What you might want to know

TikTok is principally seen as a first-rate venue for Gen Z to share dance crazes, which might be excellent for B2C entrepreneurs. Nevertheless, its attain is much broader than that. In accordance with Meltwater, TikTok advertisements have the potential to achieve 48.8% of individuals over the age of 18 within the U.S. 

So, it’s helpful for B2B entrepreneurs, too. Additionally, the Gen Z cohort is shifting up into positions make buy resolution

What makes it appropriate for B2C applies to B2B as nicely. It’s an important instrument for manufacturers to attach instantly with clients. It affords alternatives for in-app buying, live-streaming and branded hashtag challenges. Nevertheless, entrepreneurs should perceive and work with TikTok’s tradition to succeed.

This information covers key knowledge, consumer demographics, advertising methods, content material creation and greatest practices for B2B success on TikTok.

Why use TikTok for B2B advertising?

Whereas the platform initially appealed primarily to Gen Z and youthful millennials, it skilled important development amongst older demographics {and professional} audiences. Immediately, many decision-makers and trade professionals flip to TikTok for each informational content material and leisure, positioning it as a helpful channel for partaking B2B audiences. Moreover, you will need to word that B2B decision-makers have been getting youthful lately, and a big proportion at the moment are of digital natives.

The app’s brief video format permits for presenting intricate matters in an interesting and simply digestible method. Moreover, TikTok supplies numerous promoting choices, together with focused advertisements and influencer collaborations, making it simpler to achieve particular B2B audiences.

Dig deeper: How influencer advertising grew to become an important advertising channel

Knowledge from TikTok and Nielsen additionally discovered that the platform is the fastest-growing channel for product discovery. In accordance with the info, 15% of product discoveries start on TikTok. In accordance with TikTok knowledge, advertisers at the moment are seeing a median return of $2 for each $1 spent.

Demographics

Gender distribution: TikTok’s consumer base is comparatively balanced in gender, with 54% figuring out as male and 45% figuring out as feminine.

Age distribution: Whereas TikTok is in style amongst youthful generations, a considerable portion of its viewers includes older demographics. For instance, 21.7% of TikTok’s US consumer base are Millennials. Additionally:

• 18.2% of TikTok’s international viewers are ladies aged 18-24 and ladies aged 25-34 make up 16.3% of customers.
• Younger male customers account for 18% of TikTok’s viewers.
• 19% of world TikTok customers are males between 25 and 34 years previous, whereas 18% are males between 18 and 24 years previous.

Geographic distribution: The highest three international locations with essentially the most TikTok customers are the US, Indonesia and Brazil. The U.S. has the biggest TikTok viewers, with 148 million month-to-month distinctive customers. Indonesia has 126.83 million customers and Brazil has 98.59 million customers.

Small enterprise homeowners: Small enterprise homeowners characterize a big neighborhood on TikTok. Greater than half (52%) of customers uncovered to SMB (small and mid-size enterprise) content material on TikTok made purchases, demonstrating the platform’s energy to drive intent, in line with a report by The Drum.

The tradition of TikTok

• Quick-form video focus: TikTok thrives on brief, viral movies, usually incorporating music and trending sounds.
• Development-driven tradition: Success on TikTok will depend on staying up to date with the most recent tendencies and taking part in challenges.
• “For You” Web page (FYP): The FYP is a customized feed pushed by TikTok’s algorithm, recommending content material based mostly on consumer pursuits.

Dig deeper: 6 issues to search for in a B2B influencer

Leveraging TikTok’s algorithm

TikTok’s algorithm is the important thing to the location. It’s so essential that the Chinese language authorities has stated it can’t go away China (additional clouding a doable sale of the platform). The algorithm determines which content material seems on a consumer’s For You Web page (FYP).

Key affect components embrace:

• Person interactions: Likes, feedback, shares and follows point out consumer curiosity, making content material extra prone to seem on comparable customers’ FYPs.
• Video info: Hashtags, captions and sounds categorize content material, serving to the algorithm match movies with audiences.
• Gadget and account settings: Elements like location, language and machine sort personalize content material strategies however have a lesser influence.
• Watch time and replays: Content material with excessive completion charges and replays alerts high quality, which the algorithm rewards with broader attain.
• Shares and saves: Content material customers save or share signifies excessive worth, prompting TikTok to share it with a bigger viewers.

