How a record label uses video automation to decrease CPC on TikTok ads

By combining stock videos, their own audio tracks, and copywriting, they create TikTok ads that are converting pretty well. However, the CPC on TikTok ads goes up pretty fast, especially if you don’t put out fresh creatives. This is why they decided to try something different and optimize their CPC.

The Challenge

This client operates in a highly competitive space that requires a fair amount of creativity if you don’t want to break the bank. The value of TikTok as a platform for reaching Gen Z is undeniable, but balancing content velocity and the available budget is not always easy.

The challenge of this particular client could be broken down into three different parts:

• How to keep up with the high pace of the TikTok platform and produce fresh content consistently
• How to optimize for CPC
• How to effectively repurpose content for Instagram as well

The client began to crack the code once they realized that when they publish fresh creative content on TikTok, their CPC decreases. The next logical step was to find a way to automate the process and optimize their spending.

Their Goals

After learning more about Plainly as a video automation software, they decided to test it for two different use cases. The goal for both use cases was to automate the process and push new videos to both TikTok and Instagram without doing any heavy lifting.

They already had an idea of how to do this, but they were missing the vital part: a tool that would enable them to connect all the pieces of the puzzle together and automatically render new video variations.

The Solution

To avoid creating ads manually, they decided to automate the process with Plainly. There were two particular use cases.

The first use case required some level of manual work because it required initial input. The upside of this approach was more control of the creative output.

In the first use case, the client used Airtable as their database. They created the initial video template and copy variations. Within Plainly, they could easily choose the text position (i.e. up, middle, or down), text color, and stroke color (i.e. color surrounding the text).

Then they would insert the video that they previously downloaded from Unsplash, which is a huge depository of free-to-use images and videos. Finally, they inserted their own music track and selected the status “ready to render” inside Plainly.

Plainly then generated the video automatically for TikTok and for Instagram. The video for Instagram had a slight variation (e.g. different font) so that it’s recognized as native to this platform.

The second use case relied on automation even more. The client had a Dropbox folder in which they created three separate folders:

• Images
• Audios
• Videos

Using Plainly, they would choose the title they wanted to appear on the video, text position, text color, and stroke color. Then they would click “ready to render”.

What made this second use case a bit different is the amount of work that was delegated to Plainly as the tool. Thanks to the Zapier integration, Plainly was able to access the Dropbox folder and randomly combine audio tracks with the videos, and render them into new creative material, both for Instagram and TikTok. Zero hassle for the client, great creative output in the end.

The Result

By using Plainly, the client was able to:

• Generate around 30 original videos per day with minimum effort
• Significantly decrease CPC on TikTok
• Kill two birds with one stone by simultaneously creating videos for TikTok and Instagram, and taking into account the specificities of both platforms

Just for the reference: given the fact their needs implied a high velocity of videos, they are subscribed to Plainly Pro plan which is $599 per month.

After talking to the client, it was pretty clear that they recognize and appreciate the ROI of Plainly. They were able to scale their video ads production so much without having to hire new personnel or introduce any change management to their organization.

According to our internal data and the customer interviews we have conducted so far, creative production automation can save up to 85% of your time which has multiple benefits: from optimizing your budget to freeing up time you can use more wisely, such as on developing your ad strategy.

We were thrilled to watch our client dominate both TikTok and Instagram with their high-quality videos and enjoy the payoff they deserved by working smarter, not harder!