TikTok marketing isn’t what you think it is. It’s not just Gen Z lip-syncing, brands forcing trends, or your intern trying to convince you that "we need more behind-the-scenes content."

It’s a $5 million-a-year influencer economy, and right now, a retired schoolteacher is stealing your ad budget while sipping chamomile tea.

Your biggest competitor is probably a 95-year-old grandma with better engagement rates than your entire social media team combined. She’s pulling six figures from unfiltered, unscripted, unapologetic content, while brands are still stuck in 2019 wondering why their polished ad campaigns are getting annihilated.

Look, this isn’t about “keeping up.” It’s about survival. And if your marketing strategy doesn’t adjust fast, you’ll be handing your market share over to influencers who weren’t even supposed to be on the platform.

How TikTok Became a 215% Bigger Monster Than You Expected

TikTok was supposed to be noise. It was supposed to be a digital distraction—a glorified meme machine for chronically online teenagers. Not something that would rewrite how brands launch products, where consumers search for them, or how influence actually works. But here we are.

While your C-suite still whispers “LinkedIn thought leadership,” TikTok’s brand value exploded by 215%. Not over a decade. In one calendar year.

Still calling it “a Gen Z app”?

That thinking is costing you reach, relevance, and real ROI. Yes, marketing to Gen Z matters, but TikTok stopped being a one-demographic platform years ago. And now, even Google admits nearly 40% of Gen Z uses TikTok as their primary search engine. So while you’re fine-tuning blog metadata, Gen Z is typing “best gym shoes” into TikTok—and buying based on the first review they see.

If your brand isn’t there, you don’t exist. Not to them.

Now let’s talk time.

The average user spends 95 minutes per day on TikTok. Now, that’s not just “impressive.” That’s a direct threat to every other platform, every paid campaign you’re running, and yes—your email open rate.

And what’s powering that obsession?

User-generated content on TikTok. Not high-production ads. Not brand-safe explainers. Just... people. Real humans saying things your copy team would never dare type. TikTok is the only place where someone in a bathrobe, holding a blender, can crash your product's inventory in under six hours. Try matching that with a five-part ad funnel and a custom-built microsite.

Brands that know how to create viral marketing campaigns aren’t relying on luck or hashtags. They’re seeding user content. They’re reposting. Reacting. Collaborating.

They understand that the algorithm doesn’t care how long you spent in After Effects. It cares how quickly people care enough to watch till the end.

Why TikTok’s Most Explosive Growth Is Happening Above 50 Years Old

If your brand is still betting the house on Gen Z dance trends and Gen Alpha’s attention span, you’ve already missed the real headline: the most disruptive growth happening on TikTok right now isn’t coming from kids. It’s coming from the people who raised them.

While marketers were still workshopping how to make their brand “relatable to Gen Z,” the over-50 crowd quietly showed up—then blew right past the under-30s. No warning. No fanfare. Just retired pilots, sassy grandmothers, and ex-teachers casually pulling millions of views and bulldozing past your high-budget influencer strategy like it never mattered.

Joan and Jimmy O'Shaughnessy, a charming older Irish couple, now sit on over 3.9 million followers and 70 million likes. That’s not a fluke. They’re the future of trust-driven influence—and they’re pulling serious weight in campaigns that actually convert.

So what makes these “Silver Influencers” work?

For one: trust.

Try selling a skincare serum through a 21-year-old who changes routines weekly and can’t pronounce half the ingredients. Now try it through someone with crow’s feet, a long-standing opinion, and an audience that listens because they’ve lived similar lives. You don’t need a marketing degree to know which one lands harder. TikTok’s older creators hold longer attention spans, pull higher comment quality, and build interactive content marketing loops without even trying. Their communities don’t just watch—they engage.

And that matters. Because TikTok’s value doesn’t come from perfectly produced assets. It comes from participation. From relatability. From unfiltered, chaotic, raw, user-generated content that skips the funnel and goes straight to purchase. Older creators are excellent at this. They don’t need media training to come off authentic. They already are.

Brands that get it are engineering successful TikTok campaigns around this behavior. They’re not casting seniors for the sake of "representation"—they’re doing it because it performs. Campaigns like e.l.f. Cosmetics teaming up with 95-year-old Grandma Droniak to move product like a wrecking ball. No youth filter needed. No TikTok dance required.

So when you hear someone on your team refer to TikTok as a “young person’s game,” go ahead and flag that as expensive thinking. The platform doesn’t care how old your creator is. It cares whether they can hold attention and drive action. Right now, 65-year-olds are doing both better than the 25-year-olds you’ve been chasing for years.

The Economics of Silver Influencer Marketing—Why They’re Making (and Moving) More Money Than Your CEO

Once upon a time, “influencer marketing” meant Venmo’ing a 23-year-old with a ring light to smile at your protein shake.

But now?

Your target customer is pulling out their wallet because a 68-year-old just explained why your product’s better than their last three combined—and no, it’s not because she “resonates with Gen Z.” It’s because she’s built actual trust.

TikTok isn’t skewing older by accident. It’s skewing older because older creators are producing better marketing outcomes—for the exact same brands still stuck pitching “youth relevance” in QBRs.

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Top TikTok creators are earning up to $5 million per year, and Silver Influencers aren’t just part of that—they’re taking over the most lucrative segments. They’re selling out products, building niche empires, and casually blowing past their younger counterparts in engagement, trust, and conversions.

And while you’re trying to squeeze another collab into your paid media plan, these creators are out here launching product lines, signing licensing deals, and building long-tail brand equity—all through raw, stripped-back content that would give most PR teams a panic attack.

Here’s why that matters to you: if you're still measuring ROI on TikTok marketing by likes and reach, you’ve already lost. Your spreadsheet can’t show you loyalty. It can't show you relatability. But TikTok’s comments section can—and that’s where these older creators win every single time.

So why are they outperforming the younger ones you’re still clinging to?

Because they don’t follow templates. They don’t pitch like creators. They talk like people. Their content doesn’t just hit algorithms. It hits nerve endings. That’s the actual difference between reach and relevance. And it’s why Silver creators are redefining how brands should use TikTok for brand promotion in 2025.

Look... if you're still handing influencer briefs to 22-year-olds who ghost at 7K followers, you’re setting fire to your own budget. Meanwhile, the creators with bifocals and business acumen are landing six-figure partnerships and dragging your category out of obscurity—without ever uttering the word "algorithm."

Brands that understand this are rethinking their entire TikTok influencer marketing structure. They’re not forcing old creators into young formats. They’re designing effective TikTok content ideas for brands around what Silver creators already do best: convert attention into credibility, and credibility into sales. Not with transitions. With truth.

The Worst TikTok Marketing Mistakes (You’re Probably Making Right Now)

Posting 12 times a week doesn’t make you consistent. It makes you noisy. It’s not clever, it's not strategic, and it’s definitely not working.

Volume doesn’t impress the algorithm. Engagement does. Which is why most of your content—yes, even the one your head of brand called “bold and disruptive”—is quietly dying before it gets to anyone’s For You Page.

