TikTok Spark Ads is an advertising format that allows brands to leverage content that has already gone viral or is user-generated to reach target customers more effectively. If you are looking for an advertising solution that is both budget-friendly, and also “touches” the trust and emotions of viewers on the fastest-growing video platform today, then Spark Ads is the strategic option you should consider.
According to TikTok's own data, users tend to trust and interact with user-generated content (UGC) using Spark Ads up to 142% compared to traditional advertising.This helps increase communication effectiveness, enhance brand credibility, and simultaneously boost superior conversion rates..
From hands-on experience with hundreds of SMEs in Vietnam, DPS.MEDIA has found that: Spark Ads is especially effective when you want to promote products/services based on social effects, leverage natural virality, or need to optimize advertising budgets during market testing phases. Brands can “catch” trends,create conversations and resonate value with customers quickly without worrying about wasting creative resources..
If you are striving to build a presence on TikTok and want to achieve real results instead of just stopping at impression numbers, this is the solution DPS.MEDIA recommends you should not overlook.
Explore TikTok Spark Ads from the practical perspective of SME businesses
What is the Spark Ads solution and how does it differ from traditional TikTok ads?
Spark Ads is the only advertising model on TikTok that allows SME businesses to directly use original video content created by users or businesses posted on real accounts – instead of having to create entirely new ads.. This is an important difference compared to traditional In-Feed Ads or TopView ads. According to TikTok for Business (2023), Spark Ads campaigns achieved interaction rates up to 34% thanks to leveraging the natural virality of UGC (User Generated Content).
- High authenticity: Ads use real videos, increasing the sense of closeness and trustworthiness.
- Expand reach: The original video continues to attract organic engagement even when running ads.
- Cost optimization: According to DPS.MEDIA analysis, SMEs can save 20-30% of their budget compared to producing new videos for each short-term campaign.
When should SMEs in Vietnam use Spark Ads?
Based on a synthesis of practical studies (The Drum, Harvard Business Review, 2023) and more than 20 cases implemented by DPS.MEDIA, Spark Ads truly prove effective in the following situations:
| Implementation timing | Business example | Outstanding benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Launching a new product | MeMo Japanese Ceramics used internal reviews & UGC to create a viral launch | Stimulate FOMO, increase followers by 120% in 2 weeks |
| Want to leverage available viral content | GenZ coffee chain remixed the giant cup challenge video | Both organic and paid growth, saving 28% in costs |
| Increase brand credibility | Cosmetics startup leveraged mini KOL reviews with Spark Ads | increase trust & direct conversion |
From practical observation, we suggest:
- Start Spark Ads when you have content receiving positive engagement from the community.
- Especially effective for SMEs with new, unique, or trending product advantages.
- Continuously combine A/B testing to optimize costs & customer segments.
According to Ms. Hong Van – DPS.MEDIA strategy expert: “Don’t chase quantity, invest in the quality of your initial video ideas, because Spark Ads can amplify social effects – creating unimaginable viral impact for SMEs when leveraging authentic content well.”.
Outstanding features that make Spark Ads a breakthrough on TikTok
Natural engagement with users on TikTok
Spark ads not just “a type of advertisement”, but truly a seamless bridge between original content and sustainable marketing performance on TikTok. According to DPS.MEDIA, the first unique factor is the ability to promote videos created by users or brands themselves, creating a natural feeling, less marked by “sales” than traditional ads.
- Building trust: Ads from original videos help brands stand on equal footing with users, not blending into the market noise.
- Breakthrough thanks to UGC: Spark Ads maximizes UGC (User Generated Content) – the key factor that creates natural interaction and strong virality (Chen et al., 2023, Journal of Interactive Marketing).
Optimized reach & advanced performance measurement
the big difference of Spark Ads is the measurement system quality interaction (high-quality engagements, shares, new followers), not just stopping at views. DPS.MEDIA found that businesses can leverage a powerful analytics dashboard, extracting data by each video/creator.
| Criteria | Spark Ads | Traditional advertising |
|---|---|---|
| Naturalness | High | Low |
| Viral capability | Very high | Average |
| Diverse measurement metrics | Full (Engagement, Follower…) | Limitations |
Evidence: Case study of a 240% follower increase with Spark Ads
DPS.MEDIA once implemented Spark Ads for a local cosmetic brand, starting from a KOL review video on TikTok. After 10 days, the brand's followers increased by 240%, comments increased 5 times, and CPM costs dropped by over 40% compared to traditional in-feed ad formats. Insight: “Leveraging authentic content and amplifying it with Spark Ads is the ‘golden’ formula for SMEs to build trust and spread reputation on TikTok in 2024.”
