If you're a business owner or coach looking at TikTok ads for the first time, it's understandable to think you might need big campaign budgets, a production team and six different funnels before you're allowed anywhere near the Ads Manager.
But calm yourself, I'm here to tell you that you don't. It's all good.
You can run effective TikTok ads for coaches on a budget £10 a day, keep your marketing strategy simple and still bring in new customers who actually book, buy and show up. The key is to treat the TikTok ads platform like a proper business tool, not a wild experiment, and to let the numbers guide you instead of panic.
This playbook walks you through how to:
- Set up your TikTok business account and TikTok Ads Manager account properly
- Build one clean TikTok ad campaign with a lean ad group structure
- Choose video ad formats that pull their weight on a small budget
- Create ad creative that feels native to the TikTok app but still sells
- Track what matters so you can see your calendar fill, not just your view count rise
Kettle on. Let’s get you set up to boost sales without burning cash.
Why £10 Can Work When You Do
TikTok is an advertising platform built around quick stories, clear proof and an engaged audience that is used to discovering new offers in the feed. TikTok users are not necessarily searching like they are on Google Ads, but they are open to ideas. That is exactly where coaching, services and expert offers shine.
A few reasons a tenner a day can go further here than on some other social media platforms:
- The TikTok audience is discovery first. Your video ads can land in front of people who did not know they needed you until your offer and story click.
- Short in feed video formats let you blend authority with personality so the nudge to “book a call” feels natural.
- Strong engaging content is rewarded by the TikTok community, which helps you boost visibility even on low ad spend.
Think of TikTok as your “proof and presence” channel. Get people to see you, trust you and understand your offer in the TikTok app. Then you can use things like Google Ads or email to catch the hand raisers who are already warmed up.
TikTok vs The Usual Suspects
| Platform | What it is good at | Where it shines on £10 |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok ads | Fast story, human proof, strong video content | Discovery, trust building, filling diaries for coaches and service providers |
| Google Ads | High intent searches, ready to act | Bottom funnel capture and form submissions from people already looking |
| Instagram Ads | Polished visuals, status, social proof | Retargeting and nurture across other social media platforms |
Takeaway: build proof and presence with TikTok campaigns, then let Google Ads and email catch the people who are ready to move.
Step 1: Set Up Like A Pro, Not A Pessimist
Before you run ads, you need clean foundations. Future you will thank you.
Create And Connect The Right Accounts
- Switch your personal or creator profile to a TikTok business account so you unlock analytics and advanced TikTok advertisers features.
- Set up your TikTok Ads Manager and ads manager logins, and make sure your ad account name and structure are clear enough that you will recognise them in three months.
- Check region, time zone and currency before you run ads. Fixing it later is not fun.
You will work at three levels:
Campaign → Ad group → Ad. A tidy ad account is the cheapest optimisation you will ever make.
Install TikTok Pixel And Basic Tracking
To make TikTok ads work, you must track what happens after the click.
- Install TikTok Pixel or the events API on your landing pages and key site steps.
- Track core events like View Content, Lead, Form Submission, Add to Cart or Schedule Call, depending on your offer.
- Set up UTM tracking on your links so you can see results in your analytics, not guess from vibes.
This turns your ad campaigns into measurable results instead of “I think something is happening”.
Double Check The Boring Bits
A quick checklist before you start to run ads:
- Billing set and verified - check
- Identity and domain verified - check
- Website traffic tracking tested - check
- Any TikTok Shop, collection ads or shop ads connections tested if you plan to use them - check!
Once this is done, you can stop worrying about whether the tech works and focus on what actually fills your calendar.
Step 2: Respect The Budget With A Lean Structure
On £10 a day, focus beats variety. Variety usually becomes expensive chaos.
Choose One Clear Objective
If you are a coach or service provider, the main business goals on TikTok are usually:
- Leads for your email list or application form
- Booked calls or consultations
- Low friction sign ups for a webinar, waitlist or small product
In TikTok Ads Manager, that often means choosing a Conversions objective so the system can help you drive new customers to your form, calendar or simple funnel.
