TikTok vs Meta: when to add TikTok to your ad campaigns
Partner · Strategy, advertising and measurement
TikTok is not a new audience: it is another way to reach, to a large extent, the same people as Meta. In Canada, at least 85% of 16 to 24 year-olds with a TikTok account also have an Instagram account, based on figures from Leger's 2026 DGTL Study. TikTok reaches 37% of people aged 16 and over there, compared with 83% for Facebook and 65% for Instagram. As long as a bigger Meta budget keeps your ROAS (revenue per advertising dollar) above your target, each extra dollar earns more on Meta. TikTok becomes relevant when your customers are under 35, when your product can be demonstrated on video or when Meta has hit its ceiling.
- TikTok reaches a little more than one Canadian in three, compared with more than eight in ten for Facebook. The age gap is wide: 67% of 16 to 24 year-olds have an account, compared with 22% of people 45 and over.
- In Quebec, the platform is less present than in the rest of Canada: 25% of adult internet users, 8% of people 55 and over.
- TikTok users are not a separate audience. A simple calculation on Leger's figures shows that at least 85% of 16 to 24 year-olds with a TikTok account also have an Instagram account.
- As long as Meta can absorb more budget without your cost per sale going past your target, adding TikTok splits your budget without opening a new audience.
- TikTok deserves a test when three conditions meet: a young customer base, a product that shows well on video and the capacity to produce videos every week.
- Since October 8, 2026, Meta has refused campaigns in Canada that link to TikTok: your Meta ads lead to your site, not to your TikTok account.
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Why the question keeps coming up
Business owners ask us this often: "Should we add TikTok to our Facebook and Instagram campaigns?" It is a fair question. TikTok gets a lot of attention, a competitor may already be advertising there, and an agency that says no can look like it is turning down work.
Our answer starts with a different question: can your Meta campaigns still grow? A Meta campaign that holds its ROAS when it gets more budget is the best place for your next dollar. Opening a second platform has costs the media invoice does not show: new videos to produce, a second measurement setup, a second learning phase to pay for and a budget cut in two.
To decide, you first need to know who is really on TikTok in Canada. Then you need to know whether those people are already somewhere else.
Who uses TikTok in Canada
Leger's DGTL Study surveys more than 3,500 Canadians aged 16 and over about their social media use. This edition was conducted from May 22 to June 5, 2025, with 3,561 respondents in Canada.
| Platform | Has an account | Uses it daily | Ages 16 to 24 (account) | Ages 25 to 44 (account) | Ages 45+ (account) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 83% | 62% | 75% | 89% | 82% | |
| 65% | 43% | 90% | 81% | 50% | |
| YouTube | 70% | 41% | 90% | 84% | 57% |
| TikTok | 37% | 23% | 67% | 51% | 22% |
Three things stand out in this table.
TikTok is growing, but it is still far behind Meta. The share of Canadians with a TikTok account rose from 33% to 37% in a year, and daily use went from 20% to 23%. Leger describes it as the platform with the fastest-growing usage. Facebook still has more than twice as many people.
Age explains almost everything. Two in three 16 to 24 year-olds have a TikTok account, and half of that group (51%) opens it every day. Among people 45 and over, it is one in five (12% open it daily). For a business whose best customers are over 45, Facebook reaches almost four times as many people in that group.
Women are slightly more present than men. In Canada, 40% of women have a TikTok account, compared with 33% of men. They also use it a little more every day (25% versus 21%).
In Quebec, TikTok is less present
The NETendances 2025 survey by the Académie de la transformation numérique (Université Laval) polled 989 Quebec internet users aged 18 and over, from July 10 to 31, 2025. It measures the social networks each person "usually uses."
| Age group | TikTok | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 to 24 | 63% | 71% | 60% |
| 25 to 34 | 40% | 57% | 69% |
| 35 to 44 | 33% | 35% | 88% |
| 45 to 54 | 25% | 46% | 85% |
| 55 to 64 | 13% | 34% | 87% |
| 65 to 74 | 4% | 12% | 70% |
| All internet users | 25% | 38% | 76% |
In Quebec, one internet user in four uses TikTok and 19% use it every day. The two surveys do not measure exactly the same thing (an account for Leger, usual use for NETendances), so they should not be compared point by point. The shape of the curve is the same, and it is even steeper in Quebec. After 55, TikTok almost disappears: 13% of 55 to 64 year-olds and 4% of 65 to 74 year-olds.
