Product Launch: Pop Pay’s TikTok Influencer Search Tool

Defined and executed the go-to-market strategy for a new TikTok influencer discovery tool that generated thousands of customer and TikTok creator sign ups.

• Opportunity

  When TikTok exploded in popularity, we saw a clear gap: while brands wanted to partner with creators, they had no easy way to find or evaluate influencers on the platform. We set out to build and launch a TikTok creator search tool — designed to help brands discover, connect, and collaborate with creators while introducing them to the broader platform.

• Approach

  We treated the TikTok tool like a mini product launch — validating demand, defining value, and building a go-to-market plan to drive early adoption.

  1. Discovering Customer Needs

     1. Conducted customer interviews and sales feedback sessions to validate assumptions about how brands were currently finding creators.

     2. Identified key pain points — lack of search filters, unclear performance metrics, and no way to contact creators directly.

     3. Confirmed market interest for a lightweight, free discovery tool as a first step toward paid adoption

  2. Defining Product & GTM Strategy

     1. Scoped the product experience to deliver instant creator search and contact functionality.

     2. Defined freemium positioning to lower barriers to entry and expand top-of-funnel reach.

     3. Built a multi-channel GTM plan combining paid social, organic content, and email campaigns.

  3. Executing the Launch

     1. Launched a drip email campaign to over 30,000 existing and prospective customers, introducing the new capability.

     2. Developed SEO content targeting high-intent TikTok discovery keywords — achieving first-page ranking within weeks.

     3. Implemented marketing automation in Pardot to onboard and nurture free users, using behavior-based messaging to encourage upgrades.

  4. Measuring Impact & Learnings

     1. Tracked engagement, activation, and conversion metrics to evaluate adoption and fit.

     2. While initial signups were strong, ongoing retention and conversion were low — signaling limited product-market fit for the standalone tool.

     3. Captured insights on influencer search behavior that later informed roadmap priorities for integrated cross-platform search.

• Outcome

  The launch successfully executed the go-to-market vision — validating demand and testing adoption for a new product concept.
  

  • Generated thousands of signups within the first weeks of launch.

  • Elevated brand visibility around TikTok discovery keywords.

  • Delivered valuable learnings that redirected product investment toward unified creator search across platforms.
    

  Though the tool didn’t achieve long-term product-market fit, it served as a strategic experiment that clarified audience needs and refined our GTM approach for future launches.

• Deliverables

  • GTM Strategy & Launch Plan

  • TikTok Search Tool Scope & Messaging

  • Email & Paid Campaigns

  • SEO Content Plan

  • Marketing Automation Setup