Keep The Account Structure Simple
On a small budget, use these ground rules:
- One campaign per clear goal
- One main ad group to start, so learning is clean
- One change at a time so you know what caused the result
Set your bid strategy to Lowest Cost initially so TikTok can test delivery and learn which pockets of your target audience respond best without you strangling the budget.
Step 3: Target People, Not Vague Vibes
Good audience targeting is where TikTok ads for coaches start to feel efficient rather than spray and pray.
Use Native Targeting First
In your ad group settings, refine your target audience with:
- Location that reflects where you can actually work with people
- Age range that matches your ideal buyers
- Gender, if relevant
- Interest and behaviour targeting that matches how your clients behave in the TikTok community
Keep it specific, not microscopic. If your targeting is too tight, your ad campaigns will struggle to deliver.
Add Custom And Lookalike Audiences
When you have some data, you can:
- Upload existing customer email lists to build on already warm audiences
- Use Pixel events like Leads or Schedules to build lookalike audiences (people who look like the people who already follow you)
- Retarget people who visited your site or watched a high percentage of your videos
This lets you focus on people who already behave like your best clients.
Simple Persona Example
Instead of “women interested in self development”, think:
Women aged 30 to 45 who watch journaling and mindset clips at night, engaged with coaching content in the last week, and live within your service area.
That is audience targeting that reflects real behaviour, not a mood board.
Step 4: Choose Ad Formats That Pull Their Weight
TikTok gives you plenty of different ad formats. On £10 a day, not all of them make sense.
The Core Formats For Small Budgets
Here is a quick guide to the ad format options that work well for coaches and service led brands.
| Format | Best for | Budget fit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| In feed ads | Native style story, tip or micro demo in 15 to 30 seconds | Excellent | Treat as normal organic content with clear framing and captions. This is your main video ad format on a small budget. |
| Spark ads | Boosting your best organic post, client testimonial or user generated content | Excellent | Great for social proof. You can amplify content from your own profile or approved TikTok creators. |
| Carousel ads | Service walkthroughs, step by step processes | Moderate | Helpful when a single frame is crowded. Better for clarity than for drama. |
| Image ads | Simple static offers in the news feed | Moderate | Use sparingly. TikTok is still a video content first platform. |
| TopView ads | Big awareness moments | Weak on £10 | Fantastic for huge reach, not realistic for a tenner a day. |
| Collection ads / shop ads / video shopping ads | Direct product sales in TikTok Shop | Good if shop ready | Use once you have an offer that already converts from video ads. |
| Branded effects ads / branded hashtag challenges | Large scale campaigns that encourage user participation | Only for big paid campaigns | Great for big brands. Most coaches can ignore these until budgets grow. |
Start with in feed ads and one spark ad from a strong organic post. As you get results, you can run ads in more formats.
Step 5: Make Creative That Earns The Scroll
This is where creating TikTok ads becomes fun instead of frightening.
You do not need a studio. You do need clarity.
The Simple Creative Formula
For effective TikTok ads:
- Open with a clear hook that speaks to your target audience
- Deliver one quick win or clear story
- End with one call to action
Think: “show it, explain it, invite them”.
Some ideas that work well for coaches and experts:
- A client win told in 20 seconds with a concrete before and after
- A FAQ clip that removes one objection with one piece of proof
- A short “day in the life” that quietly shows your process and credibility
Technical Details Without The Headache
To keep your ad creative inside spec:
- Shoot vertical 9:16
- Keep your main subject away from corners so buttons do not cover faces
- Add subtitles so people watching without sound can still follow
- Check ad specs for resolution, file size and avi video duration limits before you export
Most creative tools like CapCut, the TikTok editor and built in Ads Manager tools make it easy to create ads that look native. You do not need a ring light the size of the moon.
Step 6: Launch, Learn And Adjust With Intent
When your first TikTok ad campaign goes live, resist the urge to poke it every hour.
Give your ad group a short learning window so the system can test your target audience and placements. Then start looking at the right metrics.
The Three Numbers To Watch
Keep eyes on:
- Click through rate (CTR) for how strong your hook and visual are
- Conversion rate (CVR) for whether the promise in your ad matches the landing page
- TikTok ads cost per result for whether your £10 a day is turning into leads and bookings
Tweak your ad description, hook, or ad placement only when the pattern is clear over a few days, not after one quiet afternoon.
