Influencer marketing on Instagram vs TikTok - which is right for you?

Instagram and TikTok are two of the most popular channels for influencer marketing.

But which one is right for you and your brand?

Both Instagram and TikTok boast over 1 billion users from around the globe and across nearly all age groups. Both platforms are particularly popular with the younger generations, and boast high usage rates (yes, even Instagram). And tons of brands have worked with influencers on both platforms.

Both provide you with a wide access to new markets and customers, and can help build your brand presence without committing to the channel yourself.

In this article, we'll cover the benefits that both channels bring, as well as a quick rundown of influencer marketing and why you should consider it in your marketing mix.

Let's start with an overview of influencer marketing!

What is influencer marketing?

Influencer marketing is a form of marketing where brands collaborate with people who have a dedicated and often large following on social media platforms. These people are known as influencers, as they exert influence over their followers. Why they have followers cannot always be answered easily, but it often comes down to:

• High-quality content. Often, influencers have earned a spot in their followers’ feeds through content that stands out.
• Dedication to a certain niche. Whether they’re a passionate hobbyist or a known figure in the industry, they stand out from the rest by their dedication and passion to a specific niche.
• A deep understanding of their social media platform of choice. The platform they choose will dictate how their followers and their business grows, so they need to keep up on the latest trends and platform updates.

So as you can see, this is perfect for your marketing mix, as they open up a gateway of high-quality, targeted content to a specific audience.

Why is influencer marketing so popular? Well, traditional marketing tactics and strategies are more and more difficult in this competitive world we find ourselves in. Paid tactics are easy enough to create, but the ROI can be low. And offline marketing can be difficult to execute, and the ROI can be difficult to track.

Influencer marketing, on the other hand, can provide great, measurable ROI, and build positive brand sentiment with a specific audience. Since the influencer is a trusted person to their audience, having them promote your brand greatly increases the trust. The influencer can also show off the product, which can reduce the barrier to the sale, as many consumers now want to see products in use before they buy.

However, it’s important to allow the influencer to be as honest and real as possible. Since followers typically engage directly with the influencer, it’s easy for them to notice when they go “out of character” and start reading from a script.  A study by Matters Communications found that people prefer educational content from influencers, with 42% of people wanting to see more how-to content and tutorials. Believe in the power of your product and give them pointers, but let them promote the product in their best way, as authenticity is the main draw of influencer marketing, and it’s authenticity that drives the magic. And it shows on social media - 31% of social media users discover new products through influencers.

Another huge benefit is the content that influencers produce during your campaign - 36% of brands say that influencer content outperforms branded content, and 30% say that it performs just as well as branded content. Since influencers live and breathe social media, they're naturally in tune with the latest trends and best practices that will help them create content that inspires action instead of yawns. Influencer content is also amazing creative to use in your social advertisements post-campaign - we have a guide explaining more about that here.

Instagram or TikTok - which one is right for you?

Let’s cover the basics of both, and then we can discuss the benefits of each channel.

Instagram probably needs no introduction - it’s arguably the first mainstream influencer platform, and the most popular, even still. Starting as a photo sharing platform, it’s evolved into sharing video and ephemeral content that lasts only 24 hours, known as Stories. IG is certainly doing something right, as they have 2 billion active monthly users. And it's incredibly popular with influencers, due to the relative ease of content production and great tools for engagement.

TikTok is the new kid on the block, but it’s given the existing platforms a run for their money, and no end of headaches. It’s all about short form video, but the real power comes from its algorithm that understands us better than we understand ourselves, always providing the best content for us to consume. Calling TikTok a social media platform is a bit of a misnomer, as its main purpose is not community engagement, but entertainment. However, influencers can still build followings on TikTok through high-quality, engaging content.

While both platforms are great for video content, users tend to enjoy different types of videos on each platform. Instagram favours polished videos that have a particular vibe, while TikTok thrives on spontaneous, authentic, and entertaining content. This, along with Instagram’s maturity, has made Instagram the platform that comes to mind for most brands when they think of influencer marketing. It’s intimidating to use content without high polish, but a lack of polish doesn’t mean bad content. And with TikTok rising in popularity with brands, more and more brands are coming to realize that.

