Brand ambassadors are some of the most important and influential people to help you promote your brand online, gain new customers, and increase interest in the products and services your business offers. With over a billion people using TikTok, there’s immense opportunity for your biggest fans to showcase their love for your brand on the world’s fastest-growing social media platform. However, with the potential of a TikTok ban looming, businesses relying on TikTok for ambassador partnerships need to plan for potential disruptions. In this blog, we’ll discuss how to effectively manage your ambassador program and explore the potential impacts of a TikTok ban.
What is a TikTok brand ambassador program?
Unlike traditional influencers, who are paid to advertise and market your products on TikTok, brand ambassadors are typically existing customers or employees of your business who share their positive experiences with your brand within their own networks.
Brand ambassador programs are a more formal way of organizing these people and rewarding them for their enthusiasm about what you do. When setting up a brand ambassador program, it’s important to think through the logistics of how your ambassadors will be rewarded — financial compensation, discounts and early access to new products are all popular options.
Athletic Greens, a supplement brand, is an example of how to run a successful brand ambassador program. It offers a 30% commission to ambassadors on sales made through their affiliate links. The company has a dedicated page on its website for potential ambassadors to get in touch and register as a partner, making it easy to become part of the program.
Why do brand ambassador programs work well on TikTok?
With over 40% of Gen Z reporting that they use TikTok as a search engine, it’s little surprise then that brand ambassador programs are a natural fit for marketing in this type of social media ecosystem.
Partnering with enthusiastic customers among the nearly 70% of 18- and 19-year-olds and over 50% of 20- to 29-year-olds using TikTok is one of the most effective ways for brands to create authentic user-generated content that resonates with a target market. One study found that over 80% of consumers were likely to follow a recommendation from someone they follow on social media when making a purchase, highlighting how important these word-of-mouth content pieces are to all kinds of brands and industries.
Fenty Beauty is one of the best examples of how to create a successful brand ambassador program on TikTok, particularly among the younger demographic. Through their partnership with College Fashionista, the beauty brand has worked with hundreds of college-age TikTok and Instagram users to create content, while also having the opportunity to grow its own communities through Fenty-inspired makeup parties.
Thousands of students apply to be part of the program, looking to gain both experience in social media that helped land some interviews and internships, along with access to free or discounted Fenty products. Fenty, in return, now has a large group of passionate brand ambassadors and content discussing the benefits of both their products and the business as a whole. A win-win.
Athletic Greens, mentioned earlier, doesn’t often post user-generated content (UGC) on its account, but its brand ambassadors do, using hashtags like #athleticgreenspartner, with millions of views.
Similarly, Bloom Nutrition, another supplement and wellness brand, actively reshares content from brand ambassadors on TikTok. They leverage all aspects of UGC, adding hashtags to boost their visibility on the platform even further within the health and wellness space.
These examples demonstrate a clear understanding of who their key audience is, and match their brand ambassadors to those demographics as closely as possible. This creates a natural connection between the content ambassadors are creating and the audience the brand is looking to reach.
The greater the connection and trust a potential customer has in the ambassador, the more likely they’ll make a purchase based on their recommendations.
Integrating influencers into TikTok brand ambassador programs
While brand ambassadors typically aren’t paid directly for their promotion of a brand, outside of any sales commissions, there is still a place for more traditional influencer partnerships within these programs.
Although paid to advertise a brand, influencers should still be considered brand ambassadors. They are, after all, still providing content with a positive angle around your products or services. Unlike other brand ambassadors, though, influencers typically have a larger audience and, as a result, a broader reach.
UGC from influencers is generally of a higher quality. It’s their job to create engaging content that their followers will enjoy, rather than simply a fun way to share a product as a customer brand ambassador.
That doesn’t mean influencers can’t also be genuine ambassadors of your brand. In fact, finding influencers to work with who truly love your product should be a primary focus when deciding on partners. This makes any content they produce more genuine and believable, making marketing campaigns more meaningful and effective when it comes to hitting return on investment (ROI) and sales targets following an influencer promotion.
Nike is a leader in this space, frequently partnering with influencers and celebrities to create new, exclusive products and to promote existing lines within the business.
US Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad is one of Nike’s most prolific influencer partnerships on social media, frequently appearing on the brand’s TikTok account with her Nike apparel and also creating content on her own social media accounts to share their products.
