The Ultimate Guide to TikTok Influencer Marketing

Ready to take your brand’s marketing strategy to the next level? Well, lemme tell you something: TikTok influencer marketing is the new black! 

It’s like adding rocket fuel to your TikTok marketing strategy, and I’m not even exaggerating. In today’s fast-paced world, it’s all about being innovative, out of the box, and, most importantly, attention-grabbing. And that’s where TikTok comes in! 

TikTok is known for being wildly entertaining, with a whole lot of dancing, singing, story games, and humorous content. Let’s not forget the absolute savage comebacks in the comments.

But you know what’s even more exciting? Working with some of the hottest influencers and reaching millions of potential customers. You better buckle up because, in this ultimate guide, I’m going to take you through the entire TikTok influencer marketing process.

What is TikTok influencer marketing?

Honestly, it ain’t that hard. TikTok influencer marketing is when brands team up with popular Tiktok creators to promote their products or services to their followers. Some use Tiktok advertising but other majorly focus on influencer marketing campaigns.

For example, a makeup company wants to sell its brand-new lipsticks. Along with posting about it on their IG and Twitter, it’ll also reach out to a TikTok influencer with a considerably large following. Someone who creates cute makeup tutorials and reviews beauty products on their account.

Now, the influencer creates a video (or series of videos) for the brand, unboxing the new lipsticks, talking about how lovely they are, etc. In turn, their followers see the video and are likelier to buy those lipsticks because someone they trust and admire recommended them.

It’s a win-win situation – the brand gets exposure to a large, engaged audience, and the influencer gets paid for promoting the product. Plus, the influencer’s followers get to see cool new stuff and learn about products they might not have known otherwise.

Why should you use TikTok for influencer marketing?

Lemme tell you something: TikTok is the ultimate platform for making noise and grabbing attention. There. I said it.

Don’t believe me? Here are seven reasons that’ll make you think otherwise.

• TikTok is HELLA popular. With 1 billion monthly active users, TikTok has a massive audience just waiting to be captivated by your brand.

• The TikTok algorithm is wild, wonderful, and quality-centric. It’s designed to surface content that’s engaging, entertaining, and, most importantly, relevant to each user. That means your content has a better chance of reaching the right people.

• It’s still relatively new in influencer marketing, so there’s plenty of time to make a significant impact.

• The TikTok community is super engaged and active, averaging 46 minutes daily. That means your content has a lot of potentials to go viral on TikTok and reach a massive audience.

• TikTok is all about ideas and fun. It has various features and formats, including challenges, filters, and duets. This gives influencers and brands plenty of room to get creative and experiment with different types of content.
• It’s a global platform. That means you can reach audiences worldwide, even if you’re based in a single location.

• TikTok is all about authenticity. That means there’s a real opportunity to build genuine connections with your audience and foster long-term loyalty to your brand.

How does TikTok influencer marketing work?

TikTok influencer marketing is a lot like dating – you wanna find someone who shares your values, has a lit personality, and can help you achieve your social media goals. In this case, your goal’s to promote your brand and increase sales, and the influencer is the knight in shining armour to help you achieve it.

In case you’re still super confused, here’s a quick breakdown of how it works. 

Step 1: Define your target audience

Who are you trying to reach with your marketing campaign? This is, honestly, the most underrated part of the whole thing. Understanding your target audience will help you find the influencers you need, those with followers that fit your target audience description.

Step 2: Find the right influencers

For this, you can use an influencer marketing platform or manually search your target audience and brand values for influencers. From one marketer to another, look for influencers with a large following, high TikTok engagement rate, and content that aligns with your brand.

Step 3: Don’t be shy. Reach out!

Once you’ve found the influencers, you wanna work with, reach out to them and propose a collaboration. You can offer them free products, payment, or a % of sales generated through their custom referral link. They’ll agree to it in a jiffy after hearing this (who doesn’t like free products, come on!)

@.alohavlogsz i am so grateful for this!!???????????????? #fyp #viral #preppy #pr ♬ august sped up – r & m &lt33

Step 4: Work with them OBVS

Please work with the influencers you’ve contacted to create content that matches your brand’s vibe and resonates with their audience. Collaborating on challenges, giveaways, or other campaigns are great ways to increase both parties’ engagement rates.

Step 5: Analyze the results

After the campaign’s over, grab a chair, sit down (no, seriously, sit, because why not?), and analyze the results you got to see how successful it was. Look at metrics such as the engagement rate, reach, and sales generated to determine the campaign’s ROI. This’ll help you launch even better-performing campaigns in the future.

What to consider while planning a TikTok influencer marketing campaign?

Creating a killer TikTok influencer marketing campaign is excellent, but before you dive in headfirst, you should consider a few key factors to ensure the success of your campaign.

• Target audience: You need to define your target audience for your campaign to ensure you reach the right people. This’ll help you choose the right influencers and create content that resonates with your audience.
• Influencer selection: Choosing the right influencers is VERY important for the success of your campaign. Look for influencers who have a large following, high engagement rate, and whose content aligns with your brand values and target audience.
• Content creation: TikTok is about fun, creative, engaging content. Collaborate with your influencers to create content that’s both entertaining and aligns with your brand values.
• Hashtag strategy: Hashtags are a powerful tool on TikTok for increasing the visibility of your content. Make sure the TikTok hashtags you use align with your brand and target audience to help your content get discovered by the right people.
• Metrics for success: You need to set clear objectives for your campaign and determine which metrics you will use to measure its success. This’ll help you understand the ROI of your campaign and make adjustments for future campaigns.

