There’s no question that Instagram is one of the most important platforms when it comes to social media marketing and media exposure. For years, there was no other platform that could generate the buzz nor replicate the business opportunities that brands and creators have on Instagram.
Yet in 2020 a new giant conquered the social media landscape: TikTok. While it started as a simple video app for funny and dance videos, it has now become the fastest-growing platform and the main choice of entertainment for younger generations.
TikTok has also become a big source of revenue and business deals for content creators all around the world, and while Instagram has been trying to keep up by adapting its own algorithm, what people consume and how influencers promote a product in each platform is very different.
So, before you decide on what platform to execute your next influencer marketing campaign, you might want to keep the following details in mind!
First, let’s look at some quick statistics on each platform to quickly compare numbers:
Source: Instagram statistics you need to know for 2024, Sprout Social, 2024. 27 TikTok statistics marketers need to know in 2024, Sprout Social, 2024.
Instagram was launched in 2010 and experienced a quick growth, soon reaching billions of users and turning into the main social media platform.
While it started as a visual platform only for images, it has incorporated trends from other platforms, and now also allows for ephemeral content (stories), short videos (reels), long videos (IGTV) and streaming (live).
It has also integrated features like Paid Ads and Shops, becoming the number one platform for D2C brands and influencers who want to coin brand partnerships.
Instagram focuses on showing multiple posts at once, whether you are on the main feed or in the explore page. Therefore, getting the user's attention might be a bit difficult and it depends on the content type, as the expected engagement rate can vary:
Here are engagement rate benchmarks for each type of content:
If your main audience is from older GenZ, Millennials, and older generations, then Instagram is the right place for your influencer campaign.
Also, most people go to Instagram for inspiration (DIYs, fashion, home decor, cooking, fitness, etc) and for impulse purchases, as stories allow for quickly sharing the link to the product being promoted and because they only last for 24hs, people might want to quickly take advantage of the influencer’s discount code to purchase that product.
With its built-in shopping feature, the swipe up or link sticker for stories, and the paid ads, Instagram is still the preferred platform for ecommerce.
In terms of hard sales, Instagram still has the potential to reign in this category.
Although TikTok was first launched in 2016, it gained its popularity during the pandemic, when dance influencers took over the platform in a whirlwind. It now has more than 1.5 billion active users, and its algorithm is so special that almost anyone can go viral.
Because of that, TikTok has become one of the most popular platforms for content creators, as their content can go viral more easily than on Instagram, where users consume a more polished and professional content.
TikTok started only as a vertical video platform, but it also incorporated dynamic images and ephemeral content (stories). They also offer paid ads features and a shop, which according to Sprout Social, 30% of daily users have used TikTok Shop and 33% haven’t used it yet but are interested in trying.
Even though Instagram boasts 2 billion monthly active users, predominantly Millennials and older generations; TikTok achieved 1.5 billion users in a shorter time, and attracts GenZ and younger demographics, who have the power to determine what platform is the most influential.
TikTok's content primarily consists of vertical videos and dynamic images, is more authentic and trend-driven, leading to a higher average engagement rate. In contrast, content on Instagram is varied and engagement rates rely heavily on the post format: images, stories, reels, IGTV, and live streaming. Also, there’s a bigger focus on polished and aesthetically pleasing posts.
Instagram excels worldwide in ecommerce with features like Shops, swipe-up links, and paid ads, making it the preferred platform for direct sales and impulse purchases. TikTok, while growing in ecommerce with its TikTok Shop, remains more effective for brand awareness and connecting with younger audiences due to its viral nature and high engagement rates.
For TikTok, top influencers like Charli D'Amelio, Dixie D'Amelio, Addison Rae, and Bella Poarch earn significant amounts through brand partnerships, the Creator Fund, and other monetization options.
Charli D'Amelio, for example, earns around $17.5 million annually, making her one of the highest-paid influencers on the platform.
Instagram influencers, on the other hand, tend to command higher earnings per post.
For instance, Cristiano Ronaldo earns approximately $3.2 million per branded Instagram post, while other top influencers like Lionel Messi and Selena Gomez earn between $2.6 to $2.9 million per post.
Instagram's established platform and its emphasis on sponsored posts and brand partnerships allow influencers to charge more per post compared to TikTok
As discussed previously, Instagram can have a higher potential for driving sales, whereas TikTok is best for brand awareness thanks to its engaging content. This sets a difference in how creators approach their content on each platform, especially when it comes to brand partnerships.
Let’s take a closer look at the differences in each type of influencer:
Since its beginnings, Instagram has been a place of inspiration and aspiration, where people tend to only show the pretty things and make everything look good.
Hence, influencer content on Instagram is more polished and aesthetically pleasing than on other platforms, and is more carefully curated.
Another aspect of Instagram influencers is that they are more likely to have built a community with some loyal followers, who will see their posts regularly and actively engage with them.
However, this doesn’t mean that only macro influencers or celebrities have the capability to sell and perform well in partnerships. Smaller accounts can also count on a loyal base that follows them for tips and special offers, so you might not want to rule them out of your campaign!
