TikTok usage is exploding but is it the right channel to promote your B2B brand? Find out more and how Phase 3 can help you find your way.
Have you explored TikTok yet? In 2021, TikTok had 78.7 million users in the United States. And more users are joining every day. As you might have guessed, almost half (47%) of those users are Generation Z. But who are the other 53% - more than 41 million people? People who may be your target audience, that’s who.
Because of the young user demographic, many business owners and marketing leaders assume TikTok is not a platform for B2B content. But, as is most things in life, it's best not to assume. There may be circumstances, either with your brand or your customers, that make TikTok a great platform. Let's dive a little deeper into the app to discover if your brand may benefit from using TikTok.
Engagement
It is so easy to get pulled into the vortex of a TikTok feed. TikTok is the most engaging social media platform today, with an average user session of 10.85 minutes. By comparison, the second-most engaging app is Pinterest, which averages 5.06 minutes per session and it’s also more than three times longer than Instagram, at less than 1 minute per session. TikTok's algorithm creates a curated and personalized experience that keeps users scrolling. Sandie Hawkins, Head of Advertising for US TikTok, has said, "People check Facebook. But they watch TikTok."
Humanize your brand
TikTok is essentially a platform of personalities. This may be an opportunity for your brand to develop a relatable "face" who interacts with followers and builds relationships that lead to loyalty and conversion. Gary Vaynerchuk is a great example of this. His profile has 13.4 million followers. His agency VaynerMedia's profile has almost 3,000 followers. He shares his thoughts on all kinds of business-related and leadership topics on his profile and tags VaynerMedia when it's appropriate. He is a master at humanizing his company's brand.
Networking
As a rule, LinkedIn is the platform for B2B networking and building business relationships; and even with the introduction of TikTok, that does not change. However, there are opportunities for industry or small business networking on TikTok. If there are specific hashtags that your industry is rallying around, search for them on TikTok and leave comments on appropriate posts. Here are a couple of examples: #agencylife, #smallbusiness, or #salestiktok. Use these hashtags on your posts as well. Start those important conversations and see where they take you. But don’t post just to post – be strategic and choose content and hashtags that will help build your brand.
Focus on Small Businesses
If your target audience is small businesses, TikTok has been targeting small businesses with tools just for them. Hashtags like #smallbusinesstiktok and #smallbusinessowner have billions of views. While small business owners are connecting to their customers, you can connect to them with your B2B solutions. Follow the appropriate hashtags and engage with their posts to get directly in front of this target audience. From there, you can help them understand the benefits your products or services bring.
Leveraging User-Generated Content (UGC)
All kinds of businesses benefit from customer reviews and referrals. That includes your B2B clients. More and more, all kinds of people are making or consuming content related to products and services online. Creative content is the meat and potatoes of TikTok's platform. UGC typically is viewed as more authentic than brand-created content and is uniquely suited to the interactive and responsive video content on TikTok. Smart brands manage the UGC about their brand, by promoting the positive content and addressing the negative. If there is UGC on TikTok regarding your brand, you need to be there too.
Educational Content
If your brand uses educational content as part of your sales funnel, you probably post videos on YouTube and Facebook. TikTok has become an excellent platform to post shorter segments of those videos to attract a different audience at the top of the funnel and drive awareness of the brand. These short videos can introduce your product and engage users at the same time. Adobe is an excellent example of this strategy. Their TikTok videos are creative, fun, and very easy to understand and engage with their products.
Culture Drives Recruitment
TikTok can also be an imaginative strategy for finding employees by highlighting your brand's story and culture. Can you show in a short video what makes your company culture unique? Choose an employee or leader to be your spokesperson and post videos following that employee throughout their day. Include a call to action at the end of the video to visit your job board. TikTok is all about authenticity, so be real and truthful in these videos. However, you also have room to be a little playful and fun, if that makes sense for your brand.
The Asterisk at the End
So, we've outlined some reasons why TikTok may benefit a B2B brand. However, that does not mean that TikTok is appropriate for all B2B brands. As with any social media platform or marketing strategy, it's best to spend your time, money, and other resources on the channels where your target audience is spending their time. We've established that TikTok is a young person's channel and skews largely female. We've also established that the content on TikTok is quick, fun, and quirky. We've highlighted how important two-way engagement is on TikTok. Brands are expected to interact with their followers and to post content often.
If any of these details do not apply to your brand or your target audience, then TikTok should not be a priority for your brand. Stick to the marketing channels you know are giving you a solid return on investment. If you are not sure which direction to go with TikTok or any social media platform, Phase 3's social media team can help.
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