How are Spark Ads different from traditional TikTok In-Feed Ads
Quick comparison between Spark Ads and In-Feed Ads
| Characteristics | Spark Ads | Traditional In-Feed Ads |
|---|---|---|
| Content format | Promoting from authentic (organic) TikTok videos | Completely newly created ad videos |
| Comments and interactions | Allows retention of all original comments and likes | Separate interactions, not shown on the real account |
| Reliability | Verified by creator or official brand account | Strong advertising feel, easy to be “skipped quickly” |
| Content growth potential | Naturally spreads content both organically and via paid ads | Limited, only spreads within the ad campaign scope |
Outstanding features of Spark Ads from the perspective of DPS.MEDIA
- Ability to inspire trust and boost engagement: McKinsey has shown that 68% of Gen Z trust authentic content from creators compared to regular ads. Spark Ads maximizes this strength by preserving emotional indicators such as likes, comments, and shares from the original video. This is completely different from traditional In-Feed Ads, which are boxed in and struggle to create genuine trust for viewers.
- Flexible content creation: Spark Ads not only promotes the brand’s own content but can also leverage videos from creators or customers practically, connecting multiple creative resources. We have successfully implemented this with a D2C cosmetics brand, leveraging customer review videos to optimize advertising costs – resulting in a CPA reduction of over 27% compared to in-Feed.
- Maintain long-term marketing effectiveness: Spark Ads content still exists on the original TikTok account, allowing the video to be “recommended” and reach many new users even after the campaign ends. This benefit is very suitable for SMEs wanting to maximize their media budget, instead of “burning money” on ads that disappear forever like In-Feed Ads.
When are Spark Ads suitable for SMEs?
According to TikTok Marketing Science research (2023), Spark Ads excel when businesses want to:
- Leverage reviews/UGC to increase credibility and social proof
- Desire to optimize advertising costs with existing content, saving on new video production budgets
- Boost inbound marketing effectiveness and nurture the community alongside paid media
DPS.MEDIA recommends SMEs prioritize Spark Ads when they already have high-performing organic TikTok videos, or effective collaborations with creators because ideas, beliefs, and authentic brand stories are truly the “key to touching the emotions” of modern customers.
Identifying the golden time for businesses to use Spark Ads
Breakthrough conversion moments with Spark Ads
According to research from Harvard Business Review, the “golden moment” for advertising is not simply at product launch, but when businesses need to:
- Leverage the viral power of original content — When a business or KOL’s TikTok video shows signs of going viral organically, Spark Ads help amplify organic engagement into real conversions.
- Accelerate when the community starts discussing — If you see a sharp increase in comments and shares within the first 48 hours, that’s the ideal time to “fuel the fire” with Spark Ads, turning community momentum into an effective campaign.
- Build brand trust during sensitive times — When a business is repositioning or facing new competition, Spark Ads help leverage authentic, well-liked content to strengthen customer trust.
Practical case study: DPS.MEDIA's Spark Ads campaign helps SMEs break limits
From real experience, DPS.MEDIA once supported a local cosmetics brand with only 800K organic views; after activating Spark Ads at the right time, follower conversions increased by over 300% and sales grew 2.3 times in the first month.
Below is a comparison table of effectiveness when choosing the “golden time”:
| usage time | Interaction results | Conversion growth |
|---|---|---|
| After 24h when the video goes viral | +250% interaction | +2.3x sales |
| When the content is “cold” | Only increases by 15-30% | Below 1.1x |
Advice from DPS.MEDIA experts
- Do not “run” Spark Ads immediately after posting the video, but analyze organic growth data in the first 6-24h.
- Prioritize original content that achieves a retention rate above 30% or receives continuous positive comments.
- Always coordinate Spark Ads planning with the overall strategy across multiple platforms.
