TikTok Advertising in Belgium: A Strategist’s Playbook for FMCG, Hospitality & Entertainment
TikTok’s rulebook is a starting point. Real results come from adapting it to your category, budget, and Belgium’s rhythms.
date
01.10.2025
photos
Julie Clautier
Why this matters now: In Belgium, TikTok’s ad tools reach ~3.7M adults (18+) ~39% of the adult population in early 2025. Across Europe, TikTok reports 200M+ monthly users. For FMCG brands, restaurants/hotels, and festivals, that’s real distribution and demand - if you plan properly.
In the real world (bilingual FR/NL markets, seasonal spikes, constrained creative budgets), the winners adapt the rules. Below is a short guide to TikTok paid campaigns in Belgium for FMCG (food & beverage) brands and hospitality (restaurants, bars, hotels), starting with the platform’s advice, then adding our strategist take.
1) Campaign Duration: Plan to Your Cycle, Not TikTok’s
What TikTok says: | Our take: Plan to Your Cycle, Not TikTok’s |
|---|---|
| Don’t buy weeks you can’t fill with fresh creative. FMCG launches with supermarket distribution justify 9–12 weeks. Local restaurants or hotels rarely do - their demand is seasonal and moment-driven, so short, loud bursts perform better. |
Do: Align to Belgium’s sales periods (Jan/Jul) and festival season (Jun–Aug); stack your loudest moments there.
Don’t: Stretch flights just to “stay on.” If you can’t refresh creative, shorten.
2) Frequency: Exposures Only Work If Variety Exists
What TikTok says: | Our take: |
|---|---|
| Frequency amplifies variety, not repetition. If you have distinct assets (new hooks, POVs, offers), 2–3×/week works for FMCG (national). If your creative supply is thin (common in hospitality - local), cap at 1–2×/week and protect freshness. |
Do: Change the first 3 seconds (hook), viewpoint, talent, and CTA.
Don’t: Use frequency to compensate for a weak, repetitive asset.
3) Product Mix: Impact Must Match the Objective
What TikTok says: | Our take: |
|---|---|
Pair In-Feed (Reach & Frequency or auction) with one high-impact unit: TopView, Top Feed, Pulse, or Branded Mission. Typical phasing: Pre-launch (In-Feed) → Launch (TopView/Top Feed) → Sustain (Pulse/Mission) | Choose impact for business outcome, not vanity. TopView is worth it for national FMCG salience; it’s overkill for hospitality. For restaurants/hotels, Spark Ads (boosted creator posts with rights) + geo In-Feed deliver better ROI. Pulse is strong when you need adjacency to culture (on-sale week, hype). |
Do: Spend ~70% on scalable In-Feed reach; ~30% on one impact lever (TopView / Pulse / Spark) aligned to your goal.
Don’t: Buy TopView to “look big” if your market is a city, not a country.
4) Creative Volume: At Least 5 Assets
What TikTok says: | Our take: |
|---|---|
| Agreed. But “5 assets” doesn’t mean 5 separate productions. One shoot day can yield all you need if you plan right. A national food brand can cut one product shoot into lifestyle, demo, UGC testimonial, retailer callout, and POV. A restaurant can shoot five dishes in one tasting. |
Do: Plan shot list around hooks; deliver FR/NL variants (VO/subs) for Belgium.
Don’t: Leave a shoot with one “hero film.” That’s TV, not TikTok.
5) Reach: Hit the Right Share of Audience, Not Just 40%
What TikTok says: | Our take: |
|---|---|
Campaigns should reach 40% of your target audience for meaningful lift. Example budget split:
| That’s valid for FMCG brands with wide distribution - 40% reach drives awareness. But for hospitality, chasing 40% nationwide is a waste. Better to target 20–30% in your city/region and let creators and PR carry the rest. |
Do: Forecast unique reach/frequency before production; size creative needs accordingly.
Don’t: Overpay for national reach when your goal is 50 tables in one city.
Measurement & Learning
What TikTok says: | Our take: |
|---|---|
Optimize for brand lift, not CTR. | Correct, but incomplete. CTR is attention, not intent. Tie your metric to how you make money.
|
Do: Run pre/post or geo-split lift tests; track creative decay and refresh on schedule.
Don’t: celebrate 5% CTR if bookings or sales didn’t move.
Key Takeaway
Running a successful TikTok paid campaign means following five non-negotiables:
Plan in weeks, not posts. Minimum 3 weeks; extend only if you have enough creative.
Frequency with integrity. 2–3/week only if variety exists; otherwise 1–2/week with sharp hooks.
Format pairing with purpose. In-Feed + one impact format (TopView, Pulse, Spark), matched to your actual goal.
Five-from-one production. Every shoot should deliver 5+ usable assets.
Qualified reach. National for FMCG; regional for hospitality; spikes for festivals/events.
Lift > clicks. Measure what drives sales, bookings, or velocity.
Follow these rules, and your TikTok advertising strategy in Belgium, the Netherlands, or across Europe will deliver real brand impact.
FAQs
How much do TikTok ads cost in Belgium?
Expect low-to-mid single-digit € CPMs in normal periods (often €3–7), with Q4 retail spikes. Actuals vary by targeting, competition, and format.
Should food & beverage brands use TopView in Belgium?
For national launches, yes — it buys day-one salience. Pair with In-Feed scale.
Which formats work best for restaurants/hospitality?
Spark Ads (boosted creator posts with usage rights) + geo-targeted In-Feed. TopView usually overspends for local markets.
Do I need French/Dutch variants?
Yes. Split FR/NL assets (VO/subs and copy). Brussels often warrants bilingual variants.
How many creatives do I really need?
Start with 5+. If you can’t, shorten your flight; don’t stretch two assets over eight weeks.
Final Word
TikTok’s slides tell you how the platform wants you to spend. Our job is to adapt those rules for Belgium’s food & beverage brands and hospitality businesses so paid social turns into awareness, bookings, and sales velocity, not just views.
Because the mistake isn’t running TikTok ads. It’s running them the same way everyone else does.