5 surprising TikTok stats (and what to do with them)
Earlier this week, a friend sent me over a TikTok trends report (cheers, SocialPilot 👋), and within 30 seconds, I knew this had to be the next newsletter.
Because here’s the thing: TikTok isn’t just for teens and trending audio anymore. It’s fast becoming the platform where buying journeys begin. And yes, that includes B2B.
It now ranks #1 for time spent per user, and more people are using it to search than ever before. That includes your future customers, partners, and talent.
And with the threat of a ban fading into the background, there’s no excuse to ignore it.
If you’ve been on the fence about TikTok or wondering how it could fit into a strategy, this one's for you.
Here’s what the data says is working right now, and how one brand in an unlikely category is nailing it. 👇
5 surprising TikTok stats
1. Post 6–15 times per week
The Sweet spot: consistency without burnout. That said, there’s no chance I’m posting 15 times per week…
2. Use 1–5 hashtags
Relevance beats reach hacks.
3. Aim for 31–60 second videos
Think: long for loyalty, short for scale.
4. Don’t ignore images
Try pairing a video hook with a follow-up carousel to deepen the story.
5. The first 3 seconds make or break your video
TikTok decides whether to show your content to more users based on how quickly you grab attention.
Start strong. Every second counts.
The perfect example of a brand that’s nailing it.
If you want to see TikTok done right, look at tl;dv.
They’re a meeting recording tool (nothing particularly exciting or new there), but they’ve built a following of 150K without spending a penny on paid media. Just organic TikToks, made by the team. It’s netted them tens of millions of views.
What they post:
Skits about life in marketing, sales, product and customer service
Short, punchy POV clips like “when the meeting could’ve been an email”
Lo-fi, high-relatability content, filmed on phones, not studios
Delightfully honest replies to comments. This is a particular fave…
Why it works:
They get their audience (remote workers, SaaS teams)
They speak their language, through humour, not features
They show real people, not polished ads
They understand distribution. They use this content across multiple platforms to maximise impact.
tl;dv proves that TikTok doesn’t need to be shiny. It just needs to be real.
The takeaway
If you want attention, show up where people actually spend time.
If you want trust, show them you understand their world.
TikTok is for discovery, depth, and forming brand preference. tl;dv’s success shows what’s possible with nothing but a phone and the right mindset.
One last thing…
Last year, I decided to do something I’d been meaning to do for a while; create an in-person conference.
It sold out, the feedback was awesome. so I’m doing it again.
If you want to dig into what it takes to build B2B brands on social media, join the Social Media B2B Forum on November 12, 2025 in London.
It’s deliberately small (150 people) and tickets are 50% discounted until July 1st. Grab yours here
https://www.socialdayb2b.co.uk/
Hopefully, I’ll see you there!
— Andy