Influencer Briefing For TikTok: How To Get Better TikTok Content
March 12, 2025
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An effective brief is the bedrock of every successful TikTok influencer marketing campaign.
(Likewise, when a campaign flops, there’s a fair chance the problems began at the briefing stage.)
To help you get it right, I grilled two influencer marketing pros for everything they know about TikTok influencer briefing, including:
✅ Key differences in briefing for TikTok vs other platforms
✅ Essential steps for creating TikTok briefs
✅ Best practices for briefing successful TikTok content
Let’s get into it…
(PS: if you’re interested in briefing best practices in general, I’d strongly recommend checking out our guide to influencer briefing first.)
4 Key differences in briefing for TikTok vs other platforms
There are plenty of similarities between briefing for TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
In fact, Marit Tiesema uses the same basic briefing format for TikTok as for other channels, arguing that it’s easier to discuss the specifics of a campaign through emails and phone calls rather than in briefing documents:
Influencers are far more likely to absorb details in your one-on-one communication than in a lengthy briefing document – so put the emphasis there as you refine the final concept and content.
Still, Marit and Andreea Moise highlight four key differences between briefing for TikTok and for other platforms:
Shorter attention spans
Sure, long-form content is all the rage on TikTok right now. But, in the context of TikTok, “long-form” means “up to 10 minutes” – which is still relatively short.
Whereas YouTube viewers actively choose to watch an entire half-hour morning routine, TikTok viewers are after quick bursts of content, making the platform a constant battle for attention. In fact, in one (admittedly old) case study, TikTok itself cited an…
⏱️ Average watch time per video view of 3.33 seconds
⏱️ Average watch time per person of 5.26 seconds
… with both of these metrics described as “far exceeding our benchmarks.”
What does that mean for your brief? Without a strong hook, you’ll struggle to get people to stick around for 30 seconds, let alone 30 minutes.
On a similar note, don’t expect TikTok influencers to share compelling captions that tell a story – most TikTok captions are just a few words and a hashtag or two.
Greater focus on trends
TikTok is more trends-based than other platforms – even Instagram Reels.
Indeed, Marit says Reels are “always three steps behind TikTok trends,” so you’ll definitely want to encourage your influencer partners to jump on trending sounds and concepts (as long as your messaging still comes across).
Andreea notes that this focus on constantly shifting trends can make TikTok a challenging environment for brands:
TikTok can be a little harder to crack for brands because of the wild mix of content and highly dynamic nature of the platform.
But it’s not all bad news – she also says that leveraging trends can increase the lifespan of influencer content:
Even if you have content that ‘flops’ in a campaign, it has a much better chance of picking up later if it leans into trends, sounds, and native content creation (rather than sounding like an ad).
One word of warning here: Marit recommends never briefing multiple influencers on the same trend unless there’s an extremely strong strategy behind it. Most likely, that trend won’t be a natural fit for every one of your influencer partners – so you’ll effectively be scripting something that doesn’t align with their audience or tone of voice.
More casual, less polish
Compared to YouTube, TikTok is more conversational, casual, and high-energy – and less polished and curated.
Also, there’s no getting away from the fact that today, many TikTok influencers are younger than the brand marketers paying them for content. It’s important to consider generational divides when briefing for TikTok, Marit notes:
If you’re working with a Gen Z creator and your Millennial brain is thinking, This video will never work, you might be wrong. Check their feed. If this is how they talk and they make an impact, let them talk.
Different deliverables and usage rights
Sure, Instagram Reels and TikTok videos are basically the same thing, but there are still some differences between deliverables on TikTok and on other platforms.
Andreea notes that while it’s sometimes possible to recycle briefs from Instagram, you should always keep in mind that the content formats aren’t exactly the same.
For instance, while TikTok Stories technically exist, they’re rarely part of the influencer marketing mix. So you probably won’t be briefing them – which means links will likely have to be shared via bios, comments, or text overlays instead.
Usage rights between Instagram and TikTok are also similar – but remember to specifically ask for Spark Ads usage (TikTok’s version of influencer whitelisting).
7 Steps to better TikTok influencer briefing
Ready to write your first TikTok brief? Marit shares this seven-step process to help you get it right…
1. Provide information about your brand
First up, you’ll want to share details about your brand – who you are and what you do.