You think your team is using TikTok correctly. You think you're being consistent. But your idea of strategy is built on legacy thinking: schedule a post, hashtag the obvious, keep it “on-brand,” cross fingers, watch it flop. Then blame timing.

Timing does matter. But not the way you think. There are best times to post on TikTok for engagement, and they are real. Miss those windows and you might as well be uploading to a private server. Peak posting isn't guesswork—there’s data. And ignoring that data while crying about low reach is how brands dig themselves into irrelevance.

Now, what about content?

Look, TikTok users don’t want a video that feels like your creative team spent 9 hours in After Effects trying to sell shampoo with a 3-second B-roll transition. Your content looks like an ad. Which means it’s already dead. TikTok is allergic to sales tactics. It's wired for discovery, not pitch decks.

And yet, some of you are still pushing campaign assets that look like 2015 YouTube prerolls. This is how you burn ad budgets and still have nothing to show for it. Especially if you're a startup. Because TikTok advertising cost for startups isn’t cheap when you're doing it wrong. A single branded content push can run well over $10,000 in production, media, and influencer fees—and if the audience smells corporate varnish on it, you’re just paying to get ignored faster.

And the most brutal part is TikTok doesn’t forget. This isn’t LinkedIn where you can “clarify” and move on. TikTok screenshots everything. Comments roast in real time. If your campaign stinks, the algorithm won’t hide you. It will amplify the embarrassment.

The worst TikTok marketing mistake isn’t posting too much or being off-trend. It’s acting like you’re still in control. You’re not. The audience is. The algorithm is. The culture is. If you keep trying to make TikTok behave like a media channel, you’ll keep bleeding money trying to win a game no one’s even playing anymore.

How to Dominate TikTok with Silver Influencers

The brands actually pulling numbers on TikTok aren’t guessing anymore—they’ve figured it out. They’re using Silver Influencers like precision tools. As a strategy.

You see, TikTok is no longer just an awareness platform. It’s an end-to-end performance engine. From discovery to click to conversion. The ones winning aren’t the brands throwing out dance trends and praying for virality. They’re the ones integrating product placement into actual influence—and using creators who don’t need to beg for credibility.

TikTok’s Shop program already has 200,000+ businesses selling directly. And it’s turning creators into storefronts. In one now-infamous case, a Silver Influencer casually dropped a skincare rec—and it sold out in under three hours. No brand deal. No promo code. Just trust. That’s the level of pull we’re talking about.

If you're still running TikTok like a static channel—post, wait, refresh metrics—you’ve already been outpaced. Especially if you're a smaller brand trying to punch up. Successful TikTok marketing strategies aren’t about matching big-brand budgets—they're about using the platform like it was built to be used: fast, reactive, deeply human.

What works?

Giving creators full creative autonomy, letting them lean into their natural tone (even if it makes your PR team itch), and plugging into viral formats like marketing with memes without looking like a desperate uncle trying to “fit in.” Silver creators nail this because they’re not trying to be cool—they’re just being real. And real is what sells on TikTok now.

Let’s not sugarcoat this: if you’re still paying for scripted, polished content with agency edits and legal disclaimers, you’re burning budget. No one’s watching that. TikTok doesn’t reward polish. It rewards velocity and authenticity.

And what about your process?

If you're still reviewing influencer content over email threads, you're building latency into a system that lives and dies by speed. A TikTok trend lasts 72 hours—on a good day. If your workflow takes longer than that, you’re late and irrelevant.

This is exactly why tools like ZoomSphere matter. Managing content calendars, post approvals, and engagement tracking in one place is non-negotiable when you're working with real creators, real-time feedback loops, and creators who don’t wait for green lights. You can’t scale without infrastructure, and you can’t win without speed.

And let’s not pretend you're immune to the numbers.

If you can’t measure ROI on TikTok marketing in a way that ties content to conversion, you’re not marketing. TikTok’s built-in analytics won’t get you there. You need real TikTok analytics tools for marketers who actually care about post-level performance, retention dips, and conversion-assisted metrics. You need to know what’s working—and more importantly, why.

Especially now.

Because the TikTok algorithm updates in 2025 have quietly changed the rules. Discovery favors watch time, loop potential, and early comment velocity. So, your brand’s one-size-fits-all ad strategy won’t cut it. Content that triggers interaction in the first few seconds is king.

Guess who’s great at that?

People who’ve spent 60+ years learning how to hold attention without needing filters or trend overlays.

This isn’t about giving older creators “a chance.” It’s about using the people who already know how to connect—without trying. Silver Influencers have built loyal followings, not follower counts. And they’re doing it on their terms, while moving product at a pace most young influencers would kill for.

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You’re Either Adapting to TikTok, or You’re Falling Behind

TikTok isn’t actually disrupting the system anymore. It is the system. The brands winning now have rebuilt their strategies around TikTok influencer marketing.

Engagement metrics have been rewritten, and the smartest brands aren't overthinking it—they're executing TikTok marketing strategies designed for one thing: movement. While your team is still aligning brand tone, someone else just drove 30,000 units off a Silver Influencer’s unsponsored post.

TikTok isn’t “worth testing.” It’s already producing ROI in ways your Q4 plan won’t. So if you’re not rethinking how you show up here, don’t worry. Your competitors are. And they’re not playing nice.

Look, this isn’t a pivot. It’s a reckoning. Move now—or keep explaining last quarter’s numbers.

Social never sleeps. From YouTube’s push for better watch time to Instagram quietly killing off a forgotten feature, here’s your weekly roundup of what’s new, and worth your attention in the world of social media.

What’s new on Instagram?

Bye Bye, Notes on Reels and Posts

Instagram is pulling the plug on that one feature you probably forgot existed: adding Notes to Reels and posts. Adam Mosseri confirmed that the tool, introduced last year, never really took off (and honestly, we’re not shocked). Notes still live on in DMs, where they’ve seen more traction.

Instagram Search Is Getting Smarter

Instagram is working on improving in-app search with some major upgrades. Adam Mosseri announced on his Instagram that soon, you'll be able to:

🔎 Search for accounts with better accuracy
🔎 Search for content more easily
🔎 Search within a user’s profile to find specific posts or info faster

These changes should make it way easier to navigate the platform, especially if you’re hunting down older posts or stalking content (no judgment).

Meta Verified Gets a Push (Again)

Some users are now seeing a splash message inside the app saying that Reels from verified accounts typically get more engagement, basically a not-so-subtle nudge to subscribe to Meta Verified. Whether this is true across the board or just a growth tactic... we’ll let you decide.

What’s new on YouTube?

YouTube Is Changing How Shorts Views Are Counted

YouTube’s updating how it tracks view counts for Shorts, moving away from simple views and placing more weight on watch time. It’s a shift toward rewarding actual engagement rather than just scroll-by views, so if you're making Shorts, it’s time to focus on keeping people watching, not just grabbing attention.

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What’s new on X?

X Introduces Video Reaction Replies

X (formerly Twitter) is testing a feature that lets you react to posts with a video reply, a move clearly inspired by TikTok’s video responses. It’s aimed at boosting video engagement, and it could open new doors for creators who love being on camera (or brands who want to jump into trends).

