Can we talk about spending on TikTok ads for local service businesses

I put about $500 into a TikTok ad campaign for my small cleaning company in Phoenix, and it was a total waste. Everyone says the platform is great for local reach, but I got a lot of views from people nowhere near my area and maybe two real leads. The targeting just didn't work for a service that only covers a few zip codes. Has anyone actually made TikTok ads work for a strictly local client base, or is it just for bigger brands?

4 comments

4 Comments

kimfisher3mo agoMost Upvoted

Didn't I read that TikTok's local targeting is kinda broken right now?

aaron_perry3mo ago

Yeah I was all in on TikTok ads for my local shop too. That exact thing happened to me and it totally changed my mind. The reach is just too wide for a small area.

juliarodriguez3mo ago

Wait but hear me out @aaron_perry. That wide reach is actually a good thing for a local spot. You get people from nearby towns who might drive in for something special. Plus, all those local views from your actual area add up and make your ad look popular, so even locals take it more seriously. It's like free extra buzz even if some clicks are wasted. You just gotta target super tight and make the video super specific to your place. I had way better luck my second try by doing that.

blakestone1mo ago

Buddy of mine tried this with his BBQ joint outside Austin. He was all worried about wasted views too but his first ad got shown to people in Dallas and Houston which is like 3 hours away. But here's what happened, a bunch of those clicks from far away still got him engagement numbers up and local people saw it had 10k views and figured it must be good. He did a second ad where he showed his smoker and said something about how they only do brisket on weekends and his storefront address flashed for 2 seconds. That one actually pulled in people from like 40 miles out because they wanted to make a day trip. So I get what you're saying about the wide reach being a bonus if you lean into it right.