Should You Be Concerned About TikTok Getting Banned? Here Are 3 Questions To Ask Yourself. If TikTok is important to your personal or business brand, it might be helpful to review the following three questions to determine how to proceed.
By Terry Rice Edited by Mark Klekas
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Do you worry too much? Sure, as an entrepreneur there are plenty of things to be concerned about on a daily basis. But focusing too much on threats can distract you from exploring business-building opportunities.
So with that said, let's discuss TikTok and determine whether or not you have something to worry about. There's been a lot of news surrounding its future in the United States.
Montana became the first U.S. state to pass legislation banning TikTok on personal devices, and a new Pew Research Center survey revealed Americans support banning TikTok by a more than two-to-one margin.
Related: 5 Secrets to Growing a Massive TikTok Following
Should you be concerned about a total U.S. ban? Will it make an impact on your company or content strategy? Here are three questions to ask yourself and — more importantly — what to do about it.
What percent of your revenue comes from TikTok?
If TikTok isn't bringing in a substantial amount of revenue for you or your business, there's no need to add worrying about a potential ban to your list of tasks. The good news is that this is probably the case for you.
A report from Business of Apps revealed Facebook and Instagram are the highest revenue-generating social media platforms, with TikTok landing in fifth place. What does this mean to you? If you're not earning much on TikTok, prioritize revenue-generating platforms and ignore the hype.
Is TikTok actually going to get banned in the U.S.?
The call to ban TikTok comes from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). ByteDance, based in Beijing, is the owner of TikTok. The justice department fears the app could be used to spy on Americans, according to CBS News.
In response, the U.S. government told ByteDance to sell its stake in TikTok to a U.S. company or face a ban. So, this whole issue can be avoided if a U.S. company buys TikTok.
Based on recent history, selling to a U.S. company is likely. CFIUS is the same committee that forced the sale of the LGBTQ dating app Grindr from Chinese ownership in 2019.
My prediction? TikTok will survive, and this ordeal will inspire a dance challenge.
What other marketing channels should you explore?
If you're still concerned about a ban, it's time to connect with your audience through different channels.
Start by adding links for your other social media platforms to your TikTok account. Then, encourage your followers to connect with you there for exclusive content.
Related: How to Make Social Media Marketing Effective for Your Brand
You should also consider this as a wake-up call to form a relationship with your followers off of social media. Encourage them to join your email list by offering discounts or handy guides. SMS marketing is another option to explore. SMS open rates are as high as 98%, Gartner reported.
Most importantly, realize that you don't have a lot of control over whether or not TikTok gets banned, but you can control how you respond. Use this as an opportunity to future-proof your business by building a direct relationship with your audience.
Then you'll have a lot less to worry about.
