Social media has completely transformed how we live our lives. And while its effect on how we interact with each other is remarkable, social media has also been able to transform how we do business. So much so that the influencer marketing industry is now valued at a little over a billion dollars. Indeed, social media and social media influencers have become extremely effective when it comes to promoting businesses and brands.
We’ve already talked about how Instagram influencer marketing can be a powerful tool, but it’s important to understand that it goes beyond this platform alone. Among the many social media platforms that are popular today, TikTok is one of the most significant. This isn’t really surprising as it is one of the fastest-growing social media platforms and is expected to top 1.2 billion monthly active users in 2021.
Given its massive growth, it’s worth examining how TikTok is affecting influencer marketing as a whole. To help you out with this, we’ve put together a list of different ways TikTok is transforming social media as a marketing tool.
Short Form Video is the Way to Go
TikTok’s most identifiable characteristic is the length of its videos, which are significantly shorter than other forms of video content. This makes it extremely easy to consume, as it provides audiences with bite-sized content which is arguably one of the reasons that have made TikTok so popular. And while there will still surely be room for long-form video content, short-form videos are definitely here to stay. In fact, other social media platforms have begun to integrate short-form videos as well. This is most evident in YouTube’s Shorts feature that allows users to create sparse vertical videos using only their phones.
Social eCommerce Will Boost Influencer Marketing
Due to how effective it is as a marketing tool, eCommerce was always the most likely partner for TikTok. Because of this, it wasn’t really surprising when TikTok announced that it would be partnering with Shopify and allow users to shop as they scrolled through the videos on their platform. This isn’t exactly new as both Facebook and Instagram already have built-in eCommerce features. However, TikTok’s shift towards eCommerce is indicative of the direction that influencer marketing is going.
Authenticity Is Key
Consumers nowadays want to support businesses, brands, and influencers that align with their own values. This is why they prefer content that’s more real and authentic. Now, this may seem far from what TikTok is but there’s an argument to be made regarding how authentic and substantial the social media platform actually is. This is because TikTok has evolved beyond just trendy dance videos and has paved the way for influencers who campaign for social justice. Due to how popular this is becoming, it will surely become more prominent as TikTok continues to become more mainstream.
Conclusion
We hope this article has helped you better understand TikTok and influencer marketing as a whole. While it was initially seen as a gimmick, TikTok has quickly and decisively cemented its place in the digital landscape. Considering what it’s been able to accomplish in such a short span of time, there’s no questioning that TikTok’s influence will only continue to grow as the technology and strategies attached to it are further developed.
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