How to develop your brand with TikTok micro-influencers?

TikTok has become the go-to app for Generation Z, thanks to its short video formats, personalized recommendation algorithm and focus on creativity and collaboration. With millions of active young users, this platform is a key communication channel to reach a young and engaged audience looking for new trends and products.

If you're looking to improve your brand awareness with this audience, an influencer marketing strategy based on TikTok micro-influencers is an effective option. These creators, with their tens of thousands of subscribers, are experts in using the platform's codes and have managed to federate a highly engaged community.

In this article, we'll explain the benefits of TikTok micro-influencers and the steps to incorporate them into your marketing strategy. You'll discover how to work with these creators to generate traffic and sales, as well as best practices to maximize your campaign results.

What is a micro-influencer on TikTok?

First of all, a TikTok influencer is a content creator who has managed to build a strong presence on the social network, gathering a community of several followers. With this audience, he shares content that raises awareness and influences the consumption behaviors of his community through products, services and other brand offerings.

Micro-influencers are therefore a type of TikTok influencers who have a smaller audience of 50,000 to 100,000 followers. Unlike more general influencers, micro-influencers specialize in a particular niche, such as literature, science fiction or yoga. This specialization allows them to connect more deeply with their audience by sharing relevant, quality content.

While some may think that a smaller number of followers means a smaller impact, this is not the case for micro-influencers.

Because of their small size, micro-influencers tend to have a highly engaged audience that cares more about them. Subscribers interact more with their TikTok videos, which increases the chances that the brands promoted by micro-influencers will be supported by their followers. Ultimately, micro-influencers can have a significant impact on consumer buying behaviors, despite their smaller community size.

What is the difference between a micro-influencer and a macro-influencer?

The difference between a micro-influencer and a macro-influencer is not just the size of their audience.

Micro-influencers are distinguished by their specialization in a particular field and their authentic relationship with their audience. With their smaller audience, they can easily interact with their community, respond to comments, perform duets, etc.

Less professionalized than the big influencers, micro-influencers on TikTok also offer more affordable rates for collaborations with brands. Moreover, their proximity to the average user of the application makes them more identifiable, and their recommendations seem more sincere.

Contrary to popular belief, fewer followers does not necessarily mean less impact. In fact, micro-influencers often have a higher engagement rate than macro-influencers. According to one study, the engagement rate for micro-influencers on TikTok is 9.75%, compared to 6.67% for macro-influencers. Nano influencers on TikTok even have the highest engagement rate of any platform, peaking at 17.7%!

What are the benefits of working with a micro-influencer?

For a brand, collaborating with micro-influencers offers many benefits, including: 

1. Cost-effectiveness: micro-influencers generally have more affordable rates than macro-influencers, making them more accessible to brands with limited budgets. And in some cases, creators may be willing to work with a company on an ongoing basis.
2. Willingness: since these content creators have not yet achieved fame, they are generally more willing to accept collaborations; 
3. Efficiency: they often have a very specific audience, which allows brands to reach their target audience more efficiently.
4. Authenticity: they also tend to have more engaged communities and a more authentic relationship with their audience, which will increase the trust and impact of the campaign.
5. Accessibility: when you contact a big-name influencer, your request may be filtered by an agent, so you may have difficulty communicating directly with the creator and convincing them to collaborate with you. Smaller influencers, on the other hand, are often more accessible, especially if they are just starting out on the platform. 
6. Flexibility: micro-influencers can be more flexible in their collaboration with brands, which will give you more leeway in implementing a marketing campaign.

Steps to develop your campaign with micro-influencers on TikTok

Even though setting up an influencer campaign with a micro-influencer is easier (both financially and practically), it doesn't mean you have to go in with a bang. For your marketing campaign to become a real success on the platform, your collaboration must be well thought out and structured.

Here are the 5 steps to working with TikTok micro-influencers.

1. Identify TikTok micro-influencers

Before starting a collaboration with micro-influencers, it is crucial to properly target the content creators you want to work with. Of course, your choice should naturally be those who specialize in your niche and share similar values and interests as your business. However, it's important to take the time to thoroughly research the creators you're going to select, especially in terms of their engagement rates.

It's also essential to check out how often they post, how they interact with the community, as well as any collaborations they've done with other brands. These factors can give you an idea of the quality of the content they produce and how their audience interacts with them. By taking all these elements into account, you will be able to select the best influencers for your brand.

2. Contact the micro-influencers that best fit your needs

Once you've selected the most relevant profiles for your influencer marketing campaign, you can start reaching out to them. A good way to introduce your brand is to start by interacting with their content to show them that you appreciate what they're doing. Contacting them via private message is not as easy as it sounds. You can't message a user unless they are also following you. But not to worry, most TikTok influencers have a link to their Instagram or social media landing page available in their bio.

3. Set clear goals for your influencer marketing campaign

For the partnership to be successful, you also need to set clear goals and performance criteria .

Your influencer marketing campaign can thus allow you to : 

• Boost your brand awareness;
• Promote a new product or service; 
• Building an engaged community on TikTok, etc. 

Also define metrics to track to evaluate the effectiveness of your partnership and measure your Return On Investment. For example, monitor the number of views, likes or new subscribers on your account, the reach of your campaign's hashtag or the increase in traffic on your site and the number of sales generated thanks to this collaboration.

4. Provide detailed instructions to selected influencers

Set up partnerships with selected micro-influencers, providing them with detailed instructions on key messages to communicate, hashtags to use, and promotion details.

In particular, remember to specify: 

• The values of your brand and the characteristics of the product to be promoted.
• The general concept of the influence campaign.
• Hashtags related to the campaign.
• Objectives and expected results.
• The Do's and Don'ts of your campaign.

5. Renew your influencer marketing campaigns regularly 

Don't limit yourself to one try!

In fact, regularly refreshing your influencer marketing campaigns can help you reach new audiences, maintain your audience's attention and strengthen your market position. Try different strategies to maximize the impact of your campaigns, such as diversifying content formats, using relevant hashtags, or incorporating incentives to action to encourage audience engagement. By working with different profiles, you can also benefit from a range of creative styles and perspectives, and find those that have the most impact on your target audience.

An opportunity for brands

TikTok micro-influencers are a great option for brands looking to reach a young and engaged audience. With their specialization, engaged audience, more affordable pricing, and authenticity, this profile of creators can be a key component of a successful marketing strategy on TikTok. By collaborating with them effectively, brands can increase their visibility, awareness and generate traffic and sales more efficiently. Our agency is committed to delivering the best influencer campaigns, with the right influencers, to get the best results for your brand. Contact us today to learn more.