The #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt hashtag has more than 8.1 billion views, so it’s no wonder businesses want to collaborate with content creators on TikTok. Your brand could start trending and bam! You’re sold out.
Or, so they say. But how do you get from blending in to standing out?
Ecwid by Lightspeed has you covered! We are going to deep dive into best practices and mistakes to avoid when collaborating with content creators on TikTok.
If you’re ready to take advantage of what TikTok has to offer, read on!
Why Collaborate with Creators on TikTok?
We bet you already know that TikTok is one of the biggest platforms, with 1.7 billion users worldwide. Nearly 50% of content creators are between the ages of 18 and 25, making them the largest age group of creators on the platform. If your target audience consists primarily of Gen Z and millennials, you definitely should consider utilizing TikTok as a place to show off your business through collaborations.
It’s not just that TikTok’s audience is huge; users also spend a lot of time on the platform. An average user spends around 23.3 hours per month using TikTok. The app is a great place to reach a new and highly engaged audience.
Plus, you may have already noticed (if you regularly use the app) that products go viral like memes and trending sounds. People use TikTok to get inspired, share their recommendations, and review
To find the right creators, use TikTok Creator Marketplace. It is a platform that helps connect brands with the right influencers for their TikTok campaigns. You can set your targeting parameters, view profiles of potential creators to collaborate with, review videos submitted by creators… Basically, you manage everything related to running a collaboration on the Creator Marketplace.
Look for creators using filters in TikTok Creator Marketplace
Now let’s take a look at the ins and outs of engaging with TikTok content creators.
Start with Researching TikTok Communities—And Go Deep
The best way to start your journey into TikTok collaborations is to do some research. You want to spend some time discovering which TikTok communities fit your brand.
TikTok users create niche communities around countless topics. You might be familiar with beauty vloggers or fashion influencers. On TikTok, it can narrow down to specific interests, like crocheting, plants, keto cooking, personal finance, passive income, gentle
Use keywords related to your industry to search what communities post on TikTok
For each specific topic or interest, there are content creators with a following. Their followers typically trust their
Since there are practically endless communities, you have a number of creators to choose from. However, there is a catch: avoid randomly reaching out to a bunch of creators, even if they seem relatable to your niche. You want to narrow down your creator search and be intentional when choosing a collaborator.
For example, say you sell sustainable water bottles and lunch boxes. One of the obvious choices would be going for #fitnesstok and partnering with a fitness influencer, or #sustainabilitytok and collaborating with a sustainability advocate.
However, what other communities do you think you could tap into?
For example, you could collaborate with a creator from #parenttok, since parents prepare school lunch for their kids. While you’ll likely skip creators who make videos about homeschooling their kids (as they don’t need to pack lunch for school), you could find many influencers who are searching for an
Another example: you could collaborate with a trusted content creator for #corporategirlies, since working women obviously drink water (though we could probably drink more) and potentially bring their lunch to work.
You have many options when it comes to choosing a community to focus your marketing on. While it can be overwhelming, doing research can help narrow down your search.
The comments prove a
Additionally, do some research into what potential collaborators usually post. You don’t want to discover after setting up an agreement that their content is not something you would feel comfortable endorsing as a brand.
To sum up:
- Don’t be afraid to narrow down your creator search and tap into
not-so-obvious communities. - Do ensure you are comfortable with the creator’s posts and that they are actually relevant to your niche.
Give Creators the Control
Now that you’ve found your ideal content creators, it’s time to let them do their magic.
TikTok influencers know what works best on the platform. They have their own style of creating content, building interactions with viewers, and engaging an audience. Influencers therefore know how to make videos specific to your product or service with maximum efficiency and reach.
That’s why you should trust creators when it comes to creating content around your brand. All you have to do is provide them with all the information they need about your product or service, like its features or benefits. Let creators try your product and share their genuine feedback as they see fit. Avoid pressuring them into following a strict script.
