How did we get here?
It feels like TikTok keeps getting banned. We’ve been hearing about the news coming out since Spring 2024 when the first inkling came into effect: Biden passing the bipartisan TikTok bill urging to sell the platform. The move towards banning TikTok appears to stem from national security concerns, since TikTok is owned by China. America has concerns that TikTok’s parent company, Bytedance, has access to American user data and is feeding that information to the Chinese government. What they’re using that information for, is unclear — but geopolitical tensions and allegations of vulnerable data privacy protections have always been at the forefront of the issue. It’s important to note that many of the social heavyweights such as Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter (X) and others are owned in North America, with TikTok being the newest entrant and most significantly, the only foreign-owned, successful social media platform worldwide. Skepticism fuels support from across political parties to be more stringent on how TikTok is allowed to operate in North America.
The Argument
Those who are advocating for the ban of the platform are arguing that TikTok’s ownership of Bytedance is a direct threat to national security. With beliefs that the app can collect sensitive data, location and geotargeted information about Americans, there are also arguments that TikTok can influence public opinion through its robust FYP algorithm, manipulating the types of content that users can see — to see whatever the Chinese government wants Americans to see.
Opponents of banning TikTok highlight how it is a measure to limit free speech and true creativity to everyday people in America as well as its creators who have made a living off the platform. Millions of TikTok content creators were able to see massive success through the platform’s ability to share the creators’ content worldwide through the algorithm, not just limiting eyeballs based on who follows you. The argument is that this ban could set a dangerous precedent that digital spaces are exclusively meant for American innovation, and reduce the opportunity for strong competition and innovation within the social media space. Plus, TikTok content creators have launched entire careers for dancers, small bakeries, niche artists — anyone with a big dream was able to bring it to life and show the world through TikTok. Without that unique algorithm on their side, TikTok creators are concerned they will have to rely on Meta platforms or YouTube, where the commercialization of paid media boosting has resulted in the death of organic content succeeding. Until TikTok joined our resource toolbox, social media has always been a pay-to-play marketing stream.
What should brands do?
Any brand that has leveraged TikTok into their marketing strategies have the potential to see major disruptions, especially if the ban goes through on January 19, 2025. Here are 3 quick things to consider if you’re one of them:
- Explore your owned media strategies such as email marketing, websites, and SEO articles that drive audiences to your owned spaces.
- Reallocate TikTok paid budgets to other platforms like Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, Facebook Reels, Snapchat, Pinterest, and more.
- Ensure your influencer partnerships and contracts have usage across multiple platforms, not just TikTok.
It’s not all doom and gloom. While the (potential) death of TikTok is a massive blow to many social media managers and their brands, social media itself is a cornerstone of how everyday North Americans interact with each other. While you pivot your TikTok strategies above, here are a few considerations for what to keep doing, no matter what:
- Prioritize content creation that resonates with your audience, whether it’s short, long, funny, serious - understand your audience’s needs and build content around that needstate, not the other way around.
- Interact with your community, no matter what platform they’re on. Build your community through meaningful conversations and drive them towards your owned channels that you control.
- Being agile and acting at the speed of the internet will always be a vital piece of how you can impact culture with your brand. This is a competitive advantage, no matter what platforms you’re on.
It’s a wacky time to be a brand on social, but it also brings up a valid conversation about your current digital strategies and how to better weatherproof them, no matter what regulation does to impact them. By focusing on your creator strategy, diversification, adaptability and driving true audience community engagement, brands can come out the other side of this disruption and grow their brands using the power of social media.
