The Influencer Marketing Guide to TikTok Live

TikTok is a premier social media platform for millennials and Gen Zers, offering excellent opportunities for influencers and brands targeting these audiences to market themselves. With 1.39 billion active users, mostly in the younger demographics, TikTok has unrivaled reach and penetration.

In 2019, TikTok took its capabilities further with the Live feature, which allowed influencers and content creators to live stream videos from the platform. This feature connects creators with followers in real-time using comments and helps influencers monetize their account with virtual “gifts.”

And one of the best features of TikTok Live is that the streams are not restricted in duration like other TikTok video content, presenting virtually limitless options for topics and themes.

TikTok Live Performance

An Ipsos study provided a range of insights and key findings for brands and influencers leveraging TikTok Live for success. Here are the highlights:

TikTok Live Users are Committed

The study revealed that one in five live streaming users watch TikTok Live, 62% of which watch it every day.[1]?This is an unmatched opportunity for influencers and brands to engage with their communities in real time.

TikTok Live Persuades Shopping

TikTok Live can be used to bolster brand awareness, but it’s also effective at persuading shoppers to make a purchase. About 50% of TikTok users have purchased a product or service after seeing it on TikTok Live.[2]

In addition, the study revealed that users are 1.6 times more likely to watch branded Live content to discover brands, 1.7 times more likely to watch branded Live to purchase products, and 2 times more likely to consider Live trustworthy.[3]

TikTok Live Viewership Deepens Connection

Influencers aren’t the only ones leveraging TikTok Live for success. The TikTok community is enjoying Live for engaging with brands directly, and roughly 50% of users were more interested in branded Live content.[4]?For one in three users, Live is the go-to platform to connect with brands and creators.

TikTok Live Audiences Appreciate Diverse Content

TikTok Live is effective when influencers and brands experiment with content. The study revealed that users are interested in engaging with a diverse range of content, including how-tos and tutorials, in-depth product reviews, product releases, Q&As, live events, and direct product sales.

Though TikTok users accept all hosts for branded Live content, creators are the most desired. Brand ambassadors and celebrities are also of interest. All of these insights indicate that authenticity and connection are important for success on the platform.

How to Make a TikTok Live

TikTok Live isn’t much different from making a regular video on the platform, other than being Live and unable to be edited. Fortunately, users have to reach a certain number of followers and have some experience on the platform before the Live option is available, ensuring that creators are comfortable with making video content.

Unlock TikTok Live

New users may not have access to TikTok initially. The conditions for creating TikTok Live content include:

• Users must be at least 16 years old
• Users should be over 18 years old to receive gifts on a live stream, since they can be converted to real cash
• Users should have a minimum of 1,000 followers, though different countries may have different requirements

Reaching 1,000 followers can be challenging on TikTok. After that point, the organic growth tends to rise steadily. Some of the most popular TikTok accounts get that way by:

• Creating disruptive content
• Investing in paid ads
• Leveraging influencer marketing in their industry

Set Up a Live Stream

Once TikTok Live is unlocked, users can click on the + at the bottom of the screen to open the selfie video mode in the camera. The options for the selfie mode are 60 seconds, 50 seconds, and photo templates.

From there, users can scroll until the Live option comes up, then click on it. The Go Live button at the bottom of the screen starts the live streaming process. If there isn’t a Go Live button, it’s likely because the user hasn’t satisfied the requirements.

Another possibility is that too many people are Live at the same time. The platform restricts the number of total Live users at any given time, so users will just have to wait until the traffic slows down.

Sometimes, TikTokers are unable to use Go Live, even with all the requirements met. If that’s the case, it’s possible that it’s because the content doesn’t meet the quality parameters. TikTok is currently working to make the Live feature available to more creators in the future.

Otherwise, the live platform is ready to go.

Include a Video Title and Cover Photo

When users click on the Go Live button, the screen will be blank. There’s a three-second countdown before the live stream begins. At this point, users can write a caption or title that’s 32 characters in length.

Like other videos, the caption should be compelling to get followers to join the live stream. Hashtags are permitted in the caption, provided they don’t exceed the character count. The right hashtags make the live stream discoverable and help interested followers find the content.

