TikTok Influencer Marketing

How does Influencer Marketing work on TikTok?

TikTok influencer marketing campaigns revolve around influencers making, sharing, and even livestreaming videos that will in some way promote a brand and make it appealing to their followers. The more entertaining the videos, the better they resonate with the audience. Unlike YouTube, these videos are generally short, and are filmed in a vertical format (the normal way people hold their phones).

 

Why Brands Should Use TikTok?

Organic reach on TikTok is unprecedented. If your audience is under 25, it makes sense to direct the majority of your social marketing efforts into your TikTok presence. And considering nearly 40% of millennials are active TikTok users, it’s well worth being on the platform no matter who your audience might be.

The TikTok algorithm is designed in a manner where if the user engagement on a video increases, then it will be circulated to more people. This increases the possibility of a video getting more shares and likes. The algorithm pushes any video that performs well out to a huge audience, giving you the opportunity for massive amounts of engagement, even if a user has a small following.

While users expect to see polished content on Instagram, TikTok is definitely more casual. Save the polished production shoots for the Gram. Lean into unscripted and natural content with TikTok influencers. You’ll find that TikTok is like one big community, where people are more comfortable letting their hair down and showing off the ‘unfiltered’ parts of their lives.

 

Selecting the Right Influencers for Your Brand

The key to success on TikTok is working with influencers whose followers match your target market. Influencers who appeal to and influence the behavior of your target customers. Always remember, relevance is more important than reach. Don’t merely opt for TikTok influencers with the most massive followings – go for those with the most suitable audiences for your goals.

Once you’ve selected suitable influencers, you will need to contact them and form a partnership. Some are easier to work with than others. You’ll want to ensure that any deal is acceptable to your influencers. Most want to know if there is something in it for them, and if the collaboration helps their followers.

The absolute worst mistake on TikTok, however, would be to post anything resembling a traditional advertisement. Don’t give your influencers a verbatim script. A core feature of TikTok influencer marketing is natural storytelling and compelling content. Give your influencers enough flexibility to tell your story to their fans in a way that feels authentic. An influencers’ followers will instantly know if the videos promoting your products are made in a different style to the influencer’s usual videos, and they are likely to react badly.

Avoid coming across as too salesy on TikTok.

 

Making a Brief for TikTok Influencers

Don’t restrict them too much — the best TikTokers have their own voice, and by stifling that, sponsored content won’t resonate with their audience. Instead, go for overarching themes — share the campaign’s main goal and the message you want them to convey. But, ask them to interpret this how they see fit.

Get permission to reshare — explicitly state that your brand has the right to repurpose their content for marketing across TikTok and other platforms for a specified time frame (eg/ 6 months).

Specify your deliverables — do you want just one video? Is the video going to be a skit, a glow-up, a dance, a challenge, a transformation, a speaking-to-camera video, or a tutorial? Be clear about your expectations.

For a more in-depth look at TikTok influencer resources, check out our Influencer Marketing Resources here.

 

Getting started with Influencer Marketing on TikTok

Kick off a hashtag challenge attached to your brand. The end goal is to get as many TikTok users involved by sharing videos using your hashtag. To get the ball rolling, bring on 50+ influencers who all post their own video, with your hashtag, on the first day of your campaign. This will give it an excellent chance of going viral — far more than if you’d just posted one video and crossed your fingers.

HOLLYFY helps brands unlock instant branded content from talented and influential creators who already use and love their products.