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Efficiency vs. Scale: Takeaways from the Case of Two Spark Ads

People gravitate toward TikTok due to its relatable, informative, and authentic bite-sized content. With the development of its e-commerce platform, TikTok Shop, in November 2022, it has now become one of the most competitive storefronts online. Why? It’s because multiple target demographics and niche audiences are already present on the platform. It’s just a matter of attention and virality. Nowadays, it’s curated authenticity that sells.

According to a 2025 social media benchmark report, 54% of TikTok users engage with brand content on a daily basis. Further, statistics revealed that 87% of people have been persuaded to purchase a product or service through videos. But a limited roster of ad content can only do so much to combat advertisement fatigue. The constant challenge to produce competitive, diverse, and authentic ads is evident.


NAD Two Spark Ads

The TikTok Spark Ad

A hybrid of sorts, TikTok Spark Ads are both paid and organic. Native to the platform, this ad format enables brands to push existing organic content posted on their account or another creator’s. While promoting the published content, it retains the creator’s brand identity and engagement, and the post’s original likes, comments, and shares. The authentic feel remains, as this ad appears in users’ For You feed and showcases the creator’s profile instead of a sponsored handle. User-generated content (UGC) ads show a 43% increase in conversion rates, while users on TikTok are 2.4x more likely to trust UGC over brand content.

TikTok Spark Ads outperform traditional ads in the following metrics.

  • 142% Higher Engagement Rate
  • 43% Higher Conversion Rate
  • 24% Longer Watch Time Duration

Innovative features of TikTok Spark Ads allow them to be used with either a single or multiple product links. Additionally, the featured video can also be matched with different products in various ads. Ad management is one of the services we deliver for brands looking to scale their TikTok Shop. Alongside affiliate marketing and TikTok live selling, ad management is a key ingredient of a winning TikTok Live Selling Campaign.

The Case of Two Spark Ads

We have tested this ad format with two of our clients and compared their results. Here’s what we found.

Client 1: Small Budget with Efficient Engagement

  • Client 1’s spend vis-à-vis reach was strong and efficient in terms of CPM (cost per mille).
  • The video ad garnered ~66,000 views in the first two seconds, while only ~5,500 users completed the ad, showing that this Spark Ad hooked viewers early and managed to hold their attention well.
  • The campaign’s moderate click-through rate (CTR) of 0.24% and 47 follower conversions reveal the creative visuals’ appeal to users.

As long as the creative output is of quality and resonates with your audience, a limited budget does not necedssarily limit your reach and follower growth.

Client 2: Big Budget, High Awareness, but Weak Conversion

  • With their hefty budget, Client 2’s reach scaled over 1M, which was 5x more than Client 1’s reach, meeting the expectations of their higher spend.
  • This campaign had exceptionally high video views across quartile durations and longer average play time (7.16s vs. Client 1’s 2.86s), indicating high-quality creative output and relevance.
  • When it comes to engagement, their CTR is slightly better at 0.38%, but their destination clicks are extremely low, showing users were engaged but not converted.
  • Even if conversions failed to match the CTR, the 480 new paid followers display brand affinity growth.

We consider this a great campaign for awareness and follower growth, but lacking in conversion. In this regard, things like the call-to-action or landing page are due for optimization.

Overall, our Spark Ads campaign with Client 1 performed better proportionate to ad spend. It generated solid reach, strong view completions, and efficient follower growth relative to budget. Their CPM and CPV were more cost-efficient. While our campaign with Client 2 delivered scale and strong video engagement, it severely lacked in conversions despite higher CTR and follower growth.

Curious about Spark Ads, or ready to start a campaign? Book a consultation with us at hello@newagedigital.ph

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