TikTok is hugely popular in the UK, with 23 million registered users at the end of 2023. It’s also a sleek, modern platform, with good uptime and excellent mobile compatibility, making it one of the country’s most popular video marketing platforms. B2C businesses have been quick to catch on to the potential of TikTok as a marketing tool, but what about B2B companies?
Let’s start by saying that yes, TikTok can absolutely work for B2B companies, but it very much depends on your strategy and goals, and there are important factors to be aware of before investing money in TikTok. For example:
Most TikTok users are not business owners or decision-makers.
In fact, many, if not most, TikTok users are still at school or university. In March 2024, 76% of UK users were aged between 15 and 24 years. This is younger than the usual demographics targeted by B2B businesses. Yes, there are some young entrepreneurs, but most business owners and senior decision-makers are over 25. Depending on your sector, you might be able to use TikTok to market your products or services to start-up businesses, and it may be worth keeping an eye out over the next 5 to 8 years as the platform’s demographic matures.
The future of TikTok in the UK is in doubt because of its alleged association with the Chinese government.
One of the biggest stories in social media of 2025 so far is the ban of TikTok in the USA, which was previously one of its biggest markets. This came into effect across the United States on 19th January 2025, and although President Donald Trump paused enforcement of the ban for 75 days while exploring a potential resolution, the status of TikTok in the USA is highly uncertain.
We strongly advise that B2B businesses selling to the US market don’t invest in TikTok marketing at this time and transfer digital assets to an alternative platform, such as Instagram or YouTube Shorts. Get in touch if you’d like to discuss this further.
The ban came into effect because of data security concerns arising from the alleged influence of the Chinese government over TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance. Under the Biden administration, a law was passed requiring ByteDance to sell its US operation to an American company or be forced to close down, which they failed to do.
In the United Kingdom and the rest of the world it’s business as usual for TikTok, and the platform remains as popular as ever. That’s not to say, however, that similar political or data security concerns might force restrictions on the platform in the UK in the near future, putting investment at risk.
Know Your Audience
In short, if you want to dip your toe into TikTok marketing and advertising, it’s important to know your audience and be aware of the potential risks. Have a solid understanding of your buyer demographics, their budget, and preferences before investing, and we suggest starting slow with your expenditure. In principle, TikTok could be a really good B2B marketing platform in the coming years, providing robust targeting options and a creative approach to advertising content that could help you broaden and strengthen your overall marketing strategy. But watch this space…
Next Steps
Get in touch with JDR today to find out more about social media marketing and how you can use the right platforms to reach more of your target customers. Simply click here.
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