Simple Testing Rules
- Change creative first, audience second, placement last
- Keep ad details, specs and placements consistent while you test so the reads are clean
- Pause weak ad videos quickly so spend flows to your winners and you boost visibility where it matters
Remember, one strong ad can outperform five average ones and will make you much calmer when you open Ads Manager.
Step 7: Measure What Your Calendar Can Feel
Views say hello. Bookings say hello back.
Your marketing campaigns only matter if they create conversations, sign ups and paying clients you can see in your diary.
A £10 Per Day Starter Plan
Here is a simple structure you can copy.
| Element | Setup |
|---|---|
| Objective | Conversions, focused on leads or booked calls |
| Ad campaign | One, clearly named around your offer and business goals |
| Ad group | One, bid strategy set to Lowest Cost, with interest plus custom audience |
| Creative | Two variants of video ads, around 20 seconds, captions on, one clear CTA |
| Formats | One in feed ad, one spark ad from your best performing organic post |
| Tracking | Pixel events for Lead and Schedule, UTM on links so you can track in analytics |
| Success signal | Target cost per lead within 7 days and CTR above roughly 1.2 percent |
This keeps your ad spend focused on real steps forward, not just brand awareness.
Troubleshooting Without Spending Extra
| Symptom | Likely cause | Quick fix |
|---|---|---|
| Low CTR | Weak hook or visual clutter | Rewrite first line, tighten the visual, add clear on screen text. |
| High CPC, no leads | Offer mismatch | Lower friction CTA, align headline and landing page with what the video actually promised. |
| Views fine, no conversions | Landing page mismatch or slow load | Match ad promise to page, shorten form, check page speed on mobile. |
| Delivery stuck | Targeting too tight or too many changes | Loosen one interest or age band, stop editing the campaign every hour. |
Keep notes. Your own log will become more useful to you than any generic advice.
Pro Tips To Stretch Your £10
A few small habits make low budget paid campaigns work much harder:
- Turn strong organic content into spark ads so you amplify proof, not guess which clip might land.
- Add light urgency to your CTA such as “5 spaces this week” instead of “book someday”.
- Review your numbers on a set day each week, change one thing, and give it time.
- Use marketing strategy basics: clear offer, clear audience, clear next step, then let TikTok do what it is good at.
If you need more structured support while you learn running ad campaigns inside TikTok, our course inside The Hive Academy can talk you through step by step how to create ads, set up your ad platform and keep improvements coming without living in Ads Manager.
If This Feels A Bit Much Right Now
If this article feels like a couple of steps ahead, and you want to master the basics of TikTok advertising before you spend, start with our earlier guide, “Mastering TikTok Ads: A Practical Guide for Effective Campaigns”. That article walks through the fundamentals of creating TikTok ads, tiktok campaigns and ad structure before you worry about squeezing every drop from £10 a day.
FAQs
What ad format should I start with on a small budget
Start with in feed ads. They look like normal content in the feed and are perfect for quick stories, tips and simple demos. Once you have a winner, add a spark ad to boost your strongest organic clip or a short testimonial. This mix gives you native feeling content with extra reach and social proof.
How should I structure an ad group on £10 a day
Use one ad group per audience. Keep ad placement and specs consistent and test one creative change at a time. That way you will know exactly what moved the needle inside your ad platform rather than guessing whether it was the targeting, the creative or the set up.
Can TikTok reach a precise audience without wasting spend
Yes. Combine interests and behaviours with custom and lookalike audiences in TikTok Ads Manager, then let the Pixel and events learn from real outcomes such as leads booked and form submissions. Refine your ad details and messaging based on performance, not assumptions.
What makes a coaching ad actually convert
A clear hook, one meaningful win and one clear CTA. Support it with proof that feels human instead of staged, and keep your creative strategy tight. In other words, show what you can do, back it up in a believable way, then ask people to take the next step.
Used well, TikTok can move from “just another social media channel” to a reliable low budget engine that quietly fills your calendar. One clean campaign, one focused ad group and a couple of strong ad videos will take you further than a messy account that looks clever but does not convert.