Keep this section short and punchy; this isn’t the place for long, rambling backstories full of marketing jargon.
Instead, in just one or two sentences, explain what makes your brand unique. Everything you write here should make prospective influencer partners feel excited to work with you and inspired to create fantastic content.
2. Give a product overview
If you’re working with influencers to promote a specific product, you need to explain why the influencer’s audience might be interested in buying it.
Don’t just list a bunch of specs. Instead, focus on sharing key benefits – such as showing how your product solves a common problem or fits into the user’s daily life. These angles make it easier for the influencer to “translate” your message into their own content.
3. Share campaign details
Chances are, you’ll already have explained the basics of your campaign via email or on the phone, but you’ll still want to include all the essentials in your briefing document, too.
Marit recommends detailing the following information:
👉 Messaging: Focus on must-haves, not scripts. This could include prioritizing real-life use cases, highlighting a specific number of key benefits, and avoiding misleading claims or restricted terms.
👉 Hashtags, tags, and codes: Provide your brand tags, hashtags, and discount codes, plus any instructions on how to use them.
👉 Tips and tricks: Share ways to enhance the influencer’s content, such as entertaining storylines, hooks, subtitles, voiceovers, and more.
👉 Timeline: If you’re already clear on this, share your schedule for required approvals and your posting deadline.
4. Offer content inspiration
When it comes to providing campaign inspiration, remember the old adage: “Show, don’t tell.”
In other words, don’t just write a bunch of text explaining the type of content you’re looking for – share actual content examples from influencers on TikTok (ideally linked to the original post).
And if you’re working across multiple use cases, make sure your brief includes information and relevant content examples for each.
🤓 Pro tip: For best results, share your content inspiration in Canva, as a PDF doesn’t allow you to embed videos.
5. Explain product use guidelines (if applicable)
Some products are self-explanatory – you shouldn’t need to share extensive usage notes about, say, a pair of socks.
But other products might require clarification, in which case you should show influencers how to properly use your product so they don’t waste time on reshoots.
At this stage, it’s also worth explaining any common misconceptions about your product. For instance, say you’re selling blue light glasses. It would make sense to mention that they don’t totally “block” all blue light – instead, they help with eye strain by reducing excessive exposure.
By spelling out any usage guidelines and misconceptions, you help your influencer partner to promote your product more effectively while reducing the potential for customer complaints down the line.
6. Outline dos and don’ts
It’s often helpful to have a section rounding up general best practices, rules, and guidelines. Here are some examples of “dos and don’ts” you might want to highlight in your brief:
Do:
👍 Ensure the product is visibly used in the content to demonstrate its function.
👍 Deliver high-quality content, including captions, for approval.
👍 Use the correct brand name and hashtags, tagging the brand as needed.
👍 Include discount codes if applicable.
👍 Keep the tone positive and engaging to encourage audience trust.
Don’t:
👎 Include offensive content or anything that could harm brand reputation.
👎 Showcase competitor brands or include logos that could confuse branding.
👎 Feature restricted substances (e.g., alcohol, cigarettes, or illegal substances) in imagery or captions.
7. Add a closing slide with contact information
Wrap up with a thank-you to the influencer and a clear point of contact for any questions or clarifications – including name, email, and phone number (if applicable).
8 Tips to get better content from TikTok influencers
Now that you know the essential steps for crafting effective TikTok briefs, let’s look at some best practices for briefing better TikTok content:
Keep it simple
Fight the temptation to fill your briefing documents with the full history of your brand and hundreds of instructions because the most effective briefs are always:
✅ Simple
✅ Clear
✅ Easy to read and implement
Also, bear in mind that TikTok influencers have learned to thrive on a fast-moving platform, so keep your brief BRIEF.
To help make your briefs scannable, Andreea recommends highlighting any “must-dos” and backing up your instructions with creative prompts and/or real-world examples. And be sure to follow up to confirm they’ve understood everything before they start creating your content.
Share content inspiration
Following from the previous point, most TikTok influencers won’t appreciate a 20-page Google Doc packed with text.
Instead, make your briefs TikTok-friendly by sharing them as a slide and by including lots of examples of previous content that performed well for your brand.
In Andreea’s experience, TikTok influencers struggle more than their peers on other platforms to create marketing-focused content, so providing practical examples of successful videos can help them figure out the best approach.