Maddy MacRae makes a video for Hinge sticking to her usual comic format
It’s okay to give recommendations on what you want to see in the video, but let the creator choose the format, language, sound, etc. To build trust with your potential customers, you want the creator to be knowledgeable and authentic. It’s hard to achieve that when the video fits your brand but not the creator’s
To sum up:
- Don’t make the creator follow a
ready-made script that doesn’t fit their style. - Do provide the creator with your product or service and all the necessary information about it.
- Do let the creator make a video in their signature format, storytelling technique, language, and tone.
Go Easy on Selling—You Read That Right
The goal of any creator collaboration is to promote your
You might think that pushing your brand in the first few seconds of the video is a great idea, but it’s actually counterintuitive.
Remember that people come to TikTok to be entertained. If the video has too many
Don’t be afraid to showcase your brand later on in the video if it makes sense for the storytelling. This can lead to better engagement rates, especially when compared to turning a video into an obvious ad.
An example of a CTA in the caption
To sum up:
- Don’t push your brand in the first seconds of the video.
- Do put CTAs in video captions.
- Do keep the video entertaining rather than promotional.
Make (Some) Trends Your Friends
TikTok trends can help you reach a wider
For example, the ASMR trend is one of the most popular on TikTok, but it doesn’t mean it’s great for every brand and creator. If a creator makes a video for your campaign but tries to target a trend they’re not familiar with, it might not seem genuine to viewers. Unsurprisingly, that can hurt your business.
Apart from being relevant, the video should be reusable. If the video turns out great, you might want to reuse it or boost it with paid advertising. So when partnering with creators, stick to evergreen trends that are not likely to disappear any time soon. For example, A day in the life of … or Get ready with me are constant staples of TikTok.
An example of a Get Ready with Me video that features a product
To sum up:
- Do ask creators to use trends they’re familiar with.
- Don’t use trends that make no sense for your brand.
- Do stick to
longer-term trends so that you can reuse the video later.
If you sell online with Ecwid by Lightspeed, you can step up your TikTok marketing game by connecting your Ecwid store to your TikTok for Business account. You can run different ad campaigns on TikTok that feature your products, including Spark Ads, which take a creator’s organic video about your product and boost it with paid advertising to get more reach.
Learn more about advertising on TikTok with Ecwid in our article:
More About Content Collaborations
By following the tips outlined in this article, you can find the right creators for your brand, set up successful and symbiotic collaborations, and create engaging video content that resonates with viewers.
If you’d like a deeper dive into collaborations, check out our podcasts:
- Influencer Marketing Without the Guesswork. This is our podcast with Taylor Lagace,
co-CEO of Kynship, an influencer marketing agency. He explains why thepay-for-post method of influencer partnership can be ineffective and offers a more beneficial approach. - Grow Your Audience Collaborating with Other Brands. Content creators are not the only option for collaborations. Other businesses can also make great partnerships. Learn how to connect with other brands and what you can do if you don’t have a significant audience yet.
Now it’s time for you to get
- How to Make Money on TikTok: A Guide for Business Owners
- Trending Products to Sell on TikTok
- How to Sell and Advertise on TikTok
- What is TikTok and Why It’s So Popular?
- How to Use TikTok: A Beginner’s Guide
- How to Use TikTok to Drive Interest for Your Business
- How Small Business Owners Use TikTok to Grow Sales
- How To Go Live on TikTok
- How to Grow Followers on TikTok: Best Practices
- How to Use TikTok to Start Selling Your Products Online Today
- The Entrepreneur’s Guide For How to Go Viral on TikTok
- TikTok Search: How to Find People, Brands, and Products on TikTok
- How to Make Money on TikTok
- The Dos & Don’ts of Collaborating with TikTok Creators as a Business
- How to Use TikTok for Business to Reach GenZ Shoppers
- Advertising on TikTok from A to Z
- The Ultimate Guide to TikTok Ads