The TikTok ban is back in the spotlight after President Biden recently signed a bill that could lead to a nationwide ban if ByteDance doesn’t sell the app within 9 months. While TikTok plans to challenge the law in court, calling it an “unprecedented deal” in an internal memo, creators and brands are worried about the potential impacts.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a TikTok ban in the headlines. When India banned TikTok in 2020 due to tensions with China, the country’s 200 million users and thriving creator community had to quickly adapt. Platforms like YouTube and Instagram rolled out Reels and Shorts to fill the void, and many creators successfully migrated their audiences. For example, India-based content creator Winnie Sangma moved to Instagram and rebuilt a following of 15,000 but admits “the experience isn’t like how it used to be on TikTok.”
Four years later, now that the creator ecosystem has matured, it’s important to take a closer look at how creators and brands will respond to a ban on TikTok this time around — and how they’re already preparing.
The Impact on Creators: Content Oversaturation
For the many creators who built massive communities and businesses on TikTok, a potential ban would have a ripple effect far beyond the United States. “If TikTok gets banned it’s going to impact all of us whether we’re based in Europe or Africa,” said content creator Jade Beason.
Beason predicts there would be a massive “rush” of TikTok creators flooding to Instagram and YouTube, dramatically increasing the competition. “If TikTok gets banned in the US, there are going to be an influx of creators who are going to move onto platforms like Instagram to share their content,” she continued. “Not only will this mean a huge increase of creators on this app, but it’s also going to flood the app with a lot of content.”
“People will be repurposing their old TikToks, people will also be posting on Instagram multiple times a day because that’s what they’re used to doing on TikTok. Also, there’s going to be some urgency there because they’re going to be desperately trying to rebuild their audience on another app like Instagram,” she said.
This oversaturation of content on Instagram and YouTube will make it even harder for creators to stand out as they start competing more intensely with one another within their respective niches.
How Brands Are Preparing For A Potential TikTok Ban
Just like creators, brands are pivoting their content and sponsorship strategy away from TikTok as the potential ban looms. For example, beauty brand e.l.f. Cosmetics, which experienced huge success on TikTok, is now investing more in Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts as alternatives.
“We’ll take that incredible muscle that we built and develop and go with it wherever our community wants to go next, and they have always been the signal that has carried us,” said Kory Marchisotto, e.l.f’s Chief Marketing Officer.
Milani Cosmetics, a Los Angeles-based makeup brand, also understands the need to diversify its marketing strategy. Jeremy Lowenstein, the brand’s chief marketing officer, experienced firsthand the power of TikTok when sales of a new mascara spiked after an influencer couple, The Lipstick Lesbians, posted a video about it. However, Lowenstein is now exploring other platforms, stating, “We can always pivot. Like any technology, there will always be something new to try.” Beyond YouTube and Instagram, he mentioned alternative apps like Flip, a shopping platform that allows users to earn money by reviewing and purchasing beauty products from brands.
In addition to where brands decide to post their own content, the TikTok ban could significantly impact where they spend their sponsorship dollars as well. Namely, marketing budgets previously allocated to TikTok influencers will likely be redirected to established creators on platforms like Instagram and YouTube. Several creator economy startup founders, such as Eric Wei, co-CEO of financial services firm Karat, believe that the ban could also benefit companies that help creators monetize their content. As brands seek out new influencer partnerships, these companies may experience increased demand for their services.
It’s About More Than Just Content
There are over 170 million TikTok users in the U.S. and it’s quickly become a platform where creators of all types are able to build a following and sustain a business through the app’s revenue-sharing, live streams, brand deals, paid partnerships and promotions. But a ban would put that in jeopardy. TikTok creators are worried about losing more than an income stream. For many, the app has been a main source of not only revenue, but a platform to share information, education, advocate for causes, and fundraise. The potential ban has sparked a debate about free speech, creative expression, and the role of social media in our lives. Many creators see TikTok as more than just a platform — it’s a community, a creative outlet, and a means of generating income.
For Nadya Okamoto, co-founder of the period care brand August who has over 4 million TikTok followers, TikTok has allowed her to build a community and business on the app. That’s why Okamoto is also one of the biggest advocates against the TikTok ban. She started a petition to President Biden that has gained the support of dozens of prominent creators. In the petition, Okamoto and other creators argue that banning TikTok would stifle free speech, creative expression, and economic opportunity, calling it a “betrayal of the very values that have made [TikTok] such an important part of the creator economy.” Moreover, for activists like Imani Barbarin, a disability rights TikToker with nearly 700,000 followers, the app provides a crucial organizing space that has allowed him to start a project or campaign and immediately build supportive communities.
For many, the idea that all this could be taken away feels like a betrayal of the values that made it such an important part of the creator economy. At the same time, the potential TikTok ban has also highlighted the risks and vulnerabilities of building a career on volatile platforms. As creators have learned time and again, from the demise of Vine to the algorithm changes of YouTube and Instagram, these platforms can change or disappear at any moment, leaving many creators scrambling to adapt and rebuild. In the creator economy, the only constant is change which means the best strategy is to diversify across platforms.
