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TikTok Video Ads for B2B Success Formula

Wojtek Jeżowski

July 17, 2023

Table of Content

Right at the outset, let's note three reasons why tech-businesses should read this blog article to the end:

1) B2B decision makers are demanding more engaging, creative, and relatable content, just like in B2C marketing, 2) The majority of B2B buyers, over 60%, are now millennials who understand social media and prefer an autonomous and engaging experience rather than traditional sales pitch approaches, 3) Unlike other social media, TikTok's algorithm prioritizes fresh and relevant content over follower count, giving smaller B2B brands the opportunity to go viral and gain exposure if their content resonates with the TikTok community. In this ultimate guide to TikTok for tech business we'll explain how you can rock TikTok presence with your B2B video material and maximize its business potential and get more customers.

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Why TikTok is good for tech-business marketing?

Gone are the days when you would hire an army of sales team and they would fetch you the business and take a B2B tech-business to new heights. Today's B2B buyers, 64% of them, explicitly indicate that cold calling is one of the main reasons for negative purchase decision. Rather, they seek informative and entertaining branded content that fits into their buyer's journey and can be easily shared and discussed with colleagues. TikTok is the ideal platform to meet these demands when it comes to the social media strategy.

B2B buyers - Millennials lead the way in the tech-business sector

B2B tech buyers are predominantly millennials, and they expect B2B content to be as engaging and creative as B2C content, particularly in the tech-sector. They value autonomy and prefer to avoid direct sales contact. To capture their attention, successful brands must build trust and engagement through helpful and entertaining content. "Micro content" that aligns with their buyer's journey and can be easily shared and discussed with colleagues is particularly appealing to them. Here are some important number that B2B marketers should take a note of:

  • 60% of B2B tech buyers are millennials, a generation raised on internet technology with high digital expectations.
  • 44% of millennial B2B buyers prefer autonomous purchasing, conducting their own research and forming opinions.
  • 64% of buyers cite cold calling as the main reason for deciding not to buy a product/service.
  • 82% of B2B buyers desire more creativity in advertising, similar to B2C.
  • 81% of B2B buyers believe engaging advertising would lead to better choices.

Role of social media platforms in tech B2B marketing

Businesses confront specific issues and obligations when it comes to B2B tech-business setting when compared to the informal nature of B2C. With millennials as the dominant B2B buyers who are proficient in social media, building trust and fostering engagement becomes crucial for tech-business brands. To circumvent direct sales contact (and the common misconception that it works), brands should prioritize the creation of valuable and engaging content and look for perfect social media platform. They can choose from Instagram reels, YouTube shorts and TikTok's.

Millennials specifically seek "micro content" that aligns with their buyer's journey, facilitating easy sharing and discussions among colleagues. Social media offers a great tool to respond to the special demands of B2B enterprises.

Undiscovered opportunities exist in the B2B realm to cultivate future business relationships through social media channels. Social strategy incorporating advanced audience targeting offers valuable insights that can uncover potential opportunities for B2B social media promotion initiatives.

Social media's vast user base of 4.8 Billion enables businesses to target specific demographics and connect with their potential clients, customers and users. Marketers can utilize valuable insights and statistics from these social platforms to make data-driven decisions and analyze campaign effectiveness.

With the ability for two-way communication, businesses can build relationships, respond promptly to inquiries, and capitalize on the shareability of content, resulting in enhanced brand visibility and organic reach. By effectively leveraging social media channels, B2B enterprises can establish a robust online presence, engage with their audience, and thrive in the competitive digital landscape.

Unleash your B2B marketing potential with TikTok presence in the tech-business realm

TikTok, the social platform and the ultimate blend of entertainment and social networking, is not just for viral videos and dance challenges or the fun side, but a game-changer for B2B tech-enterprises. With 1 billion active users, it offers a unique opportunity to captivate your audience in a creative way and convey empathy and emotions (emotional marketing) crucial for branding success.

