How Marketers Should Approach TikTok Planning with a Potential Ban on the Horizon

The one thing that can be counted on in social media is that it’s always changing. It’s what keeps many of us excited about working in the social space and it keeps us on our toes. With a potential TikTok ban looming in the US, being flexible and nimble when it comes to social media planning for 2025 will be key.

The US government has set January 19th, 2025, as the date by which TikTok must either shut down in the US or sell its assets to another company. While TikTok fights things out in court, brand planning continues and now is the time many are setting budgets and developing content for the New Year. With uncertainty around what 2025 may look like in the U.S. social media landscape, how should brands and marketers be preparing?

The best advice is to plan for two scenarios. There’s of course the scenario where TikTok is able to remain active in the US, either through action in court or by divesting. That scenario would keep most brands in a business-as-usual flow with TikTok where it would remain a popular and beloved platform by its users.

The other scenario to plan for is one in which TikTok is no longer available in the US. There are five things to consider in this scenario:

1. TikTok Behaviours Are Here to Stay So Don’t Panic

If you’re a brand that invested in building a presence on TikTok, don’t worry. The lessons learned in creating content successfully for the platform will carry over to others where similar short-form, lo-fi formats are also winning the day. The behaviours and preferences of TikTok’s audiences also aren’t going anywhere. TikTok fundamentally changed social media, giving rise to a frictionless experience where users can discover and be entertained without ever having to friend someone, mute a topic or curate a list of accounts to follow. This approach has been integrated in various forms to Western-created social platforms. For brands, this means that the ability to reach audiences - even organically - is possible on other platforms. It takes the right type of content just as it did on TikTok.

2. Consider Other Platforms

TikTok users will go elsewhere, and brands should be ready to develop a presence on other social platforms or to shift additional resources there. Which platforms should brands be ready for? It may vary based on audience and how each platform may best meet business objectives.

3. Optimise Content for Social Search

Another behaviour TikTok helped shape was the use of social platforms for search versus traditional platforms like Google. Nearly half of gen z and 35% of Millennials turn to social platforms first when searching for information, according to a recent Forbes study. For many, that go-to informational social platform has been TikTok, but brands should expect this behaviour to continue elsewhere. Developing evergreen content and optimising copy and tags for search on other platforms like Instagram and YouTube would be recommended. 

4. Think Globally

For brands with a global presence, TikTok may still be a viable platform in other markets. This should be vetted strategically through the lens of the market and, if a presence is recommended to continue, it will be important to ensure TikTok management is set up in a non-US location. 

5. Develop Relatable Content Around the Moment 

Brands that have a highly engaged audience on TikTok may benefit from leaning into the moment, which will be big in pop culture, and create content that demonstrates an understanding of the collective loss some will feel with a TikTok departure. The content could be shared on TikTok while it’s still available in the US and it would be an opportunity to promote the brand’s presence on other social platforms.