Covid-19 and the Rise (and Rise), of the TikTok Influencers

(Movie trailer voice): The year is 2020. The world is gripped by a global pandemic (no change there at least 😔), and digital device usage has increased by five hours a day. You decide to download TikTok to see what all the fuss is about and end up scrolling for hours through videos of bored twenty-somethings dancing to Blinding Lights and sea shanty EDM remixes to distract you from the end of the world that’s happening outside. 

Far from being a crappy Hollywood apocalypse movie, that’s actually exactly what happened in March 2020; approximately 115 million people from around the world downloaded a strange short-form video app named TikTok and the world was never the same. Some people may have deleted the app and redownloaded it multiple times swearing that this time they’ll quit for good. Others have deleted the app completely to just get a few hours back in their day and actually DO something. 

Fast forward to today and none of this has stunted the rise of TikTok, currently sitting at 1 billion users globally and growing every day, making it the fastest growing social media platform on the internet. 

But as people around the world flocked to TikTok, on the other side of the camera were thousands of creators making content from the comfort of their own room. No lights, fancy cameras, or perfectly planned out content, it was authentic, fun, and real. It came in the form of light-hearted dances, iced coffee recipes and clothing hauls. A handful of people embraced TikTok for what it was and thus; the rise of the TikTok influencer.

Unlike Instagram influencers, TikTok influencers didn’t spend years growing their platforms or perfectly curating content, most of them became sensations after two or three videos, if not overnight. Since then, TikTok has seen a 164% increase in sponsored posts (if not more now!) and continues to grow every day. 

17-year-old Sophia Begg (@sophadophaa) from Australia became a TikTok influencer almost overnight by sharing her daily outfits and fashion hauls. In October 2021, Sophia posted a simple 7-second video of her wearing a blue Glassons corset top. The video instantly went viral with 8.7 million views and 1.1 million likes to date. The top sold out all over Australia and New Zealand and has just gone through its third re-stock since October, where it sold out again nationwide, with multiple news articles chronicling the viral corset top and the frenzy it sent everyone who wanted it into.

If you’re still not convinced that TikTok is a tool of the future for marketing and businesses, how about this perfect example of the power of TikTok is when user Nathan Apodaca (the perfectly named @420doggface208) posted a 26-second video of him commuting to work on his skateboard whilst drinking a bottle of Ocean Breeze’s Cran-Raspberry juice and listening to Dreams by Fleetwood Mac. The video exploded with 83.8 million views and 13.1 million likes and not only did Ocean Breeze see an increase in sales and a wave of positive light, but Dreams also climbed right back into the charts despite it being released in 1977.  

Has the TikTok influencer replaced YouTubers and Instagram Influencers? It’s too soon to tell but what we can tell you is that TikTok has some sort of hold over us all, it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon and it’s time we embraced it. However, for every successful TikTok influencer there are thousands of unsuccessful TikTokers awaiting that one viral video that will land them the brand deals they’ve always wanted. 

So how can you find the right influencer for your brand? There is an influencer for almost every niche on TikTok and it’s all about finding the right influencer that suits your brand. 

Here are some of our best tips on how to nail finding that influencer:

1. Check their audience. Is it the right demographic, age, location and gender? Is it going to reach the customer you’re trying to find on TikTok?
2. Calculate their engagement rate. It’s easy for people to have one or two viral videos on TikTok and the rest of them be complete flops. Look for consistency and remember: a large amount of followers doesn’t always mean a high engagement rate!
3. Check the hashtags of your industry or niche, it will help lead you to influencers that align well with your brand.
4. Finally, make sure the influencers’ values and your brand’s line up. Is there going to be any potential conflict?

Not every brand is going to have overnight success on TikTok but plenty have created unique communities and found success on the platform. So if TikTok is something you’ve been considering for your marketing, now is the time to start experimenting. It can’t do any harm, right?

And if you’re looking for a guide to help you through this brave new world, why not give us a call?