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The likelihood of a future without TikTok is becoming more real as the deadline for sale or ban in the US is just days away. While the future of Tiktok hangs in the balance, brands that have ridden the wave of virality thanks to the TikTok algorithm, like Bog Bag, Duolingo and Cakesnow tackle the challenge of restoring virality elsewhere (if it can be done).
For some companies, TikTok’s algorithm has been a boon, one of the last cost-effective ways to reach large audiences in an increasingly paid and fragmented social media landscape. While some brands are going down with the ship and posting on TikTok at a regular cadence, others have drawn up contingency plans for TikTok competitors, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and even LinkedIn in hopes of striking viral gold again. Or at least keep your social currency.
For example, Duolingo, a language learning app known for its viral TikTok star and mascot Duo, has more than 14 million followers on the app. Over the years, Duolingo has made headlines for its so-called unhinged strategy for TikTok and viral videos. But in light of the possible ban, CMO Manu Orssaud said Duolingo plans to spend 2025 “doubling down” on brand content, creating bigger cross-platform campaigns and experimenting with new storytelling formats across the digital ecosystem. (It’s unclear how Duolingo will spend ad dollars on social media, as Orssaud didn’t outline specific numbers.)
Similarly, Blueland, an eco-friendly cleaning product, said some TikTok virality has fueled brand awareness and boosted its retail success at stores like Costco and Target, according to Sarah Paiji Yoo, CEO and co-founder of Blueland. (She did not provide specific income data). “In the event of a ban, we will continue to expand our reach at the top of the funnel through a robust creator and affiliate program, but will shift campaigns to Meta platforms and other DTC channels,” Digiday said in an email.
According to Chris Cunningham, head of social marketing and founding member of project management software company ClickUp, the company’s viral TikToks, one of which had nearly 20 million views last July, have helped boost brand awareness and email signups. The company does not boost its TikTok posts, opting for a mostly organic presence on the app. Most of the costs associated with TikTok go to content production and two full-time employees – a creative lead and a creative producer. (He did not provide specific numbers.)
He’s not sure TikTok’s algorithm can be recreated in places like YouTube Shorts or Instagram Reels, especially given the nature of paid games on said platforms. While it’s mysterious how exactly it works, TikTok’s personalized homepage, the page for you, allows TikTok users to organically discover brands and their content without following that brand. (Think #BookTok’s resurgence in book sales or TikTok-Made-Me-Buy-It products like The Pink Stuff multipurpose cleaner’s viral moment.) Still, ClickUp is adjusting its strategy, focusing on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn to maintain your social networks. momentum.
“For the goals I have, I need things that will reach millions. [of views]. I need the home runs, not the singles all the time,” he said.
The cost of social media advertising is getting more and more expensive every year, according to a performance marketing agency Gupta Media’s Social Media CPM Tracker. To put the numbers in perspective, the average CPM Meta rate for 2023 was $7.15, rising to $7.50 in 2024; TikTok’s CPMs reached $3.48 in 2023 and stretched to $3.77 in 2024, according to Gupta Media data. The data also showed that arguably the biggest jump was Snapchat’s CPM rates, which averaged $5.20 in 2023 before skyrocketing to $7.65 in 2024.
All told, there’s likely still a case for organic social cache, whether on TikTok or elsewhere, especially for brands that have leveraged TikTok’s virality-based algorithm to build their business. There’s also the fact that marketers were expected to create more brand storytelling magic, but without the extra cash to back it up.
Social strategists have long warned that virality is not a strategy, given its unpredictable and uncontrollable nature. But that hasn’t stopped brands from using the TikTok algorithm as a testing ground for learning and implementing changes to their broader social media strategy.
More importantly, virality is not necessarily an accident. More times than not, it is a mixture of right time, right place and a careful strategy of hiring influencers and content creators. (Here’s how Bogg Bag cashed in on his own TikTok fame.)
Since TikTok can only last a few days, agency heads are telling clients to focus less on virality and more on building a sustainable community.
“You still have areas where you can go viral. And as long as your listening tools are in place, you can still measure it,” said Gary J. Nix, founder and chief strategy advisor at Brandarchy Reimagined, a marketing collective. “It’s just going to feel a little different.