The Dos & Don'ts of Collaborating with TikTok Creators

The Dos & Don'ts of Collaborating with TikTok Creators as a Business

Posted 2 years ago by Anastasia Prokofieva

The #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt hashtag has more than 8.1桂billion views, so桂it�셲 no桂wonder businesses want to桂collaborate with content creators on桂TikTok. Your brand could start trending and桂bam! You�셱e sold out.

Or, so桂they say. But how do桂you get from blending in桂to桂standing out?

붚죕쳔 by桂Lightspeed has you covered! We桂are going to桂deep dive into best practices and桂mistakes to桂avoid when collaborating with content creators on桂TikTok.

깝닥桂꿎늡넵�셱e ready to桂take advantage of桂what TikTok has to桂offer, read on!

Why Collaborate with Creators on桂TikTok?

We桂bet you already know that TikTok is桂one of桂the桂biggest platforms, with . Nearly 50% of桂content creators are , making them the桂largest age group of桂creators on桂the桂platform. 깝닥桂꿎늡넵r target audience consists primarily of桂Gen Z桂and桂millennials, you definitely should consider utilizing TikTok as桂a桂place to桂show off your business through collaborations.

It�셲 not just that TikTok�셲 audience is桂huge; users also spend a桂lot of桂time on桂the桂platform. An桂average user spends around . The app is桂a桂great place to桂reach a桂new and桂highly engaged audience.

Plus, you may have already noticed (if you regularly use the桂app) that products go桂viral like memes and桂trending sounds. People use TikTok to桂get inspired, share their recommendations, and桂review 김곶늡삣넵낌넨끅�봶농쓩낌농 they probably bought after looking at桂someone else�셲 review video. For brands, that pays 늡닥닥�� after watching a桂branded video by桂a桂creator.

To桂find the桂right creators, use TikTok Creator Marketplace. It桂is桂a桂platform that helps connect brands with the桂right influencers for桂their TikTok campaigns. You can set your targeting parameters, view profiles of桂potential creators to桂collaborate with, review videos submitted by桂creators�� Basically, you manage everything related to桂running a桂collaboration on桂the桂Creator Marketplace.

Look for桂creators using filters in桂TikTok Creator Marketplace

Now let�셲 take a桂look at桂the桂ins and桂outs of桂engaging with TikTok content creators.

Start with Researching TikTok 겻늡낼낼넵꾈쓩넨쓩깎끅�볾꾈삣 넙늡桂뛰깎깎김

The best way to桂start your journey into TikTok collaborations is桂to桂do桂some research. You want to桂spend some time discovering which TikTok communities fit your brand.

TikTok users create niche communities around countless topics. You might be桂familiar with beauty vloggers or桂fashion influencers. On桂TikTok, it桂can narrow down to桂specific interests, like crocheting, plants, keto cooking, personal finance, passive income, gentle 김껸곶깎꾈넨쓩꾈껨�赳늡넵 name it, there�셲 a桂community about it.

Use keywords related to桂your industry to桂search what communities post on桂TikTok

For each specific topic or桂interest, there are content creators with a桂following. Their followers typically trust their 늡김쓩꾈쓩늡꾈�赳늡넵 want to桂collaborate with these kinds of桂trusted content creators. They know the桂lingo, inside jokes, and桂presentation that can help make your product more relatable for桂your desired audience.

Since there are practically endless communities, you have a桂number of桂creators to桂choose from. However, there is桂a桂catch: avoid randomly reaching out to桂a桂bunch of桂creators, even if桂they seem relatable to桂your niche. You want to桂narrow down your creator search and桂be桂intentional when choosing a桂collaborator.

쨌桂

For example, say you sell sustainable water bottles and桂lunch boxes. One of桂the桂obvious choices would be桂going for桂#fitnesstok and桂partnering with a桂fitness influencer, or桂#sustainabilitytok and桂collaborating with a桂sustainability advocate.

However, what other communities do桂you think you could tap into?

For example, you could collaborate with a桂creator from #parenttok, since parents prepare school lunch for桂their kids. While you�셪l likely skip creators who make videos about homeschooling their kids (as they don�셳 need to桂pack lunch for桂school), you could find many influencers who are searching for桂an桂eco-friendly lunch box for桂their kids.

Another example: you could collaborate with a桂trusted content creator for桂#corporategirlies, since working women obviously drink water (though we桂could probably drink more) and桂potentially bring their lunch to桂work.

You have many options when it桂comes to桂choosing a桂community to桂focus your marketing on. While it桂can be桂overwhelming, doing research can help narrow down your search.

The comments prove a桂gamer-furniture store collab could be桂perfect, even if桂#cozygaming community isn�셳 an桂obvious choice for桂furniture advertising

Additionally, do桂some research into what potential collaborators usually post. You don�셳 want to桂discover after setting up桂an桂agreement that their content is桂not something you would feel comfortable endorsing as桂a桂brand.

