TikTok has made headlines various times, but especially when it was named the most downloaded app of 2020. The short-form video-sharing app from Chinese tech company ByteDance has grown exponentially in just a few years.
And with this growth, so too has grown the number of brands using TikTok for influencer marketing. If your brand is curious about working TikTok into your digital marketing profile, keep reading to get insight into how to develop your strategy.
Why does TikTok work for influencer marketing?
TikTok is a great channel for influencer marketing for various reasons. First and foremost, it has a ton of users from all around the world. This means that whatever geographical area and content category you’re trying to reach, you can probably find the niche on TikTok.
Second, TikTok took video and optimized it for mobile. We had already seen the success of YouTube, but the format and length of YouTube videos were designed with desktop or TV in mind, not mobile. TikTok keeps videos short, uses the vertical format, and makes it very easy to digest content on your phone.
Finally, the TikTok algorithm works a bit differently from other social networks. The TikTok algorithm is known to show us a mix of videos, both from famous TikTokers and from creators who haven’t yet amassed a huge number of followers yet. That’s particularly helpful for small businesses or new influencers just starting out on the platform.
Make sure your target audience is on TikTok
Before you launch an influencer marketing campaign on TikTok, you should do a bit of research to make sure your target audience is indeed on the network. For example, in the US, just under half of TikTok users are under 29.
However, if you’re targeting older people, it might not be the best network for you to reach them. Data shows, for example, in the US, that just 11% of TikTok users are 50 and older.
So make sure you know your buyer personas and then have a look to see if they appear to be on TikTok. In addition to age ranges, you’ll want to look at gender, country, language, and interests. Remember that TikTok is banned in a few countries, like India and Pakistan.
Understand TikTok creators and how to find them
So, who are TikTok creators? There’s no simple answer, because TikTok influencers are diverse. There are TikTok influencers from just about every category, although the top 10 TikTok influencers of 2021 have profiles related to dance, comedy, and entertainment.
Charli D’Amelio is the top TikTok creator currently on the network. She’s partnered with various brands, like Invisalign which she is promoting here.
The sheer amount of TikTokers out there is great for brands, because you know that there’s someone out there who’s a good match for you. However, with so many influencers available it can be a bit difficult to find your best match.
There are a few ways you can search for TikTok influencers:
- Use TikTok’s Discover page and type in keywords related to your brand and what it’s all about.
- Search on Google for your industry and add “TikTok influencers” to it.
- Use an influencer marketing platform with TikTok search and analytics features.
Whatever method you use to find influencers, you should always analyze their profiles before you collaborate with them. You want to make sure that they have healthy performance metrics.
Get to know what TikTok analytics to analyze
So, what TikTok analytics should you pay attention to when finding influencers? Let’s look at the most important metrics when analyzing TikTok profiles.
Follower count is important, as it shows an influencer’s reach and also affects how much they’ll charge for their services. Generally speaking, the more followers an influencer has, the more they’ll charge you. Also, look out for any sudden increases in follower count; if there is no viral moment, it could be that the influencer bought fake followers.
Engagement rate is equally important when analyzing influencers. Engagement rate shows that the influencer’s audience trusts them and enjoys their content. Engagement can be calculated manually, but it’s much faster to use an influencer marketing platform, which calculates it automatically for you.
A TikTok influencer’s engagement rate, taken from an influencer marketing platform.
In addition to engagement rate, you’ll want to look at the average views per video that a TikToker is getting. This gives you a sense of how many people usually watch an influencer’s videos, and can help you predict the views you’d have in a campaign with that influencer.
You’ll also want to look at the influencer’s video metrics. When did they last post? Obviously, you want to find a creator who is still actively creating content. Also, how often do they post? Keep in mind that if a creator posts very often, that means less visibility for your brand on their profile page.
Choose your content type
Finally, when devising your TikTok influencer marketing strategy, think about what type of content you want to create with influencers. Do you want to participate in a challenge? Or maybe influencers can do a before and after to show off what your product can do?
Here are a few examples of content that are popular in TikTok influencer marketing:
- Challenges, dances and lip syncs that create hype for your brand
- Before and afters or transformations showing off what your product can do
- Short interviews or FAQs about your product or brand
- Competitions that ask followers to get involved with your brand
Come up with ideas, but also ask influencers if they have their own ideas. They’re the expert content creators after all and might have thought of something you didn’t. And regardless of the content type you choose, give influencers creative freedom when creating. If you micro-manage their collaboration process, followers will pick up on it, and the collaboration will come across as inauthentic.
Conclusion
These are just a few tips to help you get started with your TikTok influencer marketing strategy. Remember that it’s important to thoroughly analyze influencer profiles. And have fun and be creative when it comes to content, so that you captivate TikTok users’ attention.