What’s new on LinkedIn?

Calendly Meets LinkedIn CTA Buttons

LinkedIn now lets you integrate Calendly directly into your profile’s CTA button, making it easier than ever to book calls or meetings right from your profile. Great news for consultants, creators, or anyone tired of back-and-forth scheduling.

What’s new on TikTok?

TikTok Now Auto-Resizes Your Photos

Posting photos on TikTok? The app now automatically resizes images to a 3:4 format to better fit its vertical layout. No more awkward cropping or manual editing, just upload and go.

You Didn’t Mean to Burn the House Down, But Here We Are

Cultural appropriation in ads is a high-stakes game where brands either walk away respected or crawl away roasted. And somehow, despite the lawsuits, PR disasters, and social media draggings, big companies still roll out tone-deaf campaigns like they’re auditioning for a scandal.

And the excuse is…“We had good intentions.” Right. Just like the guy who microwaved tinfoil and acted shocked when his kitchen exploded.

Look, this isn’t just about outrage. It’s about brands fumbling billions, eroding trust, and handing their credibility to the nearest shredder. You don’t have to mean harm for harm to happen. But keep playing, and you’ll find out the hard way that apologies don’t rebuild a reputation—and they sure as hell don’t fix lost revenue.

Cultural Appropriation in Advertising Is A Business Nightmare

Cultural appropriation in advertising isn’t just bad optics—it’s a financial and reputational sinkhole that swallows brands whole. Companies are getting dragged online for tone-deaf campaigns; they’re losing customers, hemorrhaging revenue, and occasionally getting slapped with legal trouble. And yet, somehow, brands still manage to repeat the same mistakes, thinking a well-crafted apology or a quick PR bandage will fix the mess.

Let’s be clear: this isn’t about “X outrage.” This is about real money walking out the door because customers have no patience for brands that treat cultural heritage like a costume rack. A 2020 survey found that 69% of global consumers will boycott brands they feel are culturally insensitive. Now, that’s more than just an online tantrum—that’s a direct, measurable financial loss.

What Actually Counts as Cultural Appropriation?

Some marketers seem to think “borrowing” from another culture is a brilliant creative move. If only their CFOs knew how much it would cost them. The reality is… marketing malpractice comes in many forms:

• Dressing models in ceremonial clothing for “aesthetic” purposes? No.
• Slapping sacred symbols on products to create “exotic” branding? No.
• Using cultural elements but failing to credit or compensate the source? Absolutely not.

A brand’s cultural sensitivity in marketing is the line between gaining consumer trust and watching your stock sink.

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Why This Isn’t Just a PR Problem

There’s a persistent myth that cultural appropriation controversies in marketing only matter if they go viral. As if brands can just wait for the outrage cycle to pass, post a half-hearted apology, and move on.

That’s not how this works anymore.

First, it’s not just about perception—it’s about revenue. When customers feel disrespected, they don’t just complain; they take their money elsewhere. This is why brands that have ignored respectful representation in ads often see long-term dips in sales, not just a temporary social media backlash.

Second, legal trouble is real. Indigenous groups, activists, and communities are increasingly using intellectual property laws to push back against cultural theft. There have been lawsuits, trademark battles, and high-profile legal disputes where brands had to either pay up or pull entire product lines off the market.

The Victoria’s Secret Debacle That Still Haunts Them

Remember when Victoria’s Secret thought it would be a great idea to send Karlie Kloss down the runway in a Native American war bonnet, fringe, and turquoise jewelry for the 2012 fashion show?

The backlash was immediate. Native American activists, scholars, and customers called out the disrespectful commercialization of sacred cultural symbols. The criticism was so severe that Victoria’s Secret had to cut the entire look from the broadcast. But the damage was already done.

Fast forward to today—Victoria’s Secret is still trying to recover its brand image after years of marketing missteps. And while this wasn’t the only reason for their decline, losing consumer trust is like stepping into quicksand. Once you’re in, it’s nearly impossible to climb out.

The Hall of Shame—Brands That Thought They Could Get Away With It (And Paid the Price)

Marketing mistakes aren’t rare, but some are so tone-deaf, so staggeringly oblivious, that they don’t just “spark conversations”—they tank trust, credibility, and, in some cases, wipe out entire markets overnight. The most shocking part is these weren’t rogue campaigns from startups with clueless interns. These were global brands with billion-dollar budgets, entire marketing departments, and “experts” who somehow missed the memo on cultural sensitivity in marketing.

Some tried to apologize. Others doubled down. Either way, the damage was done.

Let’s take a look at the most infamous cases of cultural appropriation examples in advertising, the brands that got burned, and what every marketer should have learned from their wreckage.

Dolce & Gabbana’s “Chopsticks” Disaster (2018) – A $500M Mistake

Luxury fashion brands love a dramatic runway moment. But what they don’t love is getting canceled in one of their biggest markets because they didn’t bother avoiding cultural appropriation in advertising.

In 2018, Dolce & Gabbana ran an ad campaign in China featuring an Asian model struggling—painfully—to eat Italian food with chopsticks while a patronizing voiceover made jokes that sounded like something out of a bad 1950s comedy sketch. The tone was so absurd that the entire thing felt like satire—except it wasn’t.

The backlash was immediate and merciless. Chinese celebrities and influencers publicly disowned the brand, major retailers yanked D&G products off their platforms, and the brand lost an estimated $500 million in sales. The planned Shanghai runway show got canceled. To this day, D&G is still largely persona non grata in China.

H&M’s “Coolest Monkey in the Jungle” Hoodie (2018) – How to Alienate Your Customers in One Click

Some marketing disasters take months to unfold. But H&M’s 2018 hoodie scandal took about three seconds.

A Black child model wearing a hoodie that read “Coolest Monkey in the Jungle”—posted on H&M’s website for the world to see. Nobody in the room, apparently, thought to ask “Hey, maybe don’t?” The backlash was swift, global, and unavoidable.

The Weeknd cut ties with the brand immediately. Social media erupted. Protestors stormed stores. And H&M was forced to pull the product, apologize, and scramble to contain the fallout. This wasn’t just about cultural appropriation in advertising—this was a blatant failure of common sense.

Gucci’s $900 Blackface Sweater (2019) – A Masterclass in What Not to Do

Gucci. Iconic. Luxurious. And, for a brief, terrible moment in 2019, a brand that apparently forgot blackface exists.

The Italian fashion house released a black balaclava sweater with a cut-out red-lipped mouth—a design so shockingly similar to racist caricatures that it took approximately zero seconds for people to notice.

The backlash was brutal. Gucci had to pull the product from stores worldwide, issue a groveling apology, and scramble to launch diversity initiatives—something that should have been baked into their brand long before this PR catastrophe.

Lesson: If your product even remotely resembles a racist stereotype, it’s not “edgy.” It’s a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Prada’s Racist Monkey Charms (2018)

Prada, a brand synonymous with high fashion, somehow decided that monkey figurines with exaggerated red lips were a good idea for their luxury accessory line, Pradamalia. Look, they were not.

