Building a Business with TikTok's SMB Team!

Small-to-medium sized businesses (SMBs) are the backbone of commerce at Tiktok. According to Oxford Economics , TikTok SMBs generate thousands of jobs for sellers globally, and contributed $24.2 billion to the US economy in 2023. For the people who make up the SMB team, supporting these businesses through building relationships, and equipping clients with the tools needed to succeed, is one of the highlights of the job. We spoke to Natalie, Fabio, Lorenzo, and Justine about what it takes to keep businesses thriving and users satisfied.

"Being an SMB Account Manager at TikTok is all about client relationships," says Fabio Arendt, who is based in the Hamburg office. "We're the go-to people for anything our clients need, whether it's solving last-minute challenges or perfecting their campaign strategies. It's more than just troubleshooting a technical issue. We help these businesses reach customers and generate awareness of their brands, products, and services. Businesses all over the world depend on TikTok's unique ability to help them reach otherwise unreachable customers. "

While Arendt manages established accounts, Justine Abdallah helps start new ones off on the right foot. With a concentration on brand strategy, her work includes providing new businesses with material resources to help spark creativity and begin building their campaigns on TikTok. "On the acquisition team, you're the first face a new customer or a new client sees when onboarding," she says. "So we want them to be fully equipped from Day 1."

Lorenzo Bierhuys helps SMBs liaise with agencies that are also working with clients to develop eye-catching business campaigns for the platform. "What I really like about this job is that you get to work with colleagues who have specialized market knowledge," Bierhuys says, noting his team is responsible for locations across Europe, including France, Italy and Spain. "It's great being able to work together with, and learn from people working across different geographies."

"We put everything in place to ensure they're successful on TikTok and empowered to unlock more of their full potential," adds Natalie Rois, who work on the team in Dublin. One of the team's projects to support that goal involved regional growth in Europe and the Middle East. Abdallah and coworkers helped organize an event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to pitch campaign ideas to customers.

"Helping small and medium businesses grow is so rewarding, because you get to watch them blossom," says Abdallah. "Sometimes we have a client with zero idea what advertising on TikTok looks like, zero idea how it's going to work. So you get to be with them every step of the way, and see them become success stories."

While helping businesses succeed online drove all four of them to join the team, the culture of TikTok is why Natalie, Fabio, Lorenzo, and Justine have all stayed. "We're constantly learning from each other," says Arendt. "It's funny how, by simply listening with intent, I end up learning far more than I would by relying on the knowledge I already have. Add to that the international environment we thrive in, where diverse viewpoints are celebrated, and it's a recipe for empathy and understanding . Every conversation sharpens my ability to truly see things from others' perspectives, making me more attuned to each client's unique needs."

The team doesn't only support clients and businesses; it supports the people who make TikTok what it is. Arendt went on to describe a particularly empowering and supportive working culture, especially when he transferred from the Dublin office to Hamburg.

"When the company planted its flag in Central Europe with a shiny new satellite office in Hamburg, I found myself toying with the idea of ​​heading back home to Germany. Before I let the daydreams of the Baltic Sea take over, I had a heart- to-heart with my line manager about the potential move, my career goals, and, of course, my personal growth. Her response? Total support from start to finish. Fast forward a bit, and voilà—I traded Dublin's rain for Hamburg's! "

"What stands out a lot if you compare scaling your projects at TikTok to a similar company," says Bierhuys. "Cross-functional collaboration is definitely encouraged. If there's value my team can add, we get a lot of freedom to get involved in co-owned projects and we've definitely made a positive impact to the organization through these partnerships."

"You'll never be bored," says Abdallah. "Every day there's a new feature to try out, or a new client, or a new campaign." She mentions one of the company's core values, Always Day 1, which means maintaining an entrepreneurial and enthusiastic mindset, no matter how long you've been with the company. "We adapt and test constantly, and when something isn't working, we work as a team to find a solution." Rois agrees. "We have a serious test and learn culture here. We try, identify errors and fix processes as we progress. There's so much room for developing and implementing new practices here."

Interested in joining a team that has a front-row seat to e-commerce innovation and growth? Ready to make a serious impact on the industry? Explore open roles today!