Social media marketing has been one of the most common and effective marketing strategies in the past few years. A few years back, the influencer marketing area was limited to celebrities with huge fan-following; influencers' power on well-known platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok is unmatchable now. Influencer marketing refers to the collaboration between loved personalities on social media and brands. Content creators are now seen making content on various niches- health and fitness, beauty, fashion, sports, and whatnot! The connection and trust influencers have built with their communities is what makes influencer marketing the perfect modern advertising strategy to reach the target audience in the right ways. Although there is a plethora of social media platforms, TikTok with over 1 Billion monthly active users is the powerhouse as it allows users to make engaging short videos and fulfill their goals. From such innovative features, having the power to reach millions of users worldwide, guaranteed brand awareness… there is so much TikTok has to offer if you’re also a small business looking forward to expanding. However, there are certain aspects you need to keep in mind to make this marketing strategy successful. Brands need to find the right influencers that suit their budget and have the right target audience as the types of influencers vary from mega to nano and choosing the right ones can be a tough and time-consuming job as it will determine the reach of the content you aim for.
In the following article, you’ll read about all the complexities of influencer collaborations and how you can navigate these challenges effortlessly. Moreover, let's delve into the world of influencer marketing on TikTok and see what makes it so worth it. Let’s get started!
The Power of TikTok Influencers
The growth of TikTok in recent years can be perfectly described in one word- Extraordinary! It isn’t just about the one billion monthly active users now but it has successfully set its status as a cultural phenomenon and the craze among youngsters to be a successful content creator on TikTik can be seen. TikTok is one of the most reliable platforms for influencer marketing as its algorithm-based content ensures that the content reaches the right audience and matches their interests. Hence, there are rare to no chances that you won’t succeed in marketing your brand/ products if you opt for TikTok.
Not just this, but the authenticity of the content and the creators is another great feature this platform guarantees which sets it apart from all other platforms. You’ll find posts with extremely high engagement and reach with the rawest and most unfiltered content. Yes, this means you don’t need to curate or spend hours editing your videos to overcome your fear of being judged. This helps the brands make an engaging community and fosters a sense of trust. The content on TikTok is a unique blend of creativity, drama, humor, and entertainment, it all depends on your interest! No one can ignore the fact that most of the videos uploaded on the platform reach at least a million users very effortlessly. The extensive reach is a great pull for the brand to opt for influencer marketing as the influencers mostly have a global audience so it is most likely for their content to have a viral nature.
A few case studies of successful brand promotions on TikTok include the marketing of a cookie business, ‘Crumbl’ that introduces new flavors every Sunday. To build a large community, they opted for ‘Sparkads’ so they could have a family of over one million followers. Be it viral challenges or sponsored collaborations… on TikTok, you can do it all to promote your brand through influencer marketing!
SocialBook.io is a platform where you can easily shortlist and find the influencers perfect to market your products most creatively that are bound to catch the eyes of brands!
All you can do is simply visit the website and on the top of the screen, the ‘Top influencers’ option will take you to the world of the current Top influencers and even influencers from a specific area or category e.g. gaming, education, music, etc.
Why TikTok Influencer Marketing Works
Understanding the demographics of TikTok is a necessity for influencer marketing. A thing to keep in mind is that most of the user base of TikTok is Generation Z or the Millenials are the majority of its audience. This is a positive aspect for most brands as people from the younger demographics are most likely to purchase online and engage in content that aligns with the target market of most brands.
Various key factors contribute to the success of influencer marketing if done on TikTok. These factors include trust and authenticity, social proof and peer influence, and lastly, entertainment value and engagement. Unlike traditional celebrities who are mostly fond of just posting content to keep their fan-following updated and not engaging with them… most of the ratio of TikTok influencers share a positive bond with their followers. This leads to a high level of trust and makes what they suggest and promote more credible. Moreover, this also makes the recommendations from those influencers genuine which leads to high engagement on content they post.
Another aspect is social proof and peer influence. This refers to when someone sees their friends or colleagues engaging with a specific post or brand on TikTok they are more likely to explore it. This is because it creates an effect of social validation and endorsement and can increase the number of potential customers. Lastly, the entertainment value the content of an influencer holds is highly important too as it increases the chances of the content being shared and can reach the target audience the brand desires. TikTok marketing mostly involves the innovative feature of creating short-form videos that can have a length of a few seconds to as long as 10 minutes to efficiently promote brands and their offerings.
