Today TikTok announces the launch of its new updated SMB Education Hub - which includes resources, webinars, and events to support agencies as they help their clients build their brands and drive business outcomes on TikTok - as well as reaffirming its enhanced brand safety tools and policies for growing businesses.

In today's economic climate, small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) have to balance many competing priorities, but the need to reach new audiences and convert sales never goes away. This is why the role played by agencies to help drive traction is so important and why TikTok is dedicated to partnering with agencies to help SMBs grow. The support TikTok provides the SMB communities on the platform, understanding their day-to-day challenges and helping businesses overcome them, is why TikTok is a trusted partner for both SMBS and agencies.

Helping SMBs discover audiences and drive action

TikTok is the platform of choice for SMBs to tell their stories, discover audiences and sell products and services to a community of over 150 million people across Europe - and our education hub will further help agencies deliver their clients' every objective, something it's already been doing since the first iteration of the hub we launched in 2020. This updated hub features a new Agency Business Center, creative solutions, inspiring case studies, as well as new tools and resources and guides to upcoming events and webinars.

The new hub will help agencies easily integrate TikTok into their everyday work with SMBs. We know how important TikTok is for SMBs to engage with their target audiences. 1 in 3 SMBs say that TikTok is a 'must use' in their media mix (TikTok Marketing Science EUI SMB Advertiser Research 2022 conducted by Advertiser Perceptions) and our research has shown how it is possible to attract a new community with more creative, more dynamic content.

SMBs don't have the advertising budgets and resources of larger competitors, so being able to create authentic content easily, and maximise their return on investment, is crucial.

TikTok drives tangible results for SMBs and helps them get discovered by new audiences. The For You Feed has an especially powerful effect on connecting people with small businesses who share their passions but don't have big marketing budgets or millions of followers. 57% of people on TikTok who have come across SMB content on the platform have gone on to make a purchase, with the TikTok community 1.5x more willing to purchase something they discover on the platform.

New SMB focused TikTok Awards category

As part of the return of its European advertising awards for a second year running, TikTok will launch a brand new category, Greatest Small Business, celebrating the TikTok Ads Manager experts in businesses with less than 50 employees.

This new category shines a light on the growing businesses that leveraged TikTok ads to achieve their campaign goals and drive real-world results for their brand. Brands recognised will be ones who pushed the boundaries of creativity with TikTok ads that uniquely showcased their business and felt truly native to the platform, demonstrated impressive results and used TikTok to achieve wider business objectives.

Lisa Friedrich, Head of SMB, EMEA TikTok said: "Small businesses face a multitude of challenges, from increased costs of doing business, through to the high cost of living. Against this backdrop, quickly and accurately capturing the attention of relevant communities has never been so important. Our new SMB Education Hub will help agencies better inform their SMB clients, building campaigns that reach, engage and drive meaningful business outcomes.

"Alongside this, we're also excited to recognize the most creative, entertaining and impactful SMB TikTok campaigns with our new Greatest Small Business Award - putting those growing businesses and their creativity in the spotlight."