The social media scene had remained relatively the same for the past several years. One of the only significant interruptions since the rise of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram is the quick and overwhelming popularity of the app TikTok. TikTok has a unique algorithm that allows creators to rise to popularity at more rapid rates than ever before! Since the app’s creation in 2016, it has gained over 800 million users worldwide. If your brand does not participate on TikTok, don’t worry. The app can still be used to promote your brand without even having an account.
TikTok’s algorithm allows users to see the posts of creators, even when the users do not follow them. This stands true to other apps, but for TikTok, it happens at an unprecedented level. Most users mainly view content made by creators they don’t follow. This is due to the “for you page” which is the most commonly used feature of the app. It shows content to the user that the algorithm predicts they will be interested in based on their previous interactions. This is a huge win for brand promotion! For example, if you pay a creator to promote your product, more people than just their followers will see it. However, it can be expensive.
For creators with large followings, a good portion of these followers will also follow them on other apps such as Instagram and Twitter.
Why is this important for your brand?
- If someone takes the time to follow a TikToker on another social app, they are a more dedicated fan who wants to keep up with the influencer.
- They often purchase the merchandise of these influencers and are more likely to trust their opinion.
- Since only a portion of their fans will follow the influencer on these other social media platforms, their follower count is typically lower.
- Due to a lower amount of followers, securing a brand deal on their Instagram account will be less costly.
One example of this is the TikTok creator @nmillz1. He has amassed more than 2.2 million followers on TikTok in a short amount of time, but currently has only 270 thousand Instagram followers. Charli Damelio is arguably the most well-known TikTok creator securing high-profile sponsorships frequently. She has 90 million followers on the app, while having 30 million followers on Instagram, or one-third of her TikTok fan base. This case is interesting because many people who do not even have TikTok know of Charli, and she is considered to be one of the only creators from the app to rise to actual celebrity status. Her case especially identifies that people who follow a creator on TikTok often do not hold enough interest in them to follow their other social media accounts like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
This gap allows you to capitalize on TikTok’s extreme popularity in a less costly way to a TikToker’s most dedicated fans. You can do this by proposing a brand sponsorship through Instagram. A brand sponsorship is much more costly than just posting an advertisement for your product, but seeing the brand talked about by someone the fans look up to will likely result in more sales and engagement for your brand.
What Does It Typically Cost to Hire an Instagram Influencer?
- 2,000 to 10,000 followers – $75 to $250
- 10,000 to 50,000 followers – $250 to $500
- 100,000 to 500,000 followers – $1000 to $3000
- Over 500,000 – $3000 +
Large TikTok influencers will either charge a high flat fee, or they will charge per view to promote your brand. According to TalentX Entertainment, a management company for 32 influencers, they charge $0.01 to $0.02 per view on TikTok. The problem lies within the fact that as a brand, you can not control how many views a TikTok post will get. Someone with only 10 followers can post an extremely viral video and get millions of views, while someone with 100,000 followers may only get a few thousand views. The algorithm is very unpredictable and is not publicly released, resulting in a risky investment for marketing. Instagram, on the contrary, is very predictable. An influencer will maintain roughly the same amount of engagement on their account, so you know what you are investing in.
Going back to the TikTok creator @nmillz1, his TikTok videos frequently receive several hundred thousand views, which would result in costs roughly at $5,000 to $10,000 or more, while a sponsored Instagram post would be less than $3,000 and seen by more dedicated fans who trust the influencer.
In summary, your brand can capitalize on TikTok’s rise to the top without even interacting with the app. If you are considering a brand promotion with an influencer, a TikTok creator’s Instagram page can be a great resource for you.
Sources:
https://www.digitalmarketing.org/blog/how-much-does-influencer-marketing-cost
