Your Weekly Influencer Marketing Update 🚀

31.08.2021

Philip Brown

and

Ana Bisaillon

Aug 31, 2021

☀️ Welcome to your weekly #influencermarketingupdate ☀️

What’s it about?

Influencer marketing platform CreatorIQ has conducted a benchmark study in which they have found TikTok engagement to be “astronomically high”

Headline Quote

“The data suggest that TikTok’s users aren’t just mindlessly consuming the platform’s endless stream of short-form videos, but are also reacting to the content at scale.”

Our Take

I’m a big fan of platforms utilising the data that they have (access to) for research purposes. Sharing knowledge with the wider influencer industry is extremely important, and education remains a crucial part of ensuring best practices going forward.

I think it’s clear that TikTok is allowing for a deeper level of engagement, a few thoughts:

1) Comparing TikTok engagement rate calculations to platforms such as Instagram (or any other one for that matter) is extremely challenging. Mostly because TikTok allows for you to calculate engagement rates based on actual viewing figures, whereas on Instagram this is done based on audience figures. Instagram also has more content formats that each come with different metrics, which further complicates things. YouTube / Twitch would be the closest comparison to TikTok, but their mobile experience and content formats are barely comparable to TikTok.

2) TikTok has specifically created an environment around engagement. Liking a piece of content is extremely easy and low threshold, and their unique algorithm & user journey will create an environment that is tailored to you based on your experience, this directly translates to seeing content from specific creators/topics more often. This pushes users to engage much more than other platforms, which are still quite “hands off” when it comes to serving organic content.

An additional note for those interested in analysing influencer data. When considering metrics, I would recommend “engagement rate” as a first layer across the board. Alternative, and more specific metrics such viewing hours (TikTok specifically) - or engagements / reach (based on first party data) for platforms such as Instagram. Metrics such as reach / audience allow you to really dig-deep shine more light on how content is served to audiences.

read the full AdAge article

👟 // YOUNG US ATHLETES SAMPLE THE POWER AND PRESSURE OF INFLUENCER CULTURE [FINANCIAL TIMES]

What’s it about?

Prior to this year, college athletes were not allowed to take on paid opportunities tied to their status as elite sportspeople, that has now changed - and college athletes are allowed to take (full) advantage of their social media followings to generate additional income tied to their NIL (name, image & likeness)

Headline Quote

“The best thing about NIL is that it places student athletes on the same footing as their non-athlete classmates by removing an unreasonable barrier to [financial] opportunity”

Our Take

The change is legislation in the US is driving opportunities as well as challenges. What if becoming a professional content creator might end up being (potentially) more lucrative and more of a “safe bet” than a career that hasn’t evolved beyond college status (yet)?

In addition, it’s clear these athletes will require professional guidance now more than ever. Engaging, maintaining and growing large (online) audiences come with different requirements than what your coach or team might expect when you’re competing.

For the influencer marketing industry - it means a whole new roster of previously untapped talent is now available, and companies like Unilever are investing heavily.

read the full Financial Times article