Once considered a novelty social media platform for trendy dance videos, TikTok has taken the internet by storm since its inception in 2016. Now the platform features content from seemingly everything under the sun-cleaning hacks, cyber security tips, celebrity gossip, news breakdowns, and trendy dances—those never went away! But surprisingly, TikTok has emerged as a powerful tool for B2B marketers.
Because the TikTok app first gained traction with teens and young adults, many businesses wrote it off. Why would you market on a platform that doesn’t cater to your target audience? While that may have been true initially, now it couldn’t be further from reality.
In 2021 there were 78.7 million users in the United States, with 64% of these between the age of 20-49 years. This uptick in older users flocking to the app means one major thing for businesses: your target market is waiting on TikTok. With the platform expected to expand to reach 1.5 billion users by the end of 2022, the time for B2B TikTok marketing is now.
In this article, we’ll showcase some businesses that have mastered the art of using B2B marketing on TikTok, break down some helpful information about the platform, and share details about its effectiveness as a marketing tool.
What is TikTok and Why Should You Care?
Notorious for its wide reach and high virality potential, TikTok is the fastest-growing social media platform in the world. TikTok is a short-form video-sharing application that allows users to utilize sounds, songs, and original audio to share their content with the world. The current app originated in 2018 after a popular lip-syncing app, Musical.ly, was merged into TikTok. Initially, there was a fifteen-second limit on the videos, but TikTok is now rolling out features that allow many creators to share videos up to ten minutes long.
The high-reach potential of TikTok is one crucial factor for B2B marketers choosing the app. The video nature of TikTok content allows organizations of all types to create emotional connections with potential clients, showcase their products, and expand their reach. Sixty-seven percent of users say they are inspired to shop when scrolling through TikTok, even if they weren’t planning on shopping. This statistic perfectly illustrates the relationship TikTok has with consumer behavior, making this application a top tool for B2B marketing teams in every industry.
The massive user count isn’t the only thing TikTok has to offer businesses. With detailed analytics tools, the ability to boost posts, and in-app scheduling capabilities, companies can harness the power of TikTok all in one place. Instead of conducting your own analytics, figuring out what works best, and adjusting, TikTok gives you the insight you need to find your audience and cater to their content desires.
Source: emarketer.com
What is TikTok marketing?
Marketing on TikTok is different from marketing on any other social media platform because the application champions authenticity, creativity, and emotion. Since accounts with just a few followers can bring in millions of views on a great video, the growth potential brands have on TikTok is unmatched.
There are multiple ways to dive into video marketing on TikTok. Influencer marketing, original content creation, and advertising are the main methods.
Influencer marketing allows brands and businesses to benefit from influencers with an existing audience due to their content style. You can have fun with your brand by creating original content such as product demos, client success stories, or even funny, behind-the-scenes clips. The paid ads feature on TikTok is new and allows brands to create their own trends, filters, and hashtags.
Why B2B Marketing on TikTok is a Great Idea
If your model is B2B, TikTok is perfect for you. Think of it this way: every single business that needs your product or service is supported by people. Those people might just come across your TikTok content as they’re scrolling at 2:00 AM, develop an emotional connection with your brand, and decide that their business needs what you have to offer. A significant 24% of marketers consider TikTok an effective tool for reaching their business goals, and that number is trending upward.
The social media marketing landscape is always changing, and businesses have to be willing to change with it. Since TikTok has the highest user engagement per post out of any other social media platform, putting time and energy into building your B2B TikTok account is an investment that will provide returns. It allows you to connect with your audience in a real way, showcase your organization’s values, and have a bit more fun with content creation. Don’t be afraid to try new, trendy, and sometimes silly approaches that contribute to overall engagement.
Source: hootsuite.com
B2B TikTok Marketing Best Practices
Even if you feel ready to start incorporating TikTok B2B marketing into your content strategy, it can be challenging to know where to start. The platform is unique, and so is the content that does best on the platform. To help you get going, here are the best practices for TikTok B2B marketing:
Authentic > Polished
If you’re used to posting on Instagram, you may have to break out of your mold when creating video content. Instagram usually demands very polished content, with even the look of a page’s feed mattering to some content consumers, but TikTok could not be more different. The audience on TikTok is looking for brands and creators to showcase the real side of what they do and who they are. Instead of a curated, aesthetic approach, take a vulnerable and unique stance.
