TikTok has taken the world by storm, and now sits alongside established platforms like Snapchat and Instagram as one of the best places to go for your influencer marketing campaigns.
And influencer marketing firm Yoke Network is so bullish on the platform - especially now that it's made CPI campaigns easier with the introduction of links in bios - that TikTok is now the firm's main focus for campaigns.
To find out more about its CPI campaigns and why TikTok is the next big thing for influencers, we spoke to Yoke founder and CEO Jidé Maduako about the future of the platform and common mistakes companies can avoid.
PocketGamer.biz: What's your background and how did Yoke first get started?
I was working during the evening on an idea about how we could bring more transparency to the influencer marketing space, as we faced many issues when I was working at another mobile marketing startup. So I teamed up with my co-founder Musti (who I met at university), and as he has a Masters in Computer Science, he built the platform while I pitched to mobile apps.
When we launched, apps were not taking it seriously, and the content on the platform was not as diverse as it is now.Jidé Maduako
As we began to see the emergence of TikTok as a platform, and the results the influencers on the platform could produce, we then shifted our focus to helping TikTok influencers to monetise their audience through Yoke.
How has the influencer marketing landscape changed since Yoke first started?
The biggest thing is the emergence of TikTok (the platform we predominantly work on).
When we launched, apps were not taking it seriously, and the content on the platform was not as diverse as it is now.
Why did you choose to start exploring CPI influencer campaigns in TikTok?
TikTok burst into the social media world, and we had many clients request if we could run CPI campaigns on the platform.
As we tested with more TikTok influencers, we began to see phenomenal results.
What kind of results have you seen from your campaigns so far?
We've seen some influencers drive tens of thousands of installs for some of our campaigns, and the creative content on the platform is extremely high quality.
For some of the campaigns we've run, we have seen clients benefit from huge organic uplift, which is replicated in their App Store ranking being boosted.
How big are some of the influencers in the Yoke Network?
Small creators on our platform have roughly 200,000 followers on TikTok. The largest creators have over 7 million followers.
Many companies think it is just a lip syncing platform and this is wrong. There is so much creative content on the platform that is simply astonishing.Jidé Maduako
How much do you think the influencer marketing space on TikTok is going to grow over the next 12 months?
TikTok is the platform of the future and the platform of Gen Z. Over the next 12 months, I can only see it growing in size and diversity in the content you'll find on the platform. More advertisers will find their home on the platform and influencer CPMs will increase.
What mistakes or misconceptions do you think companies regularly make when working with influencers on TikTok?
Many companies think it is just a lip syncing platform and this is wrong. There is so much creative content on the platform that is simply astonishing. Any company can find a home on the platform, they just need people that understand the platform to help them.
Are there any other additions yet to come to TikTok that you think would improve the lives of influencers on the platform?
Yes, possibly in-feed links and more advertisers.
Are there other platforms that you think marketers should be keeping an eye on in 2020?
Triller (a music-focused video sharing app) and Yubo (a video chat app aimed at teenagers).