Consumers called out the collection for bearing an uncanny resemblance to racist minstrel imagery, and the backlash was so intense that Prada pulled the products immediately and issued an apology. The fallout led to the brand launching a diversity and inclusion council—something they should have had before turning harmful racial tropes into $500 keychains.

Pepsi’s Kendall Jenner Ad (2017) – The Blueprint for Clueless Marketing

What if world peace could be solved by… a can of Pepsi?

That’s the kind of tone-deaf nonsense that made Pepsi’s 2017 protest ad one of the most ridiculed marketing flops in history.

The ad featured Kendall Jenner abandoning a modeling shoot to join a protest, eventually “resolving” tensions between police and activists by handing an officer a Pepsi.

The problem? Everything.

The ad trivialized real-life movements like Black Lives Matter and reduced activism to a brand-friendly aesthetic.

The backlash was instant and relentless. Pepsi had to pull the ad within 24 hours, issue an apology, and deal with the long-term reputational damage of being the company that thought protests were just a cool Instagram vibe.

Why People React So Violently to Cultural Appropriation

For the brands accused of cultural appropriation, the backlash always seems to come as a shock. They roll out an ad, a campaign, or a product, expecting praise for their “inspiration,” only to find themselves scrambling as consumers unleash unfiltered rage. But why do people take it so personally?

The answer is simpler than most marketers would like to admit: because it is personal.

Cultural Identity Is Not a Marketing Gimmick

Cultural elements aren’t just aesthetics. They aren’t trend pieces. They aren’t free real estate for ad agencies looking to spice up a campaign. When a brand plucks a cultural tradition out of its context, strips it of its meaning, and repackages it for profit, it’s theft dressed up as “creativity.”

That’s why avoiding cultural appropriation in advertising isn’t just a courtesy—it’s an ethical responsibility. A company profiting off a culture without engaging with, respecting, or compensating the people behind it is engaging in exploitation, plain and simple. Consumers feel robbed.

Historical Trauma Doesn’t Expire

Many of the cultures that brands borrow from are the same ones that have been historically oppressed, colonized, or erased. Seeing their traditions turned into trend-bait is infuriating. It’s a reminder that their cultural identity was once something they were punished for, but now it’s something a global corporation can casually sell on a t-shirt for $29.99.

This is what brands miss when they reduce cultural symbols to “aesthetic choices.” These aren’t just design elements—they carry weight. And if you don’t understand that weight, you will get buried under it.

Consumers Have the Power, and They Know It

The rise of social media has shifted power from corporations to consumers. In the past, brands could ignore criticism, ride out bad press, and move on. Not anymore. Now, consumers dictate the conversation. They call out brands accused of cultural appropriation, demand accountability, and organize boycotts.

What Smart Brands Do Instead—And How To Avoid a PR Fire

If watching brands crash and burn over cultural appropriation has taught us anything, it’s this: learning from failure is optional—paying the price for it isn’t.

Companies that get it right don’t stumble onto cultural appreciation by accident. They plan for it, invest in it, and make damn sure they’re not the next cautionary tale. They understand the difference between cultural appropriation vs appreciation in marketing and know that “borrowing” without respect is a fast pass to a PR disaster.

So, how do smart brands pull it off without igniting a PR inferno?

Hire Cultural Experts, Not Just “Vibes” People

There’s a reason Adidas didn’t face backlash for its Māori tattoo-inspired collection—it worked with Indigenous designers, not around them. The brand brought in cultural consultants from the beginning, ensuring the designs weren’t just accurate but respectfully represented the communities they originated from.

That’s how you do it. You don’t just “take inspiration” from a culture—you collaborate with the people who actually live it. It’s a small price to pay for avoiding the kind of backlash that has obliterated other brands.

If You Profit from a Culture, So Should Its People

Smart brands don’t just credit cultural influences—they compensate the people behind them. Fenty Beauty didn’t just sprinkle in Caribbean influences for aesthetics; it hired Caribbean artists and experts to contribute.

This is where so many brands accused of cultural appropriation fail. They take without giving back. They commodify traditions while locking out the very communities they’re profiting from. And consumers see right through it.

If your campaign leans on cultural elements, pay the people who created them. Anything less isn’t appreciation—it’s exploitation.

Diversity in Decision-Making: The Best Prevention Plan

The reason Pepsi thought it was a good idea to make Kendall Jenner the face of activism was a lack of diverse voices in the decision room.

The 2017 ad, which depicted Jenner casually handing a Pepsi to a police officer at a protest, was a spectacular failure in understanding real-world activism. The backlash was instant, the ad was pulled within 24 hours, and the brand had to issue a public apology for reducing social justice movements to an aesthetic.

This is why diversity in leadership is a necessity. When teams include people with different lived experiences, glaring red flags get spotted before they turn into front-page news.

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Understand That Cancel Culture in Marketing Is Just Consumer Accountability

Brands love to frame backlash as “cancel culture” when they’re caught mishandling cultural narratives. But let’s call it what it really is: consumers holding brands accountable.

Nobody is getting “canceled” for thoughtful, respectful representation. They’re getting canceled because they ignored historical context, refused to listen, and then doubled down on the mistake.

The impact of cultural appropriation on brand reputation is long-term. Some companies never fully recover. Dolce & Gabbana’s chopsticks disaster cost them the Chinese market, a revenue stream worth billions. They didn’t just lose face—they lost customers forever.

We Meant Well” Won’t Save You—Only Doing Better Will

If your marketing team is asking, “Will this offend people?”—you’re already doing it wrong. The question should be, “Is this the right way to represent this culture?”

Respect isn’t complicated. Being lazy is.

Brands that take the time to hire cultural consultants, pay the people behind the culture, diversify their teams, and own up to mistakes before they spiral out of control don’t have to worry about getting canceled. They’re too busy building real trust with their audience.

So, what’s it gonna be—PR disaster or long-term credibility?

Your move.

¿El influencer que nunca duerme, nunca envejece, nunca cancela, pero que nunca vivió?

Kim Kardashian puede ser cancelada. MrBeast puede despertarse y decidir que ha terminado de vender cafeterías.

¿Pero influencers virtuales?

No se cansan, no exigen comisiones de cinco cifras por un TikTok de 30 segundos y seguro que no van a salir corriendo para empezar un podcast sobre la búsqueda de sí mismos.

Se quedan ahí, perfectamente optimizados, atractivos e «inquietantemente» inhumanos.

Los equipos de marketing alguna vez creyeron que las personas influyentes humanas eran el billete dorado para la influencia digital, hasta que las marcas se dieron cuenta de algo: los seres humanos son impredecibles, caros y alarmandamente malos para callarse cuando deberían.

Ahora, las marcas se preguntan en voz baja: ¿Son las personas influyentes virtuales el siguiente paso lógico, o esta fiebre del oro generada por la IA está a un mal tuit de ser demandado?

Sí, tienen el alcance, los números y la espeluznante capacidad de vender productos sin siquiera tocarlos. Pero, ¿pueden realmente mover la aguja?

Los influencers humanos están cansados. Literalmente.

Agotamiento. Escándalos. Colapsos de algoritmos.

