By Stella Yang
Tik-Tok is blowing up. Not only is the social media platform the birthplace of countless creative up-and-coming dances, comedic sketches, and 15 second audios – it’s also been a place where various companies have had a platform to thrive. The Tik-Tok business space is incredibly versatile, lending a voice to both small businesses, who use the platform to showcase the creation process of their products, to well known brands connecting with their consumers through humor and skits. Tik-Tok isn’t only known for these creative forms of marketing though, it’s also created a space for the evergrowing avenue of influencer marketing.
Influencer marketing is using the endorsement of people who have a significant amount of popularity, or influence, in their communities to promote a product. In terms of definition, this form of marketing is not an unknown concept. We’ve definitely seen influence from well known celebrities before – in the world of 80s fashion, musicians and movie stars were looked up to as style influencers. We've also seen important figures being endorsed by brands, athletes have been historically sponsored by various sports companies. However, with the rise of social media platforms, influencer marketing isn’t defined by a certain pool of celebrities anymore – it’s given way to a broader definition to what we consider a celebrity, or influencer. We aren’t just looking at what an A-list Hollywood movie star is wearing, but now we’re seeing what makeup products a popular Tik-Tok user recommends.
Although influencer marketing is becoming ingrained in more and more platforms, Tik-Tok has dominated the majority of this area. This is because the layout of Tik-Tok has made it an incredibly versatile place for businesses looking to tap into influencer marketing. According to CNBC, about a billion people use the app each month. There are several influencers, and thus, several audiences to pick from and target, making influencer marketing very accessible to brands. Additionally, Tik-Tok makes it incredibly easy for videos to go viral through its algorithm. Even if an account is only a day old, it can create a viral video if it uses the right combination of sound. These two factors combined allow businesses to gain views and engagements easily.
All in all, as social media is constantly growing and evolving, influencer marketing is also continuing to develop as time passes. Although there are still mixed feelings about influencer marketing, such as criticisms that it feels authentic, or praises that it allows consumers to more easily develop connections with the brand, its no question that the marketing landscape, especially on Tik-Tok, has given way for the rapid growth of influencer marketing. The question is now, where will influencer marketing take us next?