TikTok Spark Ads: The Ultimate Guide for Marketers

Consumers everywhere have been complaining about the number of ads they receive online. Nobody likes the interruptive nature of digital ads, which is a major obstacle brands have been trying to overcome. In fact, Statista reported that around 63% of internet users in the U.S. have a negative attitude towards seeing an ad in an online video. The solution to this problem? TikTok Spark ads.

Recently, TikTok has launched a new advertising option for brands to sponsor already trending organic content on the app. This ad option will allow businesses to receive a boost without spending time creating content or commissioning an influencer to do so. With over 800 million monthly active users worldwide, it is no surprise that brands are capitalizing and trying to make money off of TikTok.

Intrigued by this new ad format? Let’s dive into how to get started with TikTok Spark ads.

Why should you advertise on TikTok?

Many advertisers are aware of TikTok’s rapid growth but are still hesitant to put their ad dollars towards a paid campaign. The two most common assumptions marketers have are:

  1. All TikTok users are a younger demographic, and a paid ad may not target their ideal audience.
  2. Their brand isn’t fit for the content on TikTok.

Although these are valid assumptions to have, they aren’t necessarily true.

Stats to help you determine if your business should advertise on TikTok

Are TikTok Spark Ads Right For Your Brand?

With the new ‘Spark’ ad feature, marketers can identify videos that fit the media campaign. Many creators will feature a product or service in their TikTok videos without a brand deal secured. If they love a certain brand, they typically will share this with their audience. Brands can effectively reach out to these creators and use or re-purpose their content for paid TikTok campaigns. These effective content pieces have proven value as they come from a third party that the brand’s target audience has deemed credible.

With the help of Spark, brands can now boost their products and services on TikTok. Brands can boost the organic posts and convert them into TopView and In-Feed Ads for higher conversion rates whenever relevant content is created. TikTok has enabled brands and creators to monetize organic video feeds through direct ads that do not disrupt user experiences.

One of the main reasons for this care in user experience is that TikTok is known for its short feeds. Disrupting user views can lead to intense negative associations with the app. To avoid this and enhance the experience, Spark Ads’ new native advertising format brings creative conversions to TikTok without disrupting users’ expectations. The new ad format allows users to become co-creators and consumers of the ads.

How-To Guide For TikTok Spark Ads

TikTok Boosted Posts have been enhanced to become Spark Ads. Spark ads, unlike Boosted Posts, are all about creative partnerships with excellent quality and relevant content. TikTok generates an authorization code that the advertiser (or marketer) can enter through the ad account. This authorization code can be run through the ad account only when the creator uploads an organic video.

How To Work With TikTok Spark Ads and Find Creators?

For marketers, it is necessary to control the brand voice and image.

Create Brand Guidelines:

Since users and customers will see the ads on the content creators’ videos, it is necessary to include brand guidelines when collaborating with content creators. A basic creator guideline that digital marketers can send to creators can be something like:

  • At least one video between 30 to 60 seconds
  • Brief description of product or service with full face or clean environment
  • In case of product sampling – show a before and after
  • Speak positively about the brand and its products, enumerating all the positive aspects of the product and brand.
  • Do not use profanity or vulgarity in the video
  • Do not use copyrighted audio
  • Do not show any competitors in the video or their brand names
  • Do not tag any other businesses in the video
  • Use text overlays for benefits callouts/ closed captioning for accessibility
  • Include only company specified hashtags

Including some simple yet basic guidelines while approaching content creators is an excellent way to maintain brand voice and tone. It is also necessary to ensure that organic video creation is done with the help of these guidelines to keep a positive brand image.

Contact Content Creators and Influencers:

Once you have found a couple of TikTok creators you’re interested in working with, reach out to them about a potential collaboration- it’s best to start negotiating the budget and deliverables from the start. Novice content creators on TikTok with very few viral videos may be easier to convince than well-established creators. It is also good to work with up-and-coming creators to increase traction and allow the TikTok algorithm to boost the videos automatically. Doing this saves money in promoting costs.

How To Get The TikTok Spark Ads Authorization Code:

Once the creator has published the content on TikTok, now is the time to get the authorization code for the Spark ad. Spark Ads work in dual ways. They help brands collaborate with content creators but also make creators accountable for boosting the ads. Once the content is uploaded, creators must share the authorization code with the brand to boost the organic post. Here is how TikTok users can activate ad authorization on their account:

  1. The TikTok creator must activate ‘Ad Authorization’ in the Privacy setting in their account.
  2. The creator will then need to select the video (to be boosted), click on the three dots, and get redirected to the ‘Share To’ page.
  3. Tap the ‘Ad Settings’ button and agree to the terms and conditions of TikTok’s advertising. Accepting these conditions will turn the video from Private to Public and make it visible for everyone to view.
  4. Once the conditions are accepted, the authorization period and video code can be generated instantly.
  5. Creators need to click on the ‘Generate Code’ button and specify how long they authorize the content. The default authorization period is thirty days.

When the code is generated, creators must share the code with the brand’s team for promotional use. When the team uses the code, it will turn green. Marketers can also keep track of the codes with collaborative efforts between the digital marketing team and the content creator. As the authorization period expires, the ‘delete code’ feature will appear.

How To Set Up A TikTok Spark Ad In The Ads Account?

Once the content creator has shared the Authorization code, the marketer needs to put the next steps into motion. Let us look at this step by step.

  1. Log in to the TikTok Ads Dashboard. There are four tabs visible at the top. You should scroll to the ‘Assets’ and click on ‘Creative.’
  2. In ‘Creative,’ select the ‘Spark Ads’ option, and click ‘Apply for Authorization.’
  3. This is where the code sent from the content creator must be entered. Copy-paste the exact code (without missing out on any characters).
  4. Once the TikTok video appears (that the content creator has made), you should click ‘Confirm.’
  5. If you have multiple ads, it is best practice to split the Spark Ads since the Click-Through Rates are much higher than the advertisements from the brand pages.
  6. Once the ads are divided into the Campaign and the different ad groups are established, you should click ‘Create.’
  7. Next, you should move from the Create tab to the Spark Ads tab.
  8. Select the post you want to boost, add the Call To Action button, and enter the link for the brand landing page. The Call To Action button can be named as per the brand guidelines. However, the name of the video will remain the same (as per the content creator).
  9. Save all changes.

Additional Tips:

  • Marketers should be very particular about the music, and video content creators make on behalf of the brand. It is best to provide hashtags like “#[brandname]partner” to comply with FTC guidelines. Abiding by the rules is necessary for complete transparency.
  • Creators should also be informed that they should only use sounds and music from the TikTok Commercial Sounds library. Anything else may come under copyright infringement.
  • It is best to allow influencers and creators to make content according to their creativity, but giving them a set of guidelines to adhere to, helps keep the brand image constant while protecting the content. It is best to communicate the written guidelines professionally to ensure compliance from all sides. Doing this also helps digital marketers maintain the brand image and reputation.

Wrapping Up

TikTok aims to drive better content collaboration between creators and brands, allowing both to gain a higher degree of recognition without compromising user experience. Spark Ads are excellent for boosting content that is on the verge of going viral. Organic content that is selected by the TikTok algorithm is helpful for targeted selection by brands.

It is now much easier (than before) to use the TikTok algorithm with the Spark Ads to effectively promote more content. Brands can get more followers on TikTok and generate millions of more views with the help of viral video creators and influencers.

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Author: Brittany Garlin

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