TikTok or Instagram: which social network should you use in your influencer marketing strategy?
Looking to launch a new influencer campaign to promote your brand and products but unsure whether to choose TikTok or Instagram? Our influencer marketing agency offers some advice on selecting the social network best suited to your strategy, objectives, and target audience.
TikTok vs Instagram: The Battle of the Numbers
As you know, TikTok and Instagram are currently the two most effective platforms for influencer marketing (an industry worth $6.5 billion in 2019 and projected to triple by 2022). While the Chinese platform has experienced explosive growth over the past two years, the Facebook-owned app continues to dominate the influencer landscape. Indeed, according to the " Influencers x Brands" conducted by Reech, Instagram remains the number one social network for more than 9 out of 10 influencers.
In fact, Instagram is currently experiencing its golden age and has become a kind of "safe haven" for brands. Moreover, there are over 25 million professional profiles worldwide on Instagram, and 200 million users visit at least one brand profile every day.
Launched in 2010, six years earlier than TikTok, the network reassures advertisers with its maturity and the return on investment it generates. For example, Instagram brought in $20 billion in advertising revenue in 2019, more than YouTube.
Despite these impressive figures, Instagram is well aware that its dominance among advertisers is increasingly challenged by TikTok. Now the third most downloaded app in the world after WhatsApp and Messenger (and therefore ahead of Instagram) with 1.5 billion downloads, the platform owned by ByteDance accounts for more than half of all influencers who have signed up since 2019.
In terms of revenue, TikTok is just as impressive as Instagram. In September 2020 alone, the app generated over $130.5 million worldwide (nearly eight times more than a year earlier!). It's a real cash cow, and brands seeking rapid growth now all want to include it in their advertising strategies.
TikTok vs Instagram: 2 networks with different logics and target audiences
Beyond the numbers, the real question to ask about Instagram and TikTok is how to use them in an influencer marketing strategy.
Each of the two platforms has its own characteristics and with them, advantages that are more or less interesting depending on what you really want to do with it and who you are addressing.
For example, if your focus is on converting users into customers, Instagram has proven its worth, particularly thanks to its shopping feature that redirects users to the merchant's website. It's therefore a good network for ready-to-wear brands (from luxury to fast fashion).
With the recent launch of Instagram Shop, its integrated shopping feature (which allows purchases directly through the application with Facebook Pay), Instagram presents even more interest for brands seeking fast and efficient conversion.
If you're focused on an acquisition strategy, Instagram Stories work wonders, generating a lot of interaction (in 2020, nearly 500 million people used Stories every day). Their ephemeral nature also encourages users to act quickly, all within a format that fosters creativity and authenticity.
Thinking of launching your TikTok account? First, keep in mind that the social network still primarily reaches young people aged 12 to 24 (compared to 25 to 34 on Instagram), even though these audiences are diversifying. Therefore, if your target audience is older, it's best not to focus too much on ROI.
Generally speaking, on TikTok, return on investment is still measured more in terms of brand awareness than direct financial returns. By joining the social network, a brand's initial goal will therefore be to increase its visibility and build a strong brand identity through influencers and creative, authentic content.
Compared to Instagram, TikTok's biggest advantage lies in the strength of its content, not the influencer's profile. Therefore, by investing in an influencer with a relatively small initial following (micro or even nano influencers) but with fun and relevant videos, a brand can quickly achieve significant brand awareness. And, of course, see a corresponding impact on sales.
The advertising opportunities offered by TikTok are only just beginning. Initially used primarily by B2C retail and fashion brands, the social network is now, and rightfully so, attracting all brands that recognize the platform's full potential. For them, it's also a breath of fresh air, allowing them to renew their creativity while keeping their budgets manageable. What more could you ask for?.
At So Bang, we know TikTok well and all the opportunities it already offers brands today, and even more in the coming years. As aninfluencermarketing agency, we already help several brands deploy their influencer marketing strategy on this platform. Will you be next?