Why TikTok went into ‘professional mode’ to win B2B hearts
A LinkedIn takeover helped TikTok persuade marketers the social media app could become their new home for performance marketing.
Home of viral videos and Gen Z trendsetting, TikTok wanted to convince brands it was also a platform for performance marketing.
According to research, recommendations from colleagues and posts on LinkedIn were the two most influential touchpoints for B2B decision-makers. Qualitative research also revealed TikTok was perceived as a hard sell for performance marketers who wanted data proving the channel performed.
The team knew it would be risky to spend money trying to convince marketers on LinkedIn of the commercial potential of TikTok. Aware of the need to cut through, TikTok and the team at agency Gravity Road went into full ‘professional mode’ in a bid to disrupt the conventional LinkedIn talking head case study.
Designed to be fun and engaging, the three case studies clicked through to a campaign landing page intended to nurture leads using the tagline ‘Great performance starts on TikTok’. The team posted performance stats for the ‘Talking Heads’ campaign, revealing TikTok’s cost per view was 96% more efficient than LinkedIn.
The social media app recruited creator and Gravity Road creative director Rob Mayhew as its official TikTok for Business spokesperson, tasked with sharing the message on social.
The campaign drove a 12% increase in marketers moving from reservation to auction base trading on TikTok. A brand uplift study achieved double digital growth across key performance indicators, with 11% of marketers claiming TikTok helps them achieve their campaign goals.
In addition, more than 400 performance marketers opted-in for TikTok for Business marcomms, helping the social media brand win the Business-to-Business accolade at the 2023 Marketing Week Awards.