To桂sum up:

뛰늡꾈�셳 be桂afraid to桂narrow down your creator search and桂tap into not-so-obvious communities.
Do ensure you are comfortable with the桂creator�셲 posts and桂that they are actually relevant to桂your niche.

Give Creators the桂Control

Now that you�셶e found your ideal content creators, it�셲 time to桂let them do桂their magic.

TikTok influencers know what works best on桂the桂platform. They have their own style of桂creating content, building interactions with viewers, and桂engaging an桂audience. Influencers therefore know how to桂make videos specific to桂your product or桂service with maximum efficiency and桂reach.

That�셲 why you should trust creators when it桂comes to桂creating content around your brand. All you have to桂do桂is桂provide them with all the桂information they need about your product or桂service, like its features or桂benefits. Let creators try your product and桂share their genuine feedback as桂they see fit. Avoid pressuring them into following a桂strict script.

Maddy MacRae makes a桂video for桂Hinge sticking to桂her usual comic format

It�셲 okay to桂give recommendations on桂what you want to桂see in桂the桂video, but let the桂creator choose the桂format, language, sound, etc. To桂build trust with your potential customers, you want the桂creator to桂be桂knowledgeable and桂authentic. It�셲 hard to桂achieve that when the桂video fits your brand but not the桂creator�셲 끅넨꿎깜깎�봧넨�셪깜 make the桂whole video look insincere.

To桂sum up:

뛰늡꾈�셳 make the桂creator follow a桂ready-made script that doesn�셳 fit their style.
Do provide the桂creator with your product or桂service and桂all the桂necessary information about it.
Do let the桂creator make a桂video in桂their signature format, storytelling technique, language, and桂tone.

Go桂Easy on桂낍깎깜깜쓩꾈껨�봜늡넵 Read That Right

The goal of桂any桂creator collaboration is桂to桂promote your 끓곶껸꾈삣�봞꾈삣 ideally generate sales. However, remember that the桂audience isn�셳 there for桂a桂direct sell.

You might think that pushing your brand in桂the桂first few seconds of桂the桂video is桂a桂great idea, but it�셲 actually counterintuitive.

Remember that people come to桂TikTok to桂be桂entertained. If桂the桂video has too many call-to-actions, such as桂혫Check out the桂product in桂my桂bio혬 or桂혫Use my桂code to桂get a桂discount,혬 they might scroll away. Instead, put CTAs in桂captions to桂let interested viewers find them without feeling pressured.

뛰늡꾈�셳 be桂afraid to桂showcase your brand later on桂in桂the桂video if桂it桂makes sense for桂the桂storytelling. This can lead to桂better engagement rates, especially when compared to桂turning a桂video into an桂obvious ad.

An桂example of桂a桂CTA in桂the桂caption

To桂sum up:

뛰늡꾈�셳 push your brand in桂the桂first seconds of桂the桂video.
Do put CTAs in桂video captions.
Do keep the桂video entertaining rather than promotional.

Make (Some) Trends Your Friends

TikTok trends can help you reach a桂wider 껸넵삣쓩깎꾈낌깎�봟넵넨 use them wisely. You don�셳 want to桂get involved in桂a桂trend that doesn�셳 make any桂sense for桂your business or桂the桂creator you�셱e working with.

For example, the桂ASMR trend is桂one of桂the桂most popular on桂TikTok, but it桂doesn�셳 mean it�셲 great for桂every brand and桂creator. If桂a桂creator makes a桂video for桂your campaign but tries to桂target a桂trend they�셱e not familiar with, it桂might not seem genuine to桂viewers. Unsurprisingly, that can hurt your business.

Apart from being relevant, the桂video should be桂reusable. If桂the桂video turns out great, you might want to桂reuse it桂or桂boost it桂with paid advertising. So桂when partnering with creators, stick to桂혫evergreen혬 trends that are not likely to桂disappear any桂time soon. For example, 혫A桂day in桂the桂life of桂�┑붛�or桂혫Get ready with me혬 are constant staples of桂TikTok.

An桂example of桂a桂Get Ready with Me桂video that features a桂product

To桂sum up:

Do ask creators to桂use trends they�셱e familiar with.
뛰늡꾈�셳 use trends that make no桂sense for桂your brand.
Do stick to桂longer-term trends so桂that you can reuse the桂video later.

깝닥桂꿎늡넵 sell online with 붚죕쳔 by桂Lightspeed, you can step up桂your TikTok marketing game by桂connecting your 붚죕쳔 store to桂your TikTok for桂Business account. You can run different ad桂campaigns on桂TikTok that feature your products, including Spark Ads, which take a桂creator�셲 organic video about your product and桂boost it桂with paid advertising to桂get more reach.

Learn more about advertising on桂TikTok with 붚죕쳔 in桂our article:

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