Two other details matter for a business owner. People aged 18 to 24 are the only group for which Facebook is not the top network: Instagram comes first, ahead of TikTok. And in Quebec, TikTok is not more female than male (27% of men, 24% of women), unlike Instagram and Facebook, where women are more numerous.
For a B2B or B2C business that sells mostly to people 45 and over in Quebec, TikTok reaches a small part of its customers. For a brand that sells to 18 to 34 year-olds, it is a different story.
TikTok users are also on Facebook and Instagram
This is the point most often forgotten. People do not use just one social network. According to GWI data published in DataReportal's Digital 2026 report, at least 98.8% of the users of any major social platform also use at least one other platform each month. In the United States, YouGov reports that 83% of TikTok users also use Facebook.
Leger's figures make it possible to run the calculation for Canada. If 67% of 16 to 24 year-olds have a TikTok account and 90% have an Instagram account, at least 57% of the respondents in that group necessarily have both (67 + 90 − 100). As a share of TikTok users, that is at least 85%. This calculation gives a minimum: the real share is probably higher.
| Age group (Canada) | Minimum share of TikTok users who also have Instagram | Minimum share who also have Facebook |
|---|---|---|
| 16 to 24 | 85% | 63% |
| 25 to 44 | 63% | 78% |
For your campaigns, the consequence is simple. Adding TikTok does not reach a new audience: it largely reaches the same people, in another feed and in another format. So the real question is not "where are our customers?" It becomes: "where can we reach them for less, with the message that sells?"
The first test: can Meta still grow?
This is the position we defend with our clients. If you can still increase your Meta budget and your ROAS holds, there is no performance reason to go to TikTok. Three reasons explain it.
The next dollar earns more where the system is already learning. Meta has your conversion data, your audiences and the history of your ads. Meta's delivery system improves with volume: its documentation mentions about 50 optimization events per week for an ad set to exit the learning phase. Every dollar moved to TikTok is a dollar that no longer helps Meta learn.
TikTok needs its own learning phase. TikTok says an ad group has generally passed its learning phase at around 50 conversions. The minimum budget must exceed US$50 per campaign and US$20 per day per ad group. With a small budget, two platforms learning at the same time each learn more slowly.
Videos do not recycle well. A TikTok ad that works looks like a TikTok video: vertical, shot for the platform, with a person talking from the first second. A cropped Facebook ad is spotted right away. Opening TikTok means opening a production line, as we explained in our article TikTok for business.
How to tell whether Meta has hit its ceiling
The signal to watch is not your account's average ROAS: it is what the last dollar added brings in. Here is how to check.
Increase the budget in steps
A moderate increase, then a few days of waiting to let the system settle.
Compare cost per sale before and after
If cost per sale stays below your target, Meta still has room. If it rises faster than the budget, you are getting close to the ceiling.
Watch frequency
When the same people see your ads more and more often without buying more, your audience is exhausted.
Refresh your ads before drawing conclusions
A ceiling is often a problem of tired ads, not of the platform. Our article on Meta's Andromeda explains why variety in creative angles matters so much today.
If cost per sale goes past your target despite refreshed ads, Meta has probably hit its ceiling for your offer. That is when TikTok becomes a real question.
When TikTok deserves a look before Meta
Some businesses should look at TikTok seriously, sometimes even before Meta. These cases have one thing in common: the customers and the product fit the way the platform distributes content.
Customers under 35. In Quebec, 63% of 18 to 24 year-olds use TikTok, compared with 60% for Facebook. A clothing brand, a drink, a beauty product, a game or an event that targets this group first can find on TikTok an attention that Facebook no longer gives it.
A product that can be demonstrated in a few seconds. A before and after, an object being handled, a recipe, a transformation: TikTok rewards what can be shown. A professional service that takes three meetings before a sale is a much weaker fit.
An affordable impulse purchase. The person sees, understands and buys within the same minute. The more a purchase requires thought, comparison or internal approval, the less TikTok can carry the sale on its own.
