TikTok’s basically running the show right now, let’s be honest. If you’re a brand and you’re not looking at influencer marketing on TikTok, what are you even doing? But here’s the thing—just picking some random creator with a ton of followers? Yeah, that’s not gonna cut it anymore. There are, like, a million creators out there, and not all of ‘em are gonna vibe with your brand. Follower count? Kinda overrated. You gotta dig deeper—like, who’s actually watching their stuff? Are their followers even real people or just bots from who-knows-where? What’s their engagement like? Are they genuinely creative or just reposting trends?
Point is, brands need to get picky. Look at how their content lines up with your brand’s whole vibe, check out their audience (age, location, what they’re into), see if their videos actually get comments and likes—not just views. Basically, if you want your campaign to actually work, you’ve gotta put in the work finding someone who’s more than just a pretty face with viral dances. Let’s break down what actually matters when you’re picking a TikTok influencer who can make your marketing pop.
Relevance to Your Niche
If you’re picking a TikTok influencer and they’re not plugged into your niche, what are you even doing? Seriously, relevance is everything. You want someone whose vibe—and I mean content, personality, the whole deal—lines up with your brand. If you’re a fitness brand and you go for a gamer or a sketch comic, congrats, you’ve just wasted your budget. Find someone who lives and breathes the same stuff your target crowd cares about—workouts, meal preps, whatever matches your thing.
People actually listen to influencers they trust, especially when the promo doesn’t feel like a forced ad. If the partnership feels natural, the audience is way more likely to buy in. You get more clicks, more sales, and, honestly, your brand doesn’t look like it’s trying too hard. Win-win.
And don’t get too obsessed with follower counts. Sometimes, those smaller, niche creators have fans who hang on their every word. It’s like a tight-knit club, not a random crowd. Those are the people who actually care—and they’re way more likely to give your brand a shot.
Stick to influencers who get your world. It’s the only way your campaign won’t flop or, even worse, get ignored.
Audience Demographics
Picking the right TikTok influencer for your brand is way more about who’s watching them than who they actually are. You can love someone’s vibe, but if their followers aren’t your crowd, what’s the point? You gotta look at stuff like age, gender, where these folks live, and what they’re into. That’s the real gold—finding out if their audience even cares about what you’re selling.
Like, if you’re pushing skincare for twenty-somethings and your influencer’s fans are mostly high schoolers or people old enough to remember dial-up, you’re probably wasting your cash. Same deal if your brand is all about big-city U.S. life but the influencer’s fans are chilling in the middle of nowhere on another continent. No shade to them, but it’s not your target.
Most TikTok creators with Pro or Business accounts get all these juicy analytics, by the way. Don’t be shy—ask for the receipts. Check out those stats before you sign anything. Saves you from those awkward “why didn’t this work?” convos later.
Engagement Rate
Don’t just get hypnotized by those flashy follower numbers when you’re picking a TikTok influencer. Seriously, forget the headcount for a sec—it’s all about how fired up their crowd actually is. Engagement rate? That’s your real MVP here. I’m talking about the stuff that actually matters: likes, comments, shares, actual video views—basically, whether people are just ghost-watching or really vibing with what this person puts out.
Honestly, there are a ton of “influencers” out there rocking a million followers, but half their audience is probably bots or folks who forgot they even hit follow. Meanwhile, someone with a smaller, rabid fanbase? That’s gold. Those are the ones starting convos, sharing clips, hyping up every post. It means their followers care—like, actually care—about what they’re saying, and that translates to trust. And trust me, trust is everything if you want people to listen when your brand pops up.
Wanna get nerdy with it? Quick math: add up all the likes, comments, and shares, divide that by their follower count, then hit it with a times-100. Boom—engagement rate. Or just eyeball how many people are watching their videos compared to their total fans. If the numbers are decent, you’re onto something.
Content Quality
If you’re thinking about teaming up with a TikTok influencer, you gotta look past just the follower count and check out their content quality. Seriously, if their videos look like they were filmed with a potato in a dark basement, hard pass. You want somebody who knows their way around good lighting, crisp audio, and can actually edit a video so it doesn’t give you a headache. The vibe should be: “Hey, I know what I’m doing,” not, “Oops, I just tripped over my own ring light.”
And don’t even get me started on creativity. If all they do is jump on trends two weeks late or crank out the same old dance routine, that’s a snoozefest. The best influencers are the ones dropping fresh ideas—stuff that makes you pause mid-scroll and think, “Wait, that’s clever!” Plus, those folks are way better at sliding your brand into their videos without it feeling like a giant neon ad. Nobody likes being sold to, right?
