TikTok unveils five powerful advertising tools for automation, measurement, and e-commerce. Discover how Smart+ and GMV Max can grow your business.

What if you could automate your entire advertising strategy while reaching millions of highly engaged users — all from one app?
That’s exactly what TikTok aims to deliver with its newest suite of AI-powered ad tools. In a bold move set to reshape the digital advertising landscape, TikTok has unveiled five powerful new advertising tools designed to streamline performance, boost e-commerce sales, ensure data privacy, and deliver real-world impact.

If you’re a brand in the U.S., Canada, or UK looking for cost-effective, high-return marketing strategies, these innovations deserve your attention. Let’s dive into how TikTok’s advertising ecosystem is evolving — and why this matters for your business.

TikTok Advertising Tools: What’s New?

TikTok has launched five cutting-edge tools aimed at enhancing the way brands interact with consumers across its platform and beyond:

1. Smart+: Next-Level Performance Automation

The Smart+ system is TikTok’s upgraded automated advertising engine, tailored for campaigns focusing on lead generation, app installs, catalog sales, and website traffic. It automates:

• Targeting

• Bidding

• Creative selection

This means that you can upload your content and let the algorithm do the heavy lifting — finding the best audience, the best ad format, and the best delivery time. Smart+ builds upon TikTok’s performance capabilities and reportedly improves cost per acquisition (CPA) by double-digit percentages compared to manual setups.

2. GMV Maximizer: TikTok Shop’s Secret Weapon

GMV (Gross Merchandise Value) Maximizer, or GMV Max, helps merchants running stores inside TikTok Shop scale their sales effortlessly. It automates:

• Campaign creation

• Traffic distribution across organic, paid, and affiliate content

• Budget optimization

In early tests, GMV Max drove a 30% increase in GMV on average — a huge win for small and mid-size businesses looking to compete in TikTok’s bustling e-commerce marketplace.

3. Out of Phone (Retail): TikTok Comes to Real Life

This tool extends the reach of TikTok content to retail locations and digital signage, bridging online engagement with physical store presence. Through curated video highlights and trend-driven clips, brands can display authentic, on-brand TikTok videos directly in-store.

It’s an invitation to turn viral content into retail conversions, allowing consumers to interact with campaigns not only on their phones but in their daily physical environments.

4. Conversion Lift Studies (CLS): Real Results, Real Data

This new measurement tool enables brands to assess how TikTok ads influence conversions beyond the last-click model. Conversion Lift Studies compare:

• Behavior of users who saw TikTok ads

• Behavior of similar users who didn’t

With TikTok users spending an average of 95 minutes per day on the platform, brands need clear ROI visibility. Early CLS results show a 25% higher conversion rate among exposed audiences, reinforcing the platform’s effectiveness in driving real business outcomes.

5. Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs): Compliance with Confidence

As first-party data becomes the new gold standard, PETs help brands protect consumer data while improving measurement accuracy. Partnering with industry leaders, TikTok provides:

• Secure conversion tracking

• Private audience targeting

• Encrypted data usage

This ensures compliance with global privacy standards like GDPR and CCPA, while still enabling advertisers to make data-informed decisions.

Why It Matters for Advertisers in the U.S., Canada, and UK

These tools position TikTok as more than just a social media platform — it’s becoming a full-funnel marketing powerhouse. The ability to measure ROI with accuracy, connect online and offline touchpoints, and leverage automation gives businesses of all sizes an unfair advantage.

Whether you’re a direct-to-consumer brand in New York, an agency in Toronto, or a fashion retailer in London, these tools help you:

• Launch faster

• Spend smarter

• Scale further

The Bigger Picture: TikTok vs. Meta and Google

This release places TikTok in direct competition with Meta (Facebook/Instagram) and Google Ads. But where TikTok shines is in community-driven content, short-form video dominance, and creator collaborations. These ad tools capitalize on those unique strengths, making TikTok a more engaging — and now measurable — platform for marketers.

TikTok’s Smart+ and GMV Max are a clear answer to Meta’s Advantage+ and Google’s Performance Max, yet with a stronger tie to creative culture and viral engagement.

What Businesses Should Do Next

1. Test Smart+ on your next campaign
   Let TikTok’s machine learning handle the complexity of targeting and optimization.

2. Explore TikTok Shop with GMV Max
   Especially if you’re an e-commerce brand selling to Gen Z and Millennials.

3. Use Conversion Lift Studies
   Prove your ROI beyond last-click attribution.

4. Adapt to privacy-first strategies
   Take advantage of PETs to stay compliant and competitive.

5. Repurpose user-generated content for in-store
   Leverage Out of Phone for a seamless omnichannel strategy.

10 FAQs About TikTok Advertising Tools

1. Are TikTok’s new tools available globally?

Most tools are rolling out gradually in the U.S., UK, and Canada with global expansion to follow.

2. What kind of businesses benefit most from Smart+?

E-commerce brands, app developers, and lead-based services see the best performance boosts.

3. Is GMV Max only for TikTok Shop sellers?

Yes, GMV Max is exclusive to TikTok Shop merchants, making it ideal for in-app selling.

4. How does Out of Phone work?

Brands can display TikTok videos on retail screens using curated playlists managed by TikTok.

5. Are Conversion Lift Studies available for small businesses?

Yes, TikTok has democratized access to CLS for businesses of all sizes.

6. What partners are involved in PETs?

TikTok collaborates with privacy tech firms and cloud vendors for encrypted measurement.

7. Can I still run manual campaigns?

Absolutely. These tools enhance automation but don’t eliminate manual options.

8. How does this compare to Meta’s Advantage+?

TikTok offers similar automation, but with more video-first, creator-friendly integrations.

9. Is there a learning curve?

Minimal. TikTok’s Business Center provides tutorials, AI-powered suggestions, and dedicated support.

10. Should agencies be concerned?

Only if they don’t adapt. Many are already integrating TikTok’s automation to deliver better performance for clients.

Final Thoughts: Is This the Future of Advertising?

TikTok’s new advertising tools represent more than a technical upgrade — they mark a strategic evolution. With automation, privacy compliance, e-commerce integration, and measurable outcomes all under one roof, the platform is redefining what modern advertising looks like.

For brands seeking faster execution, lower CPAs, and real connections with a next-gen audience, TikTok is no longer optional — it’s essential.