The rumors of TikTok’s demise in the United States never seem to go away. We may dismiss them, but they aren’t going away. Renewed calls for a ban on TikTok in the U.S. are getting a bit more real as even more concerns over user data security and China’s ability to access that information grows. This is no longer limited to just government employees or their devices as we’ve seen in the past. It’s now reaching into data leaks with journalists as reported by The Financial Times. That can be some dangerous stuff! 2023 may require us to pay a bit closer attention to what’s happening with TikTok access and what that could mean for our marketing efforts. At least, have a contingency plan!
Lately, we’ve been seeing a lot of DMO interest (and money) being devoted to getting their TikTok presence off the ground. We’re now running full-blown paid campaigns on TikTok for several clients. We’re conducting more and more coaching calls with clients to establish best practices and strategies. We’ve also retooled many of our content distribution strategies to be inclusive of this network! But, what if TikTok does eventually go “poof” in the middle of the night for Americans? For starters, that’d be super sad. Like, super sad. Lastly, it’d be a huge waste of energy and time (and budget) that many of us simply can’t afford to lose.
The likelihood of a TikTok ban can’t be simply brushed aside anymore. At this point, as tensions throughout the world increase on every single front that we can imagine, it’s something we should be paying closer attention to. It’s also another reason why we should focus on networks that we know are here for the long haul. If you’re feeling on edge about all the TikTok chatter, maybe it’s time to give those Shorts a look over on YouTube. At the very least to better distribute your short-form content. As we’ve discussed previously, Shorts are a priority for Google. They have a viral nature just like TikTok, and their long-game potential within search is currently unmatched. If I had to pick just one, I think I’d be all in on Google’s YouTube Shorts so that I could rest easy that all of my vertical, short-form content creation efforts weren’t in vain. Better yet, start making it a habit to distribute your TikTok content onto Shorts. Consider it a bit of a lifeline if things go completely haywire on TikTok front.
