TikTok is helping app marketers move beyond simple download metrics to achieve real business outcomes, turning user acquisition into measurable transactions and long-term growth.
App marketers refers to professionals who promote mobile apps to attract, engage and retain users throughout the app’s lifecycle.
The platform’s strategy emphasises the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and data-driven tools to improve performance and efficiency.
Successful marketing strategies should leverage TikTok’s strengths in discovery, advanced measurement, and automation to deliver scalable and sustainable results, according to the company.
“TikTok reaches more than 460 million monthly users in Southeast Asia, including 50 million in Thailand. This scale creates significant growth opportunities for developers, app publishers and businesses, and reflects our vision for Southeast Asia as a key driver of the region’s digital economy,” said Nikhil Rolla, head of strategic accounts in Southeast Asia at TikTok, at the recent TikTok SEA App Summit 2025 in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Mr Rolla said app marketers face three challenges, with the first fragmented user attention — people use more than 10 apps per session, making it hard for any single app to stand out.
Second, acquiring and retaining users is tougher than ever, amid rising costs and declining loyalty. The third challenge is downloads alone do not guarantee success.
“Marketers must focus on how installs convert to transactions and long-term growth to truly measure return on ad spend,” he said.
TikTok offers a solution for app marketers, reaching 1 billion users worldwide with daily time spent on the platform per user roughly 90 minutes, said Mr Rolla.
Up to 40% of TikTok’s users are exclusive, not found on other platforms, while 63% of users are younger and one-third have a high income, offering strong purchasing power, he said.
TikTok’s interest-based discovery engine, creator-driven content, and live-streaming enhance visibility and engagement, said Mr Rolla.
Some 98% of live-streaming viewers are new, helping marketers attract and convert fresh customers.
In addition, TikTok’s return on ad spend for apps has nearly doubled over the past couple of years.
The app industry is shifting towards smarter automation and data-driven strategies. At the heart of TikTok’s AI tools is Symphony, which turns ideas into videos in minutes, complete with scripts, assets, dubbing and AI avatars.
AI-powered tools such as Smart+ automate targeting, bidding and creative selection to optimise effectively without a manual process, he said.
Mr Rolla said TikTok offers a full-funnel ad solution that combines brand awareness with the measurable results of performance marketing, helping marketers reach audiences from discovery to conversion and loyalty.
“We want every app to reach its audience, connect deeply and scale results,” he said.
“Through the integration of creativity, technology and insight, we’re helping brands and developers thrive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.”
Marcus Yong, vice-president for global marketing at Klook, said the company is focusing on AI and social commerce to stay ahead of industry trends.
While AI innovation continues, testing showed real creators outperform AI avatars, prompting Klook to double down on social commerce in 2026.
Creating a seamless loop on platforms from user discovery to engagement, conversion and sharing enhances the customer journey, he said.
Klook leverages TikTok to reach Millennial and Gen Z audiences, and its global campaigns help Klook move from demand capture to demand generation, said Mr Yong.
Thunyavut Vongsoonthorn, general manager at TikTok for business in Thailand, said the growth of Thai TikTok customers who are app marketers is similar to other markets in Southeast Asia, especially in the retail, travel, game and finance sectors.
Amid a challenging economy, TikTok enables marketers to optimise and measure marketing results by providing insights to pinpoint where target users are on their buying journey, he said.
Behavioural data helps brands understand what motivates serious buyers — from first hearing of the brand to taking action.
Moreover, TikTok provides automation tools such as AI to help brands or small and medium-size enterprises create their own content or connect with the right creators and optimise ad spending, said Mr Thunyavut.
“Technology enables marketers to automate their works and gain insights, but success still requires creativity,” he said.
APP ECONOMY
David Law, regional sales director of SensorTower, a market research firm, said Southeast Asia’s app economy continues to grow rapidly, with 9.4 billion new app downloads and US$2.6 billion in revenue in the first half of 2025.
Users are spending roughly $10,000 per minute on in-app purchases, and for the first time non-gaming apps have overtaken traditional gaming apps in revenue.
The key growth drivers include TikTok, which sees users online for 90-100 minutes per day, and effectively converts engagement into spending, he said.
Another driver is finance apps, particularly mobile-first banking, which empowers underserved users, with engagement highest among those aged 25-34, but rapidly growing among people 18-24. The final push comes from mobile gaming, where Southeast Asia ranks second globally in downloads, supported by community-focused titles and hybrid monetisation models, said Mr Law.