Is there any space for B2B brands on TikTok?

The DMA B2B Council posed the question to up-and-coming creatives and strategists, Jordan Perez-Hughes at B2B CX Agency The Croc, accompanied by Maya Behzadi and Lili Small from social media and influencer marketing agency, BIG little LDN.

Jordan feels strongly there is an enormous opportunity for B2B brands to make waves on TikTok today. “The platform is built with creators and content in mind, which has levelled the playing field for brands. The days of only breaking through the content wall by having big budgets and Hollywood directors are over.”

Jordan further explains that TikTok allows brands to speak directly to their community using authentic lo-fi prebuilt product solutions, “This means that every B2B brand can now communicate with their audience in a fun and engaging way, finally putting to rest that B2B is B2C’s boring counterpart.”

Now, the difficulty B2B brands face is their strategy on the platform. When creating content, you must think TikTok first. A highly polished brand video will not resonate on the platform, you must try to embed your message within a TikTok trend or insight and make fun engaging content, not an ad. As Jordan puts it, “it’s called social media for a reason, brands aren’t allowed.”

Embrace authenticity and influencers

Authenticity is key on TikTok, especially when it comes to brand and influencer collaborations. There has to be a similarity in terms of the content they create and their ethics. The Kourtney Kardashian x Boohoo sustainable fashion collaboration was called out for greenwashing all over TikTok as the two brands are known for ostentatious overconsumption which contradicts the ethics of sustainability.

Lili Small, Junior Planner at BIG little LDN explains, “It’s difficult to tell how genuine influencers are when branding themselves as “sustainable” because when a paid partnership is offered with a brand associated with underpaying their workers or being unecological, it’s sad to see many influencers jump at the opportunity.”

What this teaches us is it’s no longer acceptable to make advertising and marketing claims that do not match a B2B brands internal processes and operations. It’s something we’ve seen being called out in B2C Marketing, but B2B brands need to be equally as aware, especially if planning to introduce TikTok as a marketing channel. Where big budgets don’t get in the way of execution, the sourcing and contracting of influencers must authentically align with the campaign message.

Lili Small continues, “There are so many sustainable fashion influencers, and they’re such a huge part of why I love TikTok. Over the years they’ve inspired me to make my wardrobe more sustainable by showing me how I can keep up with the latest trends while also being kinder to the environment.

Many influencers have expanded their profiles by showing people that second-hand shopping is not only a cheaper option but a better one for our future. I love following @madisonxwild who shops sustainably for her clothing, creating thrift hauls that inspire outfit combinations and styling tips.”

Choosing influencers for their values over their celebrity reach may not drive as many eyeballs, but they will be the eyeballs that matter and drive positive ROI and brand recall for the right reasons.

Unleash employee culture

In any business, the employees shape the culture and are the biggest asset, which is why putting them front and centre of branded content is a proven B2B mechanic. It puts a face to the business, shows off internal culture and makes the business more relatable and engaging.

Maya Behzadi, TikTok Strategist at BIG little LDN explains what great can look like, “New Look is one of many companies that have embraced the power of employee culture, giving sales assistants at their Stevenage branch the creative reigns to publish content they know will resonate with potential customers. What started as 30-second outfit challenges in the summer of 2021, has since gained the branch 383.8K followers - 228% more than the official brand channel - and more than 21 million views on one video alone.

Employees have 30 seconds to find a suitable outfit for an occasion that a viewer had commented on in a previous video – much like the everyday questions staff on the shop floor may receive.”

This embrace of employee creativity has made the Stevenage store the largest voice for New Look on TikTok. While on the surface this is very much B2C marketing - showing off the latest stock, staff product knowledge and excellent customer service - from a B2B perspective, New Look is seen to be a company that values the ideas of employees and as a result, become a desirable career destination for prospective recruits.

While employee culture can be expressed under the brand umbrella, TikTok can also be a place for individuals to create content while at work – subsequently promoting the brand they work for. Maya continues, “Laura Fulgenzi is a shop assistant for Asda and creates funny content based on what customers ask her for in-store. For example, instead of finding chives, she does a jive. Generally getting over 1 million views on her videos, Laura has become an influencer in her own right and with over 55k followers, has become a powerful influencer for Asda – creating authentic content which advertises the brand, while potentially saving big on influencer fees.”

B2B brands breaking through on TikTok

The Croc, recently ran a campaign for ABAX, a Norwegian asset tracking company specialising in the construction industry. The challenge was to deliver a solution that was far removed from the dull functional approach of their competitors and connect with ABAX’s straightforward audience of builders who read The Sun and Daily Mail.

Jordan explains how they gave the audience what they wanted, on the platforms they liked the most. “Ultimately, it was humour which turned out to be the key to getting through to the ABAX customer base. Through our research we uncovered that builders love a prank and social media is flooded with user-generated content of builders pranking each other. So, we took this trend for a ride with a TikTok first approach, pranking an unexpecting builder by hiding all his equipment.”

The campaign was run in collaboration with creator SQ2_Contractors, who revealed the location of the tools later with ABAX. As a result, The Croc built an integrated social campaign that didn’t feel like an advertising campaign at all.

With a genuine viral spirit resonating throughout, ‘When you don’t use ABAX’ illustrates how B2B brands can embrace the rise of short-form social content and the opportunities it presents. To date, the campaign has generated 5.2 million views and over 86,000 click-throughs, becoming the brand's best-performing campaign of all time.

Getting started on TikTok in 2023

In summary, Jordan says that TikTok presents a significant opportunity for B2B brands to connect with their audience in a fun and engaging way, "The platform allows brands to reach their community using authentic content, challenging the current landscape of B2B marketing with entertaining and playful creativity that connects on an emotional level top of funnel." Jordan further explains that the key to success on TikTok is to think like a TikTok creator and create content that aligns with the platform's trends and insights.

"Brands can also leverage employee-generated content to showcase their internal culture and make the brand more relatable and engaging.” Case studies like New Look and ABAX show how B2B brands can embrace the rise of short-form video content to build an integrated campaign that cuts through the clutter and drives real results.

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The authors:

Emma Critchley-Lloyd, Founder, BIG little London

Jason Talbot, Managing Director, The Croc