TikTok's Uncertain Future Leaves Marketers Scrambling
TikTok went dark for a few hours on Sunday, Jan. 19, when the U.S. Supreme Court declined on Friday to overturn a ban on the Chinese social media app in the United States passed by Congress and signed into law by then-president Joe Biden.
Donald Trump, even before he was inaugurated today, promised to issue an executive order that would give TikTok a temporary reprieve while his administration tries to work with TikTok's owner, Bytedance, for a potential sale. But even that is tenuous, leaving the social media app's future in question for its 170 million U.S. users, including about 7 million small and midsized businesses.
Reportedly, approximately 54 percent of U.S. business owners use TikTok to promote their brands. Those efforts reportedly drove more than $15 billion in revenue for U.S. SMBs in 2023, with 61 percent of U.S. consumers saying they've discovered new brands and products on the platform and 33 percent saying they've already used it to make purchases.
Amid the app's uncertain future, many U.S. companies are scrambling to adjust their social media strategies.
"Social media marketers in the know have been preparing for the looming TikTok ban for months now," says Susan Ganeshan, chief marketing officer of Emplifi. "Most brands that are invested in the platform already have plans in place should the ban happen or TikTok ownership changes. Either way, the fact that TikTok is in the news again is a stark reminder that it's never a good idea to put all of your eggs in one basket.";
And Emplifi data shows that TikTok is increasingly becoming a risky basket for marketers. The company's research found that companies had experienced a nearly 40 percent drop in engagement on their organic TikTok content when comparing year-over-year results for fourth-quarter activity. In fact, Instagram outperformed TikTok when it came to video views, with Instagram Reels and Carousels "proving to be the top-performing formats on the Meta-owned social platform. These data points make clear that while TikTok may be getting more news coverage, it';s not necessarily driving the engagement brands are seeing on other platforms," according to Ganeshan.
"A comprehensive social media marketing strategy relies on an omnichannel approach that meets the customer where they are. TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, X—effective social media marketers understand that social media platforms and social behaviors are constantly shifting. They are attuned to trends happening across platforms and can effectively transition their campaigns to align with consumer behavior, capitalizing on any sudden shifts in the social media ecosystem," she adds.
Sprout Social, a social media management and analytics platform, has also observed a seismic shift in social media marketing. Executives there are recommending that companies on TikTok take the following steps:
- Diversify Your Platform Strategy: Explore emerging platforms, leverage social commerce opportunities on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, and consider repurposing TikTok content for these channels.
- Data-Driven Decision Making: Use social listening tools to understand audience behavior shifts and invest in platforms with the highest potential ROI.
- Expand Reach with Brand Advocacy: Encourage employee advocacy and explore influencer marketing opportunities on alternative platforms.
Chris Brownlee, vice president of product at Yext, sees TikTok's value extending beyond marketing. "TikTok isn';t just a social platform, it's become a powerful search engine. In 2023, 40 percent of Gen Z preferred TikTok and Instagram for online searches over Google," he says. "If TikTok disappears, Gen Z won't stop searching; they'll simply look elsewhere.
"Even if TikTok goes offline, or the ban is temporary, search behavior is already changing. What continues to be most crucial for brands is that wherever and however consumers find them, the information on that platform is accurate," Brownlee adds. "It doesn't matter which social platform wins out for Gen Z in a post-TikTok world, they are already looking in so many other avenues for their information. But marketers can turn this massive shift into an opportunity to innovate and benefit from ensuring their strategy doesn't depend on one channel. Brands need to be able to capitalize and show up authoritatively across the channels of today, and tomorrow."
There are a variety of apps like this already taking shape. Fellow Chinese platform RedNote is reporting a surge in downloads, while many other users are turning to Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, Reddit, and review sites as alternative ways to find information.
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