Hashtags can be found with the following tips:

• Users can scroll through videos posted in the category
• Users can leverage hashtags competitors use
• Users can curate hashtags from the TikTok challenges using the Discover tab

While using popular hashtags is helpful, creating branded hashtags can boost TikTok marketing. Customized hashtags make content stand out on an ultra-competitive platform.

Branded hashtags should:

• Resonate with the industry, niche, content, or brand values
• Be limited to avoid going over the 32 characters in captions
• Easy to spell with no mixed casing or special characters
• Intuitive in context to make them clear to followers
• Tie videos together in a series

Next comes the cover photo. The profile picture will be the default cover photo for a live video on TikTok Live. It will appear as a thumbnail on the small square above the Go Live button. Users can update the picture by clicking on the Change option above the square.

Add Filters to The Video

Users can enhance the video quality by clicking on Smooth and Filters buttons below the Go Live button. And that’s all there is to going Live on TikTok.

End the Broadcast

TikTok Live has no limit on the duration of live streams. Users can end the video by clicking on the X at the top-left of the screen. Like all TikTok content, Live videos must adhere to rigorous community guidelines and can’t have content deemed offensive, incendiary, hateful, or otherwise inappropriate.

Restricted content may include:

• Terroristic content
• Hateful content directed at particular communities
• Homicidal acts or words
• Violent acts on humans or animals
• Underage delinquent behavior
• Cyber crimes, money laundering, or fraud
• Kidnapping and extortion
• Human or organ trafficking
• Self-harm or suicidal actions

Best Practices for TikTok Live

The TikTok team offered tips and best practices for brands and influencers to get the most out of the Live features.

• Location is everything: Creators can entice viewers by launching a live video in an unusual location
• Engage directly: Live streams with Q&As allow creators to connect directly with the audience.
• Momentum: Creators should build anticipation with countdowns or teasers that create a sense of curiosity in the audience.
• Consistency: Creators should go Live regularly to establish a trend with followers and build excitement about upcoming Live streams
• Activity: Live videos with visual interest drives engagement more than a “talking head” video
• CTA: Creators should have a compelling call-to-action phrase at the end of the live stream to persuade the audience to follow the account, sign up for an email list, or make a purchase

Some content ideas include:

• Busting common myths for the industry or brand
• Revealing behind-the-scenes content from events
• Showcasing products with tutorials or how-to demos
• Ask-me-anything (AMA) sessions with followers
• Product or brand Q&As
• Interviews with branded, industry experts, or thought leaders
• Discussing news stories or industry updates that are relevant to the viewers
• Hosting giveaways, playing games, or exchanging gifts between creators and followers

The News on TikTok Live Shopping

TikTok has been testing live shopping in the UK since last year, beginning with the multi-brand event called On Trend. The Live Shopping streams haven’t drawn the audiences or sales the platform had hoped for, however, and influencers have dropped out of the project.

Now, live online shopping is still in testing mode until social shopping grows in Western markets and sees more success on TikTok and other platforms. TikTok will face a lot of competition from Instagram, YouTube, and Amazon, however.

Influencers Can Leverage TikTok Live for Better Engagement

TikTok is a revolutionary platform to connect brands and influencers with their audiences and grow their brand community. Playing into the inherent strengths of the platform, TikTok Live adds another method for creators to offer new content – without time limits – and build urgency and anticipation among their audiences.

And in the future, TikTok may include more features to monetize TikTok Live and help creators gain compensation for their branded content. Influencers should get on board with TikTok Live now to stay ahead of the curve and prepare for what the future holds for the platform.

Sources:

[1]https://www.tiktok.com/business/library/Global_TikTokLIVE_LandscapeStudy_OnePager.pdf

[2]https://www.tiktok.com/business/library/Global_TikTokLIVE_LandscapeStudy_OnePager.pdf

[3]https://www.tiktok.com/business/library/Global_TikTokLIVE_LandscapeStudy_OnePager.pdf

[4]https://www.tiktok.com/business/library/Global_TikTokLIVE_LandscapeStudy_OnePager.pdf