Tyumen, Russia – January 21, 2020: TikTok and Facebook app on Apple iPhone XR screen
TikTok is just days away from its official ban on January 19. On Wednesday, December 18, the Supreme Court agreed to hear TikTok’s appeal. On January 10, the Supreme Court heard TikTok’s arguments. TikTok challenged that the ban violates the free speech rights of 170 million Americans on the platform, as reported by NBC News. After the hearing, the US Supreme Court signaled that it would uphold the TikTok ban, as CNN shared.
Content creators and influencers must decide what to do with the impending ban of TikTok. As the creator of TikTok myself, TikTok represents my second largest social media platform. With over 29,000 followers, it has also helped me secure and grow brand deals.
Here are five things content creators can do with TikTok’s impending ban:
1. Start investing in other social media platforms.
As TikTok continues to struggle in the US court system, creators should strongly consider developing other platforms. Many different platforms have short-form video content, such as TikTok. Content creators today can watch their accounts launch and their communities grow in:
- YouTube or YouTube Shorts.
- Snapchat
2. Invest in creator-owned media channels.
Seasoned influencers and content creators still remember when Vine, FourSquare and even Tumblr either disappeared or became less relevant platforms.
Content creators in 2025 must continue to cultivate their own channels – their email subscribers, newsletters, blogs or websites, and podcasts. By owning your own media channels, you won’t be subject to the ebbs and flows of social media algorithms.
3. Let your TikTok community know where to find you.
If you’re a content creator with an engaged community on TikTok, start telling your followers where to connect with you.
I recently caught up with Gabby from @packslight and asked her how she’s prepared for the potential TikTok ban.
Gabby: While I have over 300,000 followers on TikTok, I’ve been focusing on converting my audience to my email newsletter. I have also been focused on diversifying my platforms and am working on launching my SeekPTO app in January 2025.
4. Save your TikTok videos and reuse them on other social media channels.
TikTok recently updated its software to allow users to download videos without a watermark. Content creators should download all of their videos and consider reposting them on their other social media channels.
I spoke with Tori from @HerFirst100K who also has 2.4 million followers on TikTok. She shared what her team was doing before TikTok was officially banned:
Tori: My team is pulling every video I’ve ever made on TikTok from TikTok. I have a dedicated team member to download all my videos this month.
My team is also taking screenshots of all of our metrics—including past brand campaigns, demographics, likes, saves, post engagement rates, and more. We intend to store this information (evidence) and present it to future brands.
Additionally, we are continuing to nurture our existing audience, re-introducing ourselves and providing value to them. Finally, I’m posting all my drafts on TikTok.
5. Keep posting on TikTok
TikTok is still available for use in the United States until January 19. Content creators whose primary or secondary platform is TikTok can choose to continue creating content on the app.
Influencers, small business owners, athletes, chefs, and other content creators can still benefit from their established platforms even if TikTok is pulled from app stores.
