// Channel · TikTok Ads

TikTok Ads — Spark + Automated Creative Optimisation, native-first.

Ad-first brief, not brand-first. Every concept is shot with the ad structure in mind — hook in the first 1.2 seconds, payoff before 6, install prompt before 15.

4% of managed spendBelow $12K/mo → $479/mo floor · Above $12K/mo → flat 4%
// TikTok · Spark + ACO read
// spark · aco
spark · creator @lyra1.9x CVR · scale
spark · creator @rio0.7x CVR · kill
aco · combo #3 hook A$21 CPA · winner
aco · combo #8 hook C$44 CPA · hold
value bid · D30 purpending 90d signal
↳ Winning hook shape → template for next creator cohort
1.2s
Hook target
before scroll-through
3–6
Spark ads / mo
from real creators
ACO
Creative model
combinatorial rotation
0%
Media markup
billed to you by TikTok
// Campaign structures

What we actually run on this channel.

Every structure below maps to a decision your finance team should have a view on — not a template we run because the platform recommends it.

Structure · 01

App Install (Automated Creative)

ACO-driven campaigns with 10–20 asset combinations per group. Bidding on lowest-cost or CPA target.

Structure · 02

App Install (Spark Ads)

Paid amplification of real creator posts. Creator sourced per brief, spark code negotiated per post.

Structure · 03

In-app event

Post-install optimisation for high-signal events — trial start, subscribe, purchase.

Structure · 04

Value-based

For accounts with 90+ days of clean event data — bid to a purchase-value target, not just event count.

// The playbook

How we take this channel from zero to compound.

Same four-beat wave as our organic practice. Nothing about paid earns a different rhythm.

Wk 1

Ad-first brief

Concepts written against TikTok-native jobs-to-be-done. Hook, payoff, and CTA are architected, not improvised on set.

Wk 2

Creator source

Talent sourced per brief. Spark codes negotiated. Native shots, not studio recuts.

Wk 3–8

ACO rotation

10–20 combinations per group. Winners identified at 5-day threshold; losers killed at 10 days.

Wk 9+

Compound

Winning creative structures documented and briefed as templates for the next cohort of creators.

// Creative cadence
  • Hook in the first 1.2 seconds — payoff before 6 — install prompt before 15. Every brief is architected against this shape.
  • 3–6 new Spark posts monthly on scale accounts.
  • ACO combinations rotated weekly; losing assets replaced at 10 days regardless of TikTok's learning status.
// Measurement
  • TikTok pixel + MMP source-of-truth. Attribution windows explicitly agreed with your finance team.
  • Value-based bidding only when 90+ days of clean event data is on the account.
  • Creator-level performance tracked separately from ACO — Spark reads shape the next creator brief.
// Guardrails
  • We don't run 'boosted post' as a strategy — Spark is scoped, briefed, negotiated per post.
  • Value-based bidding gated on 90 days of clean event data. No premature switch.
  • Media spend billed to you directly by TikTok — we never touch client cash.
// Questions

Questions we get about this channel.

Do you source creators?+

Yes — per brief, from vetted talent platforms and TikTok Creator Marketplace. We don't hold a captive roster; talent cost is at-actual.

How is Spark different from a boosted post?+

Spark is a paid ad that runs from a creator's real handle, negotiated via a Spark code. It reads as native content, not as branded advertising — but it's still a scoped, briefed ad, not a random boost.

Is TikTok worth it if we're a paid subscription app?+

Depends — value-based bidding + strong Day-1 retention signal is table stakes. If either is missing, we'll say so before spending your money.

What about brand safety?+

Category exclusions and creator vetting are scope. We publish a written safety brief per campaign — approved by your team before launch.

// Continue reading
// Free audit

Want us to scope paid UA on this channel?

45-minute audit. You leave with a written unit-economics read on whether this channel is worth your next dollar of spend.

30 seconds. No commitment.