TikTok is no longer just an entertainment platform for the younger generation. It has become a strategic tool for brands seeking to connect with a large, engaged audience. With its short, viral video formats, TikTok offers unique opportunities for a successful influencer campaign. But to harness this potential, it's essential to master the platform's specific features and best practices. Launching an influencer campaign on TikTok requires a well-thought-out approach tailored to users' expectations. Whether you're a novice or an experienced brand, 18h08, an influencer marketing agency specializing in various social networks, including TikTok, offers 8 tips to help you maximize the impact of your next influencer campaign.
1. Get to know TikTok trends
On TikTok, trends evolve rapidly. What goes viral today may be forgotten tomorrow. So before launching an influencer campaign on this platform, it's essential to understand current trends. Tracking popular hashtags, observing the most shared videos and analyzing trending challenges will help you stay relevant. For example, some music challenges go viral in a matter of days, reaching millions of views. Incorporating these trends into your influencer campaign can boost your chances of success.
What's more, content creators often influence TikTok trends. So it's important to keep an eye on their activities and spot what's working in your industry. To do this, you can explore the "For You" page, which offers personalized content based on trends and your interests. By adapting your influencer campaign to the codes in vogue, you're sure to capture the attention of an already receptive audience.
2. Identify the right content creators
On TikTok, the key to a successful influencer campaign lies in choosing the right content creators. It's not just a question of working with influencers with a large audience, but above all with those who are in tune with your brand. Influencers on TikTok, whether nano, micro or macro, each has a unique community. To maximize your impact, it's essential to work with creators whose values and interests match those of your brand.
For example, if you represent an ethical clothing brand, working with influencers committed to sustainable fashion will help align your message with their values. Tools such as Upfluence, HypeAuditor and TikTok Creator Marketplace help you find and analyze the most suitable profiles for your influencer campaign. You can filter influencers by region, age, gender and, above all, by engagement rate, giving you a more precise approach and saving you time.
3. Focus on authenticity
What sets TikTok apart from other platforms is its emphasis on authenticity. Users are looking for natural, unscripted content. For an influencer campaign to succeed, it's essential to let creators express their creativity. Overworked or over-promotional videos risk being perceived as artificial. Give influencers the freedom to make your product or service their own and talk about it authentically.
Take the example of a skincare brand launching a new range. By letting an influencer test the products and share their personal experience, the brand can build more trust with the audience. This type of content, more authentic and less scripted, captures attention better and encourages higher engagement. Authenticity is one of the keys to generating real interactions and building a lasting relationship with TikTok users as part of your influencer campaign.
4. Use TikTok's native formats
Every platform has its own codes and formats, and TikTok is no exception. For an effective influencer campaign, it's important to take full advantage of TikTok's native formats. Short vertical videos, from 15 to 60 seconds, are the norm, and they need to be impactful from the very first seconds. TikTok also lets you add visual effects, filters and popular music to make content more attractive.
Encouraging your influencers to use these tools will increase the virality of their content. For example, a quick make-up tutorial with dynamic transitions and on-trend music will more easily capture attention than static content. Also consider interactive videos, such as "duets" or "reactions", which allow users to participate directly in your influencer campaign. Using popular hashtags in your videos will also boost their visibility on the platform.
5. Plan a realistic budget
Before launching an influencer campaign, it's important to define a budget based on your objectives. Costs vary according to the influencers you choose and the complexity of the content. On TikTok, you can work with nano or micro-influencers for a relatively modest cost, while benefiting from a high rate of engagement. Macro-influencers, on the other hand, require larger budgets, but can offer wider visibility. If you'd like to delve deeper into the subject, we've created a reference tool to help you anticipate the cost of your future collaborations.
In addition to influencer-related costs, don't forget to take into account expenses linked to content production and any sponsored promotions. Good performance tracking is also essential to assess the return on investment (ROI) of your influencer campaign. It's important to adjust your budget as you go along, based on the results obtained, to maximize the effectiveness of your campaign.
6. Participate in viral challenges
Viral challenges are a central element of the TikTok ecosystem. They enable you to reach a large audience organically. For a successful influencer campaign, it's a good idea to encourage your content creators to take part in these challenges, or even to launch your own. TikTok users love challenges, especially when they're fun and easy to reproduce.
A good example is Guess, which launched the #InMyDenim challenge, encouraging users to show off their transformation before and after wearing Guess jeans. The challenge quickly gained in popularity, creating a snowball effect. Launching a viral challenge can also boost brand awareness while encouraging users to create content around your product. This approach can give a significant boost to your influencer campaign.
7. Measure and adjust performance
As with any marketing strategy, it's important to measure the results of an influencer campaign on TikTok. Several tools enable you to track the impact of your videos: number of views, rate of engagement (likes, shares, comments), and above all the conversions generated by each video. Analyzing this data lets you know whether your campaign is achieving its objectives, or whether adjustments are needed.
If certain videos don't generate the expected results, you can test other types of content or work with new influencers. Adapting your strategy according to actual performance is essential to optimize your return on investment. Using TikTok Analytics or third-party platforms gives you a clear view of your results and enables you to adjust your actions in real time, maximizing the impact of your influencer campaign.
8. Create interaction with the community
One of TikTok's greatest assets is the active engagement of its community. A successful influencer campaign doesn't just broadcast messages, it encourages user participation. Encourage your influencers to ask questions, launch polls or organize contests to generate interaction. The more engagement a video generates, the more likely it is to appear in TikTok recommendations.
One successful example is a sports brand that asked users to share their workout routines with a specific hashtag. This encouraged the community to interact, creating a viral momentum around the product. By encouraging users to actively participate in your influencer campaign, you boost the engagement and organic reach of your content.
Conclusion
Launching an influencer campaign on TikTok requires a thorough understanding of the platform's codes and an adapted strategy. By following these 8 tips - understand trends, choose the right influencers, focus on authenticity, use native formats, define a realistic budget, participate in viral challenges, measure performance, and create interaction - you'll optimize your chances of success. TikTok offers immense potential for brands that know how to adapt to it. By implementing these practices, you can capture the attention of millions of users and make your influencer campaign a real success.
If you'd like to launch an influencer campaign, but don't have the time or skills to do it yourself, contact us at. We're the number 1 influencer marketing strategy agency in France. We'll work with you to identify your needs and create a tailor-made strategy.
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