How do I make Meta and TikTok ads work for consumer software?
Targeting matters less than it did. Creative and tracking now decide most results.
- Our ads get clicks, not customers.
- Meta or TikTok?
- How much to test?
Track the full funnel first: signup, trial start and paid conversion sent back to the ad platforms. Test many creative ideas, especially short videos showing the product solving a problem. Optimize for trials or purchases, not clicks. Set a payback limit and judge each campaign on cost per paying user.
What to test
| Format | Why |
|---|---|
| Problem and solution demo | Shows value fast |
| Creator or user video | Feels native |
| Before and after | Clear result |
| Feature in 10 seconds | Simple message |
How we look at it at ShoutEx
We set up tracking, produce creative tests and report cost per paying user. Meta ad creative covers creative.
- Optimizing for clicks.
- One ad for months.
- Broken conversion tracking.
- No payback limit.
- Full-funnel tracking.
- Weekly creative tests.
- Cost per paying user.
- Payback limit.
What founders and platforms say
Here is what founders say.
Community summaries describe recurring themes in public threads, not individual posts. Vendor pages describe vendor claims, so test them on your own calls.
Read next
Go deeper in the ShoutEx guides, or check the sources behind this answer.
We'll set up tracking and creative tests.
Book a call →Follow-up questions
Meta or TikTok first?
Where your buyers spend time; test both small.
How many creatives a month?
Enough to keep testing new ideas weekly.
What's a good cost per user?
One your lifetime value can pay back.