Post Regularly
You’re probably going to feel some sticker shock here, but you should be posting 1-3 (or more!) times per day on TikTok. Once a day is not sufficient if you want to garner the right level of traction. Before panicking, keep in mind that TikTok videos can be short, sweet, and raw. Videos between 21 and 34 seconds long are the highest performing videos.
Showcase Your Brand’s Personality
There is no better platform to open up about your brand’s story, vision, mission, and values. Sharing the “why” behind why you do what you do is a great way to capture an audience’s attention. Showcasing the challenges in your business can keep them interested in the long run. Now more than ever, a company’s values and ideals are important to its clientele. Don’t forget to remind potential clients why they can feel good about partnering with you.
Befriend the Trend
TikTok is home to trending sounds, hashtags, and videos, giving marketers easy starting points when it comes to content. If there is a trending sound relevant to your business or a hashtag that you can jump in early on, be sure to do it. When something is trending, TikTok will push related content to wider audiences, providing an excellent opportunity for accounts to expand their reach.
Keep B2B in Mind
As a B2B organization, your TikTok approach may vary a bit from a B2C approach—and that is perfectly fine. Don’t be afraid to creatively share statistics or news in your industry to reach the right audiences. Give value and have fun doing it. B2B TikTok marketing is growing, so hop on this platform now to avoid being late to the party.
Source: blog.hootsuite.com
6 Examples of B2B Marketing Done Right on TikTok
Cracking the code of B2B TikTok may take some time, but many brands have proven it is possible. With some individuality, creativity, and boldness, the brands below have amassed a sizable TikTok following, expanded their reach, and opened their business up to new opportunities.
1. Adobe
With nearly 3 million likes, Adobe has mastered the art of B2B marketing on TikTok. They post engaging how-to videos, empowering their customers with the knowledge to get the most out of their tools, and actively support the community they are trying to sell to. Most recently, Adobe launched a small business campaign that will connect creators with small businesses, granting $10,000 to the finalist.
2. Grammarly
This popular text editing software pokes fun at the challenges of writing last-minute essays, makes jokes about grammar mistakes, and has figured out how to connect with anyone who has ever written something—which is everyone. Their content is relatable and also shows the value of their product. Sitting at just under 80,000 followers, we’re confident Grammarly is going to continue to shine.
3. Morning Brew
Making business news accessible is the cream and sugar for Morning Brew. Their videos delve into workplace trends, explain significant business updates, and break down the reality of the corporate career landscape, helping them connect with users of all ages. They provide the business content everyone needs but doesn’t know how to ask for in the B2B community.
4. Sage Accounting Software
Making accounting software interesting isn’t the easiest task. Sage Accounting Software uses TikTok to showcase how their customers use their products, partnering with current users and capitalizing on user-generated content. Not only is this a great way to showcase their products, but it also helps their customers reach new audiences.
5. Shopify
Shopify makes small business ecommerce easy by offering their popular marketplace platform and software. Shopify uses TikTok to share other productivity tips, business tips, and of course, ways to use their product. With over 100,000 followers on the platform, Shopify can continue to create value for its users and even convince new users to join.
6. Square
The card reader technology company Square didn’t waste any time jumping on the TikTok bandwagon. They began sharing videos from small businesses that use their product, promoting their clients while marketing Square’s service. It worked, and now Square’s TikTok following is growing rapidly.
One App Download Away
With TikTok’s growing popularity and effectiveness, you’re just one app download away from changing how you market your business. TikTok B2B marketing allows brands to market their offerings, while breaking down the walls that sit between them and their customers.
Opening up about business values, leadership approach, and even office culture can be a great way to expand your reach and broaden your candidate pool for open roles. By incorporating the TikTok best practices above, you’ll be sure to see a positive ROI from this platform.
To manage your TikTok campaigns and other social media marketing efforts, you need a powerful social media engagement suite designed for B2B like Oktopost. With robust scalability, automation, and analytics, it’s the platform that will keep B2B marketers doing the latest trendy happy dance when creating more content for TikTok.
