New Year, No TikTok?
What’s going on with TikTok?
It’s 2023 and TikTok continues to be one of the most downloaded apps in iOS and Google. But downloads alone aren’t enough to underscore the cultural impact of this viral app. TikTok is a place where trends are born, influencers abound and people spend an astonishing amount of time scrolling.
As the popularity of the app among individuals and businesses looking to target said individuals continues to grow, the government has taken a more skeptical view of it and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. Concerns about personal and national security/privacy have been around for a while, but recently the app was banned from being installed on devices owned by the federal government.
According to Reuters, 19 of 50 states restrict access to TikTok on government computers—with most of the bans being passed during a two-week period in December. School districts and other public sectors have their own version of restrictions for company property—not to mention what public companies are doing about the app.
All of this begs the question—
Could TikTok be banned in the United States, period?
The answer, unfortunately, is quite uncertain. And as lawmakers, government agencies and other officials determine how to move forward, we, as marketers and business owners, are left wondering about the future of the app and how to move forward with our marketing plans.
Regardless of the fate of TikTok, the current situation highlights the reason we at Modern Moxie don’t believe in creating marketing strategies centered around tactical executions. Your business goals should drive the marketing plan and the tactical execution of the plan should be reflective of content and true business needs—not fickle and fleeting trends. Which is not to say all trends aren’t worth considering, but your strategy should be bigger than any one trend.
So what can you do if you’re a marketer or small business owner trying to navigate the uncertainty of the app? Here are few suggestions:
Don’t panic. Stay on top of developments with the situation, but don’t panic. The debate about TikTok has been going on for some time and it could take as much or more time to sort out as officials work to catch laws up to technology.
Evaluate your strategy. Is TikTok where your audience is? Why do you want to be on the platform? How will you measure success? How will it support the real needs of the business?
Find other uses for your content. In general, leaning into video is a great way to engage your audience. This is not a trend, but a statement of fact. TikTok is not the only platform to be creative with your videos. Filming and editing takes a lot of time, so consider using the footage you’re using to create for TikTok in other new, interesting ways on different platforms
Instagram Reels is a pretty easy way to repurpose TikTok content, but do NOT copy/paste from TikTok—IG will dock you for your minimal efforts.
Check out YouTube Shorts as another way to leverage/repurpose content. And, bonus, YouTube is the second largest search engine next to Google, so creating content on the channel is never a waste of time.
We’re all in this together. With careful planning, thoughtful execution and an eye on a bigger strategy, I’m positive you can continue to find marketing success, regardless of platform. And if you need a little help or solace in the current situation, we’re always here for you! Reach out to us anytime at https://www.mdrnmoxie.com/contact.
