Social Search Is Taking Off — Are You Ready to Capitalize?

The age of social search is in full swing. Unsurprisingly, this shift in user search preferences has come about at the same time that millions of Gen Zers are reaching adulthood. After all, the vast majority of Gen Zers were practically born with a smartphone in their hand.

According to a 2023 Insider Intelligence report, social networks have become the top product and brand research channel for consumers between the ages of 16 and 24, as well as those in the 25–34 age bracket. For consumers aged 35 to 44, social networks are the second most-used search network, ranking just behind search engines.

Although this format lacks many of the features you might expect from traditional search engine-based advertising channels, social networks are exploding, meaning it’s imperative to incorporate them into your marketing strategy.

Now is the ideal time to test the waters with social partners and lay the framework for an influencer partnership marketing strategy. Here are some simple steps to accelerate your journey.

Choose Your Network

First and foremost, you must determine where to market your products or services. While Facebook and Instagram are obvious choices, don’t sleep on the potential of TikTok.

According to Insider Intelligence, a typical US iPhone user conducted approximately 18 TikTok searches in August 2022. By January 2023, the average user searched 100-plus times per month, a massive increase of 455%. Cumulatively, 74% of US TikTok users search for products or services on the app.

Due to this huge uptick in search, TikTok represents a great opportunity to expand your influencer partnership marketing efforts.

That said, mastering the art of influencer marketing on TikTok is no easy task. To form authentic connections with users, you need a great game plan, the right partners, and platform-appropriate content. That brings us to our next point.

Lean into Video Content

Text and image ads dominate search engine-based partnership marketing strategies. Images can also be a powerful tool on some social platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. However, the sole marketing currency on TikTok is video, which means you’ll need to place special emphasis on it.

By creating video content especially for TikTok, you can catch lost conversions from your paid marketing channels and create a more complete sales funnel.

Authenticity is key when crafting TikTok videos — younger consumers want to feel like they’re connecting with content creators, not being advertised to. As such, you need influencer partners that know how to create organic-looking content while delivering powerful results for your brand.

Create Tutorial-Style Ads

Tutorial-style ads are perfect for TikTok influencer campaigns, as they have an organic feel, provide value to viewers, and get your message across all at once. While you definitely need to include other types of videos on your TikTok, these tutorials should dominate your campaign.

Video tutorials are extremely appealing to Gen Zers, who often turn to TikTok to learn new things. If they have an opportunity to see how great your product is in the process, that’s a win-win.

Find the Right Partners

If you’ve dabbled with influencer partnership marketing in the past, you know that choosing the right partner is the foundation of a winning campaign.

An influencer that’s a good fit for your brand can deliver meaningful results, build trust with your target audience, and help you hit your sales milestones. Conversely, one that’s a bad fit will fail to deliver and may even damage your reputation with your audience.

When searching for partners, consider who your target audience is and how they align with the influencer’s base of followers. Also, be mindful of things like the influencer’s style, messaging, and overall activity on social media. Ideally, you want an active partner whose values, content, and audience conform to your own.

Finding such an influencer can be quite challenging, but it doesn’t have to be.

Connect with Acceleration Partners

If you want to modernize your affiliate marketing strategy and leverage influencer-based social campaigns, Acceleration Partners (AP) can help.

As the leading partnership marketing agency, AP can connect you with the right influencer partners, build a custom strategy for TikTok, and empower your organization to accelerate its growth.

Want to learn more about AP’s full-service partnership marketing offerings?

Connect with our team and tell us about your growth goals!