The TikTok-ification of influencer marketing

marie's avatar
marie
Share
An image of Caspar, co-founder and chief visionary officer of Influencer. Caspar is holding a phone in both hands, and appears to be taking a picture. Caspar is wearing a headset mic, and appears to be smiling. The Web Summit logo appears partially in the background.

As TikTok continues to rapidly ascend in popularity, should influencers concentrate their efforts solely on this burgeoning social media app or continue working with multiple platforms?

In 2023, TikTok continues to be the platform of choice for
influencer marketing, changing the type of content being
created and the way brands approach their campaigns.

Influencer marketing may have been born on YouTube and may
have matured on Instagram, but TikTok is now consistently regarded
as the platform du jour – something that is changing the kind of
content made, and the kind of content that is likely to go viral.

Sophia Smith Galer – a senior news reporter at Vice World News, author, and TikTok content creator – described the “TikTok-ification of the [creator] space” in general, and especially influencer marketing.

Does this mean brands want to work with a different type of
creator than they did before? YouTube star and Influencer co-founder and chief visionary officer Caspar Lee thinks that TikTok has given more – rather than different – creators a chance to shine.

“Any TikTok creator can go viral quite easily … It’s also a great
opportunity for people starting out in this industry to be able to
work with brands by proving that they’re just creating awesome
content rather than just having the most followers,” said Caspar.

“While TikTok provides exciting opportunities for both creators and brands, ultimately, creators should be open to diversifying their revenue streams and working with multiple platforms in order to maintain a successful career.” – Caspar Lee, co-founder and chief visionary officer, Influencer

ROIs beyond likes and comments

An interesting effect of TikTok’s rise in influencer marketing is that it seems to have helped push viral marketing techniques towards an outcome-based approach, focusing on results that shift the needle for a brand rather than just on likes and comments.

After all, the appeal of TikTok lies in creating and recreating viral moments, rather than simply consuming content passively.

Ben Jeffries, co-founder and CEO of Influencer, gave the example of a Levi’s
campaign the company worked on. Called ‘Then Now Forever’, it centred
on influencers posting old photos of their parents in Levi’s jeans
alongside a modern recreation.

“What we were noticing was, despite getting about 50 creators
involved in the actual campaign, we were having a lot of organic
push with people wanting to join in on the actual trend themselves,”
said Ben.

“That’s what it’s all about when you’re trying to build a viral campaign.
It’s doing something which can encourage participation.”

However, a parting note from Caspar warned that while TikTok
provides exciting opportunities for both creators and brands,
ultimately, creators should be open to diversifying their revenue
streams and working with multiple platforms in order to maintain
a successful career.

Join us in Lisbon this year for more exciting talks on marketing and social media trends. Pre-register now for your Web Summit 2023 tickets.

Main image of Caspar Lee, Influencer co-founder and chief visionary officer, at Web Summit 2022 at the Altice Arena in Lisbon, Portugal: Ben McShane/Web Summit (CC BY 2.0)

Related
A photograph of a freestanding Web Summit sign and logo outside of the event. There are high-rise buildings visible in the background.
Marketing and media

Your guide to marketing at Web Summit 2024

Check out our step-by-step guide to all things marketing at Web Summit this November.  Hoping to ge...

September 4, 2024 - 3 min read
Related
Marketing and media

‘Social’ media is anything but – and AI will make it worse

The word “community” is often thrown around in the marketing and...

October 30, 2023 - 3 min read