TikTok has become one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 1 billion monthly active users as of 2022. Originally launched as musical.ly in 2014, TikTok allows users to create and share short videos set to music. In 2017, musical.ly was acquired by Chinese company ByteDance and merged into TikTok.
Unlike platforms like Facebook or Instagram that rely heavily on advertising revenue, TikTok has focused on an engagement-based advertising model. Brands partner with popular creators to sponsor content that is blended seamlessly into the creator’s organic videos. This native approach helps ads feel less intrusive to users. TikTok also offers self-serve ad platforms to target audiences based on demographics, interests, and behaviors.
The Rise of Amber Scholl
Amber Scholl is a content creator who gained fame on TikTok for her sponsored ads and shopping haul videos. Scholl first joined TikTok in 2019 and quickly amassed a large following due to her fun and engaging sponsored content. According to her TikTok profile, Scholl currently has over 14 million likes and 863,000 followers.
Scholl’s rise to TikTok stardom came from creating sponsored videos for brands in a way that felt natural and genuine. As noted in this TikTok video, Scholl went from being a YouTube sensation with a passion for fashion and shopping hauls to being one of the most influential sponsored content creators on TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@genflow_/video/7139884523696737541?lang=en). She brought her knack for showcasing products in an entertaining way from YouTube over to TikTok at just the right time when brands were looking for authentic partnerships on the platform.
Her videos highlight her bubbly personality while still seamlessly integrating sponsored products and links. This format helped her stand out among the crowded space of shopping haul videos. The brands she partners with run the gamut of fashion, beauty, home goods, and specialty items. Fans love how she manages to make each partnership feel unique to her own style.
Scholl’s Sponsored Content
Amber Scholl has worked with many major brands to create sponsored content on her TikTok account, which has over 14 million followers. Some examples of popular branded campaigns she has done include:
A holiday gift guide for Amazon featuring various products like the Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer. She encouraged viewers to shop her gift guide linked in her bio (source).
A partnership with Fabletics to promote their activewear. She modeled different outfit options and said she loves their clothes because they are both cute and comfortable (source).
A lucrative deal with Walmart to create TikToks about college dorm room essentials and styling clothes from their Free Assembly line. Her videos focused on affordable back-to-school finds (source).
Promotions for Marc Jacobs fragrances where she applied the scents and lip products in transition videos. She told viewers the products make great gifts (source).
Sponsored ads for the at-home exercise company LIT Method, showing short workout clips. She encouraged her followers to try the programs (source).
Creative Process
Amber Scholl is known for her creative and engaging sponsored ads on TikTok. She spends a great deal of time coming up with unique ideas that will resonate with her audience and properly showcase the brands she works with. According to an interview with Forbes, Scholl starts the creative process by thoroughly researching the brand and identifying qualities or assets that can be translated into engaging short-form video ads. She often looks to the brand’s own marketing materials, websites, and products for inspiration.
Once Scholl has a high-level idea, she storyboards the ad, mapping out key moments, transitions, captions, effects and more. She may go through several iterations before landing on the version they will film and produce. On shoot days, Scholl relies heavily on her creative team to help bring the vision to life through cinematography, editing, music selection and more. It’s a highly collaborative process aimed at creating fun, playful ads that showcase products in an authentic way.
Working with Brands
Scholl has partnered with numerous major brands and companies over the course of her influencer career, including Amazon, Disney, Ulta Beauty, Coca-Cola, Pura Vida, Morphe, Hollister, and Target. Some of her most notable brand deals and sponsorships have been with Shein, a popular online fashion retailer. In 2021, Shein and Scholl collaborated on an exclusive clothing collection called the “Amber Scholl x Shein Collection.” The collection featured Scholl’s signature feminine and romantic style. Pieces from the line included floral dresses, crochet tops, and printed sets. The launch of the collection was promoted heavily by both Shein and Scholl. According to Shein, the collection was meant to “empower confidence” and allow Scholl’s fans to emulate her style.
Measuring Effectiveness
Scholl closely tracks a variety of metrics to measure the effectiveness of her sponsored ads and brand partnerships on TikTok. Some key metrics she monitors include:
Impressions – This refers to the number of times a sponsored ad is displayed. High impressions indicate an ad is reaching a large audience (TikTok Ads Manager).