Navigating the TikTok Government Ban
Although the platform has gained immense popularity in the past few years, however, there are a few countries e.g. United States, and Pakistan which had to face regulatory challenges.
In 2020, an executive order was issued that as TikTok has raised national security concerns and some of its content was alarming the Trump administration ordered the ban of this ban. After many legal challenges, the ban on TikTok by the government was finally implemented. This caused uncertainty among the masses, especially the brands and influencers who were paid to work on the Platform, especially for marketing purposes. However, currently, special guidelines are issued regarding the content to be posted on TikTok which has significant implications for business as well. Thus, this is one of the recent challenges the businesses who opt for TikTok to market their products have to face. It was challenging but as the orders were legal and there was a probability that the platform would be banned permanently or restrictions would be given, the business owners had to make strategies to keep their businesses running with the same efficiency.
To avoid such uncertainties the business need to plan efficiently and always have a second plan. A proactive approach is the sole way to navigate through such a threatening challenge to your growth. A few options are to have multiple marketing approaches at the same time across multiple platforms e.g. Instagram is another great option for influencer marketing. Other than this, you need to invest in social media channels where you post from time to time, and in case of a similar ban in the future, renegotiating your contracts is necessary to avoid any issues in the future. Make sure to stay updated!
Best Practices for Working with TikTok Influencers
Identifying the right influencers to promote your brand or products is an essential step. This not only leads to successful partnerships and maximized return on your invested money but also has a great impact on engagement and reach. There are multiple factors you should consider while selecting the perfect influencer for your brand collaborations. The factors include their target audience, engagement rate, and whether they align with your values and requirements. The process can be a bit time but relevance to the target audience is necessary for successful influencer marketing as it is not just about the number of followers they have or the likes and comments on a specific post. The demographic of your brand is what should kept in your mind. Thus, make sure to prioritize influencers whose content can reach your ideal customers.
In addition, do not forget to analyze the relationship of the influencer with his/her followers as the depth of conversations they share can be a valuable insight to predict the possible future reach. Even if the influencer has a small but highly engaging following list, he or she might be the one perfect to market your brand! Another crucial consideration has to be brand alignment and values. It is the responsibility of the business owners to ensure that the content of the influencers somehow aligns with the messaging, products, and values of your brand. This leads to increased credibility and authenticity of your products and the products the influencer endorses look more compelling in the eyes of the audience.
The very first step is to identify the right influencer. Once done, establish clear expectations and make sure to effectively communicate with the influencer. This leads to long-term partnerships and fosters trust between the brand and influencers leading to a positive work relationship. Whether the objective of your brand is to increase brand awareness or gain traffic for your website both the brand and influencer must be closely working together and are working on the same page towards a common aim.
While you provide the influencer with clear expectations and instructions, make sure to give them creative freedom so authentic content can be produced. It is a matter of fact that people tend to like unfiltered content more than videos with hundreds of effects and hours of editing. Trusting the influencer with the creation of content will not just increase the effectiveness of the campaign but will they will be able to create content that is linked to their style and voice (for which their fan-following loves them). Lastly, key performance indicators should be established that can include reach, engagement, and conversion rates while the campaign is running. These KPIs will help them discover their strengths and weaknesses as a business which will further help them to run effective campaigns and will result in effective influencer marketing.
Conclusion
TikTok influencers surely have the power to run successful marketing campaigns for renowned businesses as well as startups. This can be done through authentic content and active engagement on the content posted. By identifying the right influencers and leveraging their strength, businesses can not just grow and promote their products but it will also greatly help them navigate through the challenges faced. To easily face the challenges careful planning should be done in advance, a contract with the influencer should be done, and strategic foresight is a compulsion. By adapting to a proactive approach you can use this wonderful modern way of marketing to its full potential to expand your reach, spread awareness regarding your brand, and gain website traffic. A resilient community is all a business needs to prosper!
Now that you’re done reading about the innovative features and advantages of using TikTok for influencer marketing. Are you ready to experience the power of TikTok specifically for influencer marketing? We suggest you try it once. You can also visit the website Socialbook.io and connect with us by logging in, in a few super easy steps. Connect with our team or discover and identify the influencers perfect to promote your business so your marketing campaign is successful in achieving the aims and objectives set! Our team is here to guide you in executing any of your marketing strategies or plans. We look forward to seeing your brand grow which can be effortlessly done through influencer marketing on TikTok!
I hope this article proved to be helpful! For more such content or any queries log on to Socialbook.io.