How can I stabilize my TikTok Ads results and fix 'Audience too small' error?

Start a Business

Topic summary

Unstable TikTok Ads performance and a persistent “Audience too small” error when building custom audiences from site events.

  • Performance swings: 1–2 days of strong results (ROAS 2.5–6; Shopify CVR 2–5%), followed by 1–3 days with 0–1 order, pulling average ROAS down to ~1. Uses 75% and 100% VV lookalike audiences (video viewers who watched 75%/100% of the video). Wonders if the volatility is common and how to stabilize results.

  • Audience building issue: Creating custom audiences from Page View and View Content triggers “Audience too small” despite tens of thousands of recorded actions. Seeks a fix.

  • Context: Product described as very TikTok-friendly; overall stats considered strong, with inconsistency being the core problem.

  • Status: No solutions or concrete actions shared. Another participant reports the same issues and asks whether a solution was found. Discussion remains open with unresolved questions about stabilizing performance and resolving the audience size error.

Notes: ROAS = return on ad spend; CVR = conversion rate; VV lookalikes = audiences modeled from users who watched a high percentage of a video.

Summarized with AI on December 20. AI used: gpt-5.
1

Ello! :grinning_face:

I’ve tried TikTok Ads for a while. Didn’t get any conversions to begin with, but decided to try 75% and 100% VV Lookalike Audiences, and finally see some profit! :cowboy_hat_face:

However, the results are really unstable. Typically I have 1-2 days with 2,5-6 ROAS and 2-5% (Shopify) CVR, and then 1-3 days of 0 (maybe 1) order(s). And so it just goes in cycles. It’s really frustrating as some days the results are simply fantastic, while the following days wreck the profitability and turn negative :-1:

It’s almost as if the TikTok Ads platform won’t let me reach relevant buyers / customers for more than 1-2 days :thinking:
Is this a common problem? Is there anything I can do in attempt to fix this?

Another problem:
I’ve tried to create a custom audience from Page View and View Content.
Even though I have tens of thousands of actions, I get the error “Audience too small”. Is there any fix to this?

Thanks in advance for your reply!

2

I have great stats overall. Very tiktok-friendly product

As I said, the problem is inconsistency. A few days in a row I make really good money while the next few days are straight up horrible.

Meaning - I’m ending at an average roas of ~ 1. Which is sad after seing 3, 4 and even 6 roas multiple days before it suddenly goes all the way down..

3

Have you ever got the solution? I have the same problem!