Is TikTok Getting Banned?

TikTok is getting banned in the US. Or, is it?

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that requires ByteDance — the Chinese parent company of TikTok — to sell the social media platform or face a ban in the country. 

So, what does this mean for the creators who rely on TikTok to make a living?

With over 150 million monthly active users in the U.S, TikTok is among the most popular social media platforms in the US. Since the launch of TikTok shop in 2022, many creators have found a way to make serious money on the platform. Emily has been clearing $30k per month, while Ashley raked in $13k in her first two weeks.

For creators like these, a TikTok ban could be game over. 

If that’s you and you’re worried about what a ban could mean for your business — we’ve got you. This post is your survival guide.

Will the TikTok ban happen?

Ah, the million dollar question. As the TikTok bill heads to the Senate, the fate of the app is now uncertain. 

Let’s quickly cover the issue at hand. TikTok’s Chinese ownership. U.S. officials are concerned that ByteDance could hand over the personal information of the 150 million Americans who use the app to the Chinese government. The bill isn’t calling for a ban as such, but instead that ByteDance would need to sell up or divest. If the bill went through, they’d have 165 days to do this.

If they didn’t, then we’d move in to ban territory.

While we don’t wade into politics here at Brands Meet Creators, on this occasion, we’ll put in our two cents. Will it happen? Potentially. Will it happen anytime soon, very unlikely. And that, we would put money on.

The Senate moves much slower than the house, add the backdrop of an election year and it’s probably going to be on the back burner for a little while. If it was to eventually pass, TikTok would have 6 months to sell (or enter into a very lengthy legal battle). 

Whichever way you look at it. TikTok — and TikTok shop — won’t be going anywhere in 2024.

While you wait on the edge of your seat to see what will happen, you’ll also see a lot of chat about preparing for a life without TikTok as a creator. 

So, how should you future-proof your creator business right now?

How to prepare for a potential TikTok ban

Let’s face it, with how profitable TikTok shop is right now, a ban would be pretty devastating for many creators. However, the looming ban could also be the push you need to take your business into high gear.

Here are a few things you can do right now to prepare for a potential TikTok ban:

1. Future proof your income streams

2. Use it to your advantage

3. Stop worrying about something that hasn’t happened
   
   
   

Future proof your income streams

Diversifying your income streams is the buzz-word right now in the creator economy. We’ve spoken about it for years in the Academy: long-gone are the days when creators would have one stream of income. As a UGC creator, adding additional streams such as the Amazon Influencer Programme, TikTok Shop, affiliate marketing and digital downloads was the way to create a sustainable business.

And it still is. 

If there was to be a TikTok ban around the corner, selling on TikTok shop is the best way to future proof your income streams. I don’t have to tell you how lucrative UGC can be, especially if you have incredible case studies to back up your pitches.

Getting a killer case study is the #1 thing you can do for your UGC business. But at the end of the day, brands don’t always want to give you cold hard figures. Or, the figures you do get might not be any good. TikTok shop solves this problem. Every upload has the potential to become your next case study. You have real time access to analytics, exact revenue generated and conversation rates. 

Consider this. Abbey had a viral TikTok last month. Yes, she made a killing in commissions, but she also took her UGC pitch to a whole new level.

I don’t know about you, but that pitch sounds like a no-brainer to me.

6 months of TikTok shop focus could offer you a bank of case studies for every industry that could transform your UGC pitches.

Use the TikTok ban to your advantage

If there’s one thing that increases conversion rates like no-other, it’s a sense of urgency. Nothing says urgent quite like “TikTok might be getting banned…. snap this up before it’s too late!!”

The creators who are doing well are already capitalizing on discussions around potential TikTok restrictions to promote products. This might look like suggesting companies are offering discounts to clear stock, or alluding to stocking up — you can really get creative with your approach.

Stop worrying about a potential TikTok ban

The potential TikTok ban is a reminder that your social media platforms are not a given. The truth is there’s always a certain level of risk with social platforms. 

Even if the ban wasn’t to happen, your account could get hacked, the algorithm could change, you could be handed one too many violation points that tips you over the edge. 

The more time you spend worrying about your account, the less time you spend working on it.

Creators are making life-changing sums of money overnight in some cases. Ashley made $13k in 14 days. If you let a ban (that hasn’t even happened yet) deter you just imagine how much potential income you stand to lose. Emily makes $30k a month on the platform. You could too, but you need to put the idea of a ban out of your head.

Prepare, but don’t limit your potential

In the simplest way, if you want to prepare for a TikTok ban, you need to create a safety net.

This safety net will be different for everyone. 

For some, it’ll be focusing on different platforms entirely, or growing an email list. For most of the creators in the Academy, it’ll mean business as usual: squeezing as much commission as possible out of the platform, and gathering enough data for case studies that UGC brands can’t say no to. 

Whichever way you to choose to go, here’s a quick checklist of things you can start doing today:

• Start sharing with your TikTok audience where else they can find you, whether that’s another social platform or a newsletter.

• Backup your TikTok content by downloading all your videos on the platform.

• Grab the data from your TikTok account weekly — numbers and screenshots.

  
  

And then, get back to making money on TikTok shop. 

If you want a helping hand to capitalize on TikTok shop, the Academy is the place to be. We’ve just posted a brand new 13-module TikTok Shop training. It’s waiting for you when you’re ready.

TikTok ban FAQ

Who owns TikTok?

TikTok is owned by China-based tech giant ByteDance.

Why is TikTok getting banned?

U.S. officials are concerned that the Chinese parent company could hand over the personal information of Americans who use the app to the Chinese government. If the bill was to go through, the parent company would have 165 days to sell up or divest. If they didn’t do this, distribution of the TikTok app would be banned in the US.

Is TikTok getting banned?

The U.S. House of Representatives has voted with a big majority (352-65) to pass a bill requiring TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance to sell the app or face a nationwide ban. The bill now goes to the Senate, and its future is unclear.