Someone willing to appear on camera every week. The owner, an employee, a committed creator: the platform rewards a recurring face who knows the subject. Without that person, the best media strategy will not make up for it.
Recruiting young employees. For a business that hires 18 to 30 year-olds, TikTok can support the employer brand even if sales happen elsewhere.
When to add TikTok to existing Meta campaigns
Adding TikTok to a Meta account that works can make sense. We recommend it when these four conditions are met.
Meta has hit its ceiling
The test described above shows that every budget increase pushes cost per sale past your target, even with refreshed ads.
The budget can feed both platforms
TikTok gets its own budget, large enough to aim for about fifty conversions during its learning phase, without taking money away from the Meta campaigns that pay off.
Production can keep up
You can deliver several new vertical videos each month, designed for TikTok, without weakening your Meta ads.
Measurement is in place
The TikTok pixel and server-side conversion tracking are connected, with a test that measures the sales TikTok actually adds. Our article on incrementality tests describes the method.
When one of these conditions is missing, the test is likely to cost more than it brings in. That is not a TikTok failure: it is a poorly organized test.
When to stay on Meta
| Situation | What happens if you add TikTok |
|---|---|
| Meta can still grow and your ROAS holds | You take dollars from the platform that earns the most and send them into a learning phase elsewhere. |
| Your customers are mostly over 45 | In Canada, 22% of people 45 and over have a TikTok account, compared with 82% on Facebook. In Quebec, 13% of 55 to 64 year-olds use TikTok. |
| You sell a B2B or B2C service that takes several meetings | People watch TikTok to be entertained and to learn, not to compare suppliers. The sales cycle happens elsewhere. |
| No one can produce videos every week | The same videos run on repeat, fatigue sets in quickly and cost per sale rises. |
| The request comes from a competitor who "is on TikTok" | Their presence says nothing about their results. The decision is made on your numbers. |
Meta ads that link to TikTok
Since October 8, 2026, Meta has refused ads from ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, in Canada. The ban also applies to other advertisers whose campaigns link to TikTok or another ByteDance property. It covers seven countries: the United States, Canada, Egypt, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam. Meta explained the decision to Bloomberg: the company does not have to run ads from a competitor that is trying to pull people off its apps.
For you, the consequence is concrete. A Facebook or Instagram ad that invites people to follow your TikTok account or that leads to one of your TikTok videos can be rejected. If you add TikTok, keep each platform in its role: your Meta campaigns send people to your site and your TikTok account grows on TikTok.
The regulatory context in Canada
Business owners often ask us whether TikTok could disappear from Canada. Here are the facts. In November 2024, the federal government ordered TikTok's Canadian operations to wind up (the offices, not the app). On January 21, 2026, the Federal Court set that order aside with the consent of the government and TikTok. The file went back to the Department of Industry for a new national security review. On March 9, 2026, Minister Mélanie Joly allowed TikTok to continue operating in Canada, subject to new legally binding undertakings on protecting the data of Canadians and young users.
For an advertiser, the risk of a sudden shutdown went down in 2026. It has not disappeared: a TikTok test should be built so it can stop without breaking the rest of your campaigns.
What we recommend
| Your situation | What we recommend |
|---|---|
| Meta can still grow and your ROAS holds | Increase your Meta budget in steps and refresh your ads. TikTok can wait. |
| Meta has hit its ceiling despite refreshed ads | Prepare a TikTok test with its own budget, an end date and a measure of added sales. |
| Your customers are under 35 and your product shows well on video | Consider TikTok early, sometimes alongside Meta, if you can produce videos every week. |
| Your customers are mostly over 45 | Stay on Meta and Google. TikTok reaches a small part of your customers. |
| You are hiring 18 to 30 year-olds | Consider TikTok for your employer brand, separate from your sales budget. |
| No one can appear on camera every week | Do not launch TikTok until that is solved. |
Key takeaway
TikTok is not a new audience: it is another way to reach, to a large extent, the same people as Meta. In Canada, it mostly reaches people under 45. In Quebec, it mostly reaches people under 35. As long as your Meta campaigns grow without your cost per sale going past your target, that is where the next dollar earns the most. When Meta plateaus and your customers and product fit the platform, a well-measured TikTok test becomes a good decision.