Athletes like Serena Williams and Colin Kaepernick are also longtime partners of Nike, appearing throughout their advertising both online and offline. Running UGC from these well-known influencers and celebrities alongside other brand ambassador content increases Nike’s reach.
While influencers become the face of the brand, brand ambassadors continue to spread awareness through their own smaller networks to generate more exposure.
The potential impact of a TikTok ban on businesses
As TikTok continues to grow in popularity and influence, businesses have increasingly relied on the platform’s massive reach to engage with younger audiences through TikTok ambassador programs. These programs leverage influential creators to help brands boost visibility, build trust, and drive sales in an authentic, engaging way. However, recent discussions about a potential TikTok ban in the U.S. and other regions have created uncertainty for businesses investing heavily in the platform.
If TikTok were to be banned, companies that have tied their marketing strategies to TikTok ambassadors could face significant disruptions. Here's how:
- Loss of access to key audiences: TikTok boasts a highly engaged and youthful audience, and many brands have specifically targeted this demographic through ambassador partnerships. A ban would cut off direct access to millions of users, forcing companies to scramble for alternative platforms to reach the same audience.
- Impact on brand awareness and engagement: TikTok ambassadors are often the face of a brand's social media presence. With the app no longer available, businesses could lose a valuable avenue for building brand awareness and engagement through influencer-driven content, which can be challenging to replicate on other platforms.
- Disruption to marketing plans: Brands that have structured their marketing efforts around TikTok campaigns and ambassador partnerships may face serious setbacks, especially if they don’t have a contingency plan. The need to pivot and find new platforms or strategies could delay marketing initiatives and reduce overall effectiveness.
- Uncertainty and loss of trust: A sudden TikTok ban could erode the trust businesses have worked to build with their ambassadors. These partnerships are often long-term, and with a major platform shutdown, ambassadors may feel uncertain about their role or future in the partnership.
Bonus: TikTok SEO Strategies!
How to manage TikTok ambassadors and prepare for the unexpected
While the potential of a TikTok ban looms, businesses can take steps to manage their TikTok ambassador programs proactively and prepare for whatever happens next. A comprehensive strategy can help mitigate the risks and ensure your brand remains resilient, regardless of the fate of TikTok.
Here’s how you can manage your TikTok ambassadors and build a more sustainable social media strategy:
- Diversify your social media presence
Relying solely on TikTok to connect with audiences can be risky. Instead, work with your TikTok ambassadors to cross-promote content across multiple platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter. This way, your brand is not entirely dependent on one platform, and you’re still engaging with your target audience on alternative channels. - Repurpose content for other platforms
TikTok videos can easily be repurposed for Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, or Facebook Stories. Encourage your ambassadors to create content that is adaptable across various formats. This will help maintain visibility, even if TikTok becomes inaccessible. - Build long-term relationships with ambassadors
Beyond just short-term campaigns, establish long-term relationships with your TikTok ambassadors. This strengthens the partnership and encourages them to promote your brand on other platforms, increasing your brand’s overall reach. - Prepare for the transition
Start shifting your focus to other platforms now, rather than waiting until a ban is imminent. Having a TikTok ambassador program in place for other social media networks will ensure a seamless transition if the app is banned or restricted. - Leverage expertise to manage the program
Managing TikTok ambassadors can be a complex task, especially when trying to balance both growth on TikTok and diversification into other platforms. To ensure your program is optimized for success and your brand is protected from sudden disruptions, consider working with a social media expert.
That’s where MarketerHire comes in. We specialize in connecting businesses with top-tier social media experts, including those experienced with TikTok and influencer marketing. A dedicated professional can help manage your ambassador program effectively, diversify your social media strategy, and prepare your business for any unexpected changes.
With MarketerHire’s expert social media experts, you can ensure that your ambassador strategy is scalable, adaptable, and prepared for the future—whether TikTok stays or goes.
Here's how you get started:
- Fill out a quick form and hop on a 20-minute intro call with your dedicated growth manager to describe all your requirements
- Get matched with a pre-vetted marketing expert or team within 48 hours
- Have them start working with your team within three days
Build ambassador partnerships on TikTok for greater ROI
Extending your brand’s reach on TikTok through these programs is a tremendous opportunity — overlooking it would be a mistake.
Look into different avenues to extend existing ambassador programs you already have in place, or if you’re just getting started setting up a brand ambassador program, follow a checklist to ensure you hit key points that will help you get the results you want. Get started with MarketerHire today!