Social media trends are always changing and the sudden rise of TikTok is no different. Some influencer marketers may be hesitant to start deploying an influencer strategy on TikTok because of how much time or practice it will take to get used to the platform’s somewhat new content style, or maybe the unfamiliar algorithm. If it is the algorithm that’s worrying you, then don’t let it! TikTok’s unique algorithm can actually help you reach a new audience for your brand, especially through influencers and brand ambassadors! It’s really easy to have a video perform well on TikTok, and at the least, to get it in front of new people. This means that your ambassadors and influencers can feel confident that their content can be effective for you.
The world of TikTok deserves to know what makes your brand special — and what better way to do that than to let your brand’s biggest advocates speak for you? So let’s dive into it. Here are four reasons TikTok is pivotal for brand ambassador marketing.
1. TikTok Is Dominating The Social Media Game
TikTok has gained significant traction since its founding, but it truly skyrocketed in 2020. The app began as a music and dance video app for teenagers just looking to have some fun, but now plenty of adults of all ages have joined the platform, as well as small businesses, large corporations, creators, educators, and more. According to Forbes, the app is expected to reach 1.2 billion monthly active users in 2021, across 150+ countries globally. What may be an even more important statistic for influencer marketers is that while TikTok’s audience is vast and very diverse, a large portion (47%) of the US audience is between 10 to 29 years old, making it one of the most popular platforms in existence for Gen Z. And as we all know, Gen Z has A LOT of buying power (more than $140 billion, according to Business Insider).
People are absolutely loving TikTok for a number of reasons. First, it’s different and unique compared to the existing social media platforms; while other platforms include options for video, TikTok is solely video. Captions are short and sometimes unnecessary. Unlike YouTube, which is also video-centric, TikTok is designed for mobile devices, and the clips are short bursts of action compared to longer, drawn-out videos. Also, content created for TikTok is shared with anyone who wants to see it, for the most part. In a seemingly bizarre way that neither Facebook, LinkedIn, Snapchat, or Instagram have yet to fully capture, TikTok’s algorithm for surfacing short-form videos knows the user extremely well, keeping people sucked in and engaged for hours at a time.
2. Influencers Are Huge On TikTok
With this increased attention on TikTok, the relationship between brands, creators, and consumers has been at the forefront. Many influencers — from nano to mega — are finding that TikTok is a great platform for them to grow their following and connect with new people. Brands are beginning to take advantage of this and are creating more and more TikTok-driven influencer campaigns. In fact, according to Linqia, interest in using TikTok in influencer marketing campaigns rose by +325% from 2020 to 2021. There are so many different types of influencers on the app, of all different sizes and niches, that any brand is sure to find the perfect one to partner with for a campaign. You can even do a TikTok search to find the best people to work with so you find someone in your niche and budget.
Not only are influencers attracted to TikTok because of its popularity, but also because of its high engagement rates. According to Statista, TikTok’s average influencer engagement rate in 2020 was nearly 18%. That is massive – especially compared to other more long-standing platforms like Instagram (5% or less, according to Business Insider). This means that influencers on TikTok can more easily perform and build a solid, highly engaged audience. As an influencer marketer, this means that you can reap the benefits of that performance. You can even easily drive conversions using TikTok’s Shopify collaboration to create live shopping capabilities.
3. TikTok Has A Lot Of ‘Viral Potential’
Unlike most social media platforms, you don’t have to spend months or even years on TikTok before you grow a large following. In fact, because of the way the algorithm is, you can get your videos in front of many people on your very first day. The algorithm shows someone videos that they’re probably going to like based on many factors, including videos they’ve liked in the past, which audio clips they are listening to, the hashtags they follow, the accounts they engage with, and others.
The great thing about this algorithm, and the part that is the most noticable difference from other platforms, is that the creator’s stats don’t have an effect on whether or not their video will be shown to others. In other words, it doesn’t matter how many followers you have, or how well your previous videos have performed, ANY person can have ANY of their videos go viral at ANY time. That’s great odds – for both you and your brand ambassadors.
4. TikTok Is Great For Creating Authentic Connections
One reason influencers have become so effective on TikTok is that they’re quickly and easily able to create real connections with the people who follow them or see their videos. The more people (consumers) feel connected to someone (influencers), the more likely they are to trust them (and trust their product recommendations).
Influencers on TikTok who work with brands to promote products – whether their following is already huge or smaller and growing fast – are likely to already have people in their audience who look forward to seeing the products they choose to share and recommend. And because it’s so easy for TikTok users to build an audience fast, the more content a creator posts, the more trusting and loyal audience members they will have. (Read: the more people who will see that creator post about your brand, and be convinced to buy your products).
Conclusion: The Power Of Brand Ambassadors On TikTok
Having a presence on TikTok is crucial for brands and businesses in 2021, period. But to take it a step further, making sure that your brand ambassadors also have a presence on TikTok – and are promoting you and your products there – is even more crucial.
You may be wondering: if my brand ambassadors aren’t yet on TikTok, what are my next steps to get them there?
Well first, make sure to communicate the benefits for influencers on TikTok to your ambassadors, and convince them to start an account if they haven’t yet. Then, share tips with them for gaining some traction on their account. For example, by creating videos that use popular audio and adding trending hashtags, they can increase their chances of going viral. And when they first create their account, they should make sure they’re strategic about the types of videos they choose to watch and interact with, as this will inform the algorithm about what to show them. In order to get the most out of promoting you on TikTok, it’s a good idea for them to find people in your brand’s niche or your brand’s ideal audience, and start engaging with them and their videos (following, liking, commenting, etc.). Then, when the ambassador starts putting out consistent content promoting your products, they can already have connections to people that may be interested.
Of course, once you and your brand ambassadors start generating traction on TikTok, you’ll need a way to track their sales and easily manage the process of rewarding them. But just feel confident that your new great TikTok influencer marketing strategy has the power of getting your brand and product in front of a huge new audience, and tons of potential new customers. TikTok is likely going to be a large part of the future of social media for consumers and brands, so the sooner you get involved, the less you’re missing out. We don’t want any FOMO over here!
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