- CPC Advantage: TikTok’s average click costs just $0.01—80% lower than Meta’s $0.05, enabling scaled testing at minimal spend.
- Superior CTR: Traffic campaigns on TikTok achieve a 4.93% click-through rate vs. 2.54% on Meta, translating to nearly double the engagement per impression.
- Conversion Dominance: TikTok drives 74.8% of total traffic conversions (vs. Meta’s 19.7%), with an 89% cheaper CPA ($0.09 vs. $0.17).
- Objective Alignment: On TikTok, 56.9% of traffic campaigns focus purely on website visits, while Meta’s mix includes 33.2% traffic and 27.3% sales objectives.
- Creative Best Practices: VR demos and experiential showcases excel on TikTok at scale; targeted humor and on-the-ground formats yield strong, qualified visits on Meta.
Metricool data shows TikTok’s 74.8% conversion share dwarfs Meta’s 19.7%, spotlighting true mid-funnel power.
Top-of-funnel metrics like CPM and reach drive brand awareness, but real business impact hinges on the middle of the funnel—turning engagement into action. Metricool’s latest Social Ads Study benchmarks TikTok and Meta traffic campaigns, revealing a striking disparity: 74.8% of TikTok’s traffic-driven campaigns successfully convert viewership into website visits, compared to just 19.7% on Meta platforms.
For expert marketers, these figures illuminate where to allocate mid-funnel budgets for maximum ROI.
A Penny for Your Click: TikTok’s Cost Advantage
TikTok’s CPC advantage reshapes budgeting decisions:
Despite near-identical CPMs ($0.32 on TikTok vs. $0.33 on Meta), each click on TikTok costs just $0.01, compared to $0.05 on Meta.
This dramatic 80% gap means:
- Scalable Testing: Run 50% more ad variants on TikTok for the same spend, accelerating creative optimization.
- Budget Flexibility: Small teams can compete for mid-funnel traffic without hefty bids—ideal for SMBs or pilot programs.
- Algorithmic Lift: Even modest daily budgets on TikTok can unlock exponential reach via its “For You” algorithm.
By leveraging this low CPC, marketers can flood the mid-funnel with incremental tests, uncovering high-performance hooks that would be cost-prohibitive on Meta.
Engagement That Actually Engages: Click-Through Rates Compared
Clicks alone don’t guarantee visits, but TikTok’s environment maximizes intent:
Traffic ads on TikTok achieve a 4.93% CTR, almost twice Meta’s 2.54%.
This differential stems from:
- Full-Screen Video: TikTok’s immersive, vertical format ensures ads aren’t competing with sidebars or mixed content.
- Sound-On Defaults: Audio cues—questions, instructions, trending tracks—draw viewers into the narrative, prompting clicks.
- Native Creative Norms: Rapid cuts, text overlays, and authentic UGC stylistics align with user expectations, reducing “ad fatigue.”
High CTRs signal deeper user interest, but the real test is converting those clicks into site visits, as we explore next.
From Clicks to Conversions: Quality Meets Scale
When we measure conversion share, TikTok dominates:
- TikTok: 74.8% of traffic campaigns yield at least one site visit
- Meta: Only 19.7% do
Combining that with cost-per-action data—$0.09 on TikTok vs. $0.17 on Meta —reveals:
- Efficient Quality: TikTok’s visitors aren’t just cheap; they’re engaged, delivering qualified traffic at scale.
- Budget Leverage: Lower CPAs free funds for retargeting, nurturing, and upsell campaigns.
- Holistic ROI: By reducing acquisition costs and increasing visit rates, TikTok generates a shorter path to revenue.
Marketers should therefore view TikTok as a powerful mid-funnel engine, not just a top-of-funnel novelty.
Aligning Objectives: Where Each Platform Shines
Different goals demand different platforms. Metricool’s breakdown shows:
| Campaign Objective | TikTok Share (%) | Meta Share (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Pure Traffic | 56.9 | 33.2 |
| App Promotion | 18.0 | 27.3 |
| Web Conversions | 15.6 | 22.6 |
| Awareness/Reach | 4.5 | 5.2 |
| Lead Gen/Engagement | 3.1 | 10.8 |
| Video Views | 1.9 | 0.9 |
On TikTok, more than half of traffic campaigns zero in on pure site visits, reflecting confidence in its conversion mechanics. Meta’s split—traffic, sales, lead gen—underscores its role as a full-funnel workhorse. Savvy marketers align budgets accordingly, using TikTok for volume and Meta for precision.
Creative in Action: Tailoring for Maximum Impact
Real campaigns illustrate platform-specific best practices:
Five Mind Creations on TikTok
By showcasing VR demos in the ad’s first second and weaving in dynamic on-screen prompts like “Experience it now,” the team reached 1–10 million viewers. The immersive approach drove significant site visits—proof that experiential storytelling is TikTok’s sweet spot.
Booking on Meta
Booking’s short, interview-style ad—“You forgot about Dutch stairs…”—captured 63,000 users in a niche segment. Professionally edited and paired with a clear “Book Now” button, this campaign highlights Meta’s strength in delivering qualified, intent-driven clicks.
Adobe Across Platforms
On TikTok, Adobe’s 30-second editing tutorials reached up to 100,000 users by emphasizing fast, tangible results. On Meta, their “pro tip” clips leveraged employee credibility to drive 32,880 visits. Both formats succeeded by matching tone and production value to each platform’s culture.
Expert Tips for Mid-Funnel Mastery
To make the most of these insights, expert marketers should:
- Invest in Creative Rotation on TikTok: Given the platform’s trend-driven nature, refresh ad angles every 7–10 days to maintain novelty and sustain a high conversion share.
- Use Meta’s Audience Layers: After capturing broad traffic on TikTok, create Custom Audiences on Meta to retarget these visitors with product-specific offers or lead-gen forms.
- Implement UTM Tracking Rigorously: Differentiate traffic sources and campaign variants at a granular level to accurately compare TikTok and Meta performance in your analytics.
- Optimize Landing Pages for Mobile: Since TikTok clicks come from full-screen mobile video, ensure landing pages load in under three seconds and feature bold CTAs above the fold.
- Leverage Lookalike Audiences: Use converted visitors from TikTok to seed Lookalike Audiences on Meta—bootstrapping efficient audience expansion with proven mid-funnel prospects.
Building a Balanced, High-Velocity Funnel
Metricool’s study confirms that TikTok is unparalleled at converting views into visits cheaply, while Meta excels in layered, multi-objective campaigns. The winning strategy blends TikTok’s volume and cost efficiency with Meta’s precision retargeting.
By aligning creative formats, budget allocation, and measurement frameworks, marketers can construct a resilient mid-funnel engine that drives sustained growth through 2025 and beyond.
