Problem: It is extremely difficult to convince TikTok celebrities to promote your product. See below for first-hand frustrations from @levelsio who tried to hire a third-party contractor to do this for him.
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Solution: Hearing of this problem reminded me of a company that one of my friends made and eventually sold: Swipehouse. The premise of the business was that TikTokers could swipe left and right (like Tinder) in order to find and match with each other for collaborations. Eventually, to monetize, the team allowed brands to join the platform and swipe on potential creators as well. Their value proposition was to “Get amazing content from thousands of tiktokers without having to shoot, instruct, or micromanage.” Hamster Garage (their acquirer) has continued to run and grow the business.
While dedicated apps live Swipehouse have made great progress in solving the core marketplace matching problem of connecting brands to creators at scale, exploring alternative solutions can further enhance the effectiveness of the connection process. Here are 3 alternatives that would serve as a solution “TikTok Affiliate Agency”
AI-Driven Matchmaking Technology: Artificial intelligence (AI)-driven matchmaking algorithms could revolutionize the connection process by leveraging data analytics and machine learning techniques. Such algorithms would analyze brands' needs, preferences, and target audiences, as well as creators' styles, reach, and engagement. By automating this matching process, AI-based solutions could significantly improve efficiency and accuracy in connecting brands to creators. This could even happen via email through some sort of “daily digest”; moreover, it wouldn’t even require any work from the creator. The platform would simply scrape a connected TikTok account to create a profile.
Collaborative Networking Events: Organizing collaborative networking events focused on connecting brands and creators can facilitate real-time interactions and foster stronger relationships. These events could bring together professionals from both sides, providing opportunities for networking, preliminary discussions, and potential partnerships. By creating a conducive environment for face-to-face meetings, brands and creators may establish more meaningful connections.
Data-Sharing Marketplaces: Creating data-sharing marketplaces could also help overcome the matching problem. These platforms would allow brands and creators to exchange anonymized data on their respective audiences, providing insights that can guide more informed partnerships. By sharing data, brands and creators can make better-informed decisions about potential matches and understand the alignment between their target audiences.
Ultimately, these solutions could enable the future of Social Media Influencing. According to Data Bridge Market Research analyses, the influencer marketing platform market was valued at USD $7.36 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach the value of USD $69.92 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 32.50% during the forecast period of 2022-2029.
Contributed by: Michael Bervell (w/ some AI help!)