TikTok’s new ad feature to help brands find smaller creators

TikTok is rolling out a new feature that will make it easier for brands to connect with creators, especially those with smaller followings. Branded Missions will see brands share a brief with the creator community as a way to attract user-generated content. Creators with at least 1,000 followers will be eligible to participate, a potential boon for micro-influencers and casual creators. TikTok creators, who must be 18 years old, will see the potential base payout before choosing to participate in the Branded Mission. They will receive a cash payment if their video is chosen, and possibly a performance-based payout. Creators can submit up to three videos per brief, before the brands choose which videos to amplify as ads. “Brands need a ton of content, and it’s hard to make successful TikTok content in-house,” Mae Karwowski, founder and CEO of Obviously, wrote in an email. “We’ve seen that a lot of them have really struggled with creating short video and ad content that works on TikTok.” Branded Missions is currently in beta testing and available in select markets within the U.S. and around the world. It will be available in more markets later this year, TikTok said. Sign up here for upcoming events and awards Ad Age In-Depth: TV Pivot Ad Age 40 under 40 Ad Age Small Agency Conference & Awards The new feature is a win for smaller creators, who may not have the 10,000 followers to be eligible for the TikTok Creator Marketplace, which is where brands typically connect with creators for branded content. Lowering the follower count for Branded Mission eligibility also makes it easier for brands to see videos from creators that they might not otherwise find. The feature also puts more “creators” on the platform, capturing those who don’t have the sizable follower count to be part of the TikTok Creator Fund. Sign up for Ad Age’s Influencer Marketing newsletter. “Theoretically, this could also help smaller brands that can’t afford an agency to find the right fit with creators and pick certain videos as ads in a few clicks,” Alessandro Bogliari, co-founder and CEO of The Influencer Marketing Factory, said via email. He adds that it could help smaller creators dip their toe into working with brands and build up their portfolio. Branded Missions are the latest way for creators to monetize on TikTok. The app’s creator fund started in 2020 with a $200 million pool to pay out creators based on how well their TikToks perform. The pool will expand to $1 billion in the U.S. by next year. There is also a tip feature for TikTok creators, where fans can pay them directly, but creators need to have over 100,000 followers to be eligible. TikTok’s payout options have put pressure on other platforms to step up in the battle for creators. In February, Meta announced that creators would earn 55 percent of ad revenue from banner ads in videos. The company has committed to spend $1 billion in creator investments by the end of 2022. TikTok is also facing competition from platforms such as Instagram and YouTube.

TikTok’s new ad feature to help brands find smaller creators

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