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While influencer marketing quickly continues to gain popularity among companies worldwide, not all platforms that attract influencers are created equally. Each social media platform is uniquely designed to target different types of audiences and content. For example, Instagram focuses on picture and video content. TikTok features video content exclusively, and Twitter encourages short blurbs of written content (limiting users to 280 characters per tweet). With the variety of social platforms available, which are most effective for your influencer marketing content?
According to Business Insider, Instagram is the gold standard platform for influencer marketing. This is likely attributed to the fact that consumers tend to trust influencer recommendations 92% over traditional advertising methods (Power Reviews). Furthermore, influencer marketing posts on Instagram blend much more seamlessly into users’ feeds than a traditional sponsored advertisement. The less bothered consumers are by a sponsored post, the more likely they are to listen to the influencer’s recommendation and potentially try out the product. Instagram’s influencer marketing potential as a platform is characterized by its ability to organically weave sponsored content into users’ feeds on a daily basis.
TikTok
As with any social media platform, the amount any given piece of content is viewed depends on the platform’s algorithm. TikTok is unique because, more so than other platforms, users can consume a much wider range of content outside of the people they follow. TikTok’s “for you” page allows app users to view content selected for them by the algorithm and from creators that they do not already follow. This gives influencers aiming to reach a large audience a leg up. However, the caveat that plagues the TikTok platform is its users’ small audience and target market. TikTok does not currently have as wide of a variety of users as Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, as most TikTok users are between the ages of 13-35. So, if the content marketed via an influencer does not appeal to the 13-35-year-old market, chances are TikTok is not the best platform for the campaign (Influencer Marketing Hub).
Despite Twitter being one of the social platforms with a smaller amount of influencer marketing content, it can still drive website/app traffic with little planning (Sendible). Since tweets are generally in the form of written content, written content intermixed with video/photo, and links and calls to action, it’s much easier to get audiences engaged. Another unique function of Twitter is the ability to “retweet” content, allowing users to share influencer content easily with their entire following. This function can be perfect for giveaways that include links to a company’s website or app. Short, witty puns and remarks from brands and sponsored influencers also tend to perform well on Twitter.
Social platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter all serve different purposes and therefore function differently in influencer marketing campaigns. Some focus on increasing audience impressions, while others drive engagement and sales. Before creating an influencer campaign, study the campaign’s chosen posting platform to ensure it aligns with the campaign’s goals and functions.