As for the content they post, most of them post polished content and take their time in producing it, as there are many options to choose from and the one they select probably has a lot of thought behind it, such as choosing a perfect AI voice for voice over which is pretty common in reels nowadays. Then, they also have the option to share a story, which is the lower effort option but very engaging, to accompany a feed post or reel and spread more awareness.
The negative side of Instagram influencers is that fake and/or mass followers are very common on this app. So while you might see a creator with a large following, they could have a high percentage of ghost followers who don’t contribute to their performance rates. You can read more about how to spot fake followers in this article.
Because TikTok’s algorithm is very different from Instagram, influencers and their posting strategy changes a lot.
The content is more homemade and creators don’t require a lot of editing skills, as the platform provides a decent editor within the platform and authentic content is highly rewarded.
While photos have been incorporated in a dynamic way, videos are still pretty much the only format allowed on the platform. Also, stories are available, but they aren’t as used as on Instagram, so posts aren’t usually followed with a story to promote it.
Regarding the content itself, it is constantly changing due to trends being the main driver of the algorithm: the content style, sounds/music used in the videos or the hashtags included are ever-changing due to the fast-paced nature of the app.
During 2023, TikTok influencers with 0 to 50k followers outperformed Instagram influencers in terms of engagement, with a rate of 30% compared to Instagram influencers’ 1.8% ER.
However, as followers rise that rate drops, but it still remains higher than Instagram rates. This explains the growing popularity of micro influencers when it comes to brand partnerships, as their audiences tend to be more invested when the influencer is more dedicated as well.
This is why TikTok content is great for UGC use and sponsored posts, as it’s authentic and very engaging, which has demonstrated a better acceptance for ads than in-house brand content ads.
The negative side of TikTok influencers is that most of them are micro influencers, as it’s difficult to build a large loyal following. This way, most creators have a one time (or few times) success instead of being able to sustain good performance.
Now that we have learnt the differences between both platforms and how influencers work on each, we can review the best way to approach a collaboration with TikTok and Instagram influencers.
The first thing to keep in mind is that on top of everything, people go to Instagram and TikTok for inspiration and entertainment. Hence, the type of content you want to create during a partnership with an influencer must rely on either of those categories. As Vogue Business stated:
Influencers are still an important part of the inspiration journey. 51 per cent of Gen Zs believe social media influencers create new trends (versus 36 per cent of millennials) and 21 per cent of Gen Zs and millennials credited celebrities with creating new trends, compared to 15 per cent who said brands do.
The power of celebrities and influencers is evidenced by Hailey Bieber and her skincare label Rhode. Before Bieber launches a product, she often coins a phrase like “strawberry girl summer” on social media, launching an aesthetic micro-trend overnight that she then mirrors in her product offering.
This way, creating trends is the ideal scenario, but following them is a must. The influencer you partner with should be able to promote your product and brand, while still following their own style and incorporating a trend. They should also be able to connect with their audience, and attract new viewers at the same time, which is why trends are so valuable.
You can find this kind of influencer on both platforms, but there are some differences in terms of how a partnership can go and what to expect from it:
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There are two ways you can conduct an influencer search: manually, or with a dedicated tool.
Conducting a manual search can lead you to find the ideal influencer if you dedicate enough effort.
The best way to do it is to go to the platform’s finder and look for keywords or hashtags related to your niche, to trends that could work for you, or related to someone whose profile you already find ideal.
Once you find someone, you can also check their tagged posts, comments and followers to find similar accounts. Then, their contact information might already be available or you might have to reach out via DMs to request it.
While it can work for specific searches, conducting a manual search is very time consuming and not ideal for scaling up campaigns. So we recommend opting for the following option!
Check out our detailed guides on how to find TikTok influencers and how to find Instagram influencers.
Finding the right influencers for your campaign doesn’t have to be time consuming, as there are tools like Influencer Hero’s Influencer Finder to quickly find thousands of profiles.
In this tool, you can apply different filters such as location, amount of followers, engagement rate, word in bio, and others, to quickly narrow down your search only to worthy profiles. It also has a ‘Lookalikes’ filter which allows you to find similar accounts to the one you input as reference in no time!
Furthermore, the Influencer Finder provides an influencer report where you can analyze a profile in detail and make sure they comply with your campaign’s criteria.
With Influencer Hero you can also manage your entire influencer campaign with a complete CRM, which also has tools for mass outreach, product seeding, automated payments, in-depth reports and more! You can book a demo to find out more about the platform and start finding the right influencers for your Instagram and/or TikTok campaign!
In conclusion, choosing between Instagram and TikTok for your influencer marketing campaign depends on your specific goals and target audience. Instagram, with its established user base and robust ecommerce features, remains a top choice for driving direct sales and engaging with a slightly older demographic. Its diverse content formats, from Reels to Stories, provide ample opportunities for brands to create polished and aspirational content.
On the other hand, TikTok's rapid growth and unique algorithm offer unparalleled potential for virality and brand awareness, especially among younger audiences. Its engaging, authentic content and high engagement rates make it an ideal platform for creating buzz and connecting with users in a more casual and dynamic way.
Finally, tools like Influencer Hero’s Influencer Finder can help you streamline your search for the right influencers and manage your campaigns efficiently, ensuring you make the most of both Instagram and TikTok’s unique capabilities!
Schedule a Demo with one of our media experts below.
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