TikTok, LinkedIn and Other Paid Social SKILL.md

This is the exact file agents read, including the credit header and licence notice. Save it as paid-social-tiktok-linkedin/SKILL.md.

---
name: paid-social-tiktok-linkedin
description: "Plan and run paid campaigns beyond Meta on TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, Reddit and X: platform roles and selection, pixels and server-side APIs, targeting by interest, role, seniority and account lists, platform-native creative, Spark Ads, thought leader and document ads, B2B pipeline playbooks, creative refresh cadence and measurement beyond platform dashboards. Use whenever someone asks about TikTok ads, LinkedIn ads, B2B paid social, ABM on LinkedIn, Pinterest or Reddit ads, Spark Ads, thought leader ads or which social platform to advertise on."
license: CC-BY-4.0
metadata:
  author: Afeez Adebayo
  author_url: https://afeezadebayo.com
  author_linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afeez-adebayo/
  author_x: https://x.com/za_icon
  source: https://afeezadebayo.com/skills-md/marketing/performance-marketing/paid-social-tiktok-linkedin/
  category: marketing
  subcategory: performance-marketing
  version: "1.0.0"
  created: "2026-10-10"
  updated: "2026-10-10"
---

# TikTok, LinkedIn and Other Paid Social

Beyond Meta, each social platform has its own audience, culture and economics. TikTok rewards native, entertaining video and fast creative turnover. LinkedIn reaches professionals by job title, seniority and company, at a much higher cost per click, and suits B2B pipeline rather than cheap traffic. Pinterest, Snapchat, Reddit and X each fit specific audiences and intents. Copying Meta ads and targeting onto them usually fails.

This skill plans and runs paid campaigns on TikTok, LinkedIn and other social platforms: when to use each, setup and signals, targeting, creative that fits the platform, budgets, and measurement beyond platform dashboards.

## Platform roles
| Platform | Strengths | Typical use | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok | Reach younger and broad audiences; native video; Spark Ads with creator posts | Consumer brands, apps, e-commerce discovery | Creative fatigue in days; view-through credit |
| LinkedIn | Targeting by role, seniority, industry, company size and named accounts | B2B pipeline, recruitment, thought leadership | High CPCs; optimise for pipeline, not clicks |
| Pinterest | Planning and inspiration intent | Home, fashion, food, weddings, DIY | Long consideration windows |
| Snapchat | Younger mobile audiences | Apps, entertainment, youth brands | Short attention; vertical creative |
| Reddit | Niche communities and honest discussion | Tech, gaming, finance, hobbies | Community distrust of obvious ads |
| X | Real-time conversation | Events, news-adjacent brands, tech | Brand safety review needed |

## Operating principles
1. **Match platform to audience and goal.** Don't spread budget thinly across every platform.
2. **Make native creative.** Ads should look and sound like the platform.
3. **Send good signals.** Pixels plus server-side APIs (TikTok Events API, LinkedIn Conversions API) with deduplication and consent.
4. **Optimise for outcomes that matter.** Purchases, qualified leads or pipeline, not clicks or views.
5. **Test incrementality** before scaling secondary platforms.

## When to use, and when not to
Use it when adding a platform beyond Meta and Google, for B2B paid social on LinkedIn, when TikTok results look strong in-platform but weak in sales data, and for ABM campaigns.

Don't use it for Meta (`meta-ads`) or for creative production systems in depth (`ad-creative-testing`).

## Inputs to ask for, in one message
1. Goals, audience and markets; B2B or B2C.
2. Current platform accounts and results, if any.
3. Tracking setup per platform (pixel, server-side API, offline imports).
4. Creative assets and production capacity, including creators.
5. For B2B: target account lists, ideal customer profile, CRM pipeline data.

## Workflow

### Step 1. Choose platforms
Score each on audience fit, creative fit, expected cost and measurement options. Start with one new platform at a time.

### Step 2. Set up tracking
Pixel plus server-side API, deduplication, consent handling, offline conversion imports for B2B.

### Step 3. Define targeting
TikTok: broad with interest and behaviour hints, plus custom and lookalike audiences. LinkedIn: job function, seniority, company size, industry or matched account lists; avoid overly narrow audiences.

### Step 4. Build platform-native creative
TikTok: vertical, sound on, hook in the first two seconds, creator-led, captions. LinkedIn: clear value for a professional, proof (data, logos, case results), document ads, thought leader ads, short video.

### Step 5. Choose objectives and bidding
Conversion objectives where volume allows; for LinkedIn lead gen, use forms with qualifying questions and sync to CRM.

### Step 6. Launch, learn and refresh
TikTok creative refresh every one to two weeks; LinkedIn refresh monthly or when frequency climbs.

