Find the right solution for your business.
Explore SolutionsIt’s no secret that TikTok is a haven for content creation. The popular social media tool originally came to fame for viral dance videos, but since then, it’s taken the world by storm. Millions of people use it daily to share short-form video content in all flavors, from informative to hilarious.
TikTok currently has over 1 billion users, and 62% are between the ages of 10 and 29. The young user base is by design; when TikTok first began, its creators wanted to provide a platform that would attract the teenage market.
However, TikTok is increasingly attracting older users, including millennials and Generation Xers. It holds its own against Instagram, which began incorporating video Reels into its platform in 2020.
Nowadays, TikTok is everywhere and recruitment marketing professionals are taking notice. By working with influencers with large followings, you can use the platform to support your employer branding efforts and promote open job postings.
Rather than trying to handle talent acquisition on social media independently, companies often see better results by working with established creators. One of the biggest benefits is that you can leverage the existing audience that has been cultivated by influencers and save money in terms of production costs. In many instances, the cost of collaborating with an established influencer is less than producing content in-house.
Another huge advantage is that you can work with content creators who are passionate about creating video content and already have the tools and processes in place to generate compelling content. If you have a small recruitment marketing team, you can instead focus on other areas of recruitment – freeing up your time and resources.
Recently TikTok introduced changes to its Creator Marketplace that will revamp how employers can connect with influencers. It’s time to explore how recruiters can benefit from influencer partnerships and how the Creator Marketplace supports companies looking to reach a TikTok creator’s audience.
TikTok Influencer Partnerships: A Background
TikTok followers become influencers by creating content that resonates with people. They may develop videos around specific topics or take a general approach to reach more viewers.
For instance, someone who wants to build authority as a personal finance guru might regularly post content about budgeting. In contrast, a beauty influencer might share reviews on the newest skin care products. Each of these creators is targeting a specific audience.
As a creator expands their reach, they’ll increase the number of followers they have, and they’ll see more views of their content. Brands regularly partner with creators with audiences that mirror their target customers, often for large sums of money. In turn, the creator posts content that promotes the brand.
Recruitment marketing professionals can benefit from forming business relationships with creators who align with their audience. Consider this hypothetical example:
Julia, age 25, is a well-respected content creator who frequently produces videos about high-paying jobs. She lives in New York, so she knows finding a job that pays enough to cover high rental rates is crucial. She’s also connected to people who work in high-paying industries, including law, investing and research.
Coleman Max, a large investment banking company, wants to attract new interns for its NYC summer investment internship program. It needs a way to reach a young, savvy audience looking to grow their careers.
When a Coleman Max marketing executive hears about Julia and her large New York following through word of mouth, they decide to partner with Julia. Coleman Max pays Julia $10,000 to develop a video for her local audience of 1.4 million people.
Julia’s video for Coleman Max is snappy, professional and funny. She does wonders for employer branding and talent acquisition efforts. One week after releasing the video, nearly 20,000 people apply for Coleman Max’s internship program — almost 80% more than the prior year.
This example illustrates how a simple partnership can benefit content creators and big businesses. As a content creator with a large following, Julia receives a nice paycheck for her work. Coleman Max furthers its reputation as a reputable investment banking company that wants top talent from its interns.
Using the Explore Function to Streamline TikTok Collaborations
With the Creator Marketplace, TikTok makes it much easier for businesses to find content creators who align with their goals. It provides a set of parameters companies can use to identify creators, and it effectively rewards successful creators with massive audiences.
With the Explore function, a company can search the Marketplace for a creator who meets specific metrics, such as certain keywords, content topics and current audience size.
The Benefits of the Explore Function
The Explore function streamlines the process of finding creators. Instead of scrolling through TikTok for specific hashtags and ending up with a random mix of potential candidates, companies can input a few specifics and find creators who meet their criteria.
There’s no second-guessing and no hours-long research process; instead, companies will almost instantly obtain a list of creators who meet their requirements.
In-App Deal Management
Another feature of the Creator Marketplace is its in-app deal management.
Previously, brands had to go outside the app to negotiate a deal with a creator. Now, interested brands can offer contracts within TikTok, which are known as direct invitations. They can also implement application campaigns, where interested creators can apply for the opportunity to work with a brand.
Companies that use application campaigns to attract creators must provide a content brief. The brief will provide an outline for the creator to follow, and creators will receive automated suggestions from TikTok suggesting opportunities they should apply for.
Analytics Reports
Another feature of the Creator Marketplace is its analytics reports. Any brand that implements a contract with an influencer will gain insight into the performance of the content.
Brands can access specific metrics, such as the number of views of a video, the length of time users spent on the video and demographic details. If the video includes links, the brand will learn how many users clicked on the link.
The Creator Marketplace is essential for any company that wants to work with TikTok audiences to increase brand awareness or drive sales. TikTok is making it even easier to work with influencers by introducing the Talent Manager Portal.
Some major TikTok influencers work with outside talent managers to help them grow their audience and capture high-value deals. In the past, talent managers had to rely exclusively on the influencer’s data unless the creator gave them access to their personal accounts.
Now, talent managers can negotiate directly with brands on behalf of the creators they oversee. They’ll gain access to any creative feedback the brand has and can suggest solutions to any problems that arise. Talent managers can also view in-depth analytics concerning the content, which they can present to the creator and the brand.
Sample Scenarios
Let’s walk through another example: Consider Tony, a content creator who has a talent manager. Tony specializes in helping sales professionals improve their skills. He has a following of three million people throughout the Southeast, mainly between the ages of 18 and 35.
A premier car dealership in the region decides it needs help finding qualified salespeople to sell high-end luxury vehicles. It wants to locate people familiar with modern and effective sales techniques in several cities, including Atlanta, Charleston, Tampa and Charlotte.
Since there are multiple available opportunities, the dealership’s CHRO suggests collaborating with a TikTok influencer to encourage applications. After the company enrolls in the Creator Marketplace and sets up a few parameters, the tool recommends collaborating with Tony.
The car dealership negotiates with Tony’s talent manager, arriving at a $20,000 partnership agreement for a short-form video highlighting the available openings.
Tony creates a video to encourage applications from his audience, using a content brief the dealership provides him. His talent manager reviews his content to ensure it aligns with the dealership’s expectations. The video is an overwhelming success: More than 3,000 people apply for the open roles after viewing Tony’s content.
The collaboration with Tony accomplished several things for the car dealership. First, it resulted in a rush of applications, improving the talent acquisition process. The partnership also enhanced the candidate experience by working with someone whom sales professionals trust.
Recruitment Marketing Professionals Using TikTok
TikTok has proven to be a massive force in social media, and recruitment marketers are wise to find ways to join in the action.
Through TikTok Creator Marketplace, recruiters can discover content creators who align with their brands and enlist them to reach their intended audiences. With the proper collaborator, TikTok can significantly improve your talent acquisition efforts.