TikTokers generally have less experience in creating commercial content, so they require a little more guidance and support. Not all, but most I’ve worked with were very grateful for any extra context/examples we could give.
She also recommends taking the time to make TikTok briefs as ✨aesthetic✨ as possible because “TikTokers are usually very visual people.”
This doesn’t necessarily mean adding a ton of images to your brief, but you should at least make it look easy on the eye with elegant formatting.
To see what I mean, check out this brief shared by Anna Klappenbach:
Admittedly, this brief is for Instagram Reels rather than TikTok, but it effectively demonstrates how adding visual elements – like bullet points, colors, and the occasional emoji – make your briefs easier to digest and generally more enjoyable to look at.
(BTW, you can check out the full brief here.)
Inspire and guide, don’t script
It can be hard for brand marketers to loosen the reins when it comes to briefing content. But if you want your influencer partners to stick to a strict script, TikTok likely isn’t the best platform for you.
Marit insists that while brands love saying they promote creative freedom, only “about 10%” actually do.
Unfortunately, brands that insist on tight creative control probably aren’t creating effective TikTok content.
If a TikTok creator has a concept that works, that’s what will work – not your brand’s pre-packaged idea. Keep brand guidelines focused, and ditch heavy scripting.
Know your objective
Any marketing campaign on any platform should be informed by the goals you’re trying to achieve.
Marit argues that this is especially important on TikTok, where built-in virality can distract brands from the ultimate goal for their campaign:
A viral TikTok does not equal success. Plenty of influencers generate massive reach, but if no one buys your product, does it really matter?
Don’t be tempted by shiny objects like virality. Instead, keep your objective(s) top-of-mind during the briefing process.
“Zoom in” to highlight big concepts
TikTok simply doesn’t give you the space to dig into every single aspect of your brand and product.
But Marit explains that you can still tackle big concepts – you just need to “zoom in:”
Have your influencer highlight a specific moment that ties into the larger idea – how your brand made an impact. If the viewer relates, they’ll understand your brand.
For example, Loop Earplugs wanted to promote how their noise-reducing earwear products help their customers focus and filter out distractions. So they teamed up with TikTok influencers Tarah and Barry for a practical demonstration centered on the issue of misophonia – when people react strongly to everyday sounds that most of us would barely even notice.
By zooming in on a simple concept – getting annoyed by the sound of someone else eating – this video effectively communicates the value of Loop Earplugs while encouraging anyone who relates to learn more about the brand.
Align on the concept before shooting
No one wants to waste precious time on reshoots, so be sure to ask influencers to share their content ideas for signoff.
This isn’t about stifling their creativity – it’s about ensuring everyone is aligned before your influencer partner starts filming, which should avoid back-and-forth down the line.
Ensure a strong hook
If your TikTok video doesn’t grab the viewer’s attention in three seconds (at most), they’re going to keep on scrolling.
This means that a strong “hook” can literally make or break your whole campaign.
For best results, ask influencers to share hook ideas along with their initial content concepts, and prioritize hooks that directly relate to the problems your product solves (like how the Loop Earplugs example above focuses on the issue of misophonia).
Selection is everything
If a TikToker has millions of views, they’re clearly doing something right – but it’s no guarantee that they’re comfortable with creating branded content.
As such, Marit strongly recommends you search for TikTok influencers who align with your brand’s audience, values, and tone of voice.
If you can’t imagine a video from your brand living on the influencer’s feed, don’t try to make it happen.
How to keep track of TikTok influencer content
Once you’ve shared your TikTok brief, it’s time to confront another common influencer marketing challenge – tracking live content.
Manual tracking is a nightmare at scale. You’ll spend half your working week monitoring influencer accounts, checking hashtags, and updating spreadsheets.
Don’t like the sound of doing it all yourself? Then check out Modash’s influencer content monitoring tool. Just tell Modash which influencers are in your campaign and which hashtags to track, then we’ll automatically save all your campaign content in a single hub.
Plus we’ll give you access to key campaign data like:
👉 Total engagements
👉 Average engagement rate
👉 Views
👉 Clicks
👉 Revenue
👉 Discount code redemptions
See for yourself by creating your free Modash account – no credit card required!