If you want to know whether your Meta campaigns have hit their ceiling, that is what we analyze as part of our Meta Ads service.
Frequently asked questions
Should I add TikTok to my Facebook and Instagram campaigns?
Not as long as your Meta campaigns can take more budget without your cost per sale going past your target. If Meta plateaus despite refreshed ads and your customers are young, a measured TikTok test makes sense.
Who uses TikTok in Canada?
According to Leger's 2026 DGTL Study, 37% of Canadians aged 16 and over have a TikTok account. The share rises to 67% among 16 to 24 year-olds and drops to 22% among people 45 and over. Women are slightly more present than men.
Are TikTok users also on Facebook and Instagram?
Yes, by a large majority. Based on Leger's figures, at least 85% of 16 to 24 year-olds with a TikTok account also have an Instagram account. In the United States, YouGov reports that 83% of TikTok users also use Facebook.
What budget do I need to test TikTok?
TikTok requires a budget above US$20 per day per ad group and above US$50 per campaign. The useful budget is higher: it should be enough to get about fifty conversions during the learning phase, without taking money away from the Meta campaigns that pay off.
Could TikTok be banned in Canada?
The app was never banned for users. The order to wind up TikTok's Canadian offices, issued in November 2024, was set aside in January 2026. In March 2026, the government allowed TikTok to continue operating, subject to undertakings on data protection.
Can I promote my TikTok account with a Facebook ad?
Not in Canada since October 8, 2026. Meta refuses ads from ByteDance, which owns TikTok, as well as campaigns from other advertisers that link to TikTok, in the United States, Canada and five other countries. Your Meta ads can still lead to your site.
- Leger, 2026 DGTL Study: Social Media Behaviour and Preferences, September 2025, accessed November 11, 2026. Online survey of 3,561 Canadians aged 16 and over, May 22 to June 5, 2025. Source of account and daily use shares by platform, gender and age group, and of TikTok's growth.
- Académie de la transformation numérique (Université Laval), NETendances 2025: Réseaux sociaux et divertissement en ligne, February 2026, accessed November 11, 2026 (in French). Survey of 989 Quebec internet users aged 18 and over, July 10 to 31, 2025. Source of usage shares in Quebec by age group and gender.
- DataReportal, Digital 2026: 2 in 3 people on Earth now use social media, accessed November 11, 2026. Source of the GWI finding that at least 98.8% of users of a social platform use at least one other each month.
- YouGov, How brands can win with TikTok's multi-platform audience, Clifton Mark, January 12, 2026. Source of the share of US TikTok users who also use Facebook (83%).
- TikTok Ads Help Center, About budgets for ads in TikTok Ads Manager, accessed November 11, 2026. Source of minimum budgets per campaign and per ad group.
- TikTok Ads Help Center, Learning Phase FAQs, accessed November 11, 2026. Source of the threshold of about 50 conversions to exit the learning phase.
- Meta Business Help Center, About the learning phase, accessed November 11, 2026. Source of the threshold of about 50 optimization events per week.
- CP24 (The Canadian Press), Federal government agreed to set aside order to wind down TikTok in Canada, January 22, 2026. Source of the Federal Court setting aside the wind-up order.
- Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, Minister Joly's statement on the outcome of the further national security review of TikTok Technology Canada Inc. under the Investment Canada Act, March 9, 2026. Source of the decision to allow operations to continue subject to legally binding undertakings.
- Engadget, Meta bans TikTok ads from its platforms in tit-for-tat row, Steve Dent, October 9, 2026, accessed November 13, 2026. Source of the ban on ByteDance ads and on campaigns that link to TikTok, the seven countries covered, the October 8, 2026 date (according to Bloomberg) and Meta's explanation.
Gabriel almost always takes your first call and carries out your audit. He builds the strategy starting from your growth goal: where to put your budget, which market to test and how to connect each lead to a real sale in your CRM. He mainly leads engagements for three goals: Optimize the profitability of your digital campaigns, Develop a new market, and Generate demand and growth. With Geneviève, he also works on organic search (SEO), AI visibility (GEO) and conversion rate optimization (CRO). The sales a Google Ads or Meta Ads campaign brings in depend on the page that receives the click. He writes mainly about marketing strategy, paid advertising and measurement.
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