As a nationwide ban on TikTok looked more and possible, we refused to take our foot off the gas and diversify client spend, even as many brands redirected budget to channels like Meta and Pinterest.

We believe that strongly in TikTok’s singular potential for growth and its unique, full-funnel place in the marketing ecosystem:

• Search with a big discovery element;
  
• A creator-led engine of social proof, discovery, and demand generation;
• Shopping clout intended to rival Amazon’s;
  
• Low-risk pricing structures that offer brands strategic options to thrive in a range of macroeconomic conditions.

That’s a mouthful – which is appropriate for a channel poised to eat into the market share of Google, Meta, and Amazon as it continues to mature and build its user base – and rack up in-app sales faster than top competitors.

In this post, we’ll break down each of TikTok’s particular strengths and why we’re so bullish on leveraging them for our client portfolio.

TikTok Search: Discovery and Intent with a Cross-Channel Bonus

TikTok search differs from more traditional search engines in two primary ways.

First, while TikTok only serves content published to its platform, Google, Bing, etc. serve content crawled and indexed from across the internet. Importantly: this includes TikTok content, which means highly engaging TikTok videos stand a good chance to gain referral traffic from relevant queries on those traditional search engines.

Second, while traditional search engines return results based on specific user queries, TikTok’s search algorithm is based on user profiles, behaviors, and interests – which means brands don’t need to rely on intent to put their products and services in front of relevant users.

All told, TikTok’s search function is becoming a major paid and organic discovery engine, especially for younger audiences who increasingly turn to the platform instead of Google for product research. Brands that invest in TikTok paid search efforts early can capitalize on lower CPCs compared to traditional search platforms while reaching high-intent users in an engaging, native format.

The biggest opportunity lies in the full-funnel impact. TikTok paid search allows brands to bridge the gap between inspiration and conversion. Users often search after seeing organic content, meaning brands can intercept that interest with paid placements that drive immediate action. Additionally, TikTok’s creative ad formats enable brands to craft visually compelling search ads that outperform traditional text-heavy formats.

For brands that leverage TikTok search effectively—using creator-led content, trend-driven messaging, and seamless shopping integrations—there’s a huge potential to drive incremental revenue while future-proofing their search strategy in an evolving digital landscape.

Paradise for Creators – and Commerce

Influencer marketing, which is at the heart of TikTok’s rise, is a win-win-win for brands, creators, and users.

Brands that leverage influencer marketing on TikTok get instant access to new audiences, with demand generation, social proof, and a sense of community that other advertising channels can’t replicate.

For users, particularly younger generations who value authenticity and personal connection, TikTok placements deliver more than product attributes and benefits; they provide entertainment and put products in very human context, including real-life use cases that inform purchasing decisions. They also help users discover new ways to address needs and interests, which can take the form of products, services, or education on topics like health & wellness and financial services.

For creators, TikTok’s ability to generate virality from low-fi, easily produced video content presents a huge business opportunity to grow their audience and earn revenue from brands aligned with their personal story and values.

TikTok Shop: Look out, Amazon

Unlike traditional digital channels, TikTok’s strength lies in its discovery-driven, entertainment-first experience, where content, commerce, and community seamlessly intersect. While Amazon, Google and Meta rely heavily on user intent or algorithm-driven feed placements, TikTok’s ecosystem thrives on organic virality and social proof, making it a unique space for brands to build both awareness and conversion simultaneously – with millions of users making a short leap from organic discovery to a purchase on Shop in the same session.

TikTok Shop’s affiliate ecosystem provides brands with an opportunity to grow their brand awareness to TikTok’s loyal users while driving significant conversions with Gen Z and Millennials. According to Forbes, affiliate drives 70% of all purchases on TikTok, and we don’t see that slowing down anytime soon.

Compared to other platforms, TikTok affiliate links have an average 5.2% engagement rate, a 160% higher rate than on Instagram (source). This is undoubtedly due to the winning combination of TikTok Shop’s effortless checkout experience for users teamed up with creator content that creates urgency and preys on FOMO when capitalizing on trending viral moments.

Fee Structures That Keep Brands Agile

At the heart of TikTok’s affiliate program sits the cost-effective revenue share model, where brands on the platform are only paying commission to creators for purchases they’re driving. Furthermore, Shop has introduced additional features to de-risk partnerships, such as their refundable samples tool where creators purchase their own sample for video creation but have the opportunity to be refunded if they meet the brand’s pre-disclosed promotional criteria (e.g. produce one video, generate one sale, etc.).

Together, these features provide a low-risk range of options for brands to partner with highly engaged creators on the platform – which will be critical for helping mitigate any macroeconomic fallout from tariffs and any future global considerations.

The upshot of all of this is that affiliate marketing on TikTok Shop could reshape influencer partnerships, shifting from static sponsorships to always-on, commission-based collaborations that drive measurable sales.

Why DMi Is Built to Optimize TikTok’s Growth Levers

Just about every full-service agency will claim to be an ideal service provider for TikTok campaigns, but we think DMi’s combination of affiliate expertise, partnership depth, advanced analytics, and search and social acumen is exceptionally suited for high-ROAS, high-incrementality TikTok growth that plays nicely with other channels.

If you’ve been on the fence about investing in TikTok campaigns and would like to learn more about ways to test the platform, drop us a line at info@dmipartners.com.