As the fourth most popular social media platform in the world, TikTok has a ton of users. Many of them are just there to watch content, but there are plenty of creators too. Some creators simply make informal videos about their daily lives or opinions, while others put a lot of work into making entertaining content for their loyal fanbases. However, most of these creators couldn’t be classified as “influencers”. Why not? Even though they may be dedicated to growing their TikTok followings, influencers combine that dedication with a reputation as experts in their field. Just consider the difference between a fitness TikTok page, and a fitness influencer. The first creator could be passionate about fitness, but not necessarily an expert. The fitness influencer would be just as passionate, but also knowledgeable on all things fitness-related.
So, what does it take to be a TikTok influencer? One of the first things that comes to mind is having a strong following. There isn’t a hard and fast rule for this, but 10,000 followers is considered a solid start. As for views, an average of 10,000 per month is another goal that aspiring influencers try to reach. There are plenty of reasons to buy TikTok views from TikCeleb, and getting acknowledged as an influencer could be one of them.
Differences between influencers and other creators on TikTok
It’s tricky to give a precise definition for a TikTok influencer, but you’ll usually know when you see one. Not only do they have a high follower and view count, but their page is also full of brand deals, collaborations, and so on. They don’t just make cool videos to grow their followings, and hope it can be profitable one day; they approach TikTok as a career. If you want to know what it takes to be an influencer on TikTok, these are some of the main differences between influencers and other creators.
- TikTok metrics
As mentioned above, influencers will consistently have high follower and view counts. Because an influencer needs people to influence, this does make sense; they wouldn’t really live up to the title without a sizeable audience. TikTok creators in general, on the other hand, can have an audience of any size. It could be a couple of dozen, or a few million; many of them are on the lower end of the scale.
- Level of organization
If you’ve tried to figure out how to succeed on TikTok, you probably will have seen recommendations for things like content schedules, finding your niche, identifying your target audience, etc. For influencers, these things are practically the air they breathe – they’re absolutely foundational to having a successful career. For other creators, though, these recommendations are just that – suggestions that could help them get further ahead. Since creators aren’t necessarily focused on turning TikTok into a career, it’s fine if they don’t start out with a fully developed game plan.
- Sponsorships
Brands of all kinds are realizing the value of sponsoring popular TikTok creators, and creators are usually happy to oblige. However, influencers tend to get more sponsorships, even though they have higher prices. Influencers often actively reach out to brands who might be interested in sponsoring them, or even have a team of people to do the research for them. If they’re popular, other creators often get sponsored as well. The difference is that getting sponsored isn’t necessarily built into their business plan; it could be more of a fortunate side effect of having a large following.
- Expertise
Why do influencers have influence in the first place? One of the main reasons is that they’re experts in their chosen subject matter. Sure, some influencers aren’t experts in much aside from wearing expensive clothes and applying makeup, but their followers still put a lot of stock in what their idols have to say on those subjects. There are other influencers that genuinely are knowledgeable on complex topics, such as fitness, nutrition, cuisine, and so on. In many cases, they have degrees or certificates in their chosen fields, and may even develop courses for anyone who’s interested in learning from them. TikTok creators also share their knowledge on all kinds of topics, but not necessarily as authorities.
- Merchandise
If you’re looking for surface-level indications of a TikTok influencer, merchandise is a pretty obvious one. In most cases, merchandise is sold by someone who’s popular enough to have developed their own community; this could be clothes, tools, kitchen utensils, makeup, or almost anything else. Merchandise is also sold by people with a brand, not just creators who have achieved a huge following or high view counts. It speaks to their dedication in building their online careers, rather than simply growing their fanbase, and assuming that success will follow.
- Management team
Just like with any other brand, influencers typically don’t work on their own. They often have teams of people to manage their content strategies, marketing campaigns, brand collaborations, and the workload of filming and editing videos. Even though the influencer spearheads the content, they may not be responsible for a lot of the day-to-day work. In contrast, most TikTok creators manage their own content schedules, advertising campaigns, filming and editing, and more. They may hire people to help as the workload increases, but most creators take care of things on their own.
- Engagement with followers
Because influencers typically have a lot of irons in the fire, they don’t have time to personally interact with followers. There could be events like livestreams where fans get the chance to ask questions, but influencers won’t be responding to the hundreds to thousands of comments they get each day. Since many TikTok creators have smaller followings, they’re more likely to have the time to personally respond to their followers, whether it’s via comments or direct messages.
Do you want to be a TikTok influencer?
Making it big on TikTok takes plenty of dedication, but becoming an influencer also requires a combination of focus, drive, and expertise. Either way, though, the payoff can be well worth the effort.