TL;DR
TikTok’s US ban was signed into law on April 24th. Advertisers are already placing bets on YouTube Shorts and Instagram reels as the best places to find audiences that want similar content and opportunities for discovery. MiQ is here to help with migration guidance to future-proof your social video strategy. Keep reading for more!
Let's get to the facts
The TikTok ban has been signed into law. Could it be the end of an era?
- TikTok has until January 19th, 2025 to sell and separate its US operations from foreign owner, ByteDance.
- Once the ban is implemented, US app stores will be required to remove the app for future downloads and updates. Anyone who already has the app will be able to keep it, but won’t be able to download security updates once the ban goes into effect.
- TikTok is already fighting this law in court, so this isn't the last we'll hear about it. Here’s a message from TikTok's CEO.
More context
On Wednesday, April 24th, US President Joe Biden signed a bill into law that requires TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, by January 19th, 2025 or risk being removed from all US app stores.
TikTok reaches more than 170 million Americans and has become a central space for search, discovery and ecommerce, exemplified by the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt movement. While there’s still time before the law takes effect, industry leaders are eager to figure out what the next big bet is.
For brands, losing this platform as a vehicle to connect with audiences via its unique and authentic content could have real implications on their business. Advertisers speculate that creators and audiences will begin to spend more time in two primary spaces:
- YouTube Shorts: 164.5M US Users (eMarketer)
- Instagram reels: 126M US Users (Instagram)
Only time will tell, but creator incentive packages, product functionality, innovation and the uncertain fate of TikTok’s ability to find a buyer or contest the law in court will also play crucial roles. Nevertheless, it’s not too early for advertisers to begin future-proofing their strategies for reaching audiences in other social video environments.
MiQ’s take?
- Keep your current TikTok strategy active. There are no current signs of an exodus on the user or advertiser front. Some advertisers may panic before audiences leave the platform, giving calm and confident advertisers efficiency with less competition against the same valuable audiences!
- Don’t invest heavily into new builds and integrations. Use the capability stack you currently have in place and lean on trusted partners for support.
Migration strategies
MiQ’s TikTok migration package is designed to help advertisers understand where their best opportunities lie outside of TikTok, including:
- Cross-Platform Audience Examination to determine if your audience can be reached across other apps and the best tactics to reach them.
- Testing Activation across TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, supporting trafficking, optimization, maintenance and reporting.
- Performance and Creative Analysis to compare how channels like YouTube and Instagram align with your creative and audience.
What to do next?
Leverage MiQ Social Audit to begin building out a data-driven plan for migration. We’ll provide a custom strategic analysis across the apps users may move to – including YouTube and Instagram – which will prepare your team and clients with a proactive data-driven recommendation.
To learn more about our TikTok migration package, get in touch with us at wearemiq.com/contact or speak to your MiQ representative today.
About MiQ
MiQ helps marketers drive best-in-class activations across video platforms including YouTube, TikTok, Meta, Amazon and ad-supported streaming apps. With our data-driven, tech-enabled and partner-agnostic solutions, we can unify your approach to Advanced TV and develop strategies that align with your brand values.
