How to go TikTok viral: A guide for B2B
It’s official, TikTok is here to stay. With over 1 billion active users, the ability to make mega viral music hits, and create overnight success for millions of small businesses, TikTok has permanently redefined how we make, and consume, social media content. Leaving major platforms like Facebook and Instagram in its wake, the rise of the video orientated platform has caused many B2B brands to look towards a different mode of advertising than your average LinkedIn ad. But when many in the industry still only view TikTok as an app where teenagers dance to cringey music, how can your brand utilise the space to your advantage? Read on to discover our tips and tricks to help your business boss the TikTok scene.
Is TikTok right for me?
Before we start doling out tips and tricks, it’s important to first think about whether TikTok is right for your brand. TikTok’s algorithm is extremely unique as it runs on a content algorithm rather than a social graph, pushing content based on users’ interests on “For you” pages rather than basing metrics on the poster’s follower count. For brands this means you can reach a massive audience with minimal followers, presenting a huge opportunity to reach potential customers with fun and engaging content.
But what if the people interested in your product aren’t on TikTok?
As of 2020, TikTok’s most popular demographic is users aged 10-19 standing at 25% of the platform’s active users. This can cause dismissal in the eyes of B2B marketers when discussing TikTok, as many right off the platform as Gen Z centric with no real application to industry brands.
But many fail to notice that 21.7% of TikTok’s active users are aged 30-39 and 20.3% are 40-49, making up a significant portion of the platform’s demographic, and with over 1 billion active users it’s unlikely that no one on the platform is interested in your content.
At the end of the day, if you’re debating whether to put your brand on TikTok just ask yourself, are people interested in my brand on other social media sites? If the answer is yes, then get on TikTok.
Who’s doing it well?
If you’re looking for inspiration for your company’s TikTok but struggling to find one centred around a B2B voice, then look no further than Adobe (@adobe) and Shopify (@shopify). These two brands have got their TikTok strategy down to a well formulated selection of short videos that portray their individual brand voices with ease.
Adobe: Adobe spreads its content into two main perceivable categories for its 322K followers: subtle sales pitches and friendly how-to videos. The former category resembles content that you would expect to see on your day-to-day LinkedIn advertisement, showing their services and apps that appeal to their target audience. The second category, however, is where the genius really is. Their how-to videos take on a funny and upbeat tone of voice that is helped by their employees’ personable personas, layering their sales pitch under their practical content which works well paired with TikTok’s engaging format. Our favourite videos include: “Make a Virgo moon vision board with me”, “POV: you’re working remotely on a deadline”, and “Which intern are you”.
Shopify: Shopify takes a bit of a different approach to B2B marketing on TikTok, as they focus more on creating organic branded content that relates to trending sounds. Their repeated use of the same faces, mascot, and hashtags, creates a brand image that is recognisable to their target audience. They also focus primarily on creating a sense of urgency or FOMO to create a buzz on their page. Our favourite videos include: “Big Business Energy”, “Whenever you’re ready to start that business I’ll be right here”, and “Shopify Editions”.
Our TikTok Top Tips
But when TikTok’s general tone of voice doesn’t directly correspond with traditional B2B, it’s hard to strategise to emulate others’ success. So here are our top tips on taking your brand from 0 to viral on TikTok.
- Forget your current content
Unfortunately, if you directly repost your current B2B video on TikTok, it’s an almost guaranteed flop. TikTok’s algorithm rewards engaging and creative content so your traditional B2B video that you’ve used on other platforms won’t work here. Expand your creative bandwidth and keep in mind trial and error when you’re creating your budget.
- Adjust your brand voice to suit your audience
When creating content for TikTok it is extremely important to know your target audience, as this can be different from your audience on other platforms such as LinkedIn. Adjust your brand voice to suit both the algorithm and your new audience, we recommend adopting a casual and light voice if you don’t have this already.
- Befriend the trend
TikTok is known for its trends. Whether it’s a catchy dance created by an influencer or a trending sound, there’s no shortage of trends for your company to hop on to! TikTok’s algorithm is designed to push trending sounds and content so using these trends is a must if you’re looking to get on people’s ‘For You’ pages.
- Post regularly
Unlike Instagram and Facebook, you need to be posting to TikTok multiple times a day (rather than a week) in order to stay relevant. While the jury is still out on an exact number, the general consensus is between 2-4 times a day in order to stay on the platform’s good side.
- Keep it authentic!
Most importantly, you need to keep it authentic. We recommend thinking deeply as to whether your new tone of voice fits your business, or whether that trend really aligns with your values. There’s a place on TikTok for everyone, you just need to find the right place for your brand.
Still unsure about how to take your B2B brand to TikTok? Contact our team.