Why choosing TikTok for B2B is a vital decision for tech-businesses

Grab the list of 9 reasons why you should use TikTok for B2B strategy:

  • Market Dominance: Research predicts that TikTok will lead the way in growth with 53% of marketers expecting its dominance in 2023, surpassing Metaverse and LinkedIn.
  • Reach influential B2B customers: TikTok is the top choice for engaging potentially reach 1.092 billion users, majority of them being millennials (the present majority B2B buyers), and young people - Gen z (the upcoming B2B buyers), the today's influential B2B buyers, showcasing the platform's unparalleled potential for brand connections.
  • Engaging videos for authenticity and connection: TikTok's emphasis on original and authentic content lets B2B marketers showcase their brand voice, personality, expertise, and establish real connections with potential clients. Get creative with empathy, creativity, and branding to leave a lasting impact.
  • Viral exposure for massive brand recognition: With TikTok's algorithm-driven content discovery, B2B businesses have the potential to gain unexpected exposure and go viral, resulting in unprecedented recognition and visibility.
  • Collaborate with niche influencers: Partnering with relevant TikTok influencers in specific B2B industries can significantly boost brand awareness, reach, and reputation. User-generated content from these influencers creates authentic and relatable hooks for your target audience.
  • Targeted ads for professionals and decision-makers: TikTok ads work quite well, when they are customized to attract professionals and decision-makers using its targeted advertising solutions. Increase the likelihood of generating leads and conversions by reaching the right audience and achieving expected key metrics.
  • Tap into broader conversations: TikTok's "For You" page algorithm presents a hidden opportunity for B2B marketers. Align your TikTok videos strategically with trending topics and hashtags to participate in broader conversations and reach a wider audience beyond your established networks.
  • Research shows TikTok's cross-platform appeal allows seamless content sharing across social media platforms, expanding your brand exposure far beyond TikTok itself. Don't miss out on the chance to unleash your creativity, showcase your brand emotions, and stand out in a competitive digital market.
  • The success stories of B2B campaigns on TikTok are already making waves, proving that captivating videos on this platform is a must in today's fast-paced online landscape.

Humanize your brand, build trust, and forge meaningful connections with your target audience through relatable videos that leverage the power of narrative, humor, and creativity. Embrace the new era of B2B promotion with TikTok, where authenticity meets engagement throughout customer purchase journey, and creative storytelling drives business success

6 ways how to rock on Tik Tok with your B2B video content

In this section, we'll explore key parameters for B2B TikTok success, understanding the audience and setting clear goals. We'll discuss captivating content creation, leveraging trends and obstacles, utilizing TikTok features and influencer partnerships, engaging the TikTok community and target audiences, and monitoring performance. Get ready to elevate your B2B TikTok game to the next level!

1. Understanding the TikTok (Social Media Platform) Target Audience Targeting

To be successful on TikTok, tech-businesses must first understand the platform's demographics and user behavior, just like in any other conventional case. While some B2B marketers dismiss TikTok as being solely for a younger demographic, research shows otherwise. TikTok, despite its relative youth, attracts many users of all ages, and over 60% of its users are over the age of 25.

If you dismiss the platform based on assumptions about its users' ages, you may miss out on possibilities to engage with a varied spectrum of potential customers. B2B businesses may customize ad format and their content to spark ads that resonate with different age groups and maximize their exposure to audiences on TikTok by recognizing the platform's large user base.

2. Understanding user behavior on TikTok

While comprehensive studies on TikTok-specific user behaviors are still emerging, lessons from other social media provide useful implications for tech-businesses. TikTok users' involvement and experiences are influenced by psychological processes such as upward social comparison and the fear of losing out.

Furthermore, TikTok's distinct design, immersive possibilities, and personalized content feed set it apart from other platforms, drawing a wide range of users. This gives a fantastic chance for B2B marketers to reach a diverse clientele by exhibiting products, services, and business culture in compelling and approachable ways. TikTok's capacity to inspire and entertain develops a deeper connection with the B2B audience, resulting in significant engagement and industry thought leadership.

To fully exploit TikTok's potential, crucial aspects that contribute to understanding user behavior on the site must be considered. Geographic location, TikTok usage trends, purchasing behavior, the best trending subjects, the most followed creators, and the most relevant branded hashtags are among these characteristics.

B2B marketers can develop focused and engaging videos that engage with their audience, enhance visibility, increase brand awareness and maximize the effect of their TikTok promotion efforts by receiving insights into these factors.

