TikTok Customer Acquisition Case Study: 47% More First-Time Buyers
Growing Net-New Customers Without Relying on Repeat Buyers
E.T. Advertisers is a growth partner for ecommerce brands, managing significant media budgets across multiple platforms with a focus on sustainable growth. For one of the largest fashion and jewelry brands in North America, strong recognition among 18 to 24 year olds and a large customer base generated steady repeat purchases. When the team took over, most conversions came from returning customers. The challenge was to increase first-time buyers and support long-term growth without letting the algorithm keep concentrating spend on people who already knew the brand. TikTok was chosen for its ability to reach discovery-driven audiences beyond the existing customer base.
The Solution
A Prospecting-First System Built Around Audience Exclusions
E.T. Advertisers rebuilt the account around incremental acquisition rather than total conversion volume. Existing customers, previous purchasers and the brand's large organic follower base were excluded so more budget could reach people who had never purchased. First-party data was combined with Triple Whale insights, lifetime value analysis and PPS analysis to measure both acquisition efficiency and customer quality. In parallel, the team tested TikTok-native creative that introduced the brand, highlighted product value and trend relevance, and gave new shoppers clear reasons to make a first purchase. Audience strategy, creative, data and measurement worked together as one acquisition system focused on sustainable growth.
The Results
A Stronger Acquisition Engine, With Better Economics
BUILD YOUR NEW CUSTOMER GROWTH PLAN
Results: 47% More First-Time Purchasers, 32.6% Better Acquisition Cost, 13.3% Higher Expected LTV
Tal Berkovitz, CEO and Co-Founder of E.T. Advertisers, explains that TikTok made it possible to reach beyond the brand's existing customer base. By combining audience exclusions, prospecting and TikTok-native creative, the team found high-intent shoppers at scale, increased first-time buyer growth and protected efficiency while improving the long-term value of acquired customers.
Why the Creative Worked
