What Are TikTok Spark Ads? Everything You Need to Know About This TikTok Ad Format

With an estimated 834.3 million monthly users worldwide in 2023, TikTok is the third-largest social network globally. Amidst this rapid rise to the top, TikTok Spark Ads have emerged as a revolutionary tool for brands seeking to establish a meaningful presence and drive authentic connections with the TikTok community. So, what are TikTok Spark Ads? How has it been the perfect platform to unlock limitless marketing potential? Here is everything you need to know about TikTok’s unique ad format:

What Are TikTok Spark Ads?

Since its global launch in July 2021, TikTok Spark Ads has provided brands with a one-of-a-kind solution to establish their presence in a seamless and authentic manner. By blending organic content with native ad functionality, Spark Ads transforms original TikToks into compelling ads, preserving the platform’s genuine feel. This method lies between organic content and paid advertising, further captivating the audience that strays away from advertisements. TikTok is recognized as a platform that provides people with an immersive content viewing experience meant to lift their spirits, bringing together communities that share similar interests, passions, and humor. As a brand, you are able to leverage this idea and transform it into an opportunity to engage with these communities while extending your overall reach, boosting brand discovery and awareness. You have the ability to utilize this format in two distinct manners:

Amplifying Your Own Content:

Spark Ads is linked to your TikTok account, therefore you have the ability to use your own posts or content to efficiently promote your ideas. This way you are attributing any engagement received through the Spark Ad back to the original organic post. With additional TikTok features such as Duets, Stitches, and Stickers, you can encourage collaborations with your audience and extend your reach further.

Collaborate with other Creators:

Through correct authorization from a creator, you have the ability to utilize their already published organic content as an ad. You are working with content that has proven to be popular amongst your audience which can establish credibility as well, as the audience now sees how your brand fits their lifestyle. This overall facilitates partnerships with other creators on the platform and enables brands to connect with creators who play a vital role in shaping trends and sharing authentic experiences with products and services.

How Do TikTok Spark Ads Benefit Your Brand:

Spark Ads showcase numerous very distinct advantages, that create unique opportunities for brand marketers in terms of engagement and brand discovery. Here are some reasons why using TikTok’s Spark Ads is beneficial for your brand:

Authenticity Through Native Functionality:

What differentiates Spark Ads from other ad formats is the capability of offering authentic, genuine content through engaging reviews and recommendations. A study conducted by Bulbshare reveals that  99% of Gen Z skips ads when given the chance. This generation avoids promotional content that does not align with their interest or values, and the fast-scrolling environment that TikTok has created enables them to do so, which is where Spark Ads come into play. These ads have the ability to fit seamlessly into their For-You-Pages as organic content making this audience more inclined to view and imbibe the information presented to them. Features such as clicking profile photos, and swiping left to the video owner’s profile create a genuine and authentic experience that will further the connection between your brand and the TikTok community. TikTok found that Spark Ads has a 134% higher completion rate than regular in-feed ads, further emphasizing how the authenticity received as a result of the native functionality can capture the attention of your audience and enhance the overall user experience. 

Amplifying Ad Performance:

Spark Ads is mainly recognized for its ability to create an ad out of UGC maximizing the authenticity factor of the feature. Such ideas have prompted many to experiment with Spark Ads, to understand if leveraging this feature can boost their overall ad performance. An experiment conducted by Replug showcases how through the utilization of Spark Ads they were able to generate 250% more followers and a 150% boost in likes during the three-week tenure. The average watch duration and profile visits also increased by 20% and 45% respectively. TikTok also found that through the landing page UI, you can experience a 69% higher conversion rate. Such boosts in performance highlight how the usage of this ad format can prove beneficial for further brand discovery.

Innovative Features:

As mentioned previously, in theme with keeping the integrity of the app, Spark Ads allows the audience to interact with the ad through Duets, Stitches, and Stickers. The Duet feature allows you to post your own video alongside another video, the Stitch feature enables you to combine another video on TiktTok with the one you are creating, and Stickers is a form of animation that sticks to the videos. Such features keep the audience engaged and help build a connection between your brand and the audience. Spark Ads also enables brands to capitalize on TikTok’s vast library of music by allowing users to click on the sound and artist’s name, leading them to the music page. This feature enhances the overall appeal of the ad, especially for campaigns that rely on trending music. Lastly, you are presented with a diverse range of click-through options. Spark Ads compared to traditional ads allows you to also view the profile of the account rather than simply the advertising landing page. Users can click CTA buttons and ad captions to be directed to the advertising landing page or they click on the profile photo to follow the account. All of these features are not only lead generations but also opportunities to further engagement and brand loyalty. 

Comprehensive Metrics Tracking:

Accurately measuring campaign success through the use of analytics is of utmost importance to ensure you are allocating your resources appropriately and are giving yourself the opportunity to pivot your brand strategy if needed. Keeping this in mind, Spark Ads offers their users a comprehensive set of metrics, including paid clicks, music clicks, paid likes, paid shares, paid followers, paid profile visits, paid comments, anchor clicks, and the anchor click rate. Since a greater number of user interactions are permitted, a larger amount of data is available as to what ad viewers are interested in, which allows users to have a broader outlook on what is performing well and what isn’t for future changes. 

How Do Spark Ads Support Influencer Marketing:

TikTok has already proven itself to be a successful platform for collaborating with influencers as they have enhanced campaign impact with the help of their dedicated audiences and authentic content. In fact, 65% of TikTok users rely on online reviews and creator recommendations to guide their purchases, which is why activating creators for Spark Ads can prove to be a terrific method to generate high-quality content that will boost brand discovery. According to TikTok, 157% more users watch Spark Ads than regular in-feed ads, so by leveraging the existing fan base and already well-performing organic content of the creator you can fuel the campaign’s overall engagement, reach, and effectiveness. The future of Spark Ads holds exciting trends, including the rise of influencer marketing and shifts in advertising budgets toward digital platforms.

Conclusion:

TikTok Spark Ads have revolutionized digital marketing, offering brands a unique opportunity to blend interaction and paid media. By blending organic content with native ad functionality, Spark Ads preserves the genuine feel of regular posts, ensuring higher engagement and resonance with users. Captiv8’s platform provides a user-friendly way to initiate Spark Ads, allowing brands to customize each variable, define audience parameters, and set clear objectives for maximum impact. Find out how to tap into the power of Spark Ads to boost ROI, and leverage Captiv8’s platform for seamless campaign execution and optimization by taking a platform tour today!