Los especialistas en marketing pasaron más de una década intentando domar a los influencers humanos, solo para verlos caer y arder en tiempo real. El problema es que... el marketing con influencers comenzó como una mina de oro, pero en algún momento, los beneficios empezaron a disminuir y el esfuerzo por mantener las cosas funcionando se hizo exponencialmente más agotador.

Los influencers humanos están en una lucha a muerte sin fin con métricas de participación que se niegan a jugar limpio. El setenta y ocho por ciento de los influencers admiten el agotamiento, y el 66% dice que está arruinando su salud mental. Así es: dos tercios de las personas influyentes están agotadas, estresadas y apenas se mantienen al día. Sin embargo, las marcas siguen invirtiendo dinero en ellas y esperan contenido viral nuevo cada semana.

Mientras tanto, las tasas de participación están cayendo por un precipicio. El influencer por el que pagaste cinco cifras podría tener un millón de seguidores y seguir publicando en el vacío. Esto se debe a que un recuento masivo de seguidores no significa nada si la audiencia ha seguido adelante o, lo que es peor, ha dejado de preocuparse.

Aquí es donde la inteligencia artificial en el marketing de influencers cambia las reglas del juego.

Los influencers que nunca se agotan (ni envejecen ni se ven atrapados en un escándalo)

La creación de influencers virtuales es una estrategia de marketing totalmente operativa. Marcas que buscan estabilidad, coherencia y compromiso están optando por personas influyentes impulsadas por la IA, y las cifras son brutales para los creadores humanos.

Un influencer virtual atrae a un tasa media de participación del 5,9%. Eso es tres veces más que el de los influencers humanos, que se las arreglan con un 1,9%.

Y hablemos del presupuesto.

Mientras que un influencer humano de alto perfil cobrará más de 250 000$ por publicación, un influencer de IA de primer nivel cuesta alrededor de 10 000$. Eso es un Reducción de costos del 95% para una mayor participación y cero riesgo de un desastre de relaciones públicas.

Por lo tanto, cuando las marcas analizan el ROI, la pregunta no es «¿Por qué usar influencers virtuales?» ya. Es «¿Por qué seguiríamos pagando por los humanos?»

Los influencers virtuales están haciendo que las marcas sean increíblemente ricas (y nadie quiere hablar de ello)

Si alguien te hubiera dicho hace cinco años que los influencers de CGI —no celebridades ni humanos famosos de Internet, sino personajes generados por la IA— firmarían acuerdos de marca multimillonarios, probablemente te habrías reído. Sin embargo, aquí estamos, viendo cómo las personalidades virtuales de las redes sociales entran en escena más compromiso, más lealtad y más dinero que sus homólogos humanos.

Esto no es un truco. Es una revolución de marketing a gran escala. Y las marcas que lo descubrieron pronto ya están contando sus beneficios.

Las marcas pagan a los influencers virtuales como si fueran famosos de Hollywood

Seamos claros: las personas influyentes de la IA no solo se están ganando a las marcas tecnológicas de nicho. Las casas de moda de lujo, los gigantes del entretenimiento y las corporaciones globales están sacando provecho, porque las campañas de influencers virtuales están demostrando ser rentables, escalables y a prueba de escándalos.

• Shudu Gram ha modelado para Balmain y Fenty Beauty, haciendo que los consumidores crean que están interactuando con una verdadera supermodelo, hasta que se dan cuenta de que es completamente digital.
• Lil Miquela se detuvo 11 millones de dólares en 2022, trabajando con marcas como Samsung, Prada y Calvin Klein, sin necesidad de un equipo de peluquería y maquillaje.
• Noonoouri, una caricaturesca influencer de la IA, está firmando acuerdos durante más tiempo que la mayoría de las supermodelos humanas y ha conseguido asociaciones con Dior y BMW.
• FN Meka Estuvo a punto de conseguir un contrato discográfico con Capitol Records, hasta que alguien finalmente preguntó: «Espera, ¿este rapero generado por IA es algo racista?» (Lo cancelaron incluso antes de que existiera plenamente.)

Mira, esto ya no es marketing experimental. Son negocios.

6.900 millones de dólares en la actualidad. 154.600 millones de dólares en 2032. ¿Alguna pregunta?

El mercado de influencers virtuales se valoró en 6.900 millones de dólares en 2023. En menos de una década, se espera que alcance la asombrosa cifra de 154,6 mil millones de dólares, Tasa de crecimiento anual compuesta del 40,8%.

Y aun así, algunas marcas no lo han entendido.

Mientras tanto, otros están abandonando por completo a las personas influyentes humanas y recurriendo a personas influyentes de la IA que nunca pierden una fecha límite, nunca se ven atrapadas en un escándalo y nunca se desarrollan diferencias creativas con equipos de marketing.

Entonces, ¿por qué funciona esto?

Los influencers de la IA están diseñados para hackear el compromiso, y está funcionando

Si hay algo que les encanta a las plataformas de redes sociales, es la coherencia. Y los influencers humanos no están hechos para eso. Se queman. Se toman descansos. Se enferman. Su participación disminuye si no publican con la suficiente frecuencia.

Ahora vienen los influencers impulsados por la IA, diseñados para no dejar nunca de crear contenido.

Elaina Saint James, un destacado influencer y creador de contenido, hace hincapié en el enorme potencial de los influencers generados por la IA:

«Las personas influyentes generadas por IA tienen un potencial ilimitado, tanto para ayudar a las personas influyentes con una marca establecida a crear contenido, realista y fantástico, como para satisfacer a una máquina que nunca se satisface y cambia constantemente, que son las redes sociales».

Estas personalidades virtuales de las redes sociales no solo compiten con las personas influyentes humanas, sino que se están convirtiendo en sus asistentes de producción de contenido y producen material las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana. Para las marcas, esto significa una menor dependencia de los horarios humanos y un mayor control sobre la narración de historias.

Pero seamos honestos: ¿pueden realmente vender tu producto?

Un influencer virtual puede hacer que tu marca se vuelva viral. Eso es obvio. Pero, ¿pueden realmente hacer que la gente compre?

Es fácil dejarse atrapar por las altísimas cifras de participación, los avatares digitales en las campañas de marketing y las marcas que se dan palmaditas en la espalda por «innovación». Pero en algún momento, alguien en la sala de juntas tiene que preguntarse: «¿Estamos ganando dinero o solo estamos recolectando «me gusta»?

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El problema del compromiso que no convierte

Los influencers virtuales tienen una fuerza innegable: atención. Pueden cogerlo, sostenerlo y mantener a la audiencia entretenida. Pero la atención no es lo mismo que la acción.

El influencer promedio generado por computadora obtiene una tasa de participación del 5,9%, en comparación con el 1,9% de los humanos. Suena impresionante, hasta que te das cuenta compromiso =/= ventas.

Un embajador de marca virtual puede promocionar un producto, posar con él y «hablar» sobre él en los subtítulos, pero ¿puede vender como un influencer humano que realmente usa el producto, lo avala y puede responder a preguntas reales al respecto? Ahí es donde las cosas comienzan a resquebrajarse.

