TikTok for B2B: Y or N?

If you’re reading this, you’re in B2B advertising. If you’re in B2B advertising, you know all too well that Google and LinkedIn costs are sometimes prohibitively high and that alternatives are in short supply.

So…what about TikTok? Could this darling of authentic, entertaining social engagement actually work for B2B brands?

The answer: it absolutely can, but advertisers cannot approach TikTok like they would approach more traditional B2B digital platforms. We dig into all the strategic crevices (campaign structure, creative, targeting, etc.) in TikTok for B2B: A Comprehensive Guide, but first, a little more background on the nature of TikTok itself.

Youth – and Beyond

We’ve heard plenty of B2B marketers dismiss TikTok as an option because its audience skews young, but that’s short-sighted. Yes, Gen Z (ages 16-24) makes up over half of TikTok’s 1B+ users, but even professionals early in their careers may have purchase influence and can bring your brand to the attention of decision-makers.

And even that’s not the whole picture. As of October 2022, users over 30 make up almost 40% of a highly engaged user base, and TikTok’s momentum with Millennials and Gen X continues to build. (By comparison, Facebook’s growth of new users is stagnating in the all-important North America and EMEA markets.)

Pivot away from polish

TikTok’s internal data shows that its engagement is up to 15% higher than engagement on other platforms. Its success is directly traceable to its informal nature: the most viral content isn’t slick or polished; micro-influencers are more credible than out-of-touch celebrities; and users who have become more and more distrustful of advertisers and data-collecting platforms have found TikTok’s irreverence compelling.

Following this, B2B companies as well as B2C brands should focus on making ads that appear native to the platform, which means they can and should lean into trends and entertainment as much as possible. (The #CorporateTikTok hashtag provides lots of good examples of how this is done – and shows how brands are leveraging creators to educate their audiences on their areas of expertise.)

Striking the right balance of entertainment, education, and brand fidelity is a challenge, especially for B2B companies more used to the relatively rigid content of LinkedIn and Google. But the opportunity to build awareness and engagement at lower CPMs is there for brands that find it (like nogood.io does here).

For more tips on the right approach for TikTok for B2B, download our full guide.