How to Promote a Video on TikTok
Overview
TikTok Promote is a built-in advertising tool that lets you pay to show a video to a larger audience directly within the TikTok app. Promote can drive more video views, profile visits, website clicks, followers, or messages.
Videos published through Social Cascade Teleprompter or scheduled through Social Cascade can be promoted in TikTok after they go live — Promote works on any public video on your profile, regardless of how it was published.
Promoting is done directly through TikTok — it is not a feature within Social Cascade. Social Cascade helps you create scripts, record videos with the teleprompter, and publish them to TikTok. Promoting a video is a separate paid action you take in the TikTok app after the video is live on your profile.
Before You Start
- You must be at least 18 years old.
- You need a Creator or Business account (not a personal account). To switch: go to Profile > Settings > Account > Switch to Business Account (or Creator Account). Government, Politician, and Political Party accounts are not eligible.
- Your TikTok account must be public. Private accounts cannot use Promote.
- Music restriction: Your video must use original sound or music from TikTok's Commercial Music Library. Videos with copyrighted music (popular songs not licensed for commercial use) cannot be promoted — the Promote button will be grayed out.
- You must agree to TikTok's Promote Terms of Service (you will be prompted on first use).
- For more details, see Use Promote to grow your TikTok audience on TikTok Support, and Account types on TikTok.
How to Promote a Video on TikTok
- Open the TikTok app and go to your profile.
- Tap the video you want to promote. For best results, choose a video that is already performing well organically.
- Tap the three-dot menu (...) or the share arrow on the right side of the screen.
- Tap Promote (the fire icon). If you don't see it, check the eligibility requirements above.
- Choose a goal — select what you want to achieve: More video views, More website visits, More followers, or More messages (messages may only be available for Business accounts).
- Define your target audience — choose Automatic (TikTok selects people likely to engage) or Custom (you set age, gender, interests, and location).
- Set your budget and duration — the minimum daily budget is $3 per day. Choose how many days to run the promotion. TikTok shows estimated reach as you adjust. You can also select a promotion pack with a pre-set budget and estimated result for a quicker setup.
- Review the estimated reach and total cost.
- Tap Start Promotion and confirm your payment method (credit/debit card or other available options).
- TikTok reviews your promotion and begins delivering — typically within a few hours of approval.
Tip: Promote works best when started within the first 24–48 hours of posting, while the video still has organic momentum.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Promote button is grayed out | Video uses copyrighted music that is not cleared for commercial use. | Re-record with original sound or choose a track from TikTok's Commercial Music Library. See TikTok Promote eligibility. |
| Promote option not visible | Account is a personal account (not Creator or Business), or you are under 18. | Switch to a Creator or Business account in Settings > Account. |
| "Can't promote this video" | Video is set to private, or your account has recent policy violations. | Make the video public in its privacy settings. Check your account standing in Settings. |
| Promotion rejected | Video content violates TikTok's Community Guidelines or advertising policies. | Review TikTok's content policies and try again with compliant content. |
| Deleted a promoted video | Remaining promotion budget is lost and campaign analytics are cleared when you delete a video with an active promotion. | Do not delete videos that have active promotions. End the promotion first (remaining budget returns to your Promote balance), then delete if needed. |
| New account — Promote not available | New accounts or accounts with recent policy violations may not see the Promote option. | Build your account history and ensure compliance with TikTok's policies before trying again. |
FAQ
Q: Can I promote Stories?
A: No. TikTok Promote is available for short and long videos and photo-mode content only. Stories are not eligible for Promote.
Q: What's the minimum spend?
A: The minimum daily budget is $3 per day. You choose how many days to run the promotion. Total cost depends on your daily budget multiplied by the number of days.
Q: Can I stop a promotion early?
A: Yes. You can end your promotion at any time through the Promote order details page. The remaining budget is returned to your Promote balance for future promotions.
Q: Do I need TikTok Ads Manager?
A: No. Promote works entirely within the TikTok app. TikTok Ads Manager is a separate, more advanced tool for running full ad campaigns with detailed targeting and creative control.
Q: Does Social Cascade handle TikTok promotion?
A: No. Social Cascade helps you create scripts, record videos with the teleprompter, and publish them to TikTok. Promoting (boosting) a video is a separate paid action you do directly in the TikTok app after the video is live on your profile.
Q: Can I promote a video I published through Social Cascade?
A: Yes. Any public video on your TikTok profile can be promoted, regardless of whether it was published through Social Cascade Teleprompter, scheduled through Social Cascade, or posted directly in TikTok.
Q: Why is copyrighted music not allowed?
A: TikTok's music licensing agreements for organic content do not extend to paid advertising. To use Promote, your video must use original sound or a track from TikTok's Commercial Music Library, which contains over 1 million commercially licensed sounds.