How To Find Relevant TikTok Influencers For Your Brand

In case you missed it, TikTok is exploding. It’s taking over the world one Gen Z-er at a time and we’re obsessed because:

• Billions of people use TikTok on a monthly basis
• TikTok users have lots of purchasing power
• It’s an influencer marketing tool that literally every brand needs

And if you’re targeting young people, TikTok is the place to be. But before you plan your next TikTok campaign, you’re gonna need the right influencer to partner with.

Brand-relevant influencers have the power to unlock:

• Lots and lots and lots of views
• Increased brand awareness
• Tons of sales

It’s because they’re creative, they know how TikTok works, and they make connections like no other. So let’s dive into TikTok influencers and discover how to find one that’s perfect for your brand.

1. How popular is TikTok compared to other social media platforms?
2. Why influencer marketing works on TikTok
3. How to find TikTok influencers

How popular is TikTok compared to other social media platforms?

TikTok is up there with Instagram, YouTube, and other huge social media platforms. But it’s unique because it grew so big, so quickly.

TikTok accomplished in five years what it took Facebook and Instagram in about a decade. Half the time, basically the same results:

Not to mention that out of the 4.8B internet users around the world, over 20% of them use TikTok. TikTok users also make up about 22% of the world’s 4.4B active social media users. Now, let’s take a look at their purchasing power:

• 15% of adults on TikTok made a purchase based on brands they saw on the app
• 36% of Gen Z did the same ☝️ (#TikTokMadeMeBuyIt)
• Gen Z makes up over 40% of all TikTok users and they spend over $143B USD a year

Long story short, TikTok is exploding and it’s popular as h-e-c-k. Most of its users are young, they’re savvy, and they’ve got a lot of money to spend. So if your brand isn’t targeting Gen Z and/or TikTok users, you might want to rethink that — just sayin’ 👀

Why influencer marketing works on TikTok

Sure, any brand can register for a TikTok account and promote themselves. And quite frankly, this strategy might work for you (the key word here is “might”). But, it’s never going to be as effective or as native as influencer marketing and here’s why:

Influencers understand TikTok better than brands

TikTok is home for creators. They live there, they work there, they connect there. So since creators spend more time on TikTok than brands do, they just get it. And by “it” we mean:

• Trends
• Algorithms
• Content
• Audiences / users
• Hashtags

TikTok influencers already have followings

Ok, ok, yes. Brands like e.l.f. can get a soul-crushing number of followers within seconds and make it look easy.

But for the rest of us, building a following takes time, patience, and of course, money. And this is where influencers come in. They’ve already got a TikTik following, and they already know your target audience inside and out.

Your target audience is on TikTok (and has been for a while)

This is especially true if you’re trying to reach Gen Z and Millennials. And regardless of age or generation, TikTok users spend over 68B hours a year on the app.

So whoever you’re trying to reach, they’re most likely on TikTok. They’re spending hours a day there. They’ve got money to spend. And they value the opinion of the influencers they follow.

How to find TikTok influencers

Ok, so, we know why influencer marketing on TikTok is critical. Now it’s time to figure out how to get this party started. Luckily, we’ve got some strategies to help you find the perfect TikTok influencer for your brand.

Search on Google

Ahhhh, Google. It’s everyone’s trusty sidekick. And it’s a great place to dip your toes in the TikTok influencer pool.

Start with some basic searches to get the broad strokes. For example, “top tiktok influencers 2022.” This will show you the top-tier influencers on the platform. But you’ll need to dig a little deeper to find a better match.

Try searching for top TikTok influencers in your industry and target location. For example, “top tiktok travel influencers cambodia.” The more specific you get, the better your search results.

Search by hashtag

This one’s a fun one because you get to head over to TikTok. Open the app and tap “Discover” towards the bottom. Scroll through trending hashtags, or use the search bar at the top to find ones more relevant to your brand.

You can also use a TikTok hashtag tool. There are some tools available for free online (but keep in mind that your results may vary). You can also use tools like Humanz to filter through TikTok influencers based on #.

Either way, let hashtags guide the way to find influencers who fit your brand. This way you end up partnering with an influencer who really “gets” your target audience.

Search by topic

Heads up, this one takes some manual work — but it’s worth it in our opinion. Topic research takes longer than finding TikTok influencers through hashtags. However, if you do it right, it can be more effective.

First, identify some competitive topics based on your niche. For example, if you own a luxury skincare brand, some topics may include:

• Skincare routines
• Moisturizers
• Anti-aging products

Then, head over to TikTok and search for those topics (or keywords). Comb through the top results and:

1. Read through creator bios
2. Watch a handful of TikToks from each creator
3. Note which creators have more engagement (views and comments)

Then, make a list of the TikTokers that best match your brand. You can use this list to do even more research, or start reaching out to influencers.

Search by location

This method is nearly impossible to pull off just with TikTok. You’re gonna need a tool for this one if you’re trying to reach audiences in specific locations. For example, if you only sell skincare products in South Africa, an influencer in Brazil won’t do you any good.

Again, you might be able to find some free online tools to help you do this, but your mileage WILL vary. Instead, we recommend investing in a platform that delivers accurate results … like Humanz 😉

Search for existing sponsored content

Like most social platforms, creators have to disclose whether their content is sponsored.

There’s a toggle inside TikTok labeled “Branded Content.” Creators have to toggle this on when they post an ad. And this toggle automatically displays #ad in the TikTok description.

And if you’re clever (which you are) you can search for #ad to find TikTok influencers. Scroll through search results for influencers that match your brand and target audience.

Search for your competitors

This is another sneaky way to find relevant influencers for your brand. First up, figure out who your competition is. There’s a good chance you already know who you’re competing with. But if you don’t, search Google to find some worthy opponents.

Then, head over to TikTok and search for them. Look through hashtags, profiles, and content to find out what your competition is up to. Make sure to look at the brand’s profile and the creator profiles that tag them.

Then, make a list of the influencers they partner with. Take note of their content, their style, and their followers. Notice things like:

• How many followers they have
• What their engagement looks like
• And what seems relevant to your target audience

Search with specialized tools

We’ve been hinting around at this one for a while because honestly, it’s the best way. It makes finding relevant TikTok creators a thousand times easier. And, if you pick the right tool, it makes working with creators way better, too.

We recommend using our platform, Humanz AI. It’s a sophisticated all-in-one solution that was built for:

• Agencies
• Marketers
• Social media managers
• Brands
• Advertisers

When you use Humanz, you get to search and filter through thousands of influencers at once. Narrow your search by location, demographic, hashtag, content, and more. It’s easy and best of all, it’s accurate — you can trust that the data you see is the real deal.

Final thoughts on finding TikTok influencers

For lots of brands, TikTok is like the Wild West. It’s new, it’s changing, and sometimes it’s even a little intimidating. But the good news is that when it comes to finding the right influencer, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a roundup of everything you need to know about finding TikTokers:

1. No matter who your target audience is, they’re probably on TikTok
2. This is one of the reasons why TikTok influencer marketing is so effective ☝️
3. But to make it worth your while, you need a relevant influencer and there are a few ways to find them
4. Search by Google, hashtag, topic, location, and competitor
5. Or use a premium, specialized tool to do all the hard work for you

Chomping at the bit for more influencer marketing info? Check out our influencer marketing blog. We’re always updating it with helpful resources, updates, and industry tips.