TikTok, Gen Z’s go-to app for short-form video, became the world’s number one search engine in December 2021 and hasn’t ceded its title. What does that mean for digital marketers, who for years calibrated their search marketing strategies for a world dominated by Google?
Developing a presence on TikTok ahead of your competition presents a market advantage ― particularly in the B2B space, and for companies who are willing to experiment with their creative side.
Before publishing your company’s first TikTok video, first understand the medium and who’s using it to search for everything they used to Google.
Why Search on TikTok?
As the number of users on TikTok has grown, so have its features. Hashtags, location tagging and smart content suggestions make the videos that come up on a person’s “for you” page hyper-specific.
How are TikTok users taking advantage of the search function? Take the example of a person traveling to a new city. The traveler goes on Google, searches for a restaurant, and finds hundreds of paid advertisements and Yelp reviews. On TikTok, they find a short video that showcases a restaurant’s food and ambiance. Since many people prefer watching a video to reading, that might influence them to visit the restaurant they found on TikTok.
Once a person interacts with a video of a certain subject matter, TikTok’s algorithm is more likely to show them similar content than Google. Companies that have videos readily available when someone searches a topic is the digital equivalent of “the early bird catches the worm.”
How to B2B
Marketers can take advantage of the search feature by creating content that educates and inspires.
Take the example of Square, a B2B card reader technology company. It launched on TikTok with videos of businesses using its product. Now the company shares various types of content, such as how-to and product videos.
Another B2B social marketing resource is influencers. Developing an influencer strategy can help a brand increase engagement and reach. One example is when Adobe, a Fortune 500 software company that operates in both the B2B and B2C spaces, partnered with comedian Hasan Minhaj for a video about turning 30, complete with a clever joke about updating Acrobat.
As TikTok continues to grow, so does the potential for marketers. Using the platform for search might currently be preferred by younger audiences, but even the behaviors of older searchers can — and will — change.
The Future of Search Marketing
While there are opportunities on TikTok, it also comes with misconceptions and some limitations.
ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, has drawn serious concerns about its potential to share user data with the Chinese government. In May, the Montana state legislature voted to ban TikTok beginning Jan. 1. The federal government and more than half of U.S. states, including Montana, have banned TikTok from being used on government-owned devices. It is currently unknown if TikTok will be banned for other users in the future.
While LinkedIn is popular in the B2B space because of its professional nature, TikTok’s creative environment looks more candid and less “produced.” That might deter some B2B organizations from having a presence, but the search capabilities extend new possibilities. The platform itself offers an opportunity to humanize a brand. Developing a consistent brand voice and personality that resonates with your audience can help foster deeper connections and trust.
When embracing any new platform in the digital age, evaluating return on investment first will help marketers determine where to dedicate the most time and effort. TikTok should be considered part of a broader B2B marketing strategy. As the platform continues to gain momentum, marketers need to understand the opportunities and challenges it presents.
By embracing TikTok’s unique features and engaging with its active users, companies can tap into a new realm of search marketing and reach a visually driven audience.
Meagan D. Saxton is a social media specialist with ddm marketing + communications, a leading marketing agency for highly complex and highly regulated industries.
