What if TikTok Gets Banned?
As a marketing-savvy business owner, you likely have gone through all of the hoops of keeping Google happy. You know that well-placed keywords and SEO will keep you high in Google’s rankings, but it may be a good idea to start thinking about other platforms as well. Specifically, what will happen if TikTok gets banned?
Google certainly isn’t being replaced anytime soon, but more and more people are starting to use social media platforms as search engines. TikTok is a great example, having a specific format for all of its content that viewers know to expect. TikTok’s content consists entirely of short videos, limited to three minutes in length. Viewers know that there will be no pictures to trawl through, no lengthy articles to read, just bite-sized nuggets of information.
TikTok has Valuable Content
You might think that TikTok is restricted to a younger audience: a platform for Gen Z to post Fortnite dances and eat Tide Pods. However, TikTok offers some unique benefits compared to other social media platforms and search engines, and there are plenty of people from all age groups that appreciate them. Users are searching for short and easy-to-grasp content that is educational or entertaining (preferably both!). Understanding this type of content will let you use TikTok to promote your brand. Additionally, when TikTok’s algorithms pick up a user’s preferred content, it will continue to send them similar content. This increases the odds of your audience seeing your posts; it is essentially free advertising!
We live in a world of instant gratification. People, especially younger people, are used to finding what they want the moment they need it. TikTok allows you to make to-the-point content that your viewer will not get bored of and scroll away from. Additionally, many TikTok users are acutely aware of advertising, and will quickly tune out if they suspect someone is trying to sell them on something. There is less of a need for professionally done videos, lengthy explanations of sponsors, or advertisements. Learning how to market your business on TikTok will involve cutting the fat and delivering only what your audience is truly interested in and finds valuable.
Overinvesting in TikTok
While TikTok is an effective platform within its niche, there are drawbacks you should be aware of. It is a Chinese-owned company, and many organizations are beginning to ban their employees from using TikTok because of that. The US military has even banned its members from having the app on their phones. While you as a business owner are under no such obligation to do so, these changes may affect TikTok’s policies or influence in the future. If all of your eggs are in the TikTok basket, your content may be inaccessible to people whose employers have banned them from using the app. It is a good idea to spread your content out over multiple platforms to ensure that even if something does happen to TikTok, your content is safely preserved. If you have posts on TikTok, make sure that you are mirroring them on other platforms such as Instagram. If you focus on building an audience on TikTok and that audience becomes banned from the platform, you want to make sure that they can access your content on another platform.
So we know to diversify the platforms we use to spread our content, but does that make TikTok not worth investing in? No. TikTok’s format and capacity for fun, engaging content still make it a powerful marketing tool. If you are looking to circumvent any potential issues that may come up in the platform’s future, you might consider specifically gearing your content to reach people in countries or industries that are unaffected by these new bans. Additionally, you can use TikTok’s paid promotion programs to expand your reach to an even larger audience.
Get Your Content Going
Now that you understand just how powerful TikTok is, it’s time to start putting it to use for your business. If you do not already have an account, now is the perfect time to create one. If you are already on TikTok, make sure that you are getting the most out of it. Need more help? Take a look at our social media management services and reach out for TikTok strategy specifically for your business.