Really, the platforms are different enough that you should be sharing and creating different content for each platform. However, the best platform for you really depends on your brand and your preferred audience. The average age of Instagram users is higher than on TikTok, which is far more popular with the younger generation. So if you're wondering where you need to be, start with your audience and let that answer guide you.

Let’s break down some of the stats of each platform.

Instagram

• 30.8% of Instagram users are aged 18-24
• 30.3% of Instagram users are aged 25-34
• 15.7% of Instagram users are aged 35-44
• 72% of marketers prefer Instagram for their influencer campaigns
• 2.4 billion people are on Instagram
• Nano-influencers (less than 10k followers) have the highest engagement rate, at 2.53%
• 500,000 active influencers say they operate solely on Instagram
• 31% of social media users find new products via influencers

TikTok

• 38.5% of TikTok users are aged 18-24
• 32.5% of TikTok users are aged 25-34
• The average user browses TikTok for 55.8 minutes per day
• 1.7 billion people are on TikTok
• TikTok boasts an average engagement rate of 4.25%
• 92% of TikTok users take action after viewing a TikTok

In general, TikTok influencers boast higher engagement than Instagram influencers with the same follower count, which can be more attractive to brands. However, Instagram is much easier to use, since it's more understood than TikTok, and it also caters to a wider age range. TikTok, by comparison, attracts mostly the younger generation, meaning it may not be relevant for your brand.

As well, the content on Instagram is generally more polished and has a higher quality than TikTok, which thrives on casual, lo-fi content. That's not to say that content on TikTok is worse - if your brand really strives to be authentic and real, TikTok could be a perfect channel for you. It really depends on what you need.

Next, let’s take a look at some examples of successful campaigns that brands have run on both platforms!

Instagram influencer campaigns

Kärcher Finland

When you think high-powered cleaning, you probably think Kärcher. Since 1935, Kärcher has brought cleanliness to our monuments, buildings, and homes.

As part of their new marketing strategy for 2023, Kärcher Finland wanted to embrace the power of influencer marketing and UGC to boost sales of their new products in the Finnish markets.

They had clear, strong goals for their influencer marketing strategy:

1. Boost sales of multiple products in Finland

2. Enable a small team to manage multiple campaigns throughout the year, sometimes simultaneously

3. Find Finnish creators and influencers who fit their criteria and target market

Read the full story here.

Baba Foods

Baba Foods is a Finnish family business that produces authentic Middle-Eastern vegetarian foods such as hummus, pastes, falafels and salads. They launched a new exciting product, Tahini Smoothie, and wanted to boost awareness through influencer marketing.

View more amazing highlights here.

Luhta Sportswear Company

No matter where you venture in Europe, from Helsinki to Paris, you’ll see happy people proudly wearing one of Luhta’s many outdoor brands. As one of the largest sportswear companies in the Nordics, they have a strong foothold in fifty countries around the world.

But with multiple brands under their umbrella, creating high-quality, unique content efficiently for each was a struggle.

Since 2021, Luhta and Boksi have partnered together to connect their multiple brands with a diverse network of influencers and creators anxious to show off their love of Luhta.

Read the full story here.

TikTok influencer campaigns

Fiksuruoka.fi

Foodello, also known as Fiksuruoka.fi in Finland, fights against food waste by selling surplus batches of food with large discounts in their online store. They ran a TikTok influencer campaign to showcase how people utilize their wide range of products. They also used Spark Ads to maximize the visibility of the best performing posts.

Check out more highlights here.

