How Do Influencers Create Value for SMEs? A TikTok Review in the Philippines

Social media has continuously grown globally through the years. One of the emerging social media platforms that becomes relevant today is TikTok. The prevalence of TikTok opens opportunities as it has also given birth to the rise of influencer marketing. Many SMEs are now embracing influencer marketing as it has transformed the relationship between retailers and consumers through social media. Although influencer marketing through TikTok may deem beneficial, studies on how influencers create value for SMEs specifically in the context of a developing country like the Philippines are still scarce. This quantitative content analysis investigated the top influencers in the country whose content contributes to the value creation of SMEs. Results show that influencer marketing creates value for SMEs by expanding brand awareness and influencing consumers' purchasing decisions through sponsored content delivered by influencers to SMEs while enhancing the brand reputation of SMEs and maintaining customer lifetime value through brand ambassadorships of products and services. To ensure the value creation of influencer marketing on SMEs' market performance, this study also proposes an influencer marketing framework for SMEs.