ensure your ads are up to scratch and eligible for publication.

The review checklist focuses on four elements you must nail to have your ads approved and delivered quickly.

These include:

  •  Having a captivating, mobile-friendly, and valid landing page.
  • Using ad messaging that matches your landing page’s product.
  • Maintaining consistent ad language.
  • Running high-quality ads.

Remember that the TikTok ads review process usually takes up to 24 hours, so be patient! 

Your Account Is Being Reviewed

While waiting for TikTok to approve your ads, another common reason for ads not appearing might be because your account is being reviewed.

This generally happens with freshly created accounts and is done to make sure new accounts abide by TikTok advertising rules.

Basically, if your TikTok ad account is under review, your ads will not be delivered!

There are a few different types of statuses to be aware of, so here’s the breakdown:

  • In review: Your account is currently being reviewed.
  •  Not approved: TikTok hasn’t approved your account.
  • Penalized: TikTok has permanently deactivated your account.

If your account is under review, don’t panic! Most TikTok account reviews are completed within 24 hours.

So, as long as your account isn’t violating any rules, simply sit back, relax, and wait for the review process to finish.

If, for any reason, your account is permanently disabled, I advise creating a new one! 

Your Ads Have Only Just Been Approved

Right, your ads are approved, but you’re still finding that your TikTok Ads are not delivering – what’s the deal?

Well, I know you’re excited that TikTok has approved your ads, but it’s important not to rush things!

Once your ads are approved, it might take some time for TikTok’s system to learn about your target audience and find the right platform to showcase them 

So, don’t worry if your ads don’t deliver immediately! This is similar to when your ad is under review.

In this situation, be patient and allow your ads to accumulate impressions gradually.

It might take a day or so for your ads to gain traction! So, be patient, keep an eye on your ads’ performance, and watch as your audience grows. 

You’ve Gone Over Your Ad Budget

Sometimes, your TikTok campaigns or ad groups run out of budget, which can result in your TikTok Ads not delivering to your audience.

Basically, if there aren’t enough allocated funds for your campaign and ad group, TikTok will withhold ad delivery, which can hinder the ability to generate impressions effectively.

To address this issue, I recommend taking the time to sit down and thoroughly review your daily total cost and budget for your ads.

If your campaign or ad group has exceeded its daily budget limit, I suggest boosting your budget to ensure continuous ad delivery! 

Your Bidding Strategy Is Too Low

If your bid is set too low, your ads will struggle to compete for impressions and clicks against your competitors’ ads.

Also, TikTok will limit the display of your ads, directly impacting their delivery status.

But never fear! If this is you, I have some tips and tricks to help.

Firstly, choose the right bidding strategy for your ads from the get-go.

  • If you’re focused on managing your daily cost per result, the Cost Cap strategy is your best bet.
  • If you’re running a Conversion ad campaign and want to really optimize conversions, the Lowest Cost strategy will be the ideal choice for you.
  • To kickstart your bid, set it at approximately 20 times your target CPA (Cost Per Acquisition).

Plus, you should take the time to conduct thorough market research on the average cost of running ads in your industry.

Not only will this help you make informed decisions, but it should also avoid issues with TikTok ad delivery and achieve the desired results for your campaigns – a win-win scenario! 

Your Content is Unsuitable

Sometimes, the quality of your ad doesn’t meet TikTok’s standards, which can result in your ads not being displayed on the ‘For You’ page.

Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean your content is inappropriate, but rather that it’s just not as high-quality as TikTok would like it to be!

To ensure your ads perform optimally, you prioritize the video quality used.

Here are the four things you should keep in mind:

  •  Video length: Your video shouldn’t be longer than 60 seconds. If it is, it might be challenging for TikTok to distribute your content, leading to limited impressions for your ads!
  •  Content: Make sure your content is unique, original, up-to-date, and aligns with TikTok’s Brand Guidelines. Basically, you should always try and keep your content fresh and innovative.
  • Resolution: Although there’s no specific standard for video resolution on TikTok, I suggest avoiding uploading blurry videos or those shot in poor lighting conditions.
  • Size: Make sure your aspect ratios for your TikTok videos are 9:16 (Vertical), 1:1 (Square), and 16:9 (Horizontal) so that your ads are perfectly optimized for a seamless mobile viewing experience.

If you follow these guidelines, your ad campaigns will meet TikTok’s standards; therefore, you have a higher chance of your ads getting delivered! 

Stews Final Thoughts

And that wraps up this complete TikTok Agency guide explaining eight common reasons why your TikTok Ads are not delivering!

I hope this article has provided you with everything you need to know about increasing impressions and boosting your sales through TikTok Ads.

The most important thing to remember is that this is quite a common issue many face. But the good news is that it’s quite easily fixed!

So, after reviewing all of these common mistakes, have you discovered why your TikTok ads are not delivering successfully?

Let me know below!

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My name is Stewart Gauld. I’ve been helping small and local businesses with digital activties over the last 7 years.