@kiurulaura Mainos @fiksuruoka.fi löytyy kattava valikoima hävikiltä pelastettuja tuotteita. Hävikkiä voi syntyä monesta eri syystä, kuten "parasta ennen" päivämäärän lähestyessä, brändi-ilmeen muuttuessa tai sesongin vaihtuessa. Alekoodilla TIKTOK10 saat 10% alennuksen yli 40e ostoksista @boksiapp #fiksuruoka @Sere | Radiojuontaja ♬ original sound - Laura Kiuru | ope, valokuvaaja

@visu.gg Kaupallinen yhteistyö: @fiksuruoka.fi #fiksuruoka ♬ Secunda - Jeremy Soule

@viinikainenjere Vastaus käyttäjälle @triskaidekaphobia44 Mainos @Fiksuruoka.fi kanssa 💸 Tänää käydään vihdoinkin läpi paljonko remonttiin meni kokonaisuudessaan rahaa ja missä asioissa säästin remontin aikana. Oon käyttänyt fiksuruoan palvelua jo useamaan vuoden, koska sieltä on ollu helppo tilata kotiin mm. ruoka- ja siivoustarvikkeita normaalia edullisemmin. Nyt kelpaa nauttia tästä 0,01€ sipsipussista ku remonttikulutkin oli tota luokkaa 😍💪 #fiksuruoka #remontti #remonttibudjetti #sisustaminen @Boksi ♬ alkuperäinen ääni - jereviinikainen

Tise

Tise strives to limit waste and encourage fashion fanatics to find their new look second-hand. They're TikTok pros and have run multiple campaigns on the platform to great effect. Take a look at some of their great content!

@emiliahakkarainen Mainos, @tisefinland #tisetok ♬ A Day in My Life - Soft boy

@tiia.weckstrom Kaupallinen yhteistyö @Tise Finland Lisää random faktoja musta 💕✨ mun profiili löytyy TIIAWECKSTROM nimellä Tisestä! #tisetok ♬ alkuperäinen ääni - Tiia Weckström

Ifolor

Ifolor has run multiple campaigns promoting their gift products, which are perfect for capturing a fond memory for a special someone. Having tested out Instagram campaigns, they decided to try out TikTok to reach a younger audience.

@pepitalalitha Mainos @Ifolor Suomi 🎄Tässä ihana joululahjaidea! 🎁 Koodilla XMAS25PL saat 25 %:n alennuksen ifolorin koko valikoimasta (poislukien lahjakortit, valokuvat ja Kuvakirjanen). Koodi on kertakäyttöinen ja voimassa 23.11. asti. Koodia ei voi yhdistää muihin tarjouksiin. 🎅🏼 #lahjaidea #joululahja #ifolorhetki #suomitiktok ♬ ALMOST HOME - Mad Adix, Marc Steinmeier

@omaksikodiksi Kaupallinen yhteistyö @Ifolor Suomi Edullinen joululahjavinkki pukinkonttiin! 🎁 Koodilla XMAS25OK saat 25 %:n alennuksen ifolorin koko valikoimasta (poislukien lahjakortit, valokuvat ja Kuvakirjanen). Koodi on kertakäyttöinen ja voimassa 17.11. asti ! 🎅🏼🎄 #ifolorhetki #joululahja #lahjaidea #joululahjaideat ♬ Royalty Free Christmas Music - The Trap Remix Guys & Christmas 2018 & Christmas Music Guys

The choice of platform really depends on your product and target audience. However, Boksi makes testing nearly effortless. You’re guaranteed to find amazing creators for your campaign, no matter which platform you choose, and communicating and planning is made simple.

Conclusion

Hopefully this helps you decide which channel might be best for you for your first foray into influencer marketing. Influencer marketing may be just what your marketing strategy needs to succeed in 2024, so why not give it a try? You might be surprised with the results.

No matter if you choose Instagram or TikTok, these two are the best platforms for testing out influencer marketing. They are immensely popular with internet users all around the world, and have a wide variety of established influencers already on the platform. And most influencer marketing platforms have integrations with both of these platforms, allowing you to easily get data straight from the source.

Boksi provides a simple way to test out influencer marketing with our platform. Simply create a campaign brief to find the best influencers for your brand, then choose the best ones and watch the amazing results pour in.

Contact us and get a demo today!