Brands are tracking hashtags to find engaged audiences – Nielsen

In the last few years social media platforms have seen a remarkable user and engagement increase. Many brands are now spending big on this platform and turning to influencers for more intimate (and potentially profitable) relationships with their customers. Global marketers plan to spend 53% more on social media in the coming year than they do any other channels.

Although social media influencers have a presence on every platform, they are gaining traction quickly on TikTok. According to SME InfluenceScope, which measures social media influencers, the video-sharing platform has overtaken social media veteran Instagram in popularity for Micro (10K-50K followers), Mid (50K-100K), Macro (100K-1M) and Mega (>1M) influencer representation. 

And, given the shift toward shorter videos and vertical formats, TikTok influencers have an enviable engagement rate: 10.25% of the platform’s creators have an engagement rate of more than 20%, compared with 6.15% for Instagram and 3% for YouTube.

Brands can reap the benefits of all this engagement if they choose the right influencer. According to the Q1 2022 norms data from SME’s Brand Impact research, influencer ads in the U.S. drove a nine-point increase in both brand affinity and purchase intent relative to consumers who did not see the influencer ads. Marketers are now tracking hashtags to identify the ideal audience for their influencer ads.

One of TikTok’s most well-known hashtags is #BookTok. It has been viewed 59 million times. BookTok features a variety of content for readers and writers, but its most popular—and influential—videos are book reviews. Popular BookTok reviewer @thecalvinbooks, for example, has over 500,000 followers and an engagement rate of 10%—three times higher than the average influencers with a similar follower base on TikTok. 

Readers are flocking to BookTok to get recommendations from their favorite influencers, and these influencers can have a big impact on book sales for brands who tap into their highly-engaged—and younger—followers. Nearly two-thirds of BookTok’s audience are between 18 and 24 years. 

And when it comes to maximizing the impact of influencers, age isn’t just a number for these young readers. Brands want meaningful interactions with influencers that appeal to Gen Z.

In April, Disney partnered with TikTok creators to promote “Bravely,” a written sequel to its hit movie Brave. Disney partnered with younger influencers to engage its Gen Z audience. Melissa Becraft has over 1.1million followers, which makes her one of most prominent creators. The video she created to promote the book received approximately 18K views, more than 1.5K interactions and 55% reached the targeted Gen Z audience. 

Marketers often struggle to find a person who resonates with their audience because of the number of social media influencers. But, by combining platform data, influencer insights and audience behavior, marketers can take a data-driven approach to their influencer marketing strategies that drives engagement—and ROI. 

Download Building Better Connections: How to Use Influencers to Grow Your Brand for more insights