Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
For years, TikTok creators have tried to migrate their audience to other platforms — but have been relatively skittish about their efforts, both due to concerns that TikTok’s algorithm is suppressing attempts to move users off the app and because of TikTok users’ dislike of manipulative content.
But now that the US is moving forward with its TikTok ban, it is the deadline of January 19 is approachingcreators have been cloaking themselves, becoming more active and explicit with their attempts to turn fans away from TikTok as a ban or sale becomes a likely reality. While moving followers to another social network isn’t easy, it shouldn’t immediately disrupt many brands’ business.
So far, agencies and experts have not reported that brands are closing their deals or are hesitant to continue partnering with authors — if at all. some shared that much of the creator community seems unfazed or in denial that the ban will actually pass in the end. Additionally, many creators today already work on multiple social platforms and don’t have to start completely from scratch. And if they’re not on multiple platforms, it was an opportunity to develop those multi-channel plans, explained Scott Sutton, CEO of social media and influencer platform Later.
“Almost all content creators post on all platforms and interact with their followers on all platforms,” Sutton said. He also noted that his company is in “active dialogue” with its brand partners and social platforms, including TikTok, to develop plans for creatives and brands. This could include rethinking platform strategies or letting creators use link-in-bio tools, custom websites, and newsletters.
Sutton is not alone. “We’re seeing an increase in creators investing in Substack’s personal websites, blogs and newsletters to build deeper, more direct relationships with their followers beyond any platform,” said Sarah Gerrish, Senior Director of Creators & Influencers at Stagwell Movers. + Shakers.
While the industry awaits the fate of TikTok, creators continue to add new revenue streams, such as launching product lines and inks multi-platform partnerships with brandsGerrish added that in addition to contributing to YouTube Shorts, Snap and X, he is preparing for the future.
Marie-Josée Cadorette, partner at influencer agency Clark Influence, acknowledged that the moment is a “good reminder” for creators to diversify their content strategies — depending on their brand and fit. For example, food creators and chefs can turn to recipe sites and blogs.
Influencer agency Open Influence has similarly seen more creators turn to personal websites, mailing lists or newsletters on Substack and Discord “to connect directly with their audience,” said Alex Dahan, the agency’s CEO and co-founder.
“Similarly, fitness influencers create subscription-based programs on platforms like Patreon or host video libraries on their own websites to directly monetize their expertise,” explained Cadorette. “The same goes for musicians and singers who use platforms like Bandcamp or their own websites to sell their music and connect directly with fans.”
While the need to diversify across channels isn’t new, as the social giants have grown tremendously over the years, TikTok’s potential takedown this time increases the pressure on brands and creators to expand their strategies beyond social media platforms in general — or risk losing out. lots of their data and monetization options.
In this situation where “a platform can disappear overnight,” creators face the loss of first-party data collected from millions of followers, said Wim Sweldens, co-founder and CEO of creator live streaming platform Kiswe. The platform allows creators to stream events directly to fans using a pay-per-view model, theoretically reducing reliance on platforms like Twitch or YouTube.
There’s also more at stake this year, as a new presidential administration enters the picture this month, along with other changes that are potentially shaking up the social landscape. This week it is also the Chinese representatives supposedly the weighting of TikTok’s sale to X and Tesla boss Elon Musk, adding to the sense of urgency to diversify channels and build audience ownership elsewhere. As eMarketer analyst Minda Smiley shared in a statement, if such a sale were to go through, “TikTok would likely look a lot different under Musk — just look at Twitter’s drastic transformation into X under his control.”
If TikTok were to be shut down in the US, it makes sense that its competitors would benefit from its users, content and ad revenue. In fact, eMarketer currently estimates that 50% of TikTok’s redistributed ad dollars (about $12 billion in the US in 2024) will go to Meta and YouTube.
Some other players are also using this moment to court creators and present their platforms as a place to generate subscriptions, including Substack and the Tumblr blog. Substack earlier this week he announced the $25,000 “TikTok Liberation Prize,” which aims to help creators “save their audiences and build sustainable subscriber livelihoods,” wrote Substack CEO Chris Best. Contestants must create a TikTok video inviting their audience to Substack for a chance to win in January. Substack also this month added live video features for publishers trying to increase their video offerings.
A Tumblr representative also shared that many of its new registered users are Gen Z (60%), and the platform is known for magic and book lovers communities and groups such as Witchblr and Booklr. Tumblr saw a 395% increase over the past weekend in posts labeled “TikTok ban,” according to a rep.
But the key to attracting creators may lie in offering a home for more than just “hosting,” noted Open Influence’s Dahan. Platforms must provide “ecosystems that deepen relationships with their audiences while maintaining independence from algorithms and policy changes,” he said. “For example, creators can use Instagram or TikTok to gain exposure, but ultimately direct their audience to spaces they fully control.”
Regardless of what happens with TikTok this month, it may lead to something of a hybrid strategy for creators: using both their own hosted platforms and social media to discover and distribute content.
For now, agencies are looking at other trends that could emerge as TikTok evolves — from the rise of users on China’s RedNote app to creators telling followers to disable Meta apps to protest TikTok’s ban, said Kelly Dye, vice president of influencer strategy. in the company Vliv acorn.
It’s also possible that some creators will go back to the office and work 9-to-5, as not everyone can make a living creating content or invest time to grow on alternative platforms if TikTok goes away. Nathan Jun Poekert, CMO of General Idea, said some personal contacts in the creator space have recently begun “to consider re-entering the professional workforce after the ban goes into effect, rather than facing the daunting challenge of trying to rebuild from scratch.” .