At its fifth annual “TikTok World” event, TikTok has unveiled a suite of new ad tools whereby one of its latest brainchildren is called “Market Scope.” It’s essentially a crystal ball for advertisers who want to know exactly where their audience sits in the buying cycle.

Here’s how it works–TikTok now groups your audience into three neat little categories: “Awareness” (people who just discovered your brand exists), “Consideration” (people actively thinking about buying your stuff), and “Conversion” (people whose wallets are practically jumping out of their pockets).

Here’s the kicker: TikTok claims their “Consideration” audience is 14-16 times more likely to convert than those wallflowers stuck in the awareness stage. The platform tracks over 12 signals to make these determinations, though they’re being mysteriously vague about what those signals are.

Building on “Market Scope”‘s data treasure trove, TikTok is also launching “Brand Consideration Ads,” which target users who show “meaningful signs of exploration and engagement.” Corporate translation: people who are definitely thinking about buying your stuff but haven’t pulled the trigger yet.

In addition, TikTok is rolling out “Search Center,” an AI-powered platform for buying search ads. This actually makes perfect sense when you realize that Gen Z increasingly uses TikTok to search for everything from restaurant recommendations to relationship advice. 

What’s interesting about these updates is how they represent TikTok’s evolution from chaotic entertainment platform to serious advertising ecosystem. 

You can read more here.