TikTok Influencer Marketing Tips 2021

There weren’t many winners from last year, but TikTok was one of the few.

Brands are choosing TikTok more and more for influencer collaborations and advertising. The platform is obviously not as tried and tested as other platforms, so with a few campaigns under our belts recently we’ve noticed a few key differences between collaborating on TikTok than other social media channels.

Keeping it real is more important on TikTok than Instagram

I know, everyone talks about authenticity, but I think our tolerance to sponsored content has become quite high on Instagram - we’re used to seeing paid collaborations and accept it as a part of the platform.

You might see a slight dip in engagement on sponsored content on an influencer’s Instagram post compared to non-sponsored content, but on TikTok we’re finding the dip is bigger, as the disparity between the all-singing all-dancing content TikTok is known for and the sponsored content is broader.

We’re now briefing influencers to keep the post as close to their content as possible, even if it's less promotional and getting more feedback from them on what is working best for them.

@katiejlinz

Get 18 FREE Prints and only pay for postage! Link in bio! ##pixpax##ad##friends##fyp##retroprint##picturetime##chandlerandmonica

♬ original sound - KatieJLinz 🦋

Get the name in the first three seconds

You still need to get the key message out early, ideally in the first three seconds. 63% of the highest performing content highlights their key message or product in the first 3 seconds. So we’ve been encouraging concise and informative captions overlaid on videos early, as a work-around if needed.

Source: TikTok

Keep it light and loose

You can’t be too precious about the content on TikTok.

It can be a stretch for clients, who are used to the beautifully curated grids of Instagram, to let loose with TikTok, but we need to embrace the freedom. Entertainment (443b views), dance (150b views) and pranks (54b views) are by far the most viewed types of content, so it’s advisable to not stray too far from what people want to see.

If it's hard to lose control, start small and see how the content performs before investing the big bucks.

Source: Statista

TikTok Creator Marketplace

This is fast becoming our favorite influencer research tool. The influencer tool industry has become a competitive minefield with many of the tools for influencers having various payment tiers and stagnant databases - the TikTok Creator Marketplace is a breath of fresh air.

It's super easy to find who you need by genre, audience stats and contact them. Plus, all on your desktop too, so no need to slide into anybody's DMs.