Donde los influencers virtuales se desmoronan

1. En realidad, no pueden experimentar lo que promueven

Un influencer generado por computadora no puede tomar un sorbo de tu bebida energética, oler tu perfume ni probar tu cuidado de la piel en pieles sensibles. Puede que eso no sea importante para las marcas que venden moda o tecnología, pero si promocionas suplementos nutricionales, productos para el cuidado de la piel o ropa deportiva, la autenticidad lo es todo. Los consumidores quieren pruebas.

2. Carecen de convicción emocional

Un avatar digital en marketing puede imitar las emociones, pero no las puede sentir. Un influencer humano puede compartir luchas reales, triunfos reales, experiencias reales. Un influencer virtual solo puede fingir—y el público se da cuenta.

3. Corren el riesgo de sufrir una reacción violenta si los consumidores se sienten engañados

La gente odia sentirse engañada. Y cuando las marcas no revelan que un influencer no lo es real, se arriesgan a la indignación, la desconfianza y el rechazo total de la marca. Los influencers generados por IA funcionan mejor cuando el público sabe que son digitales desde el principio.

¿Debería su marca utilizar un influencer virtual?

Hay una razón por la que las personas influyentes de la IA ponen nerviosas a las marcas: porque funcionan. No solo para interactuar con las redes sociales, sino también para crear una marca a largo plazo y dominar el mercado.

Ese es el manual de estrategias. Los influencers virtuales son activos de marca escalables que funcionan las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana, que no envejecen, no provocan escándalos y no exigen pagos en función de su número de seguidores.

Pero antes de despedir a toda tu lista de influencers, hablemos de cuándo tienen sentido las campañas de influencers virtuales y de cuándo acabarán consumiendo tu presupuesto sin dejar de ser geniales al hacerlo.

Cuando los influencers de la IA comercializan oro

Si tu marca gira en torno a la estética, la innovación tecnológica o la participación impulsada por el entretenimiento, los influencers virtuales pueden ser tu mejor inversión hasta el momento. Son rentables, hiperpersonalizables y pueden estar en cualquier lugar a la vez.

Las marcas de lujo ya están sacando provecho. Elle Taylor, Lil Miquela, Noonoouri y Shudu Gram están creando colaboraciones de alto nivel con las que la mayoría de los influencers humanos solo pueden soñar. Los influencers generados por la IA son maniquíes digitales que dan vida a la visión creativa de una marca de forma impecable y sin límites.

Otra gran ventaja es que no vienen con desastres de relaciones públicas. No hay tuits «accidentalmente ofensivos» de 2012. Sin diatribas nocturnas. Sin renegociaciones de contratos después de alcanzar el millón de seguidores.

Para las marcas que priorizan la coherencia, el control de la marca y la producción de contenido de gran volumen, es imposible ignorar los beneficios de los influencers virtuales. Pueden generar publicaciones las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana, sin cansarse, enfermarse ni exigir un acuerdo de confidencialidad debido a un «desacuerdo artístico».

Cuando los influencers de la IA arruinarán tu estrategia de marketing

A pesar de todo su potencial para hackear la participación, los influencers virtuales no son impresores mágicos de dinero. Y en la industria equivocada, pueden hacer más daño que bien.

1. Si tu audiencia está obsesionada con la autenticidad, los influencers de la IA no serán suficientes.

Los clientes compran a personas en las que confían. Si vendes productos para el cuidado de la piel, la nutrición o el bienestar, los consumidores quieren ver a personas reales usándolos. Un influencer de CGI puede posar con una botella de vitaminas, pero en realidad no puede tomarla. Eso importa.

2. Si tu marca prospera en la comunidad, las personas influyentes de la IA pueden parecer... falsas.

Las marcas impulsadas por la comunidad tienen éxito gracias a la conexión humana. Los influencers de la IA pueden ser atractivos, pero ¿pueden hacer que las personas se conviertan en personas sentir ¿algo?

Si tu marca se basa en el estilo de vida, la cultura o la relacionabilidad emocional, un influencer virtual puede parecer frío, sin vida y poco convincente.

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3. Si te dedicas a la atención médica, la sostenibilidad o algo delicado, actúa con cuidado.

Los consumidores no quieren un avatar digital en las campañas de marketing para temas serios. La atención médica, la sostenibilidad y el impacto social: estos requieren voces reales, emociones reales y confianza real. Las personas influyentes de la IA pueden ayudar con las campañas de sensibilización, pero confiar en ellas para obtener credibilidad es una mala imagen.

Entonces... ¿ya deberías despedir a tus influencers humanos?

No tan rápido.

Sí, los embajadores virtuales de la marca están convirtiendo el marketing de influencers en una máquina a prueba de escándalos y de bajo mantenimiento. No exigen contratos, no se ofenden por las directrices de la marca ni, de repente, deciden que son demasiado grandes para tu producto. Se presentan, hacen su trabajo y mantienen el compromiso. Para las marcas de lujo, tecnología y moda, ese es un escenario de ensueño.

Sin embargo, si su empresa depende de la confianza, la autenticidad y la conexión humana real, entregarlo todo a la IA podría resultar contraproducente. Un influencer generado por imágenes generadas por computadora puede posar con un sérum para el cuidado de la piel, pero no puede decirte si realmente ha eliminado el acné. Puede promover una rutina de bienestar, pero nunca ha estado lo suficientemente cansado, estresado o vivo como para necesitarlo. Los consumidores son inteligentes. ¿Y cuándo se sienten engañados? Caminan.

El futuro del marketing de influencers no consiste en elegir entre la IA y los humanos, sino en saber cuándo usar cada uno. Los influencers virtuales solo están aquí para dominar donde los humanos se quedan cortos.

Another week, another batch of updates from your favorite platforms. Whether you’re a marketer, a social media pro, or just trying to keep up with the chaos, here’s your no-fluff roundup of what’s new in the world of social.

What’s new on Instagram?

Instagram Rolls Out “Restyle Your Image” for Stories‍

Instagram is experimenting with a new AI-powered tool called “Restyle Your Image” for Stories, giving users fresh ways to enhance their visuals directly in-app. The feature allows you to modify objects and backgrounds, expand your photos, apply creative effects, and even remove unwanted elements—all with just a few taps.

It’s another step toward making content creation more dynamic (and a little less dependent on external editing apps).

‍Instagram Expands Access to “Chat with AIs” Feature‍

Instagram is now rolling out its “Chat with AIs” feature to more users and regions. This tool lets users interact with AI characters directly in chat, offering both entertainment and utility right inside the app. Whether it’s for fun, support, or just curiosity, it’s another sign of Meta’s growing AI push across platforms.

What’s new on Threads?

Threads Might Soon Help You Sync with Your X Faves‍

Threads is working on a feature that could make onboarding even smoother: the ability to follow the same popular creators you already follow on X (or Twitter, if you insist). If you've been missing familiar voices, this could be your shortcut.

Threads Is Testing a "Weekly Recap" Tool‍

Some users have spotted a new "Weekly Recap" feature in testing, offering a summary of account activity plus tailored tips to help improve reach. You’ll also be able to turn on notifications so you never miss your weekly insights. Helpful or overwhelming? Time will tell.

