Everything you wanted to know about TikTok Spark Ads

Got some good TikTok content? It might be perfect for a Spark Ad!

TikTok offers tons of advertising opportunities to brands, one of those powerful options being Spark Ads.

What exactly is a Spark Ad, though? Well, you create a Spark Ad by using an existing piece of content, whether on your channel, or created by an influencer. They show up in your viewers' feeds just like another TikTok video as they're scrolling their For You pages or Following pages.

Yes, it's native advertising at its best! And 79% of consumers want to see ads that blend into the page or service they're currently using. It's a less intrusive and far more natural experience that boosts conversion rates.

However, what sort of content works best for Spark Ads? Should you create content specifically for Spark Ads, or reuse your existing influencer content? How can you make the most of your foray into TikTok advertising?

Don't worry - we'll cover the essentials of Spark Ads in this blog post and even include a few helpful tips along the way.

Let's get into it!

Benefits of Spark Ads

As we mentioned earlier, TikTok Spark Ads are ads created with existing organic content, created either by you or another creator.

It looks, walks, and talks just like your everyday TikTok video. TikTok says it best:

"This ad format allows the same user interactions as organic videos: users can comment, like and share; they can visit your brand's profile by swiping left, or clicking the handle name or profile picture; they can even follow your brand's account by clicking the + icon on the profile picture."

So, basically, it has the power of an organic post, with the targetability and conversion power of an ad. You can add a call-to-action to encourage conversions, and you can even create a landing page and showcase that when users click through to your profile.

It's really a perfect blend of organic and paid strategies!

Here are some more reasons why TikTok Spark Ads are amazing:

Spark Ads tend to perform better than other ads on TikTok. Because they walk and talk like regular TikTok content, they blend in with the rest of the platform and feel far more natural. So naturally, that encourages native interaction from those audience members who resonate with your message!

You leverage the existing performance of the organic content. When you turn a piece of great content into a Spark Ad, your paid ad stats like views and interactions get added on top of the existing organic views. This means the ad has more clout behind it, and will make it more popular in terms of reach and visibility.

You save your team time reinventing the wheel. By using content that is already proven to work, you're saving your whole team time and maximizing your potential reach. Boosting existing content is an excellent way to maximize reach when you're just getting started or testing out ads.

Spark Ads can also help you build your TikTok community. Because Spark Ads direct viewers to your brand profile rather than a landing page, you can build your follower base and gain traction with your profile, helping you in the future!

When should I use Spark Ads?

It's quite simple - Spark Ads work best when you have a high-performing piece of content at your disposal.

However, it's important to remember that you can also leverage high-performing content created by creators and influencers too!

For example, say you've just completed an influencer campaign on TikTok, and you notice that a few posts are performing really well. Those are perfect candidates for a Spark Ad - you know that the content resonates, so you maximize its potential by putting it in front of more people.

According to data from TikTok, Spark Ads perform far better when compared to the other ad formats TikTok offers, so, really, they're great to use whenever you can.

Whether you have a great piece of content that you want to double down on, are launching a new product and want as many people as possible to see it, or simply start testing out advertising on TikTok, Spark Ads are a great tool for you.

Tips for effective Spark Ads

When you're starting to think of how to use Spark Ads, here are some things to keep in mind!

Choose videos that reinforce your brand message. Not every video is great for a Spark Ad. Make sure the content you use has your brand values to ensure continunity and brand uniformity.

Work with creators who are relevant to your audience. While you can use influencers you've worked with before, make sure to browse TikTok to find creators who love your brand - it's easy to contact them and ask them to use their content in your Spark Ads.

Use videos with strong organic performance. This means taking videos with high comments, likes, views, shares, or more. This boosts the conversion rate of your ads, as you know the creative is already good!

Use a diverse range of video types. TikTok trends are changing all the time, so get comfortable with experimentation. Test a variety of formats to find which one works best for specific markets.

Measure more than clicks. TikTok differs from other platforms in that viewers are more likely to see posts that resonate with them rather than from who they follow. So measuring your engagement stats can give you a better idea of the ad performance than just clicks.

Leverage creators' networks! Having creators post content about your brand on their own profile is infinitely more authentic than posting from your brand's profile.

Setting up a Spark Ad (Step by step)

So how do you go about setting up a Spark Ad on your ad account?

Well, first of all, make sure you have a business account on TikTok where you can run ads. You can create one here.

After, before you get started, there are a few things to have in advance which will speed things along:

• A verification code of the video you want to use for your Spark Ad (provided by the creator)
• The creator profile name
• A URL that you want to direct viewers to

1. Get the code from the creator for the video you wish to make a Spark Ad of. Make sure you have agreed on using the content for advertising beforehand!

2. Go to your TikTok ads dashboard. Select "Assets" and then “Creative”.

3. Select “Spark Ads” tab and then “Apply for Authorization”.

4. Paste the verification code provided by the creator sent you and click on “Search” to find the TikTok video. Select "Confirm".

5. Choose the ad sets at the campaign and ad group level. Then choose “Spark Ads” next to “Create New”, and enter the name of the ad.

6. Select the identity of the TikTok account that you want the ad to run from (the best results come from selecting the creator's account).

7. Under “Ad Details”, choose “+ TikTok Post”. Click the box in the top right corner to select the video, then select "Confirm".

8. Select your CTA, then add the URL that the viewer will be taken to from the ad. After that, click “Submit” and you're ready to add it to your campaign!

Adding your Spark Ad to your TikTok campaign

1. Beside "Assets", select "Campaign", then "Create" to create your first TikTok campaign.

2. Create your campaign name and choose the goal for your campaign.

3. Choose if you want to split test your ads, optimize your budget, or set a budget for your campaign.

3. Choose if you want to manually select who to target with your ads or have automatic targeting.

4. Next, add the Spark Ad you created previously.

5. Select "Submit" and your campaign will go for review!

6. If you need to add funds for your campaign, you can add them from the Dashboard.

Get started with Spark Ads today

What's the foundation of a great ad? Great creative!

Getting amazing creative that converts is a struggle, I know. However, there are loads of talented and incredible creators who are willing to help you, if you know where to look.

At Boksi, we're proud to have a broad network of over 15,000 influencers and creators who are waiting to help you with your next influencer campaign. And best of all, once your campaign ends, you can purchase full usage rights to your favourite content and reuse it however you like - maybe in a Spark Ad?

We cover the benefits of reusing and repurposing your influencer content in another blog post - if you're not convinced that repurposing content is the way to go, you may be surprised!