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What are Spark Ads on TikTok?
Spark Ads are TikTok ads that boost an existing organic post, either from your own account or from a creator's account with their authorisation. The ad shows the original handle and keeps the post's likes, comments and shares, so it looks native. Engagement from the ad also accrues to the original post.
Also answers: How do Spark Ads work?
How Spark Ads work, step by step
- The creator (or your brand account) posts the video organically on TikTok.
- The creator turns on ad authorisation for the post and generates an authorisation code; TikTok lets them set its duration.
- The creator sends you the code.
- You enter it in TikTok Ads Manager and build the ad with your targeting, budget and call to action.
- The ad runs until you stop it or the authorisation ends.
What's different from standard in-feed ads
| Spark Ads | Standard in-feed | |
|---|---|---|
| Source | An existing organic post | A file uploaded to Ads Manager |
| Shown under | The posting account's handle | Your ad account identity |
| Engagement | Credited to the organic post | Stays on the ad |
| Caption | From the post; not editable in Ads Manager | Written in Ads Manager |
All details from TikTok's Spark Ads help page. TikTok also notes a sparked video has to be un-authorised before the creator can delete it, and videos up to 10 minutes can be sparked.
When to use them
When a post is already doing well organically, when a creator's handle adds trust, or when you want ad engagement to build your own account's posts.
Prefer not to manage creators? ScrollStop Labs writes and produces UGC-style ads from a short email brief, with no calls.