Mistakes.
We all make ‘em.
Whether you’re late for work or you just deleted a month’s worth of content trying to change your screensaver, mistakes happen. So if you’re using TikTok influencers as part of your social media marketing strategy, there are plenty of pitfalls to avoid.
But there’s ONE mistake that’s worse than any other.
This mistake will cripple your ability to generate exposure, create brand loyalty, and drive results. You might be on the verge of making it. Or, you might already be making this mistake right now. Either way, you need to stop this one destructive trait if you want to stretch your marketing budget further and drive ROI.
Ready for a truth bomb?
If you’re spending money on TikTok influencers, the WORST mistake you can make is to take creative control and treat your TikTok influencers like a traditional advertising campaign.
Everyone is talking about TikTok.
With 2.6 billion downloads in 2020 and an average monthly watch time of 850 minutes, your audience isn’t just on TikTok… they’re on TikTok a lot!
But here’s the catch.
Your audience isn’t consuming any old content they find. They’re looking for content that feels real, makes them feel part of the social media community, and feels genuine. If your content aligns with those characteristics, congrats, you’ve got the recipe for ongoing interest and engagement.
But if your content isn’t genuine… well, we’ve got bad news for you. 90% of Millennials say ‘authenticity’ influences their decision to support a brand. TikTok might be the trendiest social media platform right now but that doesn’t mean you can partner with a TikTok influencer, tell them to advertise your products, and start raking in results.
Your audience doesn’t want to see a ‘sell first’ mentality. They want something real.
“Make TikToks, not ads”.
That’s the challenge issued by the good people at TikTok themselves who launched TikTok for Business in 2020.
So, what does this *actually* mean?
Put simply, it means the most effective brand-building approach on TikTok comes from leveraging the platform’s creativity and authenticity to connect with audiences. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use TikTok ads or work with influencers - but it does mean you should put your audience need’s first.
This approach helps invert how people see branded content.
Let’s face it, ads aren’t cool. We’re not living in an extended episode of Mad Men where the right ad in a catalogue can add zeros to your company’s bottom line. In the digital age, ads make your audience roll their eyes. With 1 out of 3 consumers using ad blockers, many of your customers aren’t even engaging with ads in the first place. They’re skipping them. Avoiding them. Blocking them entirely.
It’s a mistake (and a common one) for brands to partner with TikTok influencers but provide strict content creation guidelines that leave your influencers sharing stiff, inauthentic branded messages that TikTok users can spot from a mile off.
In contrast, the best TikTok influencers create branded content that makes people say “Oh, I didn’t even know that was an ad!”. Instead of showing people your products or experiences and expecting them to engage with you, the most successful TikTok influencers create content your audience loves.
Marketing has been formal for a loooong time.
Whether it’s stuffy email signatures, boardroom presentations, or dry website content, it’s easy to fall back into ‘best practices’ and assume your audience will eat up every word you write or video you produce.
But the landscape is changing.
Consumers want to feel like they’re an active part of the process when choosing the brands they interact with. Long gone are the days of throwing an ad in a newspaper or up on a billboard and expecting people to engage with it. That type of one-way selling is dead and it isn’t coming back to life.
In its place comes two-way marketing. Modern consumers want to enter a dialogue with their favourite brands and interact with marketing messages. They’re not a passive audience waiting to be spoken to. Instead, they’re looking for brands online and on social media (where 86% of people follow a brand).
Here’s how you empower your TikTok influencers to create content that people love 😍
We get it, it’s tough to let someone else take control when your brand is involved. But TikTok influencers have built large and loyal audiences for a reason - they know how to leverage the platform to drive engagement. Whether inviting their followers to join a viral trend or bringing your brand into their authentic experience, you’ll get more from your campaign when you relinquish control.
You might need the latest photography equipment, lighting, scripts, and sound engineering on Instagram or YouTube. But TikTok thrives on authentic, organic content that feels real. In fact, highly polished content can turn people off and drive them to keep scrolling while authentic content draws people in and builds a connection.
The best TikTok content is natural and created through the tools of the app. We’re talking about voice filters, green screens, and TikTok effects. Despite what you may think, raw and unfiltered content can outperform highly edited and professional content which sticks out like a sore thumb.
Put simply, allowing your influencers to create TikTok content that adds value to your audience’s life and invites them to engage can help you reach a wider audience and develop stronger brand loyalty. Remember, authenticity is your superpower - and it’s up to you to let your TikTok influencers unleash it.
TikTok has evolved from a Generation Z platform to a powerful social media tool in its own right.
Major brands from Nike to Levi’s use influencer campaigns on TikTok to generate exposure and create powerful social proof among highly impressionable audiences. But don’t think TikTok influencer marketing is for the big boys only.
Brands of all sizes can use influencers to avoid coming across as too “salesy” and deliver branded content that feels real and authentic. If you’re ready to partner with influencers who have built large and much-loved followings, get in touch to learn more about our flat-rate influencer packages today.
Click here to learn how easy it is to partner with an authentic TikTok influencer.
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