Keep these in mind and see the magic for yourself!

How to build a successful Tiktok marketing campaign?

Planning a TikTok marketing campaign is like planning a heist (where are my Money Heist fans?) – you need to get all your ducks in a row before making your move. 

Before you ask, I’m gonna break your success-worthy TikTok influencer marketing campaign into eight essential steps so it doesn’t feel like you’re studying quantum physics all over again. Follow these step-by-step, and thank me later.

Step 1: Target audience? Check!

Just like you would only build a house without knowing who will live in it, you need to define your target audience for your campaign. Whether it’s 22-year-old females right out of college or 70-year-old grandpas with a thing for gardening, that’ll help you create content that resonates with them and ensure you’re reaching the right people.

Step 2: Picking the right influencer = success

I know I’ve said this before, but like how you wouldn’t hire a hacker for a bank job, you have GOT to choose the right influencer who aligns with your brand values and target audience.

Step 3: Set crystal-clear objectives

Objectives are like the blueprint of your campaign – you need to set clear goals such as:

• Increasing brand awareness
• Driving traffic to your website 
• Increasing sales

These will help you measure the success of your campaign and determine if it is worth the investment.

Step 4: Create engaging content

Content is like bricks and mortar of your campaign. Collaborate with your influencers to create fun, creative content that matches the vibe of your brand and its style. You can even use QR codes to create trackable links to products or special offers. It’s a super smooth way to connect your TikTok viewers directly to your stuff. This’ll help ensure the content you both put forth engages and resonates with their audience.

Step 5: Use relevant hashtags

Hashtags are like the keys to the city – they help your content get discovered by the right people. Use relevant ones that align with your brand and target audience to increase the visibility of your content, and BAM! Your campaign finally gets the fame it deserves.

Step 6: Again. Track your results

I know, again? Look, I’m all for deep talk and philosophy, but the truth is, you can’t win a game without keeping score. Tracking what worked and what didn’t work wonders for future campaigns, TRUST ME.

Step 7: Build a community

Building a community is like building a neighborhood fam – you want to create a place where people feel welcome and want to stay. Engage with your audience, respond to comments, and create a space where people can interact with your brand. Ain’t nothing like a bunch of loyal followers!

Step 8: Stay up-to-date with trends

Trends are like the weather – they change ALL. THE. TIME. And you need to stay up-to-date to keep your campaign fresh and relevant. Keep an eye on what’s trending, and incorporate it into your campaign if it aligns with your brand values.

TikTok influencer marketing success stories

I know what you’re thinking. “I’ve read a lot till now but I don’t see any mind-blowing success stories here. Is TikTok influencer marketing even worth it?”

Yes. It is. And I’ve got three kickass TikTok influencer marketing success stories to prove it.

TikTok X Dunkin Donuts

In March 2020, Dunkin’ Donuts launched a TikTok challenge called #MyDunkin. The challenge encouraged users to post videos of themselves drinking Dunkin’ coffee in creative ways. The challenge featured popular TikTok influencers like Charli D’Amelio and Addison Rae, generating over 15,000 user-generated videos and over 4.5 billion views.

TikTok X Walmart

In 2020, Walmart partnered with several TikTok influencers to create a back-to-school campaign, which resulted in over 6 billion views and a 25% increase in TikTok followers for Walmart. Crazy, right?!

@natural.simpleliving Back-to-school shopping 2022-2023! What did we spend? @Pamela #naturalsimpleliving #backtoschool #schoolsupplies2022 #schoolsupplies #schoolsupplyhaul #dayinmylife #bigfamily #largefamily #largefamilylife #fyp #christiantiktok #ahoppinghaul #target #walmart ♬ Say Hey (I Love You) (feat. Cherine Tanya Anderson) – Michael Franti & Spearhead

TikTok X Chipotle

In 2019, Chipotle partnered with popular TikTok influencer David Dobrik for a #ChipotleLidFlip challenge. The campaign generated over 111,000 user-generated videos and over 104 million video views.

Final Words:

Well, that’s a wrap! I hope you’ve learned a ton about how to leverage the power of TikTok influencers to create killer marketing campaigns by now. 

Remember, TikTok is a wild ride, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to influencer marketing. But armed with the tips, tricks, and strategies we’ve shared in this guide, you’re well on your way to creating a TikTok campaign that slaps harder than a viral dance challenge. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!

FAQs

Do I need a massive budget to launch a successful TikTok influencer marketing campaign?

Not necessarily. While it’s true that some of the most successful TikTok campaigns have had big budgets behind them, there are plenty of ways to make an impact on TikTok without breaking the bank. The key to success is to create high-quality, engaging content that clicks with your target audience.

How do I find the right influencers for my TikTok campaign?

When it comes to finding the right influencers for your TikTok campaign, it’s all about doing your research. Try to discover influencers who align with your brand’s values and target audience and who have a strong following on TikTok. You can also use influencer marketing platforms like CreatorIQ, AspireIQ, and Upfluence to help you find and connect with the right influencers.

How do I measure the success of my TikTok influencer marketing campaign?

When it comes to measuring the success of your TikTok influencer marketing campaign, there are a few key metrics to watch. These include engagement rates (likes, comments, shares), follower growth, and website traffic/sales. You can use TikTok’s built-in analytics tools or third-party influencer marketing platforms like ContentStudio.io and UserMaven to track and analyze these metrics.