The global pandemic forced business owners, their employees, and their customers to stay home.

These conditions were tough on most people, but perfect for TikTok. Its user numbers exploded. The short-video platform has gone mainstream; businesses can no longer afford to ignore it. Customers are flooding into TikTok, so businesses are flooding into it, too.

And why not? TikTok’s short-form video content and high engagement rates make it a great place for marketers to reach a large audience. But is it just for B2C marketers, or should B2B marketers get in on the fun, too?

Should B2B Companies Consider TikTok?

Our usual advice holds true for TikTok, just as it does for any other social platform: First, B2Bs need to determine if their target audience is active on TikTok. If they’re not, then spending time and energy there right now doesn’t make sense and resources can be better focused elsewhere. Second, B2B marketers should honestly assess whether they have the time and resources to produce regular, engaging content.

If your target audiences are active on TikTok and you can produce relevant content that meets both their needs and fits the platform, then it’s worth giving it a go!

What Are the Advantages of TikTok for B2B Marketing?

TikTok allows for B2B marketers to reach a large and diverse audience in a fun and engaging way. The platform's short-form video content is engaging, highly shareable, and has a low barrier to entry. With the right strategy and tools, companies can create and distribute content quickly and inexpensively.

TikTok's algorithm prioritizes content that resonates with its users. Thus, snackable, relatable content has a greater shot at making it into the platform’s algorithm.

Tips for B2B Companies that Want to Get Started on TikTok

1. Understand Your Target Audience. As mentioned earlier, when considering any advertising platform, knowing who you want to target is key. TikTok allows marketers to target lookalike audiences or specifically target users by gender, age, location, device, behaviors, interests, and language. Granular targeting options help to assure that your message will reach a well-defined audience.
   
   Reaching out to TikTok influencers in your market sector can be productive, as well. Influencers have already won the trust of their audiences. Partnering with or paying influencers is increasingly common and an excellent way to jump start advertising efforts. An excellent example of a B2B TikTok influencer doing it well is TikTok_Small_Business. They have quick, digestible tips for small business owners.
    
2. Define Your Goals. What do you want to achieve with your TikTok content or advertising campaign? Do you want to increase brand awareness, generate leads, drive traffic to your website, or something else? If you’re advertising on the platform, you’ll need to define your larger goals; your bid strategy/optimization goal can vary in the TikTok Ad Manager. B2B marketers can choose goals including reach, clicks, and conversions. Your bid strategy will change according to how you want TikTok to spend your budget.
    
3. Craft Your Content. TikTok is all about short-form video content. Make sure your content is fun, engaging, and relevant to your target audience. You must captivate your audience within the first few seconds. Consider using humor, behind-the-scenes footage, and short narrative storytelling to do that. Show how your products work and go behind the scenes to show how they’re made. Such videos help viewers relate to your company.
   
   Ads can run for up to 60 seconds, but TikTok recommends 20-30 seconds to boost engagement. Add trending hashtags, music, and filters to help your content stand out.  TikTok users quickly tire of the same ads, so you’ll need to refresh with a consistent stream of new ads.
   
   The two most popular forms are video ads and spark ads. Spark ads are TikTok’s take on Facebook’s boosted posts. They leverage your organic content and give it a promotional boost to an even wider network. Get details on TikTok’s Spec Page.
    
4. Track and Measure Results: As with any digital advertising channel, it’s critical to track and measure conversions, clicks, and ROI. You’ll need to install the TikTok pixel and set up conversion types to do so. TikTok’s analytics tools can help track all your core metrics. A 1% click through rate is considered average on TikTok. If you fall below that, adjust your creative or your approach.

Many factors go into a great TikTok ad campaign and successful content development for the platform. The two key factors: creative content and connection with the best possible audience. The nature of swiping on TikTok and such short bursts of engagement make connecting a challenge. A strong focus on quick-capture content is vital to TikTok success.

Connections with TikTok influencers or users with large audiences, provided they’re within your target demographic, can help build your brand’s reputation and sales quickly. Short-form video, more and more, is out-competing static image ads for user attention.

TikTok is here to stay – at least for now. If it’s a channel your audience frequents and you can create effective content, it’s definitely worth giving it a shot.

If your B2B company needs assistance with a digital advertising strategy or implementation, give us a shout! Our team of digital experts can guide you down the right path to success.

As a B2B marketer, if your target audience is active on #TikTok and you can produce relevant content that meets both their needs and fits the platform, then it’s worth giving it a go. https://nwsdigital.me/3SKFraF @northwoods #socialmedia