I’ve mentioned before that I’m a huge consumer of TikTok content. A friend of mine, who is also hooked on the platform, admits to spending hours scrolling through the latest makeup trends and memes. She joked that she should start her own TikTok creator’s account, and focus on items that TikTok influencers have convinced her to try; some have been great, others– not so much. I’ve purchased things myself, based on TikTok recommendations (this portable battery and compatible solar panel have actually been fabulous for surviving the power outages that regularly afflict my rural area).
While much of Tiktok isn’t actually centered on getting anyone to purchase anything, there’s no doubt that its influencers have leveled up beyond what is typically seen on other social media. Netflix will soon be premiering Hype House, where some of TikTok’s biggest influencers will star in a reality show. And influencers from the platform are showing their power in other significant ways.
- How has TikTok Become the Number Two Platform For Influencer Marketing? [Talking Influence] “The survey presented that 68% of marketers plan on using TikTok for influencer marketing in 2021. This is a huge shift from the results of the survey in early 2020, which presented that only 16% of respondents had indicated they planned to use the short-form video platform. TikTok even sits above Facebook, with a 79% decrease in the number of enterprises choosing to use the platform for influencer marketing. “
- Go read this story about how TikTok and apps are making Starbucks orders obnoxious [The Verge] “The story is a fascinating look at how internet culture can affect even the mainstay of real-life American culture that is Starbucks. Some drinks that are popular online have even made their way to the menu, and it seems like Starbucks actually keeps an eye on what’s happening on TikTok. The story even includes a fun term for the phenomenon: “appuccino,” a mashup of app and Frappuccino, the popular coffee drink that often finds itself the victim of many, many add-ons.”
- Female truckers have become TikTok influencers, and they’re changing the transportation game [CNN] “A growing number of women are entering the world of trucking at a time when demand for drivers is at a critical high. Many of them, like Rankin, are using their influence to educate other women and lay the groundwork for change in a crucial and often misunderstood industry.”
- YouTube Will Spend $100 Million To Lure Away Influencers From TikTok [Forbes] “YouTube’s new financing program is the latest in an onslaught of similar funds from across social media, part of a rush to better financially reward influencers. TikTok has said it will spend more than $2 billion across the world over the next three years in its Creator Fund, while Snap is doling out as much as $1 million a day to users who post in its Spotlight feed. Mark Zuckerberg recently said Facebook is considering adding its own fund.”
From the Ohio Web Library:
- Archive Sunday turned 5,000 TikTok followers into $1 million in revenue: In one year. (Bicknell, L. (2021). Archive Sunday turned 5,000 TikTok followers into $1 million in revenue: In one year. Utah Business, 36(4), 24–28.)
- The Soft Power of TikTok (LONG, R. (2020). The Soft Power of TikTok. Commentary, 150(1), 64–63.)
- Teen in hijab aims to be TikTok ‘Afro-influencer’ in Italy (Thomas, T. (2021). Teen in hijab aims to be TikTok “Afro-influencer” in Italy. Christian Century, 138(9), 16.)
