TikTok is a global phenomenon that has changed how brands and consumers interact, and in just a few years, TikTok has attracted a massive worldwide user base. Because of this, more companies are turning to TikTok influencers to get their message out, and it's not hard to see why: when you have creators with millions of followers passionately reviewing a product or joining a hashtag trend, viewers pay attention.
TikTok influencer marketing means working with popular TikTok creators to promote a product or service. Even a creator with a modest following can suddenly reach millions if their video hits the right note, and brands around the world are taking advantage of this opportunity to build awareness, drive sales, and connect with younger audiences (especially Gen Z and young adults) in a way that traditional ads struggle to do.
Winning on TikTok takes the right strategy and an understanding of the platform's culture, so in this guide we'll guide you through strategies for effective TikTok influencer marketing, see how TikTok stacks up against other platforms, and highlight a few key tools to help you succeed.
Why It Matters
TikTok is one of the most downloaded apps globally and boasts over a billion active users. While TikTok is famously beloved by Gen Z, you'll find all kinds of communities on TikTok, from fashion lovers to home chefs to tech reviewers. For brands, this means there's a good chance your target customers are on TikTok, whatever niche you're in.
What really sets TikTok apart for influencer marketing is how actively users interact with content, since TikTok's algorithm is excellent at showing people content they didn't even know they wanted. TikTok content also feels more authentic and spontaneous compared to the polished posts on some other platforms, which can help to build a sense of trust and intimacy. When a TikTok creator genuinely enjoys a product and shares it, their followers are likely to believe it and even get curious to try it themselves and in fact many users have made purchase decisions because of TikTok recommendations.
Crafting Your Strategy
To use TikTok influencer marketing effectively, you need a clear strategy, especially if you want to avoid awkward content or missed opportunities.
Start by knowing what you want to achieve, because your goal will shape everything else: the type of influencer you work with, the content style, and how you measure success. You should also pinpoint the audience you want to reach.
Having a clear goal and audience in mind helps you and your influencer partner stay focused, and it also makes it easier to track if the campaign worked.
Choosing the right influencer is probably the most important decision – this shouldn’t just be someone with a huge follower count, but someone whose content style, image, and followers match your brand.
Start by using the app search in Discover page to look up keywords and hashtags related to your niche. This will help you spot the big and small creators in that space, so that you can choose to reach out for marketing. TikTok also offers a Creator Marketplace where brands can find and contact verified influencers, and it allows you to filter creators by topic, follower account, audience, demographics, and more. This can be a very convenient way to quickly get a list of potential partners that fit your campaign goals.
There are also third-party services and agencies that specialize in connecting brands with influencers, such as Upfluence and Klear. These usually offer databases that allow you to filter by category, audience, stats, follower, and demographics, but keep in mind that this usually requires a larger budget.
You should also see what your competitors are doing on TikTok. Take note of which creators they might be working with, and if those influencers work for your brand niche, you might be able to reach out to them as well.
When deciding on an influencer to work with, don't just consider their follower numbers. You should also be looking at their views, likes, and comments on every video. This will give you a better idea of how active and engaged their audience is. A creator with a high follower account but low engagement will probably not result in click-through to the product or service that you’re advertising, whereas a creator whose audience is very active is more likely to be worth your time and money.
Micro-influencers often have very loyal fans and niche expertise, which can lead to better conversion rates. For instance, a micro-influencer in skincare who has 30k followers might have all 30k trusting her deeply, whereas a general entertainment account with 2 million followers might not have the same influence on purchasing decisions.
Once you've identified a good influencer partner, work with them to shape the campaign content. It's vital to treat this as a creative partnership, since TikTok users will avoid overly scripted or salesy content immediately. Instead of dictating a strict script, give the influencer creative freedom with guidance; share key points about your product or message, and highlight any must-mention info but let them do their thing. They built their following by knowing what appeals to their viewers, so trust their style.
Maintaining authenticity is crucial, which means influencers should genuinely like, or at least have real experience with, what you're promoting. If they seem uncomfortable or fake, the audience will notice, so have the influencer actually use your product/service ahead of time so they can speak about it sincerely.
