Raw Content Outperforms Polished

Robert Oliver explains how TikTok has revolutionized social media marketing through a creator-army model rather than traditional influencer marketing. This approach focuses on maximizing content volume and views rather than follower counts, with brands leveraging multiple creators to produce authentic-looking content.

The TikTok Marketing Playbook

• Views Over Followers

  • "Everyone is used to YouTube, Instagram where your followers matter... TikTok shattered that"
  • "You have to look at everything through the lens of views"
  • A brand new account can get 10 million views with the right content

• Creator Army Model

  • "The key part of the model is how many people can we get creating product-specific content for the brand"
  • Instead of one influencer with many followers, it's about having many creators making content
  • Success comes when "one of those pieces of content needs to pop"

• Andrew Tate's Blueprint

  • First major example of this model before product marketing
  • Used affiliate commissions to incentivize content creation
  • "He had affiliates making Tate content... he's not Tate on TikTok but he has 500 hungry little minions"
  • Result: "Most googled man on the planet"

• Content Creation Economics

  • Creators can earn substantial income ($50,000 from a single viral video)
  • "The model itself incentivizes it without us having to change hands"
  • "The economics fed itself"

• Raw, Authentic Content Performs Best

  • "Everything nowadays is shifting to that just raw organic"
  • "You don't wanna feel like an influencer's selling you"
  • Example: Video filmed on Android phone to appear less polished and more authentic

• Effective Content Structure

  • Hook with trending topics (like Trump)
  • Create information gaps to drive curiosity
  • Build credibility through apparent social proof
  • Introduce the product as a solution
  • Add urgency ("they sell out fast")

• Maximizing "Swings at Bat"

  • "How can you get as much good quality swings at bat as humanly possible"
  • Some brands use freelancers, others use internal teams
  • Volume of content increases chances of viral success