3. Setting Clear Goals for Your B2B TikTok Strategy

Life without a goal has no meaning, and the same applies to B2B TikTok strategy or business in general, for that matter. In most cases, the goal is already recognized within the tech-business strategy and the goal of using TikTok would also be to aid in achieving that.

However, delving deeper into TikTok specific goals could be crucial for an optimum output. Following the below steps would be useful:

Determine your goals

Define your precise goals for incorporating TikTok into your promotional activities.

Do you want to raise brand exposure, generate leads, increase website traffic, or improve audience engagement? Outlining your objectives clearly will drive your content development and overall strategy.

Consistent with overall B2B promotion strategy

Check that your TikTok objectives align with your overall B2B promotion plan.

TikTok should supplement and reinforce your overall branding/sales efforts in order to get new audiences and help you achieve your business goals.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) should be defined

Determine the precise parameters that will be used to assess the effectiveness of your TikTok approach.

Having well-defined KPIs, whether for video views, engagement rates, lead conversions, or follower development, will allow you to track progress and make data-driven decisions.

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4. Creating Compelling B2B Viral TikTok Videos

When generating B2B TikTok videos for tech-businesses, it's critical to consider both short and long-form content, with special emphasis on user-generated content.

Each style has distinct advantages and can be utilized strategically to achieve various objectives. Well the easiest is to just let experts like us produce it for you, but being able to the understand forms and which to opt for is rather useful.

Short TikTok videos are quick and attention-grabbing, making them ideal for capturing viewers' interest. While creating a short TikTok video, ensure that it is:

  • Attention-grabbing: content is able to captivate viewers through visually compelling content, dynamic storytelling, and intriguing hooks.
  • Shareable: Incorporate elements like humor, emotion, or surprise to encourage viewers to share your content.
  • Concise: Deliver a clear and focused message by distilling your content to its essence. Use concise visuals, storytelling, and narration to make a powerful impact within a short timeframe.
  • Effective at any funnel stage: Showcase your value proposition, provide product demonstrations, or include clear instructions for viewers to take action.

Long TikTok video format provides an opportunity for in-depth exploration. While creating a long TikTok video, ensure that it shows:

  • Expertise and knowledge: Engage your audience with longer videos that showcase your industry expertise and provide valuable educational content.
  • More insights and useful information: Utilize longer videos to effectively communicate multiple messages, allowing for in-depth insights, product demos, and a deeper exploration of your topic.
  • Brand success and testimonials: Leverage longer videos to tell compelling brand stories, create/increase brand awareness, and share powerful testimonial videos that build trust and credibility.
  • Educational Content: Deliver comprehensive explanations, step-by-step tutorials, and detailed solutions through longer videos, offering your audience valuable educational resources.

By utilizing both short clips and longer formats, you can obtain compelling B2B TikTok videos that engages your audience and achieves your tech-business goals.

5. Incorporating trends and challenges to increase visibility

This is critical for improving your tech-business brand's visibility on TikTok. Staying ahead of the curve allows you to develop content that engages your audience and increases the visibility of your business. Here are some tips for staying on top of TikTok content trends:

  • Follow Influencers and Industry Leaders: On TikTok, keep an eye out for notable creators and industry leaders in your sector. Discover rising trends, viral challenges, and popular hashtags. Adapt these trends to fit the voice and values of your brand.
  • Engage with TikTok's Discover Page: Explore the Discover page on a regular basis to discover new creators, current hashtags, and popular challenges. Incorporate these trends into your content plan to reach out to the larger TikTok audience.
  • TikTok Sounds: Pay attention to prominent sounds and songs that are gaining popularity on the platform. Include these noises in your films to stay contemporary and boost your chances of being discovered.
  • Keep an eye on TikTok's challenges: Keep up with the latest challenges and consider participating in ones that are relevant to your brand. Incorporate these challenges into your videos to capitalize on communal enthusiasm and increase your visibility.
  • Analyze TikTok Analytics: Use TikTok's analytics dashboard to acquire insight into the performance of your videos. Identify patterns and trends that your audience responds to and optimize your content strategy accordingly.

6. Leveraging TikTok Features and Tools

Use TikTok for B2B tech-business marketing efforts through its following features:

Analytics: Learn about performance and viewer engagement.

