Dive Brief:
- As more small businesses build a following on TikTok, the short-form video-sharing app will launch a 20-event virtual workshop to help small- and medium-sized businesses reach new audiences and grow their companies.
- The series, dubbed the Small Biz Block Party, is free and open to SMB owners and employees who are interested in learning about industry-leading tools and tactics, according to a company announcement.
- The Small Biz Block Party starts Aug. 5 with an event for all businesses, regardless of size, and is co-hosted by non-profit organization Main Street America, TikTok said.
Dive Insight:
After a financially devastating year for SMBs, a trove of small businesses have gone viral on TikTok for videos showcasing their products, the process of making them or simply packaging orders.
Through the Small Biz Block Party, it appears the app is courting more small businesses to participate. Hosting these workshops may also help TikTok develop relationships with small business owners and their teams.
"Small businesses across the country have demonstrated incredible ingenuity in the face of the challenges of the past year, and we're excited to provide them with this support to help them thrive in the next phase of recovery," Patrice Frey, Main Street America president and CEO, said in a statement.
TikTok has recently been making a concentrated move to woo marketers into advertising on the platform — a move that bears resemblance to how many social media platforms have evolved.
Just this week, TikTok teamed up with Vimeo to integrate video-creation tools into the TikTok Ad Manager and potentially attract more SMB marketers. In September, the app unveiled the Marketing Partner Program to showcase approved advertising services on the platform.
The quest for SMB ad dollars may signal that TikTok is well on its way to becoming a digital advertising giant like Facebook and Snapchat. The majority of Facebook's millions of advertisers are SMBs.
"Businesses of all sizes are using the magic of the TikTok community to reach new audiences and expand their business — whether it's a startup or an iconic local business," said Becca Sawyer, TikTok's Global Head of SMB. "Our goal is to give every business owner in America the same opportunities as the biggest brands and to help them turn their dreams into a reality."
