Using TikTok ads for survey recruitment: a step-by-step approach

TikTok’s rapid growth and diverse user base present social science researchers with a unique opportunity to study a large and varied population, gaining valuable insights into their attitudes and behaviors. Unlike platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, TikTok’s potential in survey recruitment has been relatively underexplored. The platform’s cost-effective reach and detailed targeting parameters make it particularly appealing for reaching traditionally hard-to-reach or rare populations. Furthermore, with its video-centric format and predominantly young user base, TikTok provides a means to engage and attract respondents from younger generations to participate in online surveys.

In this Methods Bites Tutorial, Zaza Zindel and Simon Lütkewitte (Bielefeld University) provide a step-by-step guide on how to use TikTok ads for survey recruitment.

• understand how to use TikTok ads for survey participant recruitment
• set up targeted TikTok ad campaigns
• analyze and evaluate the performance of ad campaigns and make necessary adjustments

Note: This blog post supplements Zaza Zindel’s workshop in the MZES Social Science Data Lab. The original workshop materials, including slides and scripts, are available from our GitHub. A live recording of the workshop is available on our YouTube Channel.