To leverage TikTok’s algorithm, entrepreneurs can:

• Have interaction actively: Responding to feedback and interacting with followers alerts an lively, partaking profile, boosting content material visibility.
• Use strategic hashtags: Combine trending and niche-specific hashtags to achieve broader audiences whereas staying related inside the trade.
• Submit at optimum instances: Use TikTok analytics to find out peak instances when the viewers is most lively, rising preliminary engagement.
• Give attention to watchable content material: Hook viewers within the first 3 seconds and maintain movies partaking to enhance watch time and completion charges.
• Incorporate trending sounds: Fashionable sounds naturally improve discoverability whereas aligning with present platform tendencies.
• Encourage shares and saves: CTAs like “Share in the event you agree” or “Save for later” encourage engagement, signaling high quality content material to TikTok.
• Experiment with A/B testing: Take a look at completely different codecs, kinds and instances to find what resonates most with the viewers and the algorithm.
• Be constant: Common posting alerts an lively account to TikTok, rising the chance of the content material being really helpful.
• website positioning optimization: Enhance the positioning of the accounts and movies by strategically utilizing key phrases within the textual content on display screen, within the copy, within the closed captioning and even on the account profile.

Smaller accounts achieve the best impression proportion from the ‘For You’ feed, exhibiting that TikTok’s algorithm provides any content material an equal alternative to go viral, no matter followers. Good content material can go viral if it has captured focused consumer curiosity.

Dig deeper: Behind the scenes of Betterment’s B2B model consciousness marketing campaign

B2B use circumstances

Listed here are some particular use circumstances for B2B corporations on TikTok:

• Showcase model persona: Whereas protecting the model voice, showcase the corporate’s persona and values in a real and relatable means. Share worker tales, take part in challenges, and reveal firm tradition to create a robust reference to the viewers. For instance, Adobe posts inventive skits that aren’tpoke enjoyable at its merchandise.
• Share thought management and experience: Create instructional content material that addresses the viewers’s ache factors and showcases a novel perspective to ascertain the model as a thought chief within the trade. As weblog posts and white papers can ship B2B thought management, so can TikTok.
• Create instructional movies: Make movies that train the viewers one thing new, positioning the model as an professional in its area of interest. Companies can shortly and successfully share product demonstrations, trade insights, firm tradition, and many others.
• Go behind the scenes: Share moments from product growth to group tradition, to convey the viewers nearer to the model. This builds transparency and humanizes the model, making it extra relatable.
• Run contests and giveaways: Contests and giveaways will help B2B manufacturers improve engagement and appeal to new followers.
• Collaborate with trade influencers: Partnering with related TikTok influencers will help B2B manufacturers develop their attain and credibility. An influencer’s stamp of approval might be extra genuine and efficient than conventional promoting as a result of individuals belief their suggestions. For instance, Zendesk partnered with Jax for an authentic tune on Zendesk’s TikTok.
• Share buyer and worker testimonials: Showcasing buyer or worker endorsements can humanize the model and construct belief with the viewers in ways in which advertisements can’t deliver10. You possibly can spotlight the individuals behind the model, their roles and keenness for his or her work.
• Leverage user-generated content material (UGC): Encourage clients and trade influencers to create content material associated to the services or products.
• Repurpose content material from different channels: Maximize advertising efforts by repurposing content material from different advertising channels for TikTok.
• Spotlight distinctive use circumstances: Showcase product demos to the viewers, from hacks to tutorials, to assist develop the attain to a brand new viewers stuffed with potential clients.

12 methods to optimize your TikTok content material

1. Maintain it brief (15-30 seconds).
2. Embrace a powerful name to motion.
3. Optimize for cell viewing.
4. Experiment with inventive options.
5. Preserve a constant model voice.
6. Be genuine, intelligent and private.
7. Showcase new merchandise and updates.
8. Characteristic your target market.
9. Create instructional and entertaining content material.
10. Use private manufacturers, resembling founders or workers.
11. Make trade information related.
12. Use “present, don’t inform” product demos.

How B2B manufacturers are utilizing TikTok

Many B2B manufacturers have established a presence on TikTok to attach with a broader viewers, showcase their experience and humanize their model. Listed here are some examples of B2B manufacturers on TikTok and the way they’ve used the platform:

• Adobe makes use of TikTok to focus on advertising professionals and creatives, showcasing product options and use circumstances. Adobe posts inventive skits and companions with graphic designers to indicate time-lapses of its workflow in Adobe Illustrator.
• Biteable makes use of gentle, enjoyable and related content material to carry model consciousness. Its Social Media Supervisor creates meme-referencing, personality-rich content material, leading to an engaged follower base.
• Dropbox posts short-form movies throughout completely different social media platforms, together with TikTok.
• HubSpot’s content material contains trending codecs, relatable skits, podcast clips and academic clips made for TikTok. It additionally affords social media advertising suggestions and tips.
• Notion (a B2B-B2C hybrid) works with creators referred to as Notion Companions, who often spotlight the product on their TikToks.
• Sage encourages its viewers to share movies from enterprise homeowners and professionals who’re profitable at new tax guidelines.
• Salesforce makes use of TikTok to showcase the ability of its buyer relationship administration (CRM instruments, focusing on gross sales managers or enterprise homeowners.
• Semrush incorporates TikTok’s fast-paced development cycle into its social media advertising technique with a number of viral movies. Their movies are humorous and related to the model. (Semrush is the father or mother firm of MarTech.)
• Shopify affords enterprise and productiveness suggestions, showcasing how its product helps small companies. Its content material is geared towards entrepreneurs and small companies and mixes useful suggestions, sketches, memes, trade information and insights.
• Slack makes use of TikTok to focus on companies in search of higher group collaboration options. Its content material may characteristic humorous skits or explainer movies highlighting the advantages of utilizing Slack for inside communication.
• SupplyHouse.com content material focuses on “instruments of the trades,” customer-generated movies, gear spotlights, training and product-focused spark ads15.
• tl;dv has constructed a profitable TikTok presence with entertaining skits it is aware of will make their startup/tech-oriented viewers say, “That’s so true.”
• Zendesk companions with influencers/creators and exhibits a day within the lives of their customers and international workplaces.

These manufacturers regulate their voice to match TikTok’s give attention to humor and leisure. They create demo movies for instance product options, share helpful suggestions and enjoyable details, spotlight their product from the client’s perspective and supply behind-the-scenes glimpses of their firm’s operations.

Dig deeper: How you can steadiness ROAS, model security and suitability in social media promoting

How lengthy will TikTok be out there within the US?

TikTok is the one social media platform that may be banned within the U.S. The extremely in style social media app is supposed to cease working within the U.S. on April 5. 

Why is there a regulation banning TikTok?

Authorities officers within the U.S. and elsewhere have repeatedly raised considerations that TikTok poses a nationwide safety danger. They imagine the Chinese language authorities might use the app from the China-based firm ByteDance to spy on residents or manipulate public opinion by boosting or burying sure content material.

The app is banned or restricted to non-governmental workers in a number of international locations, together with India, Jordan, Senegal, Uzbekistan and different Central Asian nations.

In 2019, the Division of Protection banned the app on governmental units. President Trump threatened to ban TikTok the next yr except ByteDance bought it to a non-Chinese language firm. In 2024, the Defending People from International Adversary Managed Purposes Act — primarily President Trump’s menace within the type of a regulation — handed each homes of Congress with giant, bipartisan majorities and was signed into regulation by President Biden.

The ban went into impact on Jan. 19, 2025. Beneath the regulation, the president might invoke a 90-day delay in enforcement. That delay ends on April 5, 2025. 

Nevertheless, President Trump, in line with the administration’s coverage of selective regulation enforcement, says he gained’t let TikTok be banned. 

What caused this alteration of coronary heart? Two issues. One is that lots of the apps’ greater than 170 million U.S. customers began calling their Congresspeople to complain. The opposite is that TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has change into good mates with President Trump—so good that the corporate staged a publicity stunt on his behalf.

On Jan. 18, 2025, the day earlier than the ban took impact, the app briefly went darkish. TikTok put up an announcement that learn, partially, “We’re lucky that President Trump has indicated that he’ll work with us on an answer… as soon as he takes workplace.”

At President Trump’s inauguration two days later, Mr. Chew was in very shut attendance. 

Firstly of February, Mr. Trump ordered the Division of Justice to ship letters to Google and Apple saying the tech giants gained’t be prosecuted beneath the regulation for making the TikTok out there of their app shops. The 2 corporations stopped providing TikTok when it went darkish, however have since restored it.

What influence has this had?

Roughly none. In accordance with Cloudflare, “DNS site visitors for TikTok-related domains” dropped 85% in the course of the shutdown. Site visitors rebounded shortly when the app returned and is now at 90% of pre-shutdown stage. As of January 2025, it had 170 million month-to-month lively customers (MAU) in the US.

No shock, then, that advertisers have continued to speculate. “Month-over-month U.S. TikTok video advert spend has been rising considerably even from December, a excessive advert spend month because of vacation buying and promotions,” in line with Attraction.io. To offer you an thought of what meaning: For the primary six months of 2024, month-to-month video advert spending on the location averaged $55 million.  

In complete, manufacturers spent $4.8 billion on TikTok throughout 2024, a 27% year-over-year improve from 2023, in line with MediaRadar. The highest ten manufacturers on the platform, which embrace heavyweights resembling Disney, Walmart and Amazon, mixed for $690 million, or 14% of this spend.