You can choose whether to go with a single TikTok video or series of videos, a hashtag challenge or dance that you want the influencers fan to participate in, or the use of a particular sound or filter. Another approach could be an unboxing or review video if you have a physical product.
Whatever the plan, make sure it fits with what's popular on TikTok, and pay attention to current trends – TikTok culture moves fast, so what's hot on the app can change in a matter of days.
You should also have a clear agreement on the campaign terms with the influencer that includes what type of content will be delivered, the timeline, compensation, and any other relevant details. Influencers should always be paid fairly for their work and rates can vary widely depending on their follower count in niche. Negotiating this can be tricky, but a successful campaign is an investment that often pays off in the long-term.
You should also ensure compliance with vocal advertising rules, since in many countries, like the US and Europe, influencers are required to disclose sponsored content clearly so make it clear in your agreement that the influencer will include a disclosure.
When the influencer posts the content, keep an eye on what they've posted so that you can join in on the conversation if viewers have questions or concerns. And if a campaign involves a challenge or user created content, you should repost some of the best user videos on your own social media platform, or at least respond to them, which can encourage more people to participate.
Sometimes, a TikTok influencer campaign can even spill over to other platforms. You might see the video shared on Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube compilations. That's a great bonus (essentially free extra reach) and it happens when content is particularly funny or impactful.
Finally, after the campaign is complete, keep an eye on how it performed using your TikTok analytics. A few metrics to take into account include views, likes, shares, follower growth, click through sales, and app installs or sign up, depending on what your specific goal was.
You can use TikTok’s built-in analytics tools for this or Google analytics if you're analyzing a particular shop or website. This can help you determine what worked and what didn't so that you can adjust in the future and use that knowledge for your next campaign.
TikTok Promotion Tools
Alongside influencer marketing, you should be using the other tools at your disposal. This includes TikTok's creator marketplace, TikTok analytics, and potentially social media management tools like Hootsuite or Buffer, which can schedule and monitor posts.
You should also be focusing on building a foundation of engagement and a follower base on your own social profiles, so that when users visit your page during the influencer campaign, they don't click away after seeing dead posts and a low follower count, which can indicate that your brand isn't trustworthy.
By buying things like followers, likes, and video views you can amplify your profiles, engagement levels and make your content look popular and trustworthy. This is a great way to not only build social trust with users on the platform, but to also encourage the TikTok algorithm to promote your content to a wider audience. Services like QQTube can help you do this with nothing more than your TikTok profile URL and a few dollars.
No matter what tools you use, keep in mind that they are there to support your strategy, not replace it. A fancy analytics dashboard can tell you a video's watch time, but it won't automatically produce an authentic connection with viewers. That still relies on human creativity and insight. And any promotional boost service can only do so much; the content still needs to stand on its own.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
While TikTok influencer marketing can be very effective, there are some common mistakes that marketers should watch out for.
First, don't just focus on the follower account. An influencer with 5 million followers might seem enticing, but if your content doesn't match your brand or if their followers don't interact with their content, you could be throwing money away.
You should also avoid overly controlling the content of the campaign. If you micromanage the influencers creative process, you risk ending up with a stale video that you will scroll past. Remember, they know their audience best so trust that they can provide the content that will do best on their own profile.
You should also take into account TikTok trends, and the overall culture of the platform. A joke that might do numbers on Twitter might fall flat on TikTok due to the differing demographics, so make sure that you do your homework first.
Finally, build ongoing relationships with a set of influencers to yield better results over time, rather than treating it as a one and done task on your marketing checklist. If an influence posts about your brand repeatedly over months or years, their followers will truly take interest in your product or service.
TikTok is just one piece of the marketing puzzle, so combine your TikTok efforts with boosting your presence on other platforms to amplify your impact. In the end, TikTok influencer marketing is about making connections with creators in a digital space so that you can entertain, inform, or inspire their followers. When it's done right, everybody wins, so if you're looking to expand your marketing strategy in a way that feels genuine, TikTok is the way to go.
