Vanessa Kessler
Carla Märkl
Alongside Facebook, Instagram and others, another social network is establishing itself in the online world: a video app called TikTok. It claims to already have around 800 million users and is thus competing with Instagram. The app recently overtook the market-leading platforms YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook in terms of the number of downloads in the USA. Many B2C companies are currently experimenting with the platform. But what are the chances for companies in the B2B sector? After all, TikTok is growing fast and there is currently no stagnation in sight.
things to know about the app: what is TikTok?
TikTok is a social video network that evolved from the lip-sync app musical.ly and is a video portal originating from China for lip-syncing music videos and countless other short video clips of all kinds.
Users have the opportunity to watch short videos on the video platform and also upload short videos they have created themselves.
Meanwhile, TikTok is the fastest spreading mobile app in the world. It says it is available in a total of 75 languages and enjoys a growing number of users worldwide. But it is not only Generation Z that is represented on TikTok; after all, more than 31% of users are over 25 years old. TikTok thrives on topics that appeal to many users – such as inspiration, knowledge sharing, or comedy.
AI is used to tailor user-generated content to individual users, who then find it on their personalized For You Page (FYP). To increase the likelihood of appearing on the FYP, the hashtag #foryou or even #fyp is often used. This is because hashtags also help to attract attention on TikTok.
what opportunities does TikTok offer companies in the b2b sector?
With a well-developed help section, TikTok also provides businesses with best practices and product guides to best leverage the platform’s marketing solutions for their advertising goals. We’ve summarized a few for you here:
Target group definition: Basically, every company can also gain a foothold on TikTok for different target groups. If you know your target group, you already know which content will generate attention and how to tie users to the brand. The key to successful marketing on TikTok is to get to know the platform itself and the target audience so that you can tailor content to their interests and needs. While it’s true that the social media app appeals primarily to a young target group – after all, nearly 70 percent of users are between the ages of 16 and 24 – this target group can also be of enormous value to companies. And not just in terms of purchasing decisions; they are also the workforce of tomorrow. Since TikTok is a very fast-moving platform and the choice of content is large, this means that companies have to react quickly. Keyword: real-time marketing.
Content creation and community building: providing more insights into the business is an approach many companies are taking on TikTok. This includes insights into the daily work routine, productions or special company-relevant announcements, such as upcoming events.
Brand building and customer acquisition: Potential new customers or new employees can learn about the brand via TikTok. Involve the community at all times and use the platform as a way to showcase yourself as a modern company that is continuously taking advantage of new opportunities.
that’s why tiktok can also be suitable for your b2b brand:
TikTok content creation is relatively new for most brands in the B2B sector. Ideally, content should be entertaining and personal at the same time. If you can achieve that, you’ll get more people to watch and engage with your videos. In the process, your chances increase that the platform’s algorithm will place your content in front of even more users on the home page. There is no universal recipe for success yet. Therefore, it is important for companies to experiment and explore new possibilities.
For example, as a B2B brand, you can use TikTok to give users an inside look at how your products are made. The platform is also a great way to encourage advocacy and participation from your employees. Even better, you can let your subject matter experts take over and allow them to host a Q&A session on TikTok.
Although TikTok is very popular with younger people, the platform also appeals to older generations. The possibilities for innovative employer branding offer a particularly great opportunity; after all, there are a whole lot of potential workers moving around on the platform who can be addressed cost-effectively and efficiently.
Whether you’re producing funny or educational TikTok videos, your content should be authentic. This also explains why behind-the-scenes videos are particularly successful. They offer viewers a real insight into what the brand is all about. So if you want your B2B company to be successful on TikTok, stay credible!
Whether you already have a YouTube channel or you’ re on other social networks, you can reuse your existing content for TikTok. The best part? You’ll have a pool of content marketing ideas that will last you for weeks. You can also include engaging presentations of products, brands, and career insights.
Due to the younger audience, most of the entrepreneurial decision makers can hardly be found on the platform. Therefore, it is quite difficult for B2B companies to find their target market here.
This can conversely mean that you have hardly any competition on the platform. As a first mover, you have an advantage and can lay the foundation long before the competition does.
this is how you get started on TikTok!
The first step is simple. First, download the app to your cell phone.
Now you can define a user name and a password. It is important that the username is related to the company name because it cannot be changed later. You can also add further profile details, such as the link to the company website, the link to other social media profiles, and a short description of the company. Also, the profile picture can be inserted, in which the logo should appear at best.
The third and final step is to convert the created profile into a TikTok Business account for companies. This is easily done via the profile settings. After the conversion, you’ll get access to account statistics, which of course include follower numbers, reach and interactions.
reach and interactions, but also provides information about the demographic information of the followers.
that’s what the icons mean:
tips and tricks for your tiktok account:
An essential element of TikToks is the music feature. Not only can it be used to insert a suitable sound into the video, but also to search for similar content. Therefore, the following applies here again: Go with the trends!
Actively use hashtags to associate video content with a specific topic. There are always popular hashtags that can be used to increase reach. Companies also like to take advantage of these hashtags by starting their own hashtag challenges.
Gestalte deine TikToks lebendiger, indem du verschiedene Übergänge, sogenannte Transitions, verwendest. Wichtig ist allerdings, dass es sich um gute Übergänge handelt: flüssig und ohne Stocken.
Individuality instead of mass production – of course, this also applies to TikTok.
Note: The user decides in less than three seconds whether he or she likes the content of the TikTok or not. That’s why it’s important to captivate them in the first few seconds of the video.
Those who work with popular elements like the green screen function or effects like the bling effect will additionally be seen via the search function of the respective elements and rewarded with extra reach.
TikTok offers a duet or reaction feature that allows users to react to a video or even copy the content.
Peakboard at TikTok:
As a relatively young company, we also decided to dive into the world of TikTok.
The idea that Peakboard could appeal to younger generations in the platform convinced us to take the plunge and tackle the project.
Our first steps started with building the content plan for several upcoming weeks. First came the collection of inspirations and ideas, also taking into account current trends in TikTok. In joint meetings, we set up a plan on how we wanted to present ourselves as a company on TikTok. We could already see our first successes in one of the first videos posted.
Upon closer examination, it becomes clear: TikTok should not be ignored in the B2B sector. Whether it’s employer branding, marketing events, or advertisements, TikTok holds a lot of B2B potential, offering companies many touchpoints and thus greater awareness.
