Can TikTok Interns Make My Brand Go Viral?

I'm writing this piece as Nicole R. , a Gen-Z co-owner of Ghost Agency .

My agency has a massive TikTok focus, working directly with the team at TikTok on incredible opportunities for businesses. While this piece may appear biased due to my stake in working with merchants on their social accounts, I will provide alternatives to working with an agency.

In 纽约时报 article "Wanted: Interns Who Can Make TikTok Hits," an SMB ice cream brand owner is quoted saying that he wasn't enthusiastic about the professional content creation that marketing agencies provide: "I have found that most of these agencies who employ millennials, they do not understand the rawness of TikTok as well as young people." I will admit that many agencies are focused on high-production-value videos and inflexibility to adapt to new trends that favor authentic, low-budget videos that do well on the platform.

However, does this justify the brand safety concern of handing over the reins of your brand's digital footprint to an intern? I don't think so.

Working with an intern on a project like TikTok has the following concerns:

• They often lack the experience that would allow them to foresee or research potential problematic sides of their content
• Their personal brand becomes enmeshed with your brand, making you susceptible to scandals from their behavior
• Unpaid internships must meet a standard of training that requires the intern to obtain value
• You are bound to their schedule, limiting your response time and possibilities

Depending on how risk-averse your business is, this might be worth avoiding. But where do you turn to still cash in on the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt revolution?

1. Work with an agency that gets it. As a Gen-Z agency owner, I have seen firsthand the antiquated approach that many take when creating content for clients. Before signing a deal with an agency, do your research. Have they successfully created content that reaches your desired audience?
2. Hire a part-time or full-time TikTok employee. Interns are great, but they can only do so much. Employing a TikTok-focused team member ensures that one can learn brand guidelines and understand the consequences of reckless posting.
3. Use your current employees to make TikToks. While we certainly do not recommend this to most merchants, some teams are eager to learn this new platform. Ghost Agency helps consult marketing teams to audit their accounts and send content suggestions, allowing internal task forces to create the content. This prevents one person from becoming the face of the brand and lets the brand experts have fun while providing clear messaging.

Interested in turbo-charging your TikTok but still don't know how? Reach out to [email protected] and we'll help guide you in the right direction.