What The US TikTok Ban Means For Businesses & Creators
A TikTok ban has been circling the news for the past 1-2 years. Given that nothing ever happened, a full TikTok ban was never on anyone’s mind. Besides, how can they ban an app in a country with over 170 million users? Impossible! Wrong. The bill was passed on March 13th, 2024 and has caused outrage among small businesses, creators and users. In this blog post, we'll explore the reasons behind the ban, its potential implications, and what you can do to prepare for the changes ahead.
Why Is There a US TikTok Ban?
TikTok’s parent company is ByteDance, a Chinese company that has faced scrutiny over concerns about data privacy and national security in Europe and the US. Critics argue that the platform faces major national security concerns, as it allegedly shares user data with the Chinese government. In 2023, government officials in the US and Europe were ordered to remove TikTok from their work phones, and banned from downloading it. Due to the ongoing geopolitical tensions between the US and China, this ban has become more of a pressing issue for the US government, resulting in the passing of the bill on March 13th (2024).
The bill passed gives TikTok 2 options…
TikTok is sold to an American-based company within 165 days (over 5 months), or,
TikTok will be banned from being downloaded on any phone App Store.
What Happens Next…
Just because this bill was passed, it doesn’t mean it will be banned from your phone tomorrow, if you are based in the US. This is what happens next, now that this bill is passed:
It will go to the Senate, in which,
They have to gain 60 votes in total and,
Debate for over 30 hours.
Following this, it has to land on the President’s desk, which he/she has the choice to sign and pass the bill as an official law.
Once the bill is signed, it becomes an official law and TikTok is either banned or sold to an American company; however, the CEO of TikTok, Shou Chew, has been very clear in the fact that he will not budge when it comes to selling the app. So, the future of TikTok remains uncertain in the US. It’s not an official law yet, so there is still hope for those who care about the app (like us) to call their local government representatives and protest.
What This Means For Businesses & Creators
TikTok is where brands can come to life through showcasing their personalities, founder stories, staff/ teams, behind-the-scenes and more. It’s changed the marketing space forever by giving brands a personality and strengthening the relationship between consumer and brand. Likewise, TikTok is where user-generated content came to life, strengthening the creator economy in a way we’ve never seen before. Not only that, but it’s given users an outlet for self-expression and creativity, in a way that we have never seen in social media.
What This Means for People Outside the US
While the US ban mainly affects users within the country, there will be major ripple effects for international users. Loosing 170 million users having TikTok off their phones, means everyone’s following will be reduced significantly. Furthermore, many US-based creators created trends and set the standards for content creators, so there is no doubt that there will be a massive shift in the overall TikTok culture if there is a US ban.
What To Do If It's Banned
Although this is not something that will happen anytime soon, it still is worth preparing for. Here are some ideas that you can consider if the TikTok ban becomes law:
Continuing with the same strategy on Instagram Reels. The culture built on TikTok will likely be transferred to another platform, and the closest in similarity to TikTok is Instagram. The algorithms, of course, are vastly different, but testing out different forms of content and seeing what takes off will be key in figuring out what works. The type of content that currently works on Instagram, may not be the case later when TikTok is banned.
Trying out longer-form content on YouTube, such as vlogs and an extended Q&A’s, just like Odd Muse does. This will continue to strengthen the trust between you and your audience. Furthermore, TikTok has pushed long-form content for the past couple of years, as they came out with 10- and even 30-minute recording limits, as YouTube is their main competitor.
Snapchat Stories have proven to be a huge revenue stream for businesses and especially creators from 2022 onwards. They allow for flexible, real-time and raw content to be shared, fostering a sense of intimacy and connection between you and your audience. The difference between Snapchat Stories and Instagram Stories for brands, in particular, is that Instagram Stories serves as a tool to amplify what you post on your feed/ Reels and often aids in generating sales for brands, while Snapchat Stories allow for raw, fun and more flexible behind-the-scenes content to be shown.
Think about starting your Podcast! The Podcast economy has boomed in 2024, with huge creators like Alix Earle stepping into the space. It’s a form of content that is easily binge-able for listeners and further allows for a stronger connection to be fostered between you and your audience. For brands, the best option would be to have your team, or Founder shine through with a Podcast, just like Sheer Luxe does with their popular podcast.
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