Despite being launched in 2016, in a span of a few years, TikTok has gone on to become one of the biggest players in the world of social media.
From trendy challenges to new buzzwords, the social media platform is the epicentre of all things trendy. Be it comical videos or informative tips, TikTok seems to have content suited for all types of users. However, today’s topic is not about TikTok’s content, but about influencer marketing on TikTok. Apart from keeping up with trends and challenges, TikTok is a great platform to reach out to your audience.
With the diversity of content on TikTok, different brands have been using TikTok as an alternative platform for their marketing campaigns. However, how does one play into the strengths of TikTok? Well, today’s article will touch on how influencer marketing can be tailored to TikTok’s audience and unique features.
How TikTok works | TikTok 2021
Before we start off with influencer marketing campaigns, it is important to understand how TikTok works. What is it that distinguishes TikTok from the other social media platforms? Well, one of the main characteristics of TikTok is its lighthearted yet catchy videos. Unlike Instagram which has a huge focus on images and aesthetics, TikTok’s unique feature is its bitesize videos with catchy soundbites.
Therefore, apart from video marketing, audio marketing is a big part of TikTok. This explains the many brands that have created and uploaded soundbites of their own, for TikTok users, as part of their marketing campaigns.
Additionally, Tiktok’s For You page has also garnered the reputation of propelling many videos to fame. Unlike other social media platforms which display content from accounts that you follow, TikTok’s For You page allows you to explore content from a wide variety of users. The algorithm on TikTok has made it easier for new accounts, with fewer followers, to gain recognition on the platform.
Lastly, filters and AI effects are a big part of the platform. There are many types of filters that the platform offers. Therefore, do take your time to explore the platform to familiarise yourself with them.
Tips for launching a TikTok influencer marketing campaign: #1. Goals and targets
Firstly, like any other marketing campaign, do set clear goals before executing a campaign. Your goals will determine the type of influencer marketing campaign your brand wishes to run, as well as the influencers that you are looking for.
For instance, if your goal is to improve branding, or increase brand awareness, then your campaign should be one that is unique and creative, such as a viral challenge. On the other hand, if your goal is sales driven, your campaign focus on conversion rates – you could get influencers to give out promo codes to encourage purchases. That being said, it must be acknowledged that these goals may overlap. Therefore, do be as creative as you want in your campaign while keeping in mind the main purposes of the campaign.
Tips for launching a TikTok influencer marketing campaign: #2. The target audience
Secondly, know your target audience. While TikTok’s users mainly belong in the Gen Z/Millennial category, this does not mean that there is no need to further analyse your brand’s target audience.
For instance, apart from the age of your target audience, do consider other characteristics such as the interest and personalities of your target audience. Would they prefer content that is comedic in nature such as skits and pranks? Or would they prefer vlog style content that is more genuine in nature? Your target audience would determine the type of campaign your brand runs.
Furthermore, knowing your audience would help your brand decide which TikTok influencers they wish to work with. Working with an influencer with followers that are similar to your target audience will naturally increase the effectiveness of your influencer marketing campaign.
Tips for launching a TikTok influencer marketing campaign: #3. Tiktok-ers
Lastly, choosing the TikTok influencer (i.e. the TikTok-ers) to work with is a crucial part of an influencer marketing campaign.
Apart from the number of likes and followers of the influencer, there are many other factors to consider. In fact, likes and followers are less important on TikTok due to the For You page, which displays content of all types of users, regardless of their follower count.
Therefore, do look out for other factors when picking the influencer you wish to work with. An important factor would include the relevance of that influencer in relation to your brand and the goal of the particular campaign. Picking an influencer who creates content related to your brand not only helps the authenticity of the campaign, but the influencer would also know the best way to market your product.
Potential challenges of influencer marketing on TikTok | TikTok 2021
While TikTok can be a great platform for influencer marketing, there are some challenges that marketers might face on TikTok. That being said, many of these challenges can be subverted with the right amount of planning and understanding of how the platform works.
Firstly, given that a huge proportion of the users on TikTok belong to the Gen Z/Millennial category, the audience that you are dealing with are extremely tech savvy. In fact, ad-blockers and skipping ads online are common to this generation who are constantly being exposed to online advertisements. Therefore, traditional marketing methods might not work well with this group of advertisement adverse audience.
That being said, there are many ways to bypass this challenge. In fact, due to the versatile nature of influencer marketing, influencer marketing need not take on the traditional advertising route of a call to action to purchase. Instead, there are many shades to influencer marketing, and campaigns can be extremely nuanced. Instead of a traditional advertisement, influencer marketing on TikTok could come in the form of a fun dance challenge, or a giveaway. In other words, there are many ways to launch a TikTok influencer marketing campaign without boring the ad-adverse Gen Zs.
Secondly, there is the issue of fake influencers. This challenge is actually common across all social media platforms. However, you can circumvent the issue of fake influencers with cautious checks. A tip would be to analyse the engagement rate of these influencers. Additionally, do also look out for any sharp changes in follower count of the accounts.
Conclusion | TikTok 2021
In a nutshell, like any other social media platform, TikTok provides an opportunity for marketers to tap on. That being said, it is important to familiarize oneself with the unique characteristics of TikTok and its users, the Tiktok-ers, before engaging in a TikTok 2021 influencer marketing campaign.
Sources
socialbakers, blog/how-to-work-with-influencers-on-tiktok (TikTok 2021)
