According to HubSpot, 83% of marketers say short-form video (like TikTok, Reels, Shorts) is integral to their B2B strategy, with 71% reporting it provides the highest ROI. Based on information like this, B2B companies are increasingly adopting TikTok strategies, according to a new report from UK-based TikTok agency Nonsensical.
The report, which examines top-performing B2B brands on the platform, highlights that millennials control the majority of B2B purchasing power and spend a significant amount of time on TikTok, with 54% of millennial users reporting that they discovered new information on the platform in the past month.
The analysis identifies common threads among successful B2B TikTok accounts, notably their focus on entertainment and relatability rather than product-centered promotion.
“These brands stand out for their originality, consistency, and ability to connect with audiences in a way that feels authentic, engaging, and uniquely ‘TikTok’,” the report states.
The research methodology evaluated brands based on content strategy uniqueness, consistency, brand personality, platform-native content, and engagement metrics.
Successful Case Studies
Semrush, a digital marketing platform, achieves engagement through character-driven content featuring “Chris,” who personifies overworked marketers. This approach has generated more than 10 million views and engagement from major brands, including NBC Studios, IMDb, and Vimeo.
Project management platform ClickUp employs corporate humor through office parodies and sketch comedy. Their content includes workplace dynamics skits, with standout videos that have reached 19 million views. The company maintains a separate account dedicated to corporate comedy sketches.
Social media management company Hootsuite combines mascot-centered content with employee-generated videos. Their strategic response to Duolingo’s viral “Death of Duo” campaign demonstrated effective trend participation, according to the report.
The findings reveal varied content strategies beyond humor. Financial services company Square focuses on providing small business advice through presenter-to-camera videos and a consistent interview series called “Talking Chit,” featuring stories of business owners.
Productivity platform Notion leverages employee-generated content, showcasing behind-the-scenes glimpses of headquarters and responsive trend participation. Diagram software provider Lucid Software created the “Lucid Explains” series, using its product to illustrate entertaining concepts.
The report concludes with three primary recommendations for B2B brands:
Prioritize relatability over promotion, focusing on humor and storytelling rather than product features.
Feature recognizable faces through employees, mascots, or recurring characters to build trust.
Maintain consistency through episodic content while participating in trends and cultural moments.
“No one wants to see a brand pushing a hard sell on TikTok,” the report advises. “The best B2B brands on TikTok focus on humour, storytelling, and everyday work experiences, not just product features.”
Market Context
TikTok’s own B2B playbook positions the platform as a key channel for reaching business decision-makers, according to the report. Brands establishing presence now “are positioning themselves as buying power shifts” to millennial purchasers who actively seek information on the platform.
The report methodology focused exclusively on organic content performance rather than paid campaigns, examining creativity, posting frequency, brand voice consistency, platform-native execution, and engagement metrics.
Platform-Specific Execution
Several execution patterns emerge among the highlighted brands. Character-driven storytelling appears repeatedly, with companies creating recognizable personalities either through employees or fictional representations.
Meeting recording tool tl;dv builds content around recognizable team members in sketch-style videos rather than product demonstrations. Media company Morning Brew (included despite not being strictly B2B) leverages creator Maisie, who began as an employee and now fronts their TikTok content under a creator agreement.
Episodic content structures provide another common thread, with Square’s “Talking Chit” and Lucid Software’s “Lucid Explains” offering templated, repeatable formats that maintain consistency while featuring fresh content.
The analysis reveals workplace humor as a dominant theme across successful B2B TikTok strategies. ClickUp’s parodies of office culture, Semrush’s portrayal of marketing frustrations, and Hootsuite’s playful mascot interactions all leverage relatable workplace experiences.
This approach appears particularly effective at generating viral moments, with ClickUp’s office parody video reaching 19 million views and Semrush’s character “Chris” becoming recognizable at industry events.
The report highlights interaction from major brands in the comments sections as evidence of success. Semrush’s content has garnered engagement from notable brands such as NBC Studios, IMDb, Vimeo, Upwork, Fiverr, Lenovo, Subway, Chilly’s, and others, indicating industry recognition of their TikTok strategy.
“Similarly, Notion’s employee-centered content generates significant engagement – with standout moments such as a playful founder compilation that prompted commenters to call it ‘now THIS is marketing’ and suggest the ‘social team [deserves] a raise.’”
Employee-generated content (EGC) appears as a consistent strategy among the profiled companies. Hootsuite, Notion, and others leverage staff members to create authentic content that humanizes their brands.
The report suggests this approach helps maintain content consistency while building audience familiarity with the people behind the brand. Morning Brew’s relationship with creator Maisie exemplifies an evolution of this approach, transitioning from an employee to a dedicated creator.
Analysis Methodology
Nonsensical, the UK TikTok agency behind the report, states the featured brands are “not a ranking, but a collection of accounts that we love and think deserve the praise and recognition.” Their analysis focused on originality, consistency, brand voice, platform-native execution, and engagement metrics.
The agency notes it works across “strategy, organic, influencer, paid, and TikTok Shop” services and publishes a biweekly TikTok insights newsletter called “The TikTok Sauce.”
Dragomir is a Serbian freelance blog writer and translator. He is passionate about covering insightful stories and exploring topics such as influencer marketing, the creator economy, technology, business, and cyber fraud.
