b2b-marketing-signal-and-the-ideas-i-find-interesting

I was at Web Summit and one of the talks that really stuck with me was about TikTok — I don't remember every detail of who gave it or which stage, but the core idea has been rattling around in my head ever since: TikTok isn't just a B2C thing anymore. It's actually working for B2B, and the data backs it up.

Here's the part that surprised me most. B2B marketers worldwide are increasingly meeting the demand for video content driven by platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, where audiences now simply expect it. That's not a hunch — a 2024 survey found that among B2B marketers looking to expand content distribution, 46% planned to increase social media content and 41% planned to increase video specifically.

And it's not just about posting more video — it's about the right kind of video. According to a March 2024 LinkedIn survey, short-form social videos actually produce the highest ROI, with shorter formats mattering most for grabbing initial attention. On top of that, B2B marketers need short-form content just to stay visible in the algorithms of platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

There's also a people angle here that I think gets overlooked. 75% of B2B marketers already use influencers, and 93% of them plan to increase that spending because it's working. And Gen Z, who are now showing up on B2B buying committees, tend to trust peers and influencers over traditional brand messaging — and while they'll watch long-form content, they clearly prefer short-form video.

So what does this actually mean if you're doing B2B marketing? It means the “TikTok is just for teenagers dancing” mindset is outdated. The platform — and short-form video in general — is becoming a real channel for building trust with buyers, not just brand awareness with consumers. If your ICP includes anyone under 40, there's a decent chance they're forming opinions about your category on a For You page before they ever hit your website.

I walked out of that Web Summit session thinking B2B marketers who write off TikTok are leaving trust — and pipeline — on the table.