TikTok, the popular video-sharing app boasting approximately 115 million monthly active users in the United States, faces an uncertain future as the U.S. government has mandated its parent company, ByteDance, to divest the platform by the end of this month. As the potential ban looms, creators and influencers are bracing for significant shifts in their digital presence and income streams. Platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram stand to gain significantly if TikTok is banned, with creators already strategizing their transition.
The directive for ByteDance to divest from TikTok stems from ongoing concerns about national security and data privacy. Consequently, the app's creators are anxiously preparing for a worst-case scenario. TikTok currently accounts for 9% of digital ad spend on social media platforms in the U.S., a substantial figure considering Facebook's 31%, Instagram's 25%, and YouTube's 21%. Should TikTok be banned, it's anticipated that Meta (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram) and YouTube could capture about half of the reallocated advertising dollars.
In the midst of this upheaval, creators like Jack Nader are feeling the pressure. Nader, a 21-year-old creator, earns between $1,000 and $12,000 monthly on TikTok by sharing creative content that has garnered him a significant following.
"It took me over a year and a half to build the following that I have right now on TikTok to make it my full time job," Nader reflects.
Faced with uncertainty, Nader has begun re-editing his videos to optimize them for other platforms such as YouTube and Instagram. However, he expresses concerns about retaining his audience.
"Now it's kind of about rebuilding that entire brand on another platform, which is not ideal," he adds.
Similarly, Danisha Carter, a 27-year-old content creator who transitioned to full-time content creation in 2021, is contemplating her next steps. Carter's TikTok account, known for its social commentary and lifestyle videos, provides her with an average monthly income of $4,000.
"This isn't just a silly app that people have been using to post dance videos," Carter emphasizes.
Nealie Boschma, another 27-year-old creator, is planning to experiment with longer-form videos on YouTube should TikTok face a shutdown. Boschma remains optimistic despite the looming challenges.
"Whatever is going to happen is going to happen, and we're just going to make the most of it," she states.
The potential TikTok ban also raises concerns for small businesses utilizing the platform as an income source. Nearly 8.5 million small businesses in the U.S. rely on TikTok to reach their audience and generate revenue.
"This is what I do to make a living. This is how I pay for my groceries. This is how millions of small businesses make their money," Nader shares.
Kristina Nolan from Frank McCourt's internet advocacy group Project Liberty highlights the discreet ways creators are encouraging their audiences to follow them on other platforms amidst fears of being "shadow banned" by TikTok.
"They're obviously not saying, 'Come over to Instagram,'" Nolan explains. "They're like, 'Go follow me on' and they're mouthing it."
As creators strive to maintain their livelihoods and audience connections, they are reminded to diversify their presence across multiple platforms.
"We're consistently reminding them to create audience depth on other platforms," Nolan says.
Yet, for many creators like Nader, the transition comes with challenges as they anticipate losing portions of their loyal fanbase.
"Not everyone from my TikTok following is going to come over, and that's really sad," he admits.