According to HubSpot, 83% of marketers say short-form video (like TikTok, Reels, Shorts) is integral to their B2B strategy, with 71% reporting it provides the highest ROI. Based on information like this, B2B companies are increasingly adopting TikTok strategies, according to a new report from UK-based TikTok agency Nonsensical.
The report, which examines top-performing B2B brands on the platform, highlights that millennials control the majority of B2B purchasing power and spend a significant amount of time on TikTok, with 54% of millennial users reporting that they discovered new information on the platform in the past month.
The analysis identifies common threads among successful B2B TikTok accounts, notably their focus on entertainment and relatability rather than product-centered promotion.
“These brands stand out for their originality, consistency, and ability to connect with audiences in a way that feels authentic, engaging, and uniquely ‘TikTok’,” the report states.
The research methodology evaluated brands based on content strategy uniqueness, consistency, brand personality, platform-native content, and engagement metrics.
Successful Case Studies
Semrush, a digital marketing platform, achieves engagement through character-driven content featuring “Chris,” who personifies overworked marketers. This approach has generated more than 10 million views and engagement from major brands, including NBC Studios, IMDb, and Vimeo.
Project management platform ClickUp employs corporate humor through office parodies and sketch comedy. Their content includes workplace dynamics skits, with standout videos that have reached 19 million views. The company maintains a separate account dedicated to corporate comedy sketches.
Social media management company Hootsuite combines mascot-centered content with employee-generated videos. Their strategic response to Duolingo’s viral “Death of Duo” campaign demonstrated effective trend participation, according to the report.
Alternative Approaches
The findings reveal varied content strategies beyond humor. Financial services company Square focuses on providing small business advice through presenter-to-camera videos and a consistent interview series called “Talking Chit,” featuring stories of business owners.
Productivity platform Notion leverages employee-generated content, showcasing behind-the-scenes glimpses of headquarters and responsive trend participation. Diagram software provider Lucid Software created the “Lucid Explains” series, using its product to illustrate entertaining concepts.
Design platform Canva balances educational content with entertaining office moments, while e-commerce platform Shopify, TikTok’s official e-commerce partner, combines business tips with sketch-style content targeting entrepreneurs.
Key Recommendations
The report concludes with three primary recommendations for B2B brands:
“No one wants to see a brand pushing a hard sell on TikTok,” the report advises. “The best B2B brands on TikTok focus on humour, storytelling, and everyday work experiences, not just product features.”
Market Context
TikTok’s own B2B playbook positions the platform as a key channel for reaching business decision-makers, according to the report. Brands establishing presence now “are positioning themselves as buying power shifts” to millennial purchasers who actively seek information on the platform.
The report methodology focused exclusively on organic content performance rather than paid campaigns, examining creativity, posting frequency, brand voice consistency, platform-native execution, and engagement metrics.
Platform-Specific Execution
Several execution patterns emerge among the highlighted brands. Character-driven storytelling appears repeatedly, with companies creating recognizable personalities either through employees or fictional representations.
Meeting recording tool tl;dv builds content around recognizable team members in sketch-style videos rather than product demonstrations. Media company Morning Brew (included despite not being strictly B2B) leverages creator Maisie, who began as an employee and now fronts their TikTok content under a creator agreement.
Episodic content structures provide another common thread, with Square’s “Talking Chit” and Lucid Software’s “Lucid Explains” offering templated, repeatable formats that maintain consistency while featuring fresh content.
Corporate Humor
The analysis reveals workplace humor as a dominant theme across successful B2B TikTok strategies. ClickUp’s parodies of office culture, Semrush’s portrayal of marketing frustrations, and Hootsuite’s playful mascot interactions all leverage relatable workplace experiences.
This approach appears particularly effective at generating viral moments, with ClickUp’s office parody video reaching 19 million views and Semrush’s character “Chris” becoming recognizable at industry events.
Industry Recognition
The report highlights interaction from major brands in the comments sections as evidence of success. Semrush’s content has garnered engagement from notable brands such as NBC Studios, IMDb, Vimeo, Upwork, Fiverr, Lenovo, Subway, Chilly’s, and others, indicating industry recognition of their TikTok strategy.
“Similarly, Notion’s employee-centered content generates significant engagement – with standout moments such as a playful founder compilation that prompted commenters to call it ‘now THIS is marketing’ and suggest the ‘social team [deserves] a raise.’”
Employee-Generated Content
Employee-generated content (EGC) appears as a consistent strategy among the profiled companies. Hootsuite, Notion, and others leverage staff members to create authentic content that humanizes their brands.
The report suggests this approach helps maintain content consistency while building audience familiarity with the people behind the brand. Morning Brew’s relationship with creator Maisie exemplifies an evolution of this approach, transitioning from an employee to a dedicated creator.
Analysis Methodology
Nonsensical, the UK TikTok agency behind the report, states the featured brands are “not a ranking, but a collection of accounts that we love and think deserve the praise and recognition.” Their analysis focused on originality, consistency, brand voice, platform-native execution, and engagement metrics.
The agency notes it works across “strategy, organic, influencer, paid, and TikTok Shop” services and publishes a biweekly TikTok insights newsletter called “The TikTok Sauce.”
The full report is available here
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