Influencers and the agencies that work with them are increasingly focusing on search content strategies, as TikTok recently launched a new monetization program that rewards content that matches popular searches. But experts warn that despite the platforms' popularity, brand safety and trustworthiness can be compromised if the right balance is not struck.
Given the app's growing popularity as a search home, especially among Gen Z, the agency expects TikTok's status as a search engine to grow in influence. According to Adobe research, more than two in five Americans use TikTok as a search engine, and about one in 10 Gen Z users now prefer it to Google as a search engine. There is a high possibility that you are using TikTok.
Jamie Ray, CEO of Influencer Agency, said: “It's important for both brands and agencies to be very careful in how they brief influencers and conceptualize their campaigns, and try to maintain authenticity at all costs.'' “There's more responsibility,” he said. buttermilk. “Because TikTok, in many ways, feels like it's set up to gamify the content creation process.”
Despite ongoing discussions about a possible ban in the US, TikTok's ad revenue generation has not slowed down, rather the opposite. The week after the House of Representatives voted to ban it in March, TikTok saw advertising spending on the platform jump 20%, according to analytics platform Tracer. On this platform, from February to March he saw his CPM increase by 7%.
TikTok Rewards search value
TikTok announced in March that it would consider “search value” as part of content creators' compensation in the platform's new monetization program. The app continues to prioritize search optimization and content strategy to match what users want, whether it's keywords like “denim” or topics and trends like BookTok and viral food. We want to encourage creators to create optimized content.
In other words, this is a new step in TikTok's search engine optimization development.
Desiree Marchetti Russell, influencer marketing program strategy director at Trade School, said the agency helps creators create captions, text overlays, and narration for each campaign summary using precise keywords. said. “This meticulous approach aims to maximize search visibility across social platforms,” Marchetti-Russell said.
Buttermilk's Ray said it makes sense for TikTok to embrace and encourage search content, given that Gen Z already uses the platform as a search tool. In particular, he expects certain industries, such as travel and restaurants, to benefit from a focus on search value and take advantage of the opportunity to create more engaging content.
“Would you rather search for something on Google and hit a wall of text? Or search in an app and have the 'show, don't tell' effect where you get to try something before you buy?” Wouldn't it be better if we could get that?'' Ray told Digiday.
Some agencies hope the tool will influence creators to branch out into other niches and types of content they hadn't considered before. Bea Itureg, vice president of creator and brand partnerships at creator marketing agency Cycle, said that while the strategy for selecting creators hasn't changed, the strategy for what creators create has changed.
“If a viewer is looking for '90s costumes, creators might come up with a concept that incorporates '90s costumes or leans into '90s nostalgia,” Itureg said. “TikTok wants to make sure it has all the videos that consumers search for. The easiest way to do that is to encourage people who are already creating content on the platform to create more content. That's what I do.''
Brand safety and reliability
As part of the program, TikTok is testing a new tool for creators in certain regions called Creator Search Insights. This tool allows creators to discover trending searches (based on popularity scores) on the app. A creator's search value increases as their content aligns with in-demand search topics, driving engagement.
But using tools to guide content ideas can be a slippery slope for brands and creators alike.
In addition to the risk of diminishing credibility, Ray also raised the question of how TikTok will handle content moderation with this search content and rankings. It's unclear how TikTok will verify and enforce safety measures when rewarding high-value content that may pose a risk to users or promote misinformation.
“Google, from a content moderation standpoint…they've crammed it down to the T level,” Ray said. “What's interesting from a TikTok perspective is the whole aspect of content moderation, and where is the truth?”
Ultimately, brands need to consider budget and safety. Ray explained that it comes down to how much money a brand can spend to rank high for a search term. For example, Buttermilk says that rather than working with one or a few creators on a specific search query, he focuses on an entire community of search terms, such as beauty topics, and produces hundreds of pieces of content around it. Then list.
How AI and search will change content
The widespread use of generative AI is already transforming the broader search landscape. SEO marketing platform BrightEdge this month published data on Google's AI-powered search generation experience (SGE), which is expected to launch soon, but BrightEdge founder Jim Yu said there is no clear timeline. He said no.
According to the company's data, an estimated 84% of Google Search queries will include generated AI content in search results, with the healthcare, e-commerce, and B2B technology industries most affected. This equates to approximately $40 billion in annual advertising revenue for Google.
In social media, Yu explained that the integration of AI and further searches by users will create new datasets for AI engines to drive research and content. For example, some platforms, such as his Stack Overflow, a social forum for developers, have an agreement with Google to input feeds into its AI search engine and include user-generated content in the results. is displayed.
“Social networks will be brought into the AI engine, making search and social more central. [will happen] In this new era,” he explained.
Now, imagine if your TikTok content started showing up in Google search results. Is it a marketer’s dream or a marketer’s worst nightmare?
color code by number
Captiv8 published a rundown of the top-performing brands on social media during the March Madness college basketball tournament, from sports drinks to shapewear founded by Kim Kardashian. This was the first year that the women's final, in which South Carolina defeated Iowa, was better than the men's final, in which Connecticut defeated Purdue. Some highlights:
- During the first five days of the event, CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV combined to average 9 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratings. This is a record of the tournament. The Iowa vs. LSU women's game drew a record 12.3 million viewers, ranking it as the most-watched basketball game in ESPN history.
- TikTok's #MarchMadness hashtag has racked up 1 billion views in the last month alone.
- For men, Auckland University had the biggest increase in social media followers, increasing by 167.72%. For women, Creighton University saw their follower count increase by 19.19%.
- In terms of top campaigns ranked by total engagement, Powerade ranks #1 in the Food & Beverage category with 2 activations and 16 posts for $28.57 million earned media value, 3.08% engagement rate, and 355.59 total engagements. ,000 earned.
- Skims received the highest engagement in the consumer/shopping retail category. A total of 16 activations, 32 posts brought him an EMV of $5.58 billion, an 18% engagement rate, and 813.74,000 engagements.
takeoff and landing
- online marketplace eBay The global media business is now in charge of GroupM. essence media com He is said to be planning a defense, which needs to be reviewed. The company said it expects to decide on a customer by the end of the second quarter.
- horizon media Landed media AOR operations including all planning and activation Street Group USAwhich includes Stoli vodka and reintroduces the brand to the American drinking public.
- sunglasses brands pit viper chose Department store As the agency of record for paid media activities in North America and Australia, including search, programmatic, social, affiliate, and Shopify platforms.
direct quote
“For me, it's completely normal for a client to say, 'Wait a minute, if you can make content better, faster, cheaper, I'd love to benefit from that.'” We're going to see advertising agencies having a Kodak moment. Kodak was making huge profits selling photographic film, but went bankrupt despite the fact that they had invented digital photography… No client could benefit from the vast efficiencies that Gen AI can provide. You should expect this to be carried over to your company as well. ”
— David Jones, founder and CEO of Brandtech Group, which is investing heavily in generative AI.
speed reading
- Ronan Shields and Michael Bürgi announced the news of a complaint registered by data company Adstra against IPG divisions Kinesso and Acxiom regarding improper use of datasets to create competing products without permission.
- We wrote about CG Life's acquisition of digital shop Toolhouse, but this is just the latest indicator of the rapid growth of the health sciences space in media agencies.
- Kristina Monllos investigated why Unilever's Dove division pledged not to use generative AI in its marketing efforts and how it fits into the brand's ethos.