In 30 seconds:
- If you’re looking to boost sales on TikTok, an influencer marketing campaign is a great way to increase your engagement rate and raise your brand awareness.
- When it comes to finding the perfect TikTok creator, consider TikTok’s micro influencers for your marketing strategy. They may have smaller audiences, but their followers are often more engaged and invested in them.
- TikTok micro influencers can introduce your brand to a dedicated target audience of followers – so working with them should form part of your social media marketing strategy. Here’s how to get started.
TikTok has quickly become the most popular app for Gen Z. Its pick-up-and-play design and focus on collaboration and creativity has won the hearts of millions of young active users, many of whom have gone on to amass large followings of their own.
If you’re reaching out to younger audiences, TikTok content creators are a great avenue to explore. You may think that success on TikTok is simply a numbers game, but that’s not always the case. It’s not just the most popular influencers that win big. Any size brand can go viral on TikTok, as we explain here.
Leveraging micro influencers can be a particularly rewarding strategy when it comes to growing your brand online. Below, we’re sharing tips on finding high quality TikTok micro influencers for your marketing campaigns – and how you can use them to drive traffic and sales.
What is considered a micro influencer on TikTok?
A TikTok influencer is a content creator who has gained a strong presence on the platform, becoming a kind of ‘celebrity’ and earning themselves a dedicated follower base.
Micro influencers, then, are a kind of influencer – simply ones with a smaller follower count. While a standard influencer may have millions of TikTok followers, a TikTok micro influencer has 50k to 150k followers. (TikTok micro influencers are defined differently to Instagram micro influencers).
By their very nature, micro influencers are less differentiated from the average TikTok user – and that’s their power.
You might think that a smaller number of followers equals smaller impact. You’d be wrong! Because of their smaller size, micro influencers typically have audiences care more about them. These followers engage more with their TikTok videos – and support the brands these micro influencers promote.
Why are micro influencers beneficial for brands?
TikTok influencers can be very effective for marketing campaigns geared towards Gen Z.
TikTok is the new source for cultural trends – and that’s because it’s the go-to app for younger generations. It’s Gen Z’s favourite social media platform, and nearly half of TikTokers say they are on the platform precisely to find new things.
This means that TikTok creators themselves have to have their finger on the pulse of what’s hot in order to continuously create content that’s perfect for Gen Z. This is the expertise that your brand can tap into when working in partnership with TikTok creators for your content strategy.
Why use a micro influencer instead of someone with a bigger following?
There are a few reasons for using micro influencers you may want to consider. For instance, taking the TikTok micro influencer route is often cheaper than investing in a single macro influencer.
Smaller social media influencers may also be more willing to try new products. If you get the communication right, you’ll find a creative individual who is passionate about telling your brand’s story. And they’ll do so with the type of content that their audience loves.
Additionally, Gen Z likes to support small businesses – and they see micro influencers as exactly that: a small, independent business. They may check out your brand to help support their favourite small TikToker.
With Tiktok micro influencers, you get several benefits: reach, creativity, and huge engagement potential, which makes them one of the most effective and powerful marketing avenues on social platforms today.
How do you find TikTok micro influencers and work with them?
You can search for Tiktok micro influencers by browsing hashtags like #TikTokMakers, #TikTokGurus, #TikTokCreators and more. From there you can filter by Top Hashtags and Top Influencers. TikTok will then show you people who are using these hashtags.
If you want to make contact with an influencer, it’s important to know one unique thing about TikTok: you can’t message someone unless they also follow you. That can sometimes make life tricky, but it’s not impossible to navigate!
Most TikTok influencers (including micro influencers) will have a link to their Instagram or other social accounts, where you can direct message (DM) them. Or you may find links to their website or email details in their TikTok bio.
Things to think about before choosing a micro influencer
In order to find the relevant influencers for your brand, consider these questions before moving ahead with your campaign:
1. How much do they charge per post?
One benefit of using micro influencers is the opportunity to spread spend across multiple influencer campaigns and not just one, which helps increase exposure. As we explain here, Gen Z responds better to retargeting than one-off messages. If an influencer is too expensive, you may miss out.
2. What audience do they cater to?
The right micro influencer for your brand will vary depending on your audience. For fashion brands, it’s helpful if your micro influencer covers fashion. But there’s room for creativity: very highly engaged followers will buy whatever a micro influencer is wearing, even if they’re not a fashion influencer. The key is that your short video fits their niche.
3. What are the last few videos they’ve posted?
Think about the kind of message you want to send, and then look at the latest videos an account has posted. Do they correlate? If the answer is yes, then there’s a good chance that your collaboration will read as genuine – and your video will resonate well with their audience.
4. Can they create custom content just for you?
Some micro influencers will be willing to create custom content for you (such as a tutorial, review or how-to video) while others will prefer to work with a set format. This is something that you’ll need to communicate and discuss before starting your partnership.
5. How much reach/engagement do they get per video?
The more reach and engagement a person has, the better for your brand. Both are important. Good reach will ensure that your brand is seen by as many people in their TikTok community as possible, while high engagement indicates their videos are received well, and that their views will translate into sales for your brand.
6. What hashtags do they typically use in their videos?
Specific hashtags will help other TikTok users discover your chosen influencer’s videos. Check out the micro influencer’s previous videos and see what hashtags they use. This is one way to ensure that your product reaches people who are interested in your products through influencer content.
7. Do they work with other relevant TikTokers?
It pays to do a bit of research on who your influencer works with or follows. You can use this data as an insight into their interests as well as their audience. It will help you understand how they can best represent and promote your brand. It may also help you flesh out your influencer marketing strategy as you discover more opportunities for natural conversations.
Tips for success when using TikTok micro influencers
Alongside the questions above, we’ve included a few pointers that can help with any new influencer you work with in your next campaign:
1. Be communicative
It’s helpful to be clear what content is appropriate for your business. How will the micro influencer talk about your brand’s products – and where? This helps viewers know exactly what’s being promoted and how to learn more. Try to work collaboratively so your TikTok video satisfies both your offering and the influencer’s audience.
2. Be flexible and responsive on timelines
Some TikTok micro influencers may need a bit more time to create the content you need. After all, many may not be full-time TikTok creators, as their accounts are smaller. Your expectations around timelines should be flexible and realistic. Being more responsive also allows you to make the most of TikTok’s reactive nature, and jump on any new trends that would be appropriate.
3. Stay consistent
If you end up working with a few different influencers for multiple campaigns, it’s helpful to stay relatively consistent in terms of messaging and look. This will help keep your brand image and message consistent across the TikTok community. However, don’t be afraid to experiment to find the right voice for your brand on TikTok.
4. Understand how content fits into TikTok’s algorithm
TikTok has an algorithmic feed, which means that while you can use hashtags to help get your product in front of a certain audience, you can’t directly control who sees it. Keeping this in mind while you create your campaign will help your TikTok micro influencers research. It will give you a target audience and engagement rate to aim for.
For our deep dive into understanding TikTok’s algorithm, read our article here.
How to leverage TikTok micro influencers for your business
If you’re looking for a way to reach younger demographics, TikTok micro influencer marketing could be perfect for your brand. By finding the right micro influencer, you can increase brand awareness, improve sentiment, tell your story and help you get sales.
But in order to see the most success with your campaign, you have to research, find, and work with the people who understand and fit your needs the most.
Need a little guidance when it comes to finding the right influencer? We know following the steps above can be easier said than done. At Fanbytes, we’re dedicated to making sure you get the right results, with the right influencers, every single time. Get in touch with us today to find out more.
Still looking for tips on working with social media influencers? Here are more insights from your favourite Gen Z influencer marketing agency…
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