Spark Ads on TikTok – Everything you need to know

Posted on May 21, 2024
By user
Reading time: 9 minutes

Spark Ads on TikTok is a native ad format that allows you to advertise using organic TikTok posts and their features. Using these extensions can improve the visibility and performance of your ads by providing more relevant information to users. It’s a valuable strategy for increasing click-through rates and overall engagement.

In this blog post we’ll dive deep into Spark Ads and tell you more about:

What are TikTok Spark Ads?
What type of businesses should run Spark Ads?
What type of campaigns works best on TikTok?
Are Spark Ads similar to Dark posts on Facebook Ads?
What is the most similar ad type on Facebook to Spark Ads?

What are TikTok Spark Ads?

A type of sponsored content that appears in users’ feeds on TikTok is called Spark Ads. They are typically short, attention-grabbing videos that are designed to promote a product, service, or brand.

Spark Ads are marked with a “Sponsored” tag to indicate that they are paid content, and they may appear alongside organic content in users’ feeds.

TikTok Spark Ads are similar to other types of sponsored content on social media platforms, such as sponsored posts on Facebook or sponsored tweets on Twitter.

So, Spark Ads are an effective way for businesses to reach a large audience on TikTok and promote their products or services.

How to create TikTok Spark Ads?

To create Spark Ads there are two types of Identify available:

Identity type 1: Use your own Linked TikTok Business Account
Identity type 2: Use Authorized Accounts (authorized via Business Center) or Posts (authorized via video codes).

If your TikTok Business account is linked to Ads Manager and you want to use your own posts or push videos from Ads Manager to publish under your business account, go for Identity Type 1.

If you prefer using accounts authorized via the Business Center or posts authorized via video codes, choose Identity Type 2.

This choice depends on how you want to manage your TikTok business account and Ads Manager integration.

Now, let’s explain each method in detail.

Pull and Push via linked Business Account

After connecting your TikTok Business Account with TikTok For Business, you gain two primary options for creating Spark Ads.

The first option involves selecting posts directly from your linked Business Account.

Alternatively, you can upload or create new videos on Ads Manager and seamlessly publish them under your linked business account on the TikTok App without any additional in-app operations.

Let’s break down the steps.

Step 1. Choose "Use TikTok account to deliver Spark Ads"

Begin by selecting an Advertising Objective and configuring your Campaign and Ad Group settings.

Then, simply toggle the “Use TikTok account to deliver Spark Ads” option.

Step 2. Choose "Use account owned by you"

Opting for this choice allows you to use posts from your linked Business Account or push videos from Ads Manager without any extra in-app steps.

Step 3.1. Choose an existing post

To use an existing post, select “+TikTok Post.” Under Ad Details, pick the desired TikTok Post, confirm your selection, complete other ad settings, and click Submit to publish your Spark Ad.

Step 3.2. Push a new video

To create and push a new video, click “+Video” under Ad Details. Choose to Upload, Add from Library, or Create a new video. If necessary, select “Only show as an ad” to make it exclusively an ad.

Complete the remaining ad settings, and your Spark Ad is ready for action.

A noteworthy point is that once the ad successfully passes the review process, the pushed video will be published under your linked business account in private mode. You have the option to manually make it public within the TikTok app.

Use Authorized Accounts or Post from Other Creators

Another way to create Spark Ads is by working with TikTok influencers or content creators.

The influencer will then share the video with their followers, and it will be promoted to a wider audience through the TikTok algorithm.

If you want to use accounts or posts from other creators for your Spark Ads, follow these steps.

Step 1. Ensure authorized posts are allowed

Before using authorized posts in your Spark Ads, ensure that the posts’ creators have turned on the ad authorization toggle in their TikTok app.

This can be done by tapping on “Me,” going to Settings and Privacy (or tapping “Me” and selecting Creator tools), and turning on the Ad settings toggle.

Step 2. Authorize video for promotional use

To authorize a video for promotional use, select a TikTok post, and tap the three dots.

Then, choose Ad settings, agree to Advertising Content Terms of Service, and enable the Ad authorization toggle.

Generate a video code and share it with the advertiser. If you want the post to only appear in TikTok ads, enable the Only show in ads toggle.

Step 3. Enter the video code on TikTok Ads Manager

Once you receive the video code from the creator, go to TikTok Ads Manager, apply for authorization under the Creative library, and paste the video code in the search bar.

Review the post and confirm. For videos made by two creators, you’ll need to enter codes from both creators.

