Here’s a guide for what marketers can do now with the back-and-forth of TikTok

But for traders, this limbo does not mean theirs the preparatory work was useless. While the immediate storm may have passed, the effort was far from wasted—it’s just on pause. If anything, the real benefit is embracing uncertainty: preparation isn’t optional, it’s necessary. Plan for the worst case scenario, but watch out for the best.

Lesson learned: use your time wisely; prepare for the worst, hope for the best.

Here is the tutorial.

First, catch up

Sunday (January 19) was D-Day for TikTok and the official ban date in the US. Here’s how it turned out:

High Court obeyed the law last Friday, January 17, which banned TikTok outright in the US unless it sold to an American entity. But during the platform’s final hearing before the Supreme Court on January 10, TikTok lawyer Noel J. Francisco said that if the Supreme Court doesn’t vote in favor of what TikTok wants, the app would shut down in January. 19, regardless.

The night before the ban was to take effect, the app flashed a message to US users who tried to log in that the app was working with Trump to restore service. On Sunday, Trump promised to issue an executive order to preserve the app.

Okay, so what would going dark on TikTok actually mean?

If TikTok had only followed the law, then as of January 19th, TikTok would no longer be available for download from any app store in the US as of that date. However, the TikTok blackout goes one step further. It means that no US user can use the app anymore and no new users can join it. It’s finito, turn off completely. On Sunday, service was restored for US orders, though the app was removed from app stores for new downloads.

Right. So should marketers be panicking?

Well, chances are this isn’t any marketer’s first rodeo. Whether you think of the Facebook boycott in 2020, the mass exodus of advertisers from Twitter in 2022, or even that threat to ban TikTok in the US for the past six years. Today, marketers are well-versed in creating contingency plans, staying nimble, and switching platforms when necessary.

Andrew Fingerman, CEO of digital asset management and content distribution company PhotoShelter, summed it up. He emphasized that the TikTok ban is a wake-up call for marketers to take a hard look at where their strategies are too reliant on one platform.

“This is a moment not only to plan for contingencies, but also to rethink how to approach audience engagement,” he said. “It’s also a great reminder that marketing is a marathon, not a sprint. Create systems and processes that allow for flexibility, so you’re not only responsive to the current situation, but ready for the next curve. The key is creating marketing strategies that can adapt and flow as consumer behavior evolves.”

Clearly. So what should marketers do?

Some marketers, like Margot Dukes Eddy, partner and head of social affairs at Acadia, were already planning for TikTok to shut down, backing up campaign data, messages, videos and audience demographics ahead of the Jan. 19 deadline.

“I remember 12 hours before the world shut down because of Covid and I was changing all clients’ social strategy overnight so that when the world woke up we said the right thing,” she said. “This [TikTok ban] is actually much better. We have time to prepare and plan for the worst and all the tools at our disposal.”

Bottom line: it’s time to put these hypothetical contingency plans into action, if marketers haven’t already. After all, it was reported last week, with TikTok planning to shut down, the platform would automatically suspend ad spending from January 19 unless it received a last-minute lifeline.

Although for traders who were offered a refund for 2025 foreclosures already closed, it might be wise to see what options are available to them if that cash has already been allocated. And while it’s been reported that TikTok’s US employees are “safe” for now at least, it’s no longer clear whether they have the ability behind the scenes to support advertisers with any questions, queries or issues.

What should traders consider now?

He’ll probably feel insecure for the first few days, but he’ll reveal a lot, including where the TikTok crowds flock to in his absence.

While many marketers have suggested that Meta and YouTube in particular will be hot contenders for those TikTok dollars, Fingerman advises marketers not to ignore smaller platforms or niche communities.

“Use social monitoring tools to stay agile and ready to quickly test content in new spaces,” he said.

For now, it’s all about patience and preparation. Wait. Watch. Miracle.

“All we can do now is have a contingency plan, a scenario plan and understand and explore the role Tiktok plays in our overall media mix and then look for and identify alternatives. [platforms]” said Erich Parker, head of integrated media at Chicago-based agency Blue Chip.

What traders should consider when President Trump can somehow offer TikTok extension by 60/90/270 days?

An expansion of this size may seem like a lifeline, but it’s really just kicking the can. Unless the US ban is lifted or ByteDance miraculously does not agree to sell TikTok in the US entity, marketers must decide: stay the course as in 2024 or treat this extension as a grace period to prepare for the inevitable.

Eddy’s team offers a smart plan: They’ve already started their blackout plan, but they’re using the extra time to fine-tune their strategy.

“We invite our followers to follow us on Instagram and YouTube,” she said. “We now post at a much lower cadence, maintain ad spend (watch what the numbers say) and do much more active community management to see where our followers/influencers are going.”

But even with the extension, the landscape remains uncertain. As Parker explained, the deal could accelerate a natural shift away from TikTok. He added: “You could have consumers who decide that this is a foregone conclusion, the ban will just happen later, and they feel they might as well start looking at their other options.”

Which means that extension isn’t an opportunity to stall—it’s a window to action. Marketers should continue to run TikTok campaigns while testing new platforms, refining their contingency plans, and preparing for the post-TikTok reality. Think of it as a repeat of December and January – strategic, proactive and focused on the next step.

Okay, but what if TikTok goes dark because the ban happens, but the bill is repealed by the new presidential administration, or TikTok has a buyer in the US? Or is Trump following through on his executive order?

While not the first outcome, any of these scenarios are still possible, however high (or low) the odds. As Eddy noted, this scenario is still so unclear, with so many caveats and moving parts, that her team will still implement the plan they have for a straight 60/90/270 day extension as things stand.