Oh, and consistency? Huge. If someone posts once every eclipse, their audience probably forgot they even exist. You want someone who’s showing up regularly, not just when inspiration strikes or their rent’s due. A ghost influencer is just as bad as a boring one.
Go for someone real, creative, and on their game. If their stuff looks good, feels authentic, and hits your brand’s vibe, you’re golden. Anything less, and you’re just tossing your marketing budget into the TikTok void.
Follower Authenticity
Look, picking a TikTok influencer isn’t just about who’s got the highest follower count. Let’s be real—half those numbers can be faker than a Hollywood smile. Bots, ghost accounts, you name it. If you’re not careful, your big marketing splash ends up more like a sad puddle.
So, what do you do? Honestly, those fancy tools like HypeAuditor, Social Blade, Modash—they’re your friends here. They dig into the nitty-gritty, flag weird behavior, and can totally call out if someone’s audience is more robots than real people. Use them. Don’t just take the shiny numbers at face value.
But hey, don’t just rely on software. Sometimes you’ve gotta play detective yourself. Check if there’s a sudden jump in followers (like, overnight fame? Please). Peek at the comments—if it’s all the same generic “Wow!” or emoji spam, that’s a red flag. Real people leave real comments. And if someone’s got 200k followers but only 50 likes per video? Yeah, something’s fishy.
At the end of the day, working with influencers who have legit, active fans means your brand is actually getting in front of people who might care. Not a bunch of digital tumbleweeds. Protect your money, protect your rep, and please—don’t fall for the numbers game. It’s quality over quantity all the way.
Past Brand Collaborations
Before you even think about sliding into a TikTok influencer’s DMs, you gotta stalk their history a little. Not in a creepy way, just… do your homework. Dig into who they’ve teamed up with before. Did they actually make those brands look good, or was it just another cringe #ad moment that made everyone roll their eyes? I mean, you want someone who can hype your stuff without sounding like a robot reading off a script, right?
Scroll through old campaigns. Do their promos feel like a natural part of their feed, or do they stick out like a sore thumb? If it’s the latter, yikes—probably not the vibe you want. People are quick to sniff out fake enthusiasm, and nothing tanks trust faster than that. If their followers are leaving comments like “ugh, another ad?”… maybe keep searching.
And hey, don’t just look at the pretty pictures. Check the comments, likes, shares, whatever. Did people actually care, or was it just tumbleweeds and bots? Bonus points if you can spot stuff like, “I tried this because you recommended it!” That’s gold.
Also, peep how often they’re shilling products. If every other post is a #sponsored thing, their fans are probably tuning out by now. Nobody likes a walking billboard.
Values and Reputation
picking a TikTok influencer isn’t just scrolling until you find someone with a pretty face and a ton of followers. Honestly, the vibes matter—a lot. This person is about to be the face (or, at the very least, the loudest hype-person) for your brand. If their energy’s off or their values are dodgy? Yikes. That’ll boomerang straight back at you.
Dig through their old videos, tweets, whatever—do some digital stalking. Has this person been a walking PR disaster, or are they actually decent? It’s wild how fast a single messy tweet or cringe video can blow up and drag your brand down with it. Nobody wants to be trending for the wrong reasons.
But hey, if they’re consistently cool, honest, and people actually trust them? Jackpot. Their followers will probably listen when they say your stuff’s worth checking out. People can smell fake a mile away, so yeah, find someone who’s real—like, genuinely cares about stuff like inclusivity and not just ticking boxes.
And don’t forget, watch how they handle drama. Someone who can keep their cool when the internet’s coming for them? That’s the kind of energy you want around your brand.
Conclusion
Picking a TikTok influencer isn’t just about chasing those big flashy follower numbers. Anyone can rack up followers these days—bots, giveaways, you name it. What really matters? If their vibe actually matches your brand, if their followers are real people who care, and if their content doesn’t make you cringe. Seriously, check out their audience—are you selling skincare to teenagers or beard oil to dads? That stuff matters.
Oh, and don’t skip peeking at their old collabs. If they’ve shilled for every random product under the sun, do you really want your brand mixed in with that mess? Plus, if they post things that make your HR department sweat, maybe steer clear. Do a little digging and trust your gut—find someone who feels like a natural fit. That way, your campaign actually stands out, people trust what you’re selling, and you don’t end up as another forgettable ad in the scroll.