Key stat: Nearly 60% of TikTok viewers are more likely to trust a brand after hearing about it from a creator compared with hearing about it from a standard, in-feed ad, said Sam Kimmel, global creator partnerships lead at TikTok, during a CreatorIQ webinar.
We forecast half of all US marketers will use influencer marketing on TikTok, with $989.6 million in US influencer marketing spend going to the platform this year. Here are four specifications TikTok’s own data found improves creator content.
1. Follow basic best practices
“A good creator ad looks like a good TikTok video,” said Rachael Ryan, global research and insights lead at TikTok. The best creator ads will do all of the following, according to Ryan:
- Highlight the product
- Use music or a TikTok sound
- Feature branding and logos subtly to drive brand awareness
- Include a call to action to make sure viewers know what they’re being asked to do
2. Be informative and solution-oriented
“People want to learn from creators,” said Ryan. Some 49% of TikTok viewers agree creators make them want to learn more about the products they are using and the brands they are engaging with, Ryan noted.
That means creator content should solve a specific problem or detail on how to use a product. For example, a sponsored post for a cleaning product might show a dirty oven and then quickly show the product in action and end with a clean oven.
3. Be credible and believable
Creator authenticity is “a key theme motivating purchase,” said Ryan. Creators don’t need to be specialists, but they do need to be believable product users.
For example, a sponsored skincare post doesn’t need to feature a dermatologist (although it could) but should at least feature someone who plausibly uses that product.
4. Feature active and sustained brand use
This goes a step beyond credibility. Viewers are more comfortable with products that creators use and feature consistently, said Ryan. “People want to know that the creators are actually using the products and have a sustained connection to the brand or the product themselves.”
Some 54% of TikTok users believe that the brands shared by creators are supportive of those creators, and they’re receptive to that sustained partnership, said Ryan.
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