Staying consistently relatable with your prospects is the most important communication aspect of any marketing strategy. A savvy community has resulted in the online channel being one of the most vital ways to ensure the reach of your message.
TikTok, a recent phenomenon, has successfully established itself as THE online platform to connect with Gen Z. The app’s Genesis is to foster a committed community of creators towards the platform by influencing their audience to adopt the platform. Since its inception in 20XX, the app has had a profound impact on the younger demographics with an estimated 2.09 million users in Singapore alone. The app’s intuitive interface and simplicity have redefined the boundaries of social media. It has a reach like no other - attracting audiences from everywhere for your content to go viral and be in touch with specific niche markets. With the platform still considered at the “novelty” stage (which is a HUGE green flag for organic reach), there is no content saturation… yet!
The app provides high returns for your venture. Therefore, it is wise to enter the game with a game plan that optimises each TikTok content you create into one with enormous reach.
A well-informed influencer marketing strategy is one that is thoughtfully considered. It is a roadmap with clear goals and measurable checkpoints to success. TikTok is the vehicle that takes a brand there, and it easily can be the greatest Marketing channel used. Goals should be targeted, specific to evaluate the effectiveness, and developed with relevant parties of the Team. It may be as simple as: “Increase community brand-related videos by 10% within 3 months on TikTok” as long as it follows this formula:
S.pecific - Clearly stating what the campaign hopes to achieve.
M.easurable - Quantitative factors that the brand can use to understand its effectiveness
A.chievable - Objectives that are logical and realistic
R.elevant - Targets that relate and contribute to the overall marketing strategy.
T-ime Bound - Time period to achieve the goals to consider its effectiveness.
A huge red flag for any brand’s advertising campaign: Coming across as too pushy.
No one likes being “forced” to buy something and especially so if the audience belongs to the younger audience that TikTok attracts. This Generation Z dominated platform requires a more updated and subtle approach to getting their nod of approval. TikTok influencers, especially, own a certain charm in their succinct videos to quickly move the targetted market down the brand’s funnel and convert leads to actual conversions.
The key to a brand’s success on any platform is to work with the right influencer that your target audience naturally gravitates to. This boils down to relevancy - how relevant is the influencer to the group the brand would like to attract.
Skim down the sea of TikTok influencers with this set of questions:
a. Where does the primary interest of your demographic lie? Eg. If it is a menswear brand, do the targets prefer styling tips and tricks or do they enjoy understanding bite-sized process information.
b. Would they rather engage with the content or are they more skewed towards just “lurking around”? This will determine the personality profile type of your chosen influencer.
In short, they should almost be identical to your target profile, and the people your demographic aspire to be.
Credit to @kevintristan99
After the shortlist, the next step is to form an alliance. This will likely take place on the platform itself or in an email. It is important to leave a good impression, so proofread your message. The last thing you want is a case of miscommunication.
If the list consists of high profile TikTok-ers, be prepared to offer more than your usual Influencer package. This group of TikTok Influencers generally receive a HUGE amount of partnership enquires (which is why the usual Influencer package, miiight not be sufficient). The next method to possibly get their attention is to be really innovative in the approach.
However, there are other means that Brands can still explore to gain footing on TikTok. Micro TikTok Influencers (READ: XXX). Just because they have a smaller following does not necessarily mean they are not able to assist in getting the required awareness. TikTok provides quite a levelled playing ground for Mega and Micro-influencers. If anything, Micro TikTok Influencers could yield better results.
The goal of any collaborative work is a continued one. This sort of working relationship feels organic, making the brand advocacy reliable. In return, their following naturally associates the Brand with the influencer. They are excellent social proof that the Brand is what it claims to be and the theory that a loyal customer is more cost-efficient, applies to influencers as well.
Nurturing such a long-term relationship is far easier than you think. For starters, respect. TikTok Influencers, like any regular Joe down the street, is deserving of respect. Be the one Brand that makes their day by approaching their profession the same manner you would conduct a conversation with your business partner. They are great channels to expand your reach, form meaningful bonds within your selected community, and increase your return on investment.
Next, expand and explore your options with Micro TikTok Influencers. This group of influencers provide an easier entry point and opportunities for that relationship bridge to be formed. Nurture and grow with them, they could very well produce the next sensational video that features the Brand.
TikTok has the potential to dramatically transform a Brand’s social standing. Its dynamic landscape makes it an outstanding platform to try out creative engagement for lasting impressions. The channel provides a levelled playing ground no matter the Brand, thus, making it a true test of the Brand’s strategies as well as a more accurate tool for measuring success on social media platforms.