To successfully implement geo-based lift tests on TikTok Ads, you’ll need to create a Premium Audience that defines your Control group using DMA (Designated Market Area) targeting. This audience is used to exclude specific regions from campaign delivery during the test period.
Follow the steps below to ensure a correct setup.
Prerequisites
Before creating your audience, confirm the following:
Your TikTok Ads account has Premium Audience access enabled.
This feature is not enabled by default—please contact your TikTok Ads Account Manager to request whitelisting for all relevant ad accounts.
WorkMagic will provide you with the list of Control DMAs to include in this audience.
Step-by-Step Setup Guide
Step 1 - Navigate to Audience Manager
Log in to your TikTok Ads Manager account, then:
Click on the “Tools” tab in the top navigation.
Select “Audience Manager.”
Click Create Audience → Custom Audience.
Step 2 - Choose "Premium Audience" as the Audience Type
Under the custom audience creation panel, select “Premium Audience.”
Step 3 - Define Your Audience by DMA
In the “Define your audience” section:
Set the trait type to DMA.
Select each of the Control DMAs provided by WorkMagic.
These DMAs define the regions where ads will be held out during the test.
Step 4 - Finalize Your Audience Settings
Enter a clear Audience Name (e.g.,
Lift Test - Control DMA).Disable Audience Enhancement and Reach & Frequency if enabled by default.
Click “Confirm” to save the audience.
Additional Notes
You must exclude this premium audience in your TikTok campaigns during the test period to enforce holdout correctly. If you are running a lift test with WorkMagic, we can automatically implement the holdout exclusion for you or we can guide you on when and how to activate this exclusion rule
Reach & Frequency (RF) campaigns are not compatible with geo holdouts and should not be used in the test.