Verified 15 September 2026.
LinkedIn is the B2B tax. TikTok is a cheaper auction with a large new-advertiser match. Those two facts do not cancel. If your buyer is a VP of Finance, an $8 TikTok CPM that never reaches them is more expensive than a $40 LinkedIn CPM that does.
TikTok ladder: coupon. This page is the channel decision.
Incentive
| TikTok (this desk) | LinkedIn Ads | |
|---|---|---|
| Public new-advertiser match | Spend-match up to $6,000 in 30 days | No evergreen public $6k ladder |
| How it attaches | Partner link at account creation | Email / partner coupon. Campaign Manager → Account settings → Billing → Credits and promotions → Redeem coupon |
| Typical 2026 size | $200 / $500 / $1,000 / $4,000 / $6,000 | $150 CAD welcome on some pages; partner “spend $500 get $500”; sales-led custom |
| Rules | One per TikTok For Business entity | One promo per company. One Spend-Get about every 90 days. Credit often lands in ~5 business days |
| Who | New self-serve TTAM | Often new; some partner coupons allow 90-day lapsed accounts |
Treat LINKEDIN500 farm codes like TIKTOK6000. LinkedIn Help: redeem on Billing → Credits and promotions. If you never received the email, you do not have the coupon.
Cost bands (US planning, 2026 guides)
| TikTok | ||
|---|---|---|
| Official daily floor | $50 campaign / $20 ad group | Often $10 / day |
| Practical test | $50–$100 / day | $50–$100 / day to learn anything |
| CPM | $4–$13 typical; Adcore ~$9.16 | $30–$60 common |
| CPC | $0.30–$1.50, often ~$1 | $5–$10 typical |
| CPA context | Triple Whale blended ~$33 ecom | SaaS comps $85–$180 |
A LinkedIn lead at $120 can beat a TikTok lead at $25 if the form is a director with budget. Compare pipeline, not CPC.
TikTok cost detail: pricing.
Creative
TikTok: native vertical video, hook in one second, Spark on posts that already have comments. Half-life 5–12 days. Research in Creative Center.
LinkedIn: document ads, thought-leadership video, conversation ads, lead-gen forms. A static with a sharp offer still works. Refresh is weeks, not days.
TikTok lead-gen sometimes runs a separate seasonal spend/get from the $6,000 match. Do not mash that card into this table. That page ships in Batch 4.
When to take the TikTok match anyway (B2B)
- Product demonstrates on camera
- ICP includes operators and founders who actually scroll TikTok
- You can fund $500–$1,000 in 30 days without starving LinkedIn pipeline
- You already have 8–15 native cuts
When to stay on LinkedIn
- Sale is $20k+ and the buyer never opens TikTok at work
- You need job-title and company-size filters more than cultural reach
- You cannot produce vertical video every week
- The TikTok account is not new — eligibility
Do not pause a working LinkedIn account to force $6,000 on TikTok. The match halves TikTok media cost. It does not move your ICP.
Cost snapshot (2026 planning ranges)
| TikTok Ads | LinkedIn Ads | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical CPC | $0.30–$1.50 | $5–$10 |
| Campaign floor | $50/day | Often $10–$50/day by objective |
| New-advertiser credit | Up to $6,000 match on cash spend | Billing coupons, usually small and irregular |
| Best job | In-feed demand, app, ecom, consumer lead gen | Named-account pipeline, expensive B2B |
| Creative | Native vertical, 9:16, sound on | Document ads, thought-leadership video |
If a lead is worth $400 and LinkedIn CPL is $80 with a 20% sales-accept rate, do not move that budget to TikTok because the match looks larger. Use the match for new demand you were going to test anyway.
LinkedIn’s 90-day promo rule vs TikTok’s one pass
LinkedIn operators often see “one Spend-Get about every 90 days” on partner coupons, and credit landing in ~5 business days. TikTok’s SMB ladder is one pass per TikTok For Business entity, clocked from registration, 30 days.
| Rule | TikTok (this desk) | LinkedIn Ads |
|---|---|---|
| How often | Once per For Business parent | Partner coupons sometimes allow a 90-day lapse |
| Clock | 30 days from account creation | Usually from enrollment / email |
| Stack with the other platform | Yes, separate bills | Yes, separate bills |
Farm codes (LINKEDIN500, TIKTOK6000) |
Invented | Invented |
Do not pause LinkedIn for 30 days to “focus” TikTok unless pipeline can survive. The match halves TikTok media at the tier you hit. It does not replace job-title filters.
Pipeline math (when B2B should take the $1,000 TikTok rung)
Take the $1,000 TikTok rung, not $6,000, when:
- ICP includes operators/founders who actually scroll TikTok
- You can keep LinkedIn spend untouched
- You have 8–15 native cuts ready before you open TTAM
- You need a read on in-feed CPL, not a full-year channel swap
Stay on LinkedIn only when the sale is $20k+ and the buyer never opens TikTok at work, or when the TikTok account is not new. Eligibility · Lead-gen credit · Pricing.
