How to Properly Launch TikTok Ad Campaigns with Influencers

Let's talk about TikTok. TikTok is a social media platform for creating, sharing, and discovering short videos. While you may think of it as an outlet for youth to sing, dance, do comedy and lip-sync, it's actually so much more.

According to Nielsen Catalina 200, it's 2x more effective than traditional media channels. 67% of users were inspired to shop even when they weren't looking to do so. And 52% of users say they find new products on TikTok. There are also certain TikTok stats that you can't ignore, such as:

• TikTok is the 7th most-used social network.
• TikTok has nearly 100 million monthly active users in the United States alone. Keep in mind that this app is available in 200 countries.
• The juice brand, Ocean Spray, earned 15 billion media impressions in less than a month.
• Vertical TikTok videos shot have a 25% higher 6-second-watch-through rate.

And the list goes on. So as you can see, TikTok is a big deal.

How to Best Tryout TikTok

It's all a matter of content engineering. First, you generate, then activate, measure, get informed, and do it all over again. It's a circular cycle to repeat, always. Start by generating content either as a brand or individual and then activate it on the right channels (such as TikTok). It would help to use some tools to measure its performance (like Cohley, Vidsy, or Shuttlerock) and maximize your reach. After all, if artificial intelligence can boost your know-how, why not use it to your full advantage?

Start with the Creative Brief

Make sure you give influencers a detailed explanation of campaign requirements. Let's say it's an unboxing. You should specifically tell them: I will send you our product; I want you to film yourself unboxing it, thank us and tell your audience exactly what you love about our product. The key is that it must be consistent with the kind of material that the creator usually produces. Otherwise, it comes off as very inauthentic. This is where user-generated content or UGC plays an important role. Let creators create but keeping in mind a set of guidelines that specify exactly what you're looking for. Just like any partnership, make sure to let them know what you expect, what you will pay, and to give them a set timeline and deadline for the content review process.

Find the Ideal Influencer

When it comes to TikTok, it's about the more, the merrier. When you work with an array of influencers, you maximize your reach and have more material to work with. Be sure to consider engagement, impressions, and reach in the selection of influencers.

How to Execute Your TikTok Collaboration

Stick to the creative brief! Without a "map," how will you know where you're trying to go? As mentioned before, you should also diversify your influencer selection. Explore outside different geographical areas, ages, and topics. As long as it makes sense for your brand, by diversifying, you can then test and see which influencers give you the most engagement. Especially if one or two drop out, you're still fine. Remember, just because someone has many followers doesn't mean you'll get the same kind of engagement as someone with a smaller following. Once you find the winners, try to find more like them so you can keep testing and keep reiterating. Then keep the following in mind:

• Give them creative control so they can still stay true to themselves and their personal brand.
• Treat the brief as a contract.
• Have constant communication.
• Review their content before publishing (this is a biggie).
• Then measure results to find your top performers.

The TikTok Ad Creative

When it comes to TikTok, there is no winning formula. There are, however, a few foundations to empower brands to succeed.

These foundations are creative expertise, human craftsmanship (so that it looks organic and natural to the feed), and technology to scale (it's about testing, learning, and adapting, after all). So diversity and volume will help you scale and see what is needed for the best performing ad.

Here are general best practices on TikTok:

• Go vertical.
• Keep in mind safe zones, meaning knowing where the formatted template of likes, comments, etc. are so it won't interfere with the onscreen text.
• Have a strong CTA.
• Keep it short (between 11-15 seconds).
• Audio is essential so pump up the audio, but keep in mind subtitles.
• Push the limits. TikTok is a place to have fun and be innovative. So try something new from time to time to enhance your brand voice. Let me remind you of that viral Ocean Spray video.

What makes Tiktok Different?

TikTok isn't a passive platform. Users are fully engaged when watching TikTok videos. It's also a great way to co-create with the world, from influencers to brands and everything in between. Now, reach out to influencers who make the most sense to your brand, and don't forget to measure the results. Hopefully, you'll get your brand voice amplified, and who knows, maybe a viral ad or two.