Spark Ads and Creator Content on TikTok
How to turn your own TikTok posts and creators' posts into ads, and what to agree with creators first.
Key Takeaways
- Spark Ads promote an existing organic TikTok post, from your account or a creator's, as an ad. Likes, comments and shares stay with the post.
- To promote a creator's post, the creator generates an authorization code and shares it with you.
- Agree in writing how long you may promote the post and what you pay before asking for the code.
- Creator content often outperforms brand-made ads on TikTok because it looks like the content people chose to watch.
On This Page
Spark Ads let a business promote an existing TikTok post, either its own or a creator's, as an ad that keeps the original account name, likes and comments. They are often the strongest ad format on TikTok because they look like normal content. Promoting a creator's post needs an authorization code from the creator, so agree the fee, the promotion period and any exclusivity in writing before asking for it.
How Spark Ads Work
A Spark Ad runs a real TikTok post as an ad. People who see it can visit the original account, and engagement from the ad adds to the post's public counts. You can promote posts from your own business account or from creators who authorize you.
Getting Authorization From a Creator
- The creator opens the post's ad settings in TikTok and turns on ad authorization.
- They generate an authorization code and choose how long it lasts.
- They send you the code.
- You add the code in TikTok Ads Manager and create the Spark Ad from that post.
The creator can see that the post is being promoted and can usually revoke authorization, so the written agreement matters.
Finding Creators
Look for creators whose audience matches your customers and whose videos feel natural and clear on camera. For local businesses, nearby creators with a modest following often produce better ads than large accounts, since their videos feel like recommendations from someone local. TikTok One, TikTok's creator marketplace, is one place to search.
Usage Terms to Agree
- Fee for the video and for the right to promote it
- How long you may run it as a Spark Ad
- Whether you may also download the video and run it as your own ad on TikTok or other platforms
- Whether the creator may work with competitors during the period
- Who approves the video before it posts
Brand Ads and Creator Ads Compared
| Brand-made ad | Creator Spark Ad | |
|---|---|---|
| Look and feel | Can feel like an advertisement | Looks like normal TikTok content |
| Account shown | Your business | The creator's account |
| Social proof | Starts from zero | Keeps the post's engagement |
| Control | Full | Shared with the creator |
Most accounts benefit from a mix, testing several creators against the brand's own videos and keeping whichever produce the lowest cost per customer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Spark Ads authorization code?
A code a creator generates in TikTok that lets an advertiser promote one of their posts for a set period.
Can I run Spark Ads from my own account?
Yes. Business accounts can promote their own organic posts as Spark Ads.
Do Spark Ads work better than regular TikTok ads?
They often do because they look like normal content and keep their engagement, though results vary by creator and video.