While TikTok’s American demise seems to at least be paused for now, when the popular social media app briefly went dark in the United States for a period from January 18-19, it gave marketers, influencers and content creators a lot to reflect on in regard to our relationship to social media platforms. While it was ultimately brought back online, TikTok’s legal future in the US is still uncertain.
Where does that leave marketers who advertise on the platform? While the complete shutdown that many prepared for didn’t happen, there are still a few important lessons to be learned from this entire debacle.
1. Brands don’t own their social profiles
Marketers think of their social profiles as owned channels. However, at the end of the day, if you don’t actually own the platform your content is on, it could all disappear if the social media company goes under or, in this case, gets banned by a government. This serves as an important reminder to not put all your marketing and advertising eggs into one basket. We always advise our clients to use a multi-channel advertising approach. Not only does this protect you from platforms going dark, but it’s also a winning strategy to reach diverse audiences across the media where they spend their time.
2. Why consumers love TikTok
If you want to diversify your advertising away from TikTok given its uncertainty, it’s important to look at what makes this platform special. Then you can try to find new platforms/media with similar traits. Some of TikTok’s strengths are prioritizing authenticity vs. curated content, connecting niche groups of people, and allowing for dialogue in stitched videos and comments. As it seems like these are winning formulas, brands should look for creative ways to use these same tools to generate brand/consumer identity.
3. Trends can (and do) change
TikTok started a craze of short-form video that left other social media sites scrambling to recreate similar features on their own platforms. Facebook, Instagram and YouTube have all rolled out their own versions of short-form video with Reels and Shorts. However, tastes change. Amid all the debate about TikTok, conversations on the values of this short-form consumption have emerged with many raising alarms that this type of content might be having negative effects on us. We predict this reassessing could easily lead to a push toward longer form, more quality-rich content. This could lead users to spend more time on YouTube or perhaps a new, yet-to-be developed platform could come and shake up the space.
At the end of the day, it’s important to be where your audience is. If they have never been on TikTok—don’t worry. And if TikTok is a large part of your strategy, you should be safe for now. But this turmoil serves as an important reminder of how fast things can change and that brands who respond nimbly to the waves of change win in the long-run.
Want advice on how to diversify your media? Reach out to B&Y and start a conversation!