Topics on Threads Get a New Look‍

Threads is also rolling out a subtle but notable UI change: when you tag a post with a topic—like “New on Threads”—it will now show up next to your username instead of as blue linked text. It still works the same way (tap to explore related posts), but the cleaner look may help keep posts more focused.

What’s new on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn Quietly Removes the "Videos" Tab‍

Say goodbye to the "Videos" tab in the LinkedIn app's footer. No big announcement, just... gone. It’s part of a larger trend where LinkedIn is subtly shifting its interface, perhaps putting more emphasis on other types of content.

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New LinkedIn Newsletter Shares Video Strategy Tips‍

While the tab is gone, video content is far from dead. LinkedIn has launched a new newsletter focused on video creation best practices—packed with advice to help users produce more engaging content and boost discoverability. It’s a solid resource if you're trying to level up your video game on the platform.

TikTok’s expansion into local services is a calculated land grab, and your business is the land.

If you still think TikTok is just teenagers shaking their asses to viral sounds, let’s rip that Band-Aid off. This app isn’t "helping" businesses—it's replacing entire industries.

Booking apps, review sites, even Google itself?

TikTok is eating them alive.

China already proved what’s coming. Douyin (TikTok’s Chinese twin) pulled in a staggering $48 billion from local services alone.

And now?

It’s here. Either your business cashes in, or you’ll be watching someone else’s restaurant, gym, or boutique rake in your customers—on your own For You Page.

What Happens When TikTok Enters Local Services

You know what’s not fun?

Watching your competitors rake in sales while you’re still debating whether TikTok is worth your time.

Douyin—the same DNA as TikTok, just with different branding—devoured local services. Booking an appointment, reserving a table, finding a trusted contractor—it all happens inside the app, faster than you can say, “Let me Google that.”

In just eight months of 2024, Douyin’s life services business hauled in $44.8 billion—that’s more than the entire annual revenue of Starbucks.

Here’s what that looks like in real life:

• Want a haircut? A few swipes, and you’ve booked the best-rated stylist nearby.
• Need a dentist? Skip the Yelp rabbit hole and find one with real customer video reviews—without leaving the app.
• Craving sushi? A creator just reviewed a hidden gem, and you get a discounted reservation link—right there in the comments.

This isn’t some passing trend. It’s a full-scale takeover. And TikTok is rolling out the same playbook—just with a bigger stage.

In Southeast Asia, TikTok has been testing restaurant and hotel vouchers with local creators, seamlessly embedding transactions into content. It’s a direct hit to Google, Yelp, and every traditional directory still pretending people want to “click for more details.”

Now it’s happening in the U.S., U.K., and beyond. And if you’re still asking whether local services leveraging TikTok is a thing, you’re already behind.

TikTok’s Next Targets: Who’s About to Feel the Heat?

TikTok is expanding aggressively into local services, and it’s not just restaurants and salons that need to wake up. The wrecking ball is swinging through every industry that relies on local customers.

Gyms and Trainers: Personal trainers and fitness centers aren’t just posting workouts—they’re converting TikTok viewers directly into clients. Think customized fitness plans, limited-time offers, and instant DM bookings without ever leaving the app.

Real Estate Agent

 Listings are boring. Virtual home tours inside TikTok is what sells houses now. With a quick “DM for details,” users are booking walkthroughs without ever touching Zillow.

Auto Shops & Mechanics

Car repair videos don’t just get views—they get appointments. The smartest mechanics are using TikTok’s local services features to let viewers book repair slots on the spot.

Lawyers & Consultants

Let’s be real—no one wants to Google "best lawyer near me" when they’re in trouble. The legal pros who break down common questions in TikTok videos are getting DM inquiries daily.

Look, TikTok isn’t waiting for businesses to catch up. It’s hiring aggressively in the U.S. and beyond to build out a full-scale local services infrastructure—meaning this isn’t some temporary experiment.

And if you think TikTok's impact on local service industries stops there, keep watching. It’s already testing partnerships that make traditional directories and booking apps obsolete.

Why This Works—And Why It’s (Psychologically) Unstoppable

1. TikTok’s Algorithm Is Freakishly Addictive

Every social media platform wants your attention. TikTok owns it.

Google and Facebook still rely on what people search for or who they follow. But TikTok doesn’t wait. It learns. It watches how you react—what makes you stop scrolling, what makes you rewatch, where your eyes linger—and then floods your feed with more of it.

That’s why someone who watches a 30-second clip of a local sushi spot won’t just see one restaurant recommendation. They’ll start seeing several. Different menus. Customer reviews. Behind-the-scenes kitchen shots. A local food blogger hyping up a hidden gem five minutes away. Within hours, the algorithm has made sure that person is craving sushi and knows exactly where to go to get it.

For local businesses, this is gold. TikTok doesn’t wait for someone to Google “best sushi near me.” It puts that restaurant in front of them before they even realize they’re hungry.

But here’s the thing: TikTok’s local services can turn discovery into action—but it’s not automatic.

TikTok isn’t a magic button that makes customers appear. It rewards businesses that know how to play the game. If your content feels like an ad, it flops. If it feels like something users would naturally watch, the algorithm takes it straight to the right audience.

That’s the difference. Every other platform hopes users take action. TikTok tells them what to want—and then delivers it to them on a platter.

And this isn’t some "big brands only" game. TikTok's algorithm gives local businesses a real shot at visibility without needing an ad budget the size of a Fortune 500 company. A single well-timed post, pushed to the right audience, can explode overnight.

This is why local businesses using TikTok aren’t just getting views—they’re getting foot traffic.

2. FOMO Drives Local Sales

Marketing gimmicks don’t sell products. People sell products. And when enough people say something is worth buying, the rest follow.

That’s why one viral TikTok about a bakery in Los Angeles led to three-hour wait times for pastries. One video. No ads. No SEO tricks. Just real people, showing real excitement, and the algorithm doing what it does best—feeding that excitement to everyone else.

The same thing happened with Crumbl Cookies. TikTok helped turn it into a $1 billion company with over 1,000 locations. All because their weekly rotating menu became a conversation people wanted in on.

It works because no one wants to miss out. The fear of missing out—FOMO—is a proven psychological driver of impulsive spending. A study on social commerce found that people don’t just buy because they need something. They buy because they see others getting it and they don’t want to be left behind.

Matthew Goulart explained it best:

"Social media is about the people! Not about your business. Provide for the people, and the people will provide for you."

If people see a long line outside a restaurant, they assume the food is good. If they see a TikTok video with hundreds of comments, they assume the product is worth trying.

A local business that isn’t actively leveraging TikTok for customer engagement is missing out on real, paying customers who are watching others hype up the competition instead.

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3. The Live Shopping Takeover: Selling in Real Time

TikTok Live shopping is happening right now, and it’s turning casual viewers into immediate buyers. Beauty brands run live tutorials and sell thousands of units before the stream even ends. Local boutiques sell entire inventory batches in one night. A San Antonio jeweler turned a single live-streaming session into millions of views and record-breaking sales.