Reach – The number of unique users who have seen an ad at least once. Wide reach signals an ad campaign is exposing the content to a diverse group of viewers (Portermetrics).
Click-through rate (CTR) – The ratio of users who click on an ad vs the number who view it. CTR measures how captivating and relevant an ad is to the target audience (Megadigital).
Conversions – The number of desired actions taken after viewing an ad, such as visiting a brand’s website, downloading an app, or purchasing a product. Conversions demonstrate how effectively an ad generates sales or leads.
Scholl analyzes these metrics to identify top-performing ads and continuously refine her sponsored content strategy. Strong engagement and conversion rates indicate her branded partnerships are resonating with TikTok users.
Criticisms
TikTok has faced criticism for its handling of sponsored content on the platform. Many influencers fail to properly disclose when their content is sponsored, going against TikTok’s Branded Content Policy which requires clear disclosure. An investigation by Vox found that top TikTok influencers often promote products without disclosing sponsorships
This lack of transparency around paid partnerships has led to complaints that TikTok is breaching EU consumer protection rules. In response, TikTok has worked with the European Commission to update its branded content policy to crack down on undisclosed ads and “get rich quick” schemes.
Critics argue the previous lack of enforcement allowed too many influencers to get away with disguising paid promotions as authentic content. Moving forward, TikTok aims to ensure proper disclosures and stop manipulative advertising, though effective oversight remains an ongoing challenge.
Industry Impact
Amber Scholl has had a significant impact on influencer marketing, particularly on TikTok. With over 14 million likes and 860,000 followers, Scholl is one of the platform’s top creators (https://www.tiktok.com/@amberscholl?lang=en). Her sponsored content has shown brands the power of partnering with the right TikTok influencer to drive engagement and sales.
According to Forbes, Scholl charges around $50,000 for an integrated campaign across TikTok and Instagram (https://www.forbes.com/sites/maddieberg/2022/06/14/how-24-year-old-amber-scholl-turned-tiktok-stardom-into-a-business-empire/?sh=78d5eb66762f). At those rates, she has set a high bar in terms of the value top TikTok creators can provide. This has led many brands to focus more marketing dollars on sponsoring creators like Scholl.
Scholl’s success has paved the way for other lifestyle, fashion and beauty creators on TikTok to monetize through sponsored content. Her blend of engaging videos along with integrated brand partnerships has become a model for aspiring influencers. In many ways, Scholl has helped define what effective branded content looks like on TikTok.
The Future
Amber Scholl has ambitious plans to continue growing her business in the future. According to Investor Times, Scholl aims to expand into other social media platforms like YouTube and Facebook. She also wants to create her own products, fragrances, merch, and potentially start a digital agency to work with other creators. Scholl sees endless possibilities for sponsored content and wants to partner with even more brands across diverse industries. She strives to be an inspiration and role model for other young entrepreneurs looking to find success on social media.
As TikTok and influencer marketing continue to evolve, Amber plans to adapt and diversify her offerings. But at her core, she wants to keep creating fun, playful videos that bring joy to her audience. While the future is unknown, Amber Scholl seems poised to remain an influential figure in the social media landscape for years to come.
Summary
Amber Scholl has emerged as one of the most successful and recognizable creators of sponsored content on TikTok. With over 7 million followers, she has built an engaged audience that eagerly awaits her creative videos advertising various brands. Her fun, quirky style combined with her marketing savvy has made her the go-to influencer for many companies looking to tap into the lucrative Gen Z market on TikTok.
Scholl’s meteoric rise demonstrates the power of influencer marketing on social media. Her videos receive millions of views and drive real sales for partner brands. She has proven adept at tailoring ads to the TikTok platform while maintaining her authentic voice. While some criticize sponsored content, Scholl has developed best practices for transparency and created guidelines for working with brands that allow her to remain true to herself.
As TikTok continues to grow, Amber Scholl will likely remain one of the top influencer marketers to watch. She has shown how creators can leverage the platform’s unique features for effective and engaging branded content. Scholl represents a new breed of social media celebrity – not just entertaining audiences, but monetizing that reach. Her success signals a promising future for influencer marketing on TikTok and beyond.
