TikTok burst onto the scene in 2016 and has been growing ever since. Its influence in the social media space was immediately felt all across the board, from content creators and influencers to marketing agencies and startups, everyone wanted to know what the new kid in the block had to offer in terms of marketing and communication.
So today we’ll discuss if TikTok is an effective way to communicate your brand and engage your target audience, and if it’s worth the effort to use it as a B2B channel.
Let’s dive in.
TikTok as a Social Media Platform
TikTok, or Dauyin as it’s known in China, is a video hosting service aimed at the creation and distribution of short form videos. It started under the simple premise of sharing short-form content such as dubbed media, dance videos or funny skits, but nowadays it’s the 5th most used social media platform in the world (by weekly hours spent).
TikTok skyrocketed in popularity from the get-go due to its easy to use interface, engaging content and the communal aspect of the content found there. Such was the growth of TikTok during the first years that it absorbed some of its fiercest competitors, such as Musical.ly.
As far as its impact as a social media platform, TikTok has become a predominant force within the younger demographics, like Gen Zers or Millennials, and has changed the way many of them interact with the internet. For example, among their billion active users worldwide:
- 90% of them claim to open the app everyday at least once
- Almost 40% of that billion people have replaced search engines such as Google or Bing for TikTok
- Around 10% of the people on TikTok claim to have dropped other social media apps in favor of TikTok
So as we can see, TikTok has had a huge impact on the social media space, and it’s easy to infer that adopting it for a business is a safe and logical step. And you would be right, but let’s take a closer look at that statement and really ask ourselves: “Is TikTok good for business?”
Tik Tok for Business
When exploring Tik Tok as a business platform, it’s easy to find information, statistics, and testimonials on how it performs. And they’re 100% right: Tik Tok has proven time and again that it’s a safe and promising space for business to proliferate, grow and communicate.
When used correctly, Tik Tok has been shown to boost the sales and reach of both small and big companies both in the B2C space and in B2B. The results speak for themselves, if you don’t believe me just look at some of these statistics:
- TikTok has a potential ad reach of 945.2 million (among users aged 18+)
- 65% of TikTok users say they rely on online reviews and creator recommendations to decide what to buy online
- 2 in 3 shoppers say they get inspired to buy something on TikTok even when they’re not actively shopping
- The hashtag #tiktokmademebuyit has 31.8 billion lifetime views
At first sight, these statistics should be enough to convince you and your company to start working on that Tik Tok profile and content.
But if we take a closer look at them you will realize those statistics are geared to the B2C side of Tik Tok, a side that has had great growth in recent times. This was mostly due to new functionalities and integrations with other applications, which make the experience of buying and selling in Tik Tok easier and seamless. But what happens with Tik Tok as a B2B marketing channel? Is it worth the effort for B2B SaaS startups to invest in Tik Tok marketing?
Let’s take a closer look at that part.
TikTok as a B2B Marketing Channel
Tik Tok appears as an unlikely B2B marketing channel. After all, it’s a platform geared to entertain people with short form content, most of the content in there is either funny short videos, funny skits, or trivia, and its reach generally aligns with the younger generations, not so much with people looking for their next CRM. But upon closer inspection we start to see some aspects that are not obvious and which make Tik Tok a no-brainer when it comes to B2B marketing.
For starters, even though the majority of the people using Tik Tok use it for fun and relaxation, a great percentage of users rely on it as their primary source of information. 32.4% of TikTok users globally are on the app to keep up with current events and form opinions, so that brings a whole new group of people who are looking for other thing aside of fun when browsing Tik Tok: people who want to be informed, people who want to learn, people who are actively using Tik Tok as a trusty source of information. And there’s a huge chance that the target audience for a B2B SaaS company, a marketing agency, or a consulting company may be among those people.
On the other hand, Tik Tok is the foremost social media app to form communities, with the nature of its viral trends, such as dances or challenges, Tik Tok offers an opportunity for companies to flex their creativity and join the conversation in interesting and compelling ways. This helps to boost their brand awareness and visibility, allowing them to form a community of loyal followers that repost and share their content.
Furthermore, Tik Tok prides itself in the power of the algorithm to find the right public for the right content, tailoring the content shown to the user based on their search history and interactions. This ensures that your content will always find the person that needs it the most.
Tik Tok seems like a rather fitting B2B marketing channel when you factor in all of the above, among a whole other plethora of reasons. But if you are still not convinced, let me share a few relevant Tik Tok B2B stats:
- 32.4% of TikTok users globally are on the app to keep up-to-date with current events.
- TikTok users are 1.3x more likely to know about products and trends before their peers.
- 71% of TikTok users who take action off platform say that TikTok shows them exactly what they are looking for.
- TikTok is the second global app when it comes to consumer spending
- eMarketer estimates TikTok will generate $18 billion in ad revenue in 2023
Brands that Use TikTok in Their B2B Strategy
Now let’s explore some of the best B2B brands on Tik Tok right now, and let’s see what they are doing right.
In this section, we’ll cover:
- Adobe
- Grammarly
- Monday.com
How Adobe is using TikTok
With more than 5 million likes and over 30 millions views, Adobe has a solid grasp on Tik Tok B2B strategy.
They post engaging how-to videos and challenges, empowering their customers with the knowledge to get the most out of their tools, and actively supporting the community they are trying to sell to. Additionally, their Tik Toks have become a sort of inspiration hub for those already engaged with the brand. Appealing to the fun and lighthearted side of design, they’ve fostered a very loyal, creator-driven community.
How Grammarly grows on TikTok
Cloud-based writing assistant Grammarly is another brand that found success in the Tik Tok world due to their lighthearted approach to content creation. Through challenges, story times, and memes, the account has grown to over 100k followers and almost a million likes. By posting regularly and staying on top of what’s trending, Grammarly shows how a good Tik Tok strategy can significantly strengthen brand awareness and loyalty.
How Mondaydotcom is using TikTok
Monday is doing something new with the possibilities that Tik Tok opens, straying away from branded content. Monday’s whole strategy relies on using trending sounds and challenges to:
- Promote Monday’s features and benefits
- Share a peek into the work and life of those who make Monday
Creativity is key when it comes to strategizing for Tik Tok, and adapting to the ever changing landscape is a welcome extra, so don’t be afraid to go a little crazy with your Tik Tok strategy.
Key Takeaways
Tik Tok is one of the most important platforms on the internet right now, and has been proven time and time again to be a very reliable way to:
- Engage new audiences
- Create communities
- Advertise products and services
It works wonderfully as a B2C marketing channel, and with enough knowledge and experience on the platform, it can be an equally effective B2B marketing channel.
Joining Tik Tok should be a must for those looking to engage with their target audience in different, unconventional, ways and for those aiming to broaden said audience. All in all it should be a no-brainer bet.
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