Consumers are watching and buying on impulse. No delays. No extra steps. See something you like? Click. Purchase. Done.

And TikTok makes sure those who hesitate get left behind. Limited-time offers, exclusive drops, time-sensitive discounts—all designed to trigger immediate action. This isn’t just shopping. It’s live commerce engineered for maximum urgency.

This is the new standard. TikTok is rewiring how consumers think, react, and spend. And for businesses still wondering if this is worth their time, the answer is simple—it already is.

The Businesses Already Cashing In

There was a time when “going viral” sounded like something reserved for big brands with million-dollar budgets. That time is gone. Right now, small businesses are pulling in absurd numbers on TikTok—without spending a dime on traditional advertising.

Take Easy Street Burgers in Los Angeles. Before TikTok, it was just another burger joint. Then, one well-placed review from a TikTok food influencer changed everything. Lines stretched around the block for weeks, forcing the owners to rethink their entire operation just to keep up with demand. No fancy commercials. No paid campaigns. Just one video, millions of views, and an avalanche of customers.

Meanwhile, Neon Cowboys, a Western fashion brand specializing in LED cowboy hats, saw an entire $20,000 inventory vanish in a week—all thanks to a TikTok trend. Someone on the platform decided that glowing cowboy hats were the must-have festival accessory, and suddenly, demand skyrocketed. TikTok didn't just boost sales; it manufactured a trend from scratch.

TikTok Is Completely Rewriting How Businesses Market Themselves

There was a time when local businesses had two choices: sink money into traditional ads and hope for the best, or hustle non-stop on social media just to get a few likes. TikTok has destroyed that entire playbook.

Ask Buddies Coffee in Brooklyn, whose business was on the verge of collapse due to skyrocketing rent. The owner, Rachel Rose, did something most businesses avoid—she got real. She went on TikTok, explained her situation, and within days, the shop had an overwhelming surge of customers. Celebrities like Joe Jonas even dropped in, bringing even more visibility. She didn’t pay for an ad. She didn’t hire an agency. She just told the truth, and TikTok handled the rest.

Or Yirosbros, a family-run kebab shop in Adelaide, Australia. They could have stuck to traditional marketing. Instead, they leaned into humor, blending comedy with videos of their food. One skit about a garlic sauce shortage racked up over 1.4 million views. Customers drove from different cities just to eat at this place they saw on TikTok.

This is what local businesses leveraging TikTok actually looks like—brands don’t have to “sell” anymore. They just have to be real, entertaining, or both, and let TikTok do the rest.

TikTok Trends Are Fueling Real Business Growth

The difference between TikTok and every other platform is it creates  and amplifies demand.

A small-town jewelry shop isn’t supposed to randomly explode into a viral sensation. But that’s exactly what happened with Saad’s Fine Jewelers in San Antonio. Their videos, featuring the shop’s larger-than-life employee “Big Dog Tino”, turned a family-run jewelry store into one of the most talked-about businesses on TikTok. They got millions of views, a cult-like following, and a surge in customers from across the country.

It’s the same story for Bijoux De Mimi, a jewelry brand founded by Amelia Hitchcock-Merritt during the pandemic. With zero budget for advertising, she relied entirely on TikTok, and in just three years, her brand hit over 100 million views and sold 100,000+ pieces. This wasn’t luck. It was TikTok trends influencing local business marketing in real time.

The way local businesses advertise has changed. TikTok is now the main stage, not just a tool. Either you figure out how to use it, or you’ll be watching your competitors run the show.

How to Actually Win (Without Wasting Time & Money)

Some businesses are still waiting for a step-by-step guide on how to make TikTok work for them. Others are already flooded with customers and struggling to keep up with demand. The difference is strategy. If you’re serious about turning TikTok into a real revenue stream for your business, here’s how to do it right.

Be Findable: Optimize Your TikTok Profile for Local Customers

Your TikTok profile is the equivalent of a storefront on the busiest street in town. If people can’t figure out what you sell or how to contact you within five seconds, they’re gone.

Start with the basics. Your bio should include your location and service so TikTok categorizes your business correctly. If you run a bakery in Chicago, your bio shouldn’t just say “Freshly baked, always delicious.” It should say: “Chicago’s best sourdough. Open 8 AM - 6 PM. Order online.” If someone in the city searches for “best bakery near me,” you want to be the first thing they see.

Your booking links need to be obvious. No one is DMing you to ask how to place an order. If they have to dig for it, you’ve already lost them. Whether it's a booking platform, website, or online ordering system, make it effortless for people to spend money with you.

Timing is everything. If you post at random hours when your audience isn’t even online, your content dies before it has a chance to take off. TikTok prioritizes engagement in the first 90 minutes after posting. If your customers are most active at 6 PM, posting at noon means you're handing engagement to someone else.

If manually tracking all this sounds like another full-time job, it’s because it is—unless you use ZoomSphere. A platform like ZoomSphere automates scheduling, tracks engagement, and helps you manage multiple platforms at once. No more manually posting, or wondering how your content is performing.

Let Creators Do the Work for You

TikTok isn’t a traditional ad platform. Sure, you could throw money into paid ads and hope for the best, but why would you, when real people can market your business better than you ever could?

Influencers are trust builders. Their followers see them as friends, not marketers, and when they recommend something, people listen. This is why smart influencer marketing strategies are making small businesses go viral overnight.

Paying one local creator with a dedicated audience to showcase your business can outperform an entire month of ad spending. Unlike paid ads, which people scroll past, influencer content feels real. A short video of someone enjoying your restaurant’s best dish or getting a haircut at your salon does more than any polished corporate campaign ever could.

Deals exclusive to TikTok users drive engagement through the roof. Offering discount codes or “TikTok-only” offers turns viewers into customers instantly. The best part is it creates FOMO. The second people realize others are getting something they’re not, they rush to claim it.

If your business isn’t leveraging TikTok creators, you’re leaving money on the table and letting competitors take your spot.

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Stop Guessing—Let Data Tell You What Works

Winning on TikTok isn’t about luck. The businesses crushing it don’t post randomly and hope for the best. They track what works, double down, and constantly refine their strategy.

This is where most businesses screw up. They see something go viral once, then keep doing the same thing over and over, hoping for the same result. Look, trends shift. The algorithm changes. What worked yesterday won’t necessarily work tomorrow.

TikTok’s analytics tell you everything you need to know.

• What time your audience is most active.
• What types of content get the most engagement.
• Whether people are actually clicking your links or just watching.

Yet, most businesses don’t even check this. They post, hope for the best, and wonder why they’re getting 100 views while competitors are pulling millions.

Visibility = Sales

If your business isn’t visible on TikTok, you don’t exist. It doesn’t matter how great your product or service is—if no one sees it, no one buys it.

The businesses dominating TikTok aren’t spending millions on ads. They’re nailing the fundamentals:

• They make their profiles impossible to miss.
• They let creators do the selling for them.
• They track what works and refine their strategy.

This is the blueprint successful businesses are following right now. And if your competition figures it out before you do, don’t be surprised when they start taking your customers, one viral post at a time.