Notes when implementing Spark Ads to optimize campaign effectiveness
Choosing suitable Content & Audience for Spark Ads
When implementing Spark Ads, DPS.MEDIA it is recommended that SMEs prioritize original content with outstanding engagement metrics, such as videos with high shares or discussions in the community. According to research from Harvard Business Review (2023), reusing organic posts supported by the community on TikTok makes ads more trustworthy and increases conversion rates by up to 37% compared to regular ads. Do not choose videos that are too promotional or lack personalized emotion.
- Customer segment analysis: Clearly identify the target user profile on TikTok – age, interests, interaction behavior – because Spark Ads optimize effectiveness when they “hit the right insight.” For example: An apartment coffee shop chain in Ho Chi Minh City once experimented with Spark Ads on influencer review content and achieved double the real check-ins in the first week of launch.
- Timing and budget: Statistics from TikTok for Business show that Spark Ads achieve maximum performance when run during “prime time” interaction hours (18:00–22:00) and with a sufficiently long budget (>=7 days). Setting a small, short-term budget almost always results in outcomes that do not match the cost.
| Criteria | DPS.MEDIA recommendation |
|---|---|
| Content type | Original video with high engagement, real reviews |
| Target audience | Accurate insight, authentic follower base |
| Budget & duration | At least 7 days, distributed during peak hours |
Optimizing conversion links and measuring effectiveness
Don't forget integrate accurate tracking on each Spark Ads, while also testing multiple conversion paths (landing page, direct chat, voucher offers). According to expert Hannah Smith (Think with Google, 2024), “understanding the interaction journey and optimizing the funnel right from the ad will determine the final ROI.” DPS.MEDIA once tracked an A/B test on a cosmetics retail group and found that, Spark Ads leading to Messenger with mini-game created a real customer messaging rate of up to 21%, one and a half times higher than the traditional form submission link.
To avoid missing data, integrate measurement systems like TikTok Pixel or Google Analytics as early as possible, and at the same time, create a performance comparison table between Spark Ads and other advertising formats for continuous optimization.
Combining Spark Ads with localized content strategies to increase conversions
Effectively leveraging Spark Ads when synchronized with localized content
DPS.MEDIA found that Spark Ads are not simply ads embedding original user-generated content, but also a “launchpad” to boost conversion when businesses combine with a distinct localized content strategy.
- TikTok audiences tend to trust content that is familiar and accurately reflects local language and consumer habits.
- By leveraging local creators,brands can easily “embed” messages naturally into their target audience, increasing organic engagement.
- Nielsen's research (2023) shows that localized ads on TikTok have a click-through rate (CTR) up to 1.7 times higher than mass standardized ads.
A recent case study by DPS.MEDIA for an F&B SME in Ho Chi Minh City proved: When using Spark Ads to repost restaurant review videos from local influencers with witty Vietnamese captions, the conversion rate of customers visiting the store increased by 321% in just one week.
| Key factors | Before Spark Ads | after combining |
|---|---|---|
| Conversions | 120/day | 158/day |
| Organic engagement | 3,600 | 9,700 |
| Cost/purchase decision | 59,000 VND | 37,200 VND |
Advice from DPS.MEDIA: Don’t just see Spark Ads as “running ads”, but leverage the power of localization: dive deep into customer insights, select local creators, flexibly adjust content by region – only then will conversion effectiveness truly explode.
Luggage for the next journey
TikTok Spark Ads is not just a simple advertising format, but also a bridge that brings brands closer to customers through authentic and natural content. Understanding clearly what Spark Ads is, when to use it, and how to optimize this format is a necessary stepping stone for SMEs to fully leverage the potential on the rapidly growing TikTok platform in Vietnam. At DPS.MEDIA, we find that Spark Ads is especially suitable for campaigns aiming to both increase brand awareness and encourage natural user interaction. Start by experimenting with content that has already performed well, then gradually refine your strategy based on actual results and feedback from your target customers.
In addition, businesses can consider combining Spark Ads with other TikTok Marketing strategies such as Influencer Marketing, building a loyal follower community, or launching hashtag challenge campaigns to optimize overall effectiveness.
If you want to dive deeper into building a sustainable content ecosystem on TikTok, or learn more about effective digital advertising tactics tailored for SMEs, keep following the upcoming articles from DPS.MEDIA.
We look forward to receiving your feedback, sharing your experiences, or any questions you may have about TikTok Spark Ads. Please leave a comment below or join the discussion with the DPS.MEDIA community!
