561-429-2585
Email Us
Map Location

The Rise of TikTok as an Influencer-Marketing Hub

Social Media Marketing

TikTok is currently one of the most popular video-sharing platforms available.  

Several of the app's features—including its ability to provide user entertainment, act as a search engine, and function as a review site—suggest that it is explicitly designed with Millennials and Generation Z in mind.

This has resulted in an increase in the number of would-be influencers using the app in the hopes of being discovered by a major brand interested in collaborating with them.

But what exactly do influencers add to a brand, and how can influencer marketing benefit your business? Our Miami digital marketing team will respond to these questions and more.

What Is Influencer Marketing?

People today spend most of their time online on one or more social media sites. This makes learning about new trends or businesses simpler, especially with the aid of influencer marketing.

Influencer marketing can be understood by looking at the outcomes of a brand's partnership with a well-known online influencer. In most cases, the collaboration between brands and influencers is intended to increase brand awareness.

When Did Influencer Marketing Begin?

Before TikTok gained popularity, Instagram was where the public first encountered influencers. The number of people using the app has increased dramatically, particularly since 2013.

Once brands recognized Instagram's exciting potential, they quickly realized the potential for influencer marketing. Yes, a few well-known brands with visually appealing products are likely influential enough on their own.  

And, yes, any company that purchases Instagram ads will gain visibility on the platform.

However, many companies have found that collaborating with established influencers with large, engaged audiences is the most effective strategy.

Then, there was YouTube...

PewDiePie, a popular YouTuber, was among the first to use influencer marketing on the site. In 2014, he assisted the marketing team for "As Above, So Below" in reaching out to his fans and promoting the horror film.

Thanks to his hundred million followers, it received twice as many views as the trailer—proof of what influencers can do.

In the case of TikTok, the rise of influencers peaked during the pandemic, when everyone was stuck at home and looking for ways to entertain themselves. However, as its popularity grew, it evolved into a platform for brands and businesses to promote their products and services.

@oldgays Digging the dancing queens? 👸 @Paula Abdul #dance ♬ original sound - musicquotes

Presently, most social media platforms offer some kind of influencer marketing feature to expand their active user base. Our Miami digital marketing team expects this trend to continue in the near future, and there is no sign of it slowing down.

How Does TikTok Influencer Marketing Help Brands?

Social media sites are widely acknowledged as the most effective viral content distribution channels. In fact, our Miami-based digital marketers take this into account when developing our social media marketing plans.

And there's no denying that TikTok is the place to be if you want your content to have the best chance of going viral. Being viral means getting exposure to more people, and that, in turn, can boost brand recognition and conversions.

Aside from going viral, brands want to work with influencers who can raise awareness of their products and services among their target audience. This could be accomplished by providing unbiased reviews and firsthand accounts of using the products or services in question.

In addition, recent information from Upfluence reveals that TikTok users enjoy much higher engagement than either YouTube or Instagram.  

For example, Upfluence found that micro-influencers' TikTok engagement rates were 17.96%, Instagram's were 3.86%, and YouTube's were 1.63%. On the other end of the spectrum, mega-influencers saw engagement rates of 4.96% on TikTok, 1.21% on Instagram, and 0.37% on YouTube.

Upfluence social media engagement statistics
Image from Upfluence

For these reasons, it's no wonder that brands are increasingly teaming up with TikTok influencers. To help you find them, TikTok's Creative Center provides brands with a range of innovative tools and features to enhance their influencer marketing campaigns. With access to this platform, brands can collaborate with influencers to create captivating and interactive content that resonates with TikTok's diverse user base, further amplifying their brand message and driving higher engagement rates.

Why Is TikTok the Best Influencer Marketing Platform?

As previously stated, TikTok is the most popular social media platform in terms of engagement. In and of itself, that fact is enough to convince our Miami digital marketing experts that TikTok is the superior influencer marketing platform.

However, the recent innovations that TikTok has introduced will undoubtedly entice more influencers and brands to boost their presence on the platform.

For starters, it now has an online shopping component. TikTok has integrated a shopping feature into the main app to meet the growing demand for this service. TikTok Shop, an online marketplace where users can buy and sell goods, was introduced in August 2021.

RELATED: TikTok Shop—A New E-Commerce Opportunity

TikTok also has a feature called the TikTok Creator Marketplace (TCM), which allows brands and creators to collaborate on ads for a product. Today, TCM is home to over 500,000 creators worldwide, giving its users a wide variety of people to follow as influencers.

Because of the popularity of online shopping and the high engagement levels it brings to the platform, TikTok is undeniably the best platform for influencer marketing. It has established itself as the app of choice for brands and influencers.

What Is the Future of TikTok Influencer Marketing?

If you're still on the fence about whether TikTok would benefit your business, our Miami digital marketing team is here to tell you that the answer is an emphatic yes!

TikTok's growing influencer community is proving to be a valuable asset for brands looking to increase their visibility. Moreover, TikTok is adjusting to meet the growing importance of social media in the consumer buying and selling process.

With the advent of new platform features like TikTok Shop and TMC, the future of TikTok influencer marketing holds a lot of promise.

TikTok as Your Perfect Partner for Influencer Marketing

As one of the most widely used social media sites, TikTok continues to attract more and more users, many of whom are influential figures.

TikTok has a large user base, leading some to believe that advertising on the platform is easy. But, in reality, it's a challenging feat—especially with a well-thought-out social media plan.

Because of this, you still need help from experts when it comes to social media. You can feel at ease knowing that Digital Resource is one of Miami's most successful digital marketing companies to collaborate with.

If you are interested in discussing your digital marketing needs with our Miami team, we are happy to provide a free consultation.

Contact us today to learn more about our digital marketing services.

Back to blogs

Related Blogs

Want to work for us?

Think you've got what it takes to hang with the pros at Digital Resource? Check out our Careers page to browse current job openings!

apply Today
Digital Resource Awards