The easiest TikTok Search mistake to fix

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Say you sell succulents. You set up a TikTok search campaign, add the keyword "plants," and leave it on broad match.

A week later you're paying for clicks from people searching outdoor garden plants.

That's what broad match does to a keyword that isn't already specific.

TikTok gives you three match types, and each one controls how strictly your keyword gets interpreted:

A broad term like "plants" should never run on broad match, because the term itself is too vague to narrow down intent.

Broad match earns its place when your catalog is wide.

Say you run a general plant shop that carries succulents, ferns, palms, and outdoor garden plants. A shopper searching "how do I make my apartment feel more alive" isn't typing a plant keyword at all, but you actually have a product for them. Broad match is what catches that search and shows them a plant they didn't know to look for. It works because your catalog can cover almost any related search with a real product.

Action Summary:

Credit: Chase Chappell

Casey Bard, who runs the seasoning sauce brand Tacticalories, got a complaint from a customer who said his barbecue seasoning tasted like artificial smoke. Casey agreed with him. Told him he was right, since there's no way to bottle real smoke, then sent him a 100% off coupon to try something else instead of just refunding him.

That customer went on to buy from Casey five more times.

Casey says he actually finds a legitimate complaint interesting, because it's a chance to prove the brand behind the product is real.

Agree with the customer if they're right. Don't defend the product reflexively. If someone says a seasoning tastes artificial and it does, in fact, use liquid smoke flavoring instead of the real thing, say so. Naming the actual limitation is more convincing than a generic "sorry you feel that way."

Replace the refund with a choice. Instead of just returning their money, give them a way to try something else on you. Casey's move was a 100% off coupon for a different product, not just cash back. That keeps the customer inside the brand instead of ending the relationship at the refund.

Use plain, direct language Casey's actual response was blunt and human: acknowledge the issue, crack a joke about it, offer the fix. That tone reads as a real person solving a real problem

Track who you're sending free or discounted product to. Casey uses Shopify draft orders instead of just comping people off the books, so every complaint resolution is still logged as a real order tied to a real customer. That keeps your data clean and lets you see who's actually converting after the fix.

Action Summary:

Credit: ethercycle

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