Navigating the dynamic world of TikTok for brand promotions can be a challenge, so we’ve gathered insights from CEOs and marketing experts to share their strategies. From utilizing the TikTok Creator Marketplace to crafting personalized cold direct messages, explore the eight effective approaches these professionals recommend for engaging with TikTok influencers.

Want to get quoted in MarketerInterview.com content just like this? Apply to become a contributor today!

Contents

1 Utilize TikTok Creator Marketplace
2 Create Interactive Hashtag Challenges
3 Leverage Influencer Authentic Endorsements
4 Foster Trust Before Professional Engagement
5 Offer Real-Life Experiences to Influencers
6 Boost Visibility with Creative Challenges
7 Build Relationships with Micro-Influencers
8 Craft Personalized Cold Direct Messages

Utilize TikTok Creator Marketplace

Your first step should be to have a look through the TCM, or the TikTok Creator Marketplace. The TCM is essentially a sanctioned virtual meeting point where businesses can find influencers and creators to work with on either a reward-based or paid model.

The process is pretty straightforward and is by far the most effective way to manage this process, as all you really need to get started is to set up your free TikTok Ads Manager account and search for creators that you think are right for your campaign with their various filter options. It lets you search by things like region, topic, average video views, audience regions, etc., while also allowing you to view the influencers’ demographics and engagement stats like performance trends, video completion rates, average shares and comments, follower growth rate, currently partnered brands, and other key bits of data. You can then use built-in collaboration tools or email to contact them and set up an agreement. Simplicity itself, really, taking a lot of the effort out of influencer marketing.

Dragos Badea, CEO, Yarooms

Create Interactive Hashtag Challenges

One effective approach is to collaborate with TikTok influencers on creative challenges or hashtag campaigns that encourage user-generated content. This strategy taps into the influencers’ creative skills and their audience’s desire for interactive content. For instance, a brand could partner with influencers to create a challenge where participants use the product in a unique way, tagging the brand and using a specific hashtag. This approach not only increases brand visibility but also drives engagement by leveraging the influencers’ credibility and the viral potential of TikTok, leading to higher conversion rates and authentic brand interactions.

Fahd Khan, Director of Marketing & Technology, JetLevel Aviation

Leverage Influencer Authentic Endorsements

Influencers play a pivotal role for startups, offering not only a wealth of content but also crucial brand exposure to untapped audiences.

Take our own experience, for instance. A beauty influencer, having previously purchased our whitening product, featured it in a TikTok video expressing her satisfaction. Upon our outreach, offering more supplies and an updated product, she eagerly accepted. Subsequently, her followers began inquiring about her teeth-whitening routine, prompting a dedicated video endorsing our products. This resulted in a notable uptick in our TikTok following, previously modest, and a surge of product purchases within hours of the video’s release. This example underscores the power of leveraging influencers for startups. Remarkably, we didn’t compensate the influencer monetarily; rather, we provided complimentary products.

Many influencers are open to such arrangements, particularly those genuinely passionate about a brand. Establishing authentic partnerships with influencers is fundamental for yielding positive PR outcomes.

Lindsey Wolf, Marketing Manager, SportingSmiles

Foster Trust Before Professional Engagement

Every successful work relationship must be built on trust and respect for the individual, not just on the work and value that each is able to contribute. This is why one effective approach I would recommend for engaging with TikTok influencers for brand promotions is that you establish a relationship with them—one that helps them learn to trust you even before your work relationship begins—because the truth is, any effective influencer marketing strategy cannot be a one-time thing.

Another reason this approach is effective is the subtle but gradually growing disrespect for TikTok influencers, their lifestyle, and their supposed unprofessionalism, especially amongst marketers and other brand representatives.

As a Marketing Manager, one approach that I have found to be effective while engaging with TikTok influencers is to follow, share, and comment on their content. I even share their content on my personal social media accounts and offer them discounts on our services just to help solidify the relationship. Such that our authentic relationship helps boost their level of trust and commitment in effectively and efficiently helping to promote my brand when our professional relationship eventually kicks off.

Samantha Miller, Marketing Manager, Expressdentist

Offer Real-Life Experiences to Influencers

My go-to strategy for engaging with TikTok influencers involves a genuine partnership approach. I focus on influencers who already show interest in real estate or home improvement, offering them a real-life experience with one of my properties or a behind-the-scenes look at a flip project. This authenticity resonates with their audience. By providing content that aligns with their usual postings, it doesn’t feel like an ad but an extension of their regular content. This approach has led to higher engagement rates and a more positive reception from their followers, directly increasing inquiries and interest in my listings.

Mike Wall, CEO, EZ Sell Homebuyers

Boost Visibility with Creative Challenges

Engaging with TikTok influencers through authentic, creative challenges that resonate with their audience is highly effective. For dasFlow, partnering with influencers for a #EcoAthleisureChallenge, where participants showcased their favorite sustainable outfits, significantly boosted our brand’s visibility. This approach not only aligned with our eco-friendly values but also leveraged the influencers’ creativity and engagement, resulting in increased brand awareness and a stronger connection with our target audience.

Nicolas Krauss, Founder and CEO, dasFlow Custom Sublimation Apparel

Build Relationships with Micro-Influencers

Focus on building real relationships with micro-influencers (10,000 to 50,000 followers) that align with your brand values and audience. Be honest with your content, comment thoughtfully, and join the conversation. This will help you become a brand that listens and cares, builds trust, and opens the door to organic collaboration. This approach is successful because it prioritizes authenticity over a transactional approach. As a result, your content feels real and is more likely to resonate with your audience, ultimately driving brand engagement and positive associations with your brand.

Fahad Khan, Digital Marketing Manager, Ubuy India

Craft Personalized Cold Direct Messages

One effective approach I’ve found for engaging with TikTok influencers for brand promotions is crafting personalized cold DMs that stand out.

Instead of sending a generic message, I take the time to dive into their content, understand their style, and mention specific videos or themes that resonate with our brand’s message. This personal touch shows that we’re genuinely interested in their work and not just mass messaging. We’ve also found that acknowledging their creative efforts and suggesting a collaboration that aligns with their content increases the chances of a positive response.

This method has proven effective, as we’ve seen a high response rate from influencers who appreciate the personalized outreach. They’re more open to discussing potential collaborations when they feel recognized and valued, leading to successful partnerships that feel authentic to their followers.