Step 4. Create a Spark Ad

After adding the authorized post to TikTok Ads Manager, create your Spark Ad.

Select an Advertising Objective at the Campaign Level.

Complete Campaign and Ad Group settings, enable “Use TikTok account to deliver Spark Ads” at the Ad Level.

Select the TikTok account that authorized the post, click +TikTok post to choose your creative.

Complete Ad Settings, and click Submit.

To apply for a new post-authorization, click +Authorize TikTok Post.

Enter the video code, and select the TikTok account that authorized the post.

What type of business should run Spark Ads?

There are a few key factors to consider when deciding whether to start a Spark Ads campaign on TikTok for your business.

So, let’s see what you need to take into consideration when creating Spark Ads.

The first to think about is your audience. Is your target audience active on TikTok? If your target audience is primarily older or not interested in the types of content that are popular on TikTok, Spark ads may not be an effective way to reach them.

Second is your product. Is the product or service you are promoting a good fit for the TikTok platform? TikTok is known for its creative and humorous content, so products or services that lend themselves to this type of content may be more successful on the platform.

And the last thing is the marketing budget. Do you have the resources to create and run effective Spark ads? Spark ads can be a cost-effective way to reach a large audience, but they do require an investment in terms of time and resources.

What type of campaign works best on TikTok?

When setting up a campaign on TikTok, it’s important to consider your marketing goals. If your main goal is to drive conversions, consider setting up a conversion campaign optimized for complete payment.

Spark ads can be an effective way to promote your products or services and drive conversions on TikTok.

TikTok allows you to create several different types of campaigns, including brand awareness campaigns, traffic campaigns, and conversion campaigns.

Each campaign type has a unique purpose and goal. A brand awareness campaign will increase the visibility of your brand, while a traffic campaign will drive users to a specific destination.

The third campaign type is a conversion campaign, which entices users to take a specific action, such as making a purchase or completing a form.

Are Spark Ads similar to Dark posts on Facebook Ads?

Spark Ads and Dark posts are both types of sponsored content designed to promote a product, service, or brand.

However, there are some key differences between the two.

One key difference is that Dark posts on Facebook are not visible to the general public. They are only visible to the specific target audience. Dark posts are designed to reach a specific audience, and they do not appear in users’ feeds or on brand pages.

Businesses use dark posts to test different ad copy, images, or targeting options. One more way for using dark posts is to run highly targeted campaigns to specific user groups.

In contrast, Spark Ads on TikTok are visible to all users on the platform. Although, they are typically only shown to users who are most likely to be interested in the product. Spark Ads are marked with a “Sponsored” tag to indicate that they are paid content, and they appear alongside organic content in users’ feeds.

Spark Ads on TikTok and Dark posts on Facebook are effective tools to promote products.

However, they differ in terms of their visibility and targeting options.

What is the most similar ad type on Facebook to Spark Ads?

On Facebook, the ad type that is most similar to Spark Ads on TikTok is likely sponsored posts. Sponsored posts are a type of paid content that appears in users’ feeds. The posts are designed to promote a product, service, or brand. Like Spark Ads, sponsored posts are typically created by businesses in collaboration with influencers or content creators.

The goal of sponsored posts is to grab users’ attention with images, videos, or other types of media.

Sponsored posts on Facebook target specific audiences based on factors such as location, demographics, interests, and behaviors. Businesses can also track the performance of their sponsored posts using Facebook’s ad analytics tools.

Altogether, sponsored posts on Facebook and Spark Ads on TikTok are similar. They are both types of paid content that appear in users’ feeds and are designed to promote. However, there may be some differences in the specific targeting options and ad formats available on each platform.

So, this is just one of a few differences between TikTok and Facebook ads.

What is the most similar ad type on Facebook to Spark Ads?

Like everything in digital marketing, you need to test it to know for sure whether Spark Ads would work for your store. The most important step in trying Spark Ads is to optimize your campaigns the right way.

Without the right optimization, you won’t really know if Spark Ads is the right choice for your store. There is a lot of information available on how to run TikTok ads and how to optimize them.

But, with all this different information, starting TikTok advertising can be overwhelming.

So, the question is, how can you be sure that your campaigns are optimized in the right way? With the help of Lebesgue: AI CMO, you can easily find out which part of your campaigns aren’t optimized by advertising best practices.

Summing up

I hope this guide on Spark Ads proves helpful for you. With these insights, you’re well-equipped to create engaging content on TikTok.

Feel free to dive in, experiment, and let your brand flourish in the world of Spark Ads. If you have any questions or need further assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out.

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