### Step 7. Measure
Compare platform results with GA4, CRM and pipeline; run lift or geo tests where possible.

## LinkedIn B2B playbook
| Stage | Format | Audience | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Awareness | Thought leader ads, video, document ads | Target accounts and roles | Engagement from the right accounts |
| Consideration | Case studies, webinars, guides | Engaged audiences | Qualified leads |
| Conversion | Demo or trial offers, conversation ads | High-intent engaged accounts | Pipeline |
Measure by account engagement and pipeline in the CRM, not cost per click.

## TikTok creative checklist
- Looks like organic TikTok, not a TV ad.
- Hook in the first two seconds (problem, result or surprise).
- People speaking to camera, real use, trending formats where relevant.
- Text on screen and captions; sound designed for sound-on.
- Clear call to action at the end; Spark Ads to boost strong creator or brand posts.

## Platform selection scorecard
| Criterion | Weight | Question |
|---|---|---|
| Audience fit | High | Are your buyers active here, in the right mindset? |
| Creative fit | High | Can you make ads that look native here, at the needed pace? |
| Economics | High | Will expected CPA or cost per qualified lead fit your limits? |
| Measurement | Medium | Can you track outcomes server-side and test incrementality? |
| Competition | Medium | Are competitors present, and is attention affordable? |
| Brand safety | Medium | Do inventory controls meet your standards? |
Score 1 to 5 per criterion and start with the highest-scoring new platform only.

## Spark Ads and creators on TikTok
- Spark Ads boost organic posts (yours or a creator's with authorisation), keeping likes and comments.
- Brief creators on the problem, product truth, claims they can and can't make, and the call to action; leave the style to them.
- Secure usage rights for paid use and the duration.
- Test several creators with the same brief to find voices that fit the audience.

## LinkedIn targeting tips
- Keep audiences large enough to deliver (very narrow combinations stall).
- Use matched account lists for ABM and layer job function or seniority.
- Exclude current customers and employees.
- Use lead gen forms with two or three qualifying questions; sync to the CRM immediately.
- Measure account engagement and influenced pipeline, not just form fills.

## Testing a new platform
1. Set a fixed test budget and duration (for example six to eight weeks).
2. Define success in your own data (new customers, qualified pipeline) with a target cost.
3. Launch with three to five native concepts.
4. Review weekly; refresh creative on the platform's cadence.
5. Run a geo or lift test before scaling beyond the test budget.
6. Decide: scale, adjust or stop, and record why.

## Edge cases and judgement calls
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Small B2B budget on LinkedIn | Narrow to target accounts and one strong offer; avoid spreading across many audiences |
| TikTok sales lag in-platform reports | Check view-through credit; run a geo test before scaling |
| Regulated products | Check each platform's policies; some categories are restricted or banned |
| Brand safety | Use inventory filters and review placements |
| Creator partnerships | Use clear disclosure and usage rights; brief creators on claims they can make |

## Handoffs to related skills
- Tracking: `conversion-tracking-capi`
- Creative system: `ad-creative-testing`
- Account lists and lookalikes: `audience-first-party-data`
- Incrementality: `incrementality-testing`
- Overall plan: `media-planning-budgeting`

## Worked example
A B2B cybersecurity company spent on LinkedIn sponsored content optimised for clicks, with a low share of leads from target accounts. The new plan uploaded a list of 2,000 target accounts, used thought leader ads from the CTO and document ads with an incident response checklist for awareness, retargeted engaged accounts with a case study webinar and a demo offer, and synced lead gen form leads to the CRM. Cost per click rose, but the share of pipeline from target accounts grew substantially over two quarters.

## Output format
```
# Paid social plan (TikTok, LinkedIn, other): <business>, <date>
## Platform choice and roles
## Tracking setup per platform
## Targeting and audiences
## Creative plan by platform
## Objectives, bidding and budgets
## Measurement and tests
```

## Common mistakes
- Reusing Meta ads on TikTok.
- LinkedIn campaigns optimised for clicks.
- Spreading small budgets across many platforms.
- No server-side tracking or offline imports.
- Scaling on platform-reported conversions alone.

## Questions to ask before you launch
- Where does your audience spend time, and in what mindset?
- Can you produce creative native to the platform at the pace it needs?
- How will you measure outcomes beyond the platform?

## Self-check before you answer
- Is each platform chosen for audience and goal fit?
- Is creative native and refreshed on the platform's cadence?
- Are tracking and offline outcomes set up?
- Are results validated outside the platform?

## Official documentation
- TikTok Ads Manager help: https://ads.tiktok.com/help/
- LinkedIn Marketing Solutions help: https://www.linkedin.com/help/lms
- Pinterest Business help: https://help.pinterest.com/en/business

---
Created by Afeez Adebayo, Marketing, SEO & Growth Expert
Website: https://afeezadebayo.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afeez-adebayo/
X: https://x.com/za_icon
Source: https://afeezadebayo.com/skills-md/marketing/performance-marketing/paid-social-tiktok-linkedin/

Licence: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). You may copy, share and adapt this skill, including for commercial use, as long as you credit Afeez Adebayo and link to the source URL above. Keep this notice in any copy or adapted version.