TikTok vs Instagram: The Influencer Marketing Platform of the Future

Photo of a scale on a green background

The massive TikTok explosion has had millions of users creating TikTok videos and going viral overnight. The brands began noticing the growing power of TikTok and started creating their own accounts too. Instagram, which has been the predominant app for all influencer marketing activities noticed rising influencer collaborations on TikTok.

Brands like Gymshark, Chipotle, Guess, and Red Bull which centered their influencer marketing activities on Instagram started spending a part of their budget on TikTok influencers. As trends and tastes of social media users changed, brands decided to evolve their content too.

In this article, we will look at the various aspects of influencer marketing on TikTok and Instagram. We will learn how both differ and what makes each of them an exclusive platform for influencer campaigns.  

TikTok vs Instagram: Which Influencer Marketing Platform will Take Over in the Future?

Even though TikTok has been growing rapidly, Instagram is still the number one app in terms of active number of users. 

  • TikTok has 800 million active monthly users.

  • Instagram stands at 1 billion active monthly users. 

When it comes to views and likes, both apps are at par with very high engagement rates.

  • TikTok has 1 billion video views per day.

  • Instagram has 4.2 billion Instagram likes per day. 

Key Takeaway for Marketers 

Tik Tok though is a rising app, Instagram is still the leader when it comes to its user base and engagement. While it’s smart and necessary to begin focusing on TikTok influencers, Instagram still deserves the attention to reach a massive audience. 

TikTok vs Instagram Influencer Marketing: Demographics

TikTok is commonly known as the app of Gen Zs. Known for its younger audience, many brands focus on TikTok to appeal to the newer generations. Here are the numbers: 

  • 41% of TikTok users are aged between 16 and 24 years and roughly 50% of the users are below the age of 34.

  • 44% of TikTok users are female and 56% are male.

  • Chinese users account for 80% total time spent on the app. 43% of new TikTok users are from India. The US has more than 26.5 million active users. 

Instagram is also a popular app amongst teens and millennials. The app also has more female users than male users.

  • 30% of Instagram users are aged between 18 and 24 years and 35% are aged between 25 and 34 years.

  • 56.3% of Instagram users are female and 43.7% are male. 

  • 120.7 million Instagram users are from the US. 

Key Takeaway for Marketers

For brands looking to tap Asian markets and younger audiences, TikTok influencers would be the preferred choice for a quick response. For brands looking to target a more balanced demographic in terms of age, gender, and location, Instagram influencers would be ideal.

TikTok vs Instagram Influencer Marketing: Engagement and User Behavior

User behavior and engagement are the top reasons why brands hire influencers. Brands want to work with influencers that can bring them quality engagement. TikTok and Instagram are used in very different ways.

  • TikTok is widely applauded for short video content that is more natural and creative. TikTok users want to look at content that focuses on humor and originality. The hashtag challenges are very famous on TikTok and allow many influencer campaigns and influencers to get overnight success.

  • Instagram on the other hand is built over months of efforts by influencers. The influencer campaigns also may or may not go viral depending on the popularity of the influencer. The content on Instagram is more around style and imagery than around everyday content. 

Even marketing is different on both platforms. TikTok users do not appreciate conventional influencer ads like sponsored posts on Instagram. The users on TikTok expect more original content from influencers with less branding or marketing, hence the marketing has to be more subtle.

Key Takeaway for Marketers:  

Brands need to change their advertising and marketing style to work with TikTok influencers. While you could focus more on the product images on Instagram, focusing on product usage would be a better idea on TikTok. Also, if you ask your TikTok influencers to focus on challenges, getting popular on TikTok could be easier than getting popular on Instagram. 

Final Words

We hope the above comparison would help you clearly determine the ideal influencer marketing platform for your brand. Needless to say that both platforms are unique in their own way and hold their importance equally. A mix of TikTok and Instagram influencer marketing efforts is expected to be seen in the future and it is something towards which you should work too.

Choose the right campaign for you

Get up to speed on campaign theory to find the right fit. Explore the eight major campaign types and learn which ones correlate best with your goals to make sure you select the perfect match.

Download free template now
Want to partner with influencers who will be right for your brand?
Find the best creators with HypeAuditor Influencer Discovery and its 138.3M+ account database.
Harshita Agrawal is the Founder of eSocMedia. She is a social media and influencer marketing specialist who spends most of her time behind the screen. She's also an avid reader and a travel enthusiast.
Topics:TikTok
May 13, 2020
Don’t forget to share this post!
Harshita Agrawal is the Founder of eSocMedia. She is a social media and influencer marketing specialist who spends most of her time behind the screen. She's also an avid reader and a travel enthusiast.
Level Up Your Influencer Marketing with HypeAuditor
G2 Global Leader among influencer marketing tools trusted by 750,000 businesses and influencers
Want to partner with influencers who will be right for your brand?
Find the best creators with HypeAuditor Influencer Discovery and its 138.3M+ account database.