Creator Portal: Access materials and best practices for content development

Promote with TikTok Paid Ads: To reach a broader audience, promote your material with paid advertising. Take advantage of advertising opportunities for tailored campaigns.

Q&A: Engage viewers by allowing them to ask direct questions.

TikTok Maker Next, join the monetization programme to have access to special tools.

Create branded hashtag challenges to enhance visibility.

Duet & Stitch: Work with other creators and collaborate with well-known TikTok producers.to broaden your reach.

Branded Effects: Create custom filters and effects to promote your brand.

Case Studies, Success Stories and Product Demo Videos

Here are some successful examples of using TikTok for B2B marketing

HP

As part of their Branded Hashtag Challenge, #HPRadicalReuse, HP generated compelling and informative videos. They skillfully demonstrated how individuals may make a positive difference in their everyday lives by partnering with diverse creators. The most popular videos that resonated with the TikTok community drove the campaign's success, resulting in a unique reach of over 68 million individuals and over 1.4 billion views. HP's genuine involvement and the high quality of their TikTok content raised ad recall by 5.9% and favorability by 1.9%, respectively.

example video: https://www.tiktok.com/@hp/video/6992706171677232389

Guesty

Guesty used TikTok's Smart Performance Campaign function to optimize deeper funnel events, and their success can be linked to the compelling video content they developed. Guesty efficiently used captivating videos to create a phenomenal 207% boost in conversions by focusing on converting customers from web to app. The engaging content not only piqued consumers' interest, but also resulted in a 62% decrease in CPA and a 12% rise in CTR, demonstrating the potential of well-crafted video content in generating B2B success on TikTok.

example video: https://www.tiktok.com/@guesty/video/7124781642895396139

Canva

The popular design platform aimed to boost acquisition activity and examine the role of sound in promotion campaigns. Canva used TikTok's Commercial Music Library to conduct an A/B test, comparing creative with an original sound to creative with a top track from the library. The results were spectacular, with a 100% increase in new active users and an 80% reduction in cost per new activation. Canva used the power of sound to create deeper engagement and boost campaign effectiveness by harnessing TikTok's song library. The Commercial Music Library provides a safe and simple way to incorporate popular music into projects, hence increasing the overall user experience.

example video: https://www.tiktok.com/@canva/video/7252926671773256962

Shopify

Rather than promoting their product, they empower independent business owners by sharing inspiring entrepreneurship stories. Experience their unique approach that sparks motivation and cultivates a vibrant community of driven entrepreneurs.

one selected video: https://www.tiktok.com/@shopify/video/7247896640097488134?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7252360352284018178

ebay

example video: https://www.tiktok.com/@ebay/video/7252781536079220014?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7252360352284018178

Square

They excel in B2B TikTok promotions by using user-generated content to highlight the success and growth of small businesses. Their approach not only boosts their image but also promotes the products and services offered by their customers.

example Video: https://www.tiktok.com/@square/video/7237121239377055022

Key takeaways for tech-businesses

  • Success of TikTok for B2B marketing hinges on captivating videos. It's your chance to showcase your brand personality, creativity, empathy, emotions and forge genuine connections with your audience. Give your brand strategy new life.
  • TikTok's massive user base of over 1 billion monthly active users, especially as it consists largely of millennials - the majority B2B buyers, presents an excellent opportunity to reach professionals, decision-makers, and industry enthusiasts.
  • Use both short and long form videos, but ensure that the form of video aligns with the goal of the campaign.
  • Jump on TikTok content trends, challenges, and sounds to boost visibility and capture the attention of a wider audience. Be part of the buzz and watch your business go viral!
  • Leverage TikTok's features and tools like analytics, the Creator Portal, TikTok Ads, Q&A, and branded hashtag challenges to maximize your reach and engagement.
  • Also, remember about making TikTok SEO (search engine optimization) to show in a Google Search Results (SERPs) with your video content on a high positions.
  • Take inspiration from success stories like HP, Guesty, and Canva. They've seen significant increases in conversions, favorability, and engagement through their impactful content.

Ready to unleash your video content on TikTok for B2B marketing?

Let's team up and create TikTok videos that'll make your competitors green with envy. Contact us, the video production pros, and let's bring best ideas, some humor, creativity, and viral impact to your TikTok game. Don't wait – let's TikTok and roll!

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