The U.S. Federal Appeals Court has ruled that TikTok, a social media app with over 170 million US users, will be banned if it is not sold to a US-based company by January 2025. Amid the speculations of a ban, TikTokers are shifting their followers to rival platforms like YouTube and Instagram. The ruling for a potential ban was made considering the growing popularity of TikTok among the youth. As U.S. Congress fears that China is stealing U.S. consumer information through its short video commercial platform. TikTok gained popularity in the U.S. even when it is mostly brain rot videos of short span which impacts mental health and physical health.
The law has been passed for Bytedance Pvt Ltd, owner of TikTok to divest the app to any of the US-based companies or to face a ban if it is not sold by January 19. However, they can still appeal to the US Supreme Court.
TikTok Creators Flock to New Platforms
TikTok has always been under threat by Politicians because of its Chinese owners and the political relations between the U.S. and China. The short video app has also reduced the attention span of the youth with never-ending uncensored and irrelevant content.
Many creators knew that TikTok was not going to stay for a longer period and they were prepared for the worst. However, it has come as a shock for many as they fear losing all content and their large fan following. Despite the ban of TitkTok, there are rival platforms like Instagram and Facebook that provide short-span videos.
TikTok creators are asking their followers to shift to different platforms like Meta-owned Instagram and Alphabet-owned YouTube. It will help them to not lose followers or restart the whole process in case TikTok gets banned.
What Do TikTok Creators Think About the Ban?
While some creators and users believe that the app won’t get banned as Trump promised in one of his rallies to “save Tiktok.” Chris Mowrey, a social media influencer for the Democratic Party said, “For the first time I’m realizing that a lot of what I worked for could disappear, I don’t think it’s been talked about enough how damaging it will be from an economic standpoint for small businesses and creators.” He has around 470,000 followers on social media.
Chris Burkett, a creator with a 1.3M following, who makes men’s lifestyle videos said, “I don’t think there is longevity in this app, especially in the U.S.
How to Successfully Move Your TikTok Followers to Instagram and Beyond?
The simplest answer to this question is to ask your TikTok followers to follow you on different social media platforms like X, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. As your followers are already loyal customers that are willing to see your content it will be easy to convince them to shift the platform. However, creators should make sure that there is uniqueness in content in each platform.
If it is the same content on all the platforms there would be focus on one only, generally whichever they spent most screen time on. Creators can link their social media profiles to the TikTok account which will easily allow users to visit your profile.
While the potential TikTok ban has sent waves of uncertainty among creators, it has also ignited an active shift towards diversifying their presence on other platforms. By encouraging followers to join them on Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms, creators are protecting their audience and ensuring the longevity of their content. As the digital landscape evolves, adaptability and strategic cross-platform engagement will be key to maintaining a strong online presence, regardless of what happens with TikTok.
