Can professional services firms use TikTok as a lead generator?
Social media giant TikTok has grown to become one of the most popular apps in the world, now with over 1 billion monthly active users. A staggering statistic, considering it is such a new player in the market. It also holds the crown for the fastest-growing social media app of all time. Which is why many practitioners and BD and marketing professionals are wondering ‘should professional services firms use Tik Tok?’
Starting life as Douyin, the app was originally released in China in 2016, and after its first year, had amassed over 100 million users. TikTok, as it is known outside of mainland China, is the international version, and was released shortly after in 2017.
Whilst TikTok’s user base has typically always been younger, there is data available to suggest the demographic spread of users has in fact widened over time. Some brands or businesses were early adopters of the platform; however, others, particularly within professional services have been quick to dismiss it due to their belief the younger demographic would not fit their target audience. While it is true that many of TikTok’s users are in a younger demographic, the spread of ages indicates there is still a large market that can potentially be missed if brands choose to ignore the platform. Therefore, perhaps, if we ask should professional services firms use Tik Tok, the answer should be that they should at least consider it.
In today’s connected world, it is no longer enough to simply throw content out there and see how much of it sticks. Today, professional services clients, are effectively telling us what content they prefer and how they wish to consume it. Many have a short online attention span and are looking for quick answers from firms to solve their problems or to purchase the services they are looking for. When professional services firms use TikTok, they are serving up bite sized pieces of content – in this case video – clients can see and hear what they want to know straight away. Much like the increasing use of chatbots on company websites – it allows you to find out the information you want instantly.
Tech giants like Google, Microsoft and Apple are in on the act, but not simply by showcasing their products. This kind of interaction would gain minimal attention. They have to humanise their offerings and interact with their audiences, just like everyone else. For example, this might be in the form of someone engaging in an activity or sport, such as skiing. The focus would be on the person/sport and a tech product might be subtly be added somewhere in the background or mentioned by the presenter.
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ARTICLE BY BEN PAUL & THE BD LADDER
