TikTok creators as consultants: top tips for collaboration

TikTok creators have massive influence over users' purchase decisions; 64% of users buy a product after watching creator advertising.¹ That's thanks to the fact that creators fundamentally understand TikTok and know the best ways to communicate with their audience. And when brands tap into this deep platform knowledge, they often see stronger campaign performance.

But what exactly do we mean by "tapping into creators' deep knowledge of TikTok?" For real-life creators with branded content experience, it means recognizing them as more than just on-camera talent. Gone are the days when creators merely served as spokespeople who were handed a script and delivered lines about a product or brand. On TikTok, they act as full-service consultants, offering their expert knowledge on when, where, and how brands should appear to achieve maximum results.

Treating creators as consultants can mean a lot of things to many different people. So we've laid out tips on what it looks like in action, based on conversations we had with creators Lexa VanDamme (@theavocadotoastbudget) and O'Neil Thomas (@oneilthomas97), who've created successful campaigns for brands in finance, food and beverage, entertainment, and more. We translated their experiences and advice for advertisers—enabling them to foster better collaborations with creators on TikTok Creator Marketplace.

Here's what you need to know to harness creators as consultants.

1. Learn about a creator's style before reaching out

Advertisers who are familiar with a creator's body of work are more likely to choose a creator who can nail their brief. Plus, knowing a creator's style demonstrates investment and care from an advertiser, which can influence a creator's decision to accept campaign offers.

The best way to learn about their style is to watch their content. Advertisers should watch five to ten of a creator's recent videos, paying attention to things like which video formats they use, what they talk about, and how these elements could link back to their brand's story.

Then, they can mention what they like about that content in their outreach. Lexa recalls collaborating on a campaign with an advertiser who impressed her by mentioning specific aspects of her content they admired. This personal touch made her more enthusiastic about working with them, and she urged other brands to follow suit. "Even something as simple as discussing the first time you discovered my page or aligning your mission statement with mine can have a significant impact on me," she said.

2. Be as open as possible

The more information that an advertiser shares, the better chance a creator has at delivering exactly what they're looking for. Even if they haven't decided on the exact storytelling format or creative approach, sharing ample background information helps creators deliver the perfect final product. Ultimately, there's no such thing as providing too much information, according to Lexa.

"Sometimes advertisers worry about being too rigid with the details," she said, but she believes brands should share all available information because it "allows me to figure out if the partnership will work."

Once a brand and creator agree on key aspects of video creation, such as scripting, timeline, structure, and tone, they should stick to it as much as possible. This ensures creators don't invest effort into a project that ultimately misses the mark or requires extensive changes after filming and editing. O'Neil once submitted a branded content video, only to receive feedback that it "wasn't what they were looking for," he said.

TL;DR: Early alignment is crucial for a successful campaign, preventing a waste of valuable resources for both advertisers and creators.

3. Trust a creator's vision

When a brand empowers creators to take charge of the content's creative direction, it allows them to produce authentic content, which is crucial for high performance—47% agreed TikTok creator content felt authentic.¹

Lexa recalls an experience she had while working with a financial services brand; after partnering with them for a while, she proposed they use a popular trend to enhance viewer connection. The brand green-lit the idea, "and out of the three videos we created, it performed the best," Lexa said.

The lesson: By listening to creators, brands enable themselves to explore new and interesting approaches to their brand storytelling—which, according to viewers, is essential on TikTok. 80% of US TikTok viewers agree that brands should explore different topics and interests to find what suits them best.²

4. Invest in creator ambassadors

When a creator collaborates repeatedly with the same brand, they gain valuable knowledge about that brand and the best ways to share their messaging on TikTok. This allows advertisers to refine their strategies and work with creators who consistently deliver high-quality content. It's also beneficial for creators since it offers them the stability of long-term work and the chance to develop a strategy in tandem with the brand's growth.

A key way to build relationships with creator ambassadors? Hosting debriefs. After a six-month content run with a major financial brand, Lexa attended a call with the team to discuss their work so far, which helped them build out their long-term strategy."

We asked ourselves, 'What do we think we could do differently next time? How did the content perform? What worked with my audience?' I was able to talk to them about the feedback I was getting from my audience, as well," she said.

Multi-part content can also help brands plan long-term strategies with creators. Plus, it's a popular phenomenon on TikTok, and the playlist feature makes it simple for creators to categorize and organize videos on their page, so viewers can easily revisit and rewatch content.

How to find your next creator consultant

There are two paths to finding the perfect creator consultant through the TikTok Creator Marketplace.

Path 1: Find expert creators who already love a brand

Advertisers can use Content Engine to search for creators who already talk about their brand in organic videos; these creators have a head start on producing content for specific brands, making them ideal candidates for consulting roles. If the advertiser finds a creator who isn't on TikTok Creator Marketplace yet, they can still access the platform's features, like Pay and Reporting, with Invite Links.

Path 2: Post an open call for consultants

With Open Applications, advertisers can post a brief on TikTok Creator Marketplace asking creators to submit themselves for consideration to be a consultant. By doing this, advertisers can cast a wider net and potentially connect with creators they'd never otherwise meet.