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Tick-tock, TikTok, tick-tock

Writer's picture: John BrandtJohn Brandt

Full disclosure: 


I never downloaded the TikTok app, so I don’t know the full details about what’s going on. 


What I do know is this:


* TikTok got banned a few days back, then unbanned via executive order 


* Despite the executive order to unban it, it’s still unavailable in the App Stores of the world 


* The reason it was banned was due to “data collection by the Chinese” (but the same government doesn’t care when American companies spy on you… and, without monopoly on the use of force, a company with your data can only use it to sell you things and improve their marketing while, hopefully, creating a better general experience for the customer… but the trouble is, well, the Chinese Communist Party ain’t a good actor, and even American Tech Bros form political relationships to mayhap sell this data to the bad actors in our government… anyway, I’m rambling - but data collection is both as bad as they say and complete hysteria) 

But the real* reason it was banned (since, y’know, it’s always been a data collection site, as every other free social media site is) might be because too many “influencers” were making too much moolah


And without getting too political on ya here (because I have admittedly strange and mayhap even “fringe” political views)... The government—whether America’s, China’s, Russia’s, [enter your personal most or least favorite government here]—doesn’t particularly like when you make moolah. 


Why?


Well, it gives you freedom. 


It makes you independent. 


And, quite frankly, I believe it scares them (especially some of the most evil archetypal politicians). 


Regardless of the reason, the point remains:


TikTok got banned. 


It’s still semi-banned. 


And if you rely on TikTok to fuel your business and your marketing, then, well, the last few days (at the time of me writing this) have probably been tough. 


Sure there are alternatives like YouTube, Red Note (I learned up on this from my zoomer cousins who downloaded the app to fuel their TikTok addiction—but to be fair, they also do create dance content, so it’s not all for naught for them—only to find that everything is in Chinese, and as arrogant Americans who are too good to learn the tongue of other nations, don’t know how to even begin to read Chinese), even Instagram and Facebook have reels and stuff now. 


But unless you’ve planned ahead and spent time building out your audience on these platforms (which many-a TikTik-er did not), then the alternatives aren’t all that helpful. 


Not to mention, every other alternative I mentioned, since they each fit into the “free data collection LARPing as a social media app” category can also be randomly banned when these egomaniacal politicians discover, gasp!, that, yes, every free social media platform is also fully engaged in data collection. At least this side of Myspace and mayhap Vine. 


And while, yes, I expect TikTok to become fully unbanned at some point in the future (there was a reason TikTok’s CEO showed up in the Tech Bros section of Trump’s Inauguration), the fact remains:


If your business relies on TikTok, you’re screwed. 


Even if it comes back tomorrow, you still missed out on something: Engagement, sales, positioning, etc. 


And it can be banned again, without warning, the next day. Or the next day. Or the next day. Or the next day (as Plankton would say). 


Worst part?


Other social media sites can also be banned. 


While this isn’t a likely possibility (and to be fair, TikTok’s ban has been prophesied since everyone realized Chinese Tech Bros play similar data collection games as American Tech Bros because that’s where the Brinks trucks park)—it’s still a possibility. 


And what’s more likely is that these social media companies (or other “free” services you or your customers use for marketing - like Google and Gmail) change their algorithm. 


Now, massive sea changes to the algorithm aren’t as bad for a business who relies on these channels as a full-out ban. But it’s about as close as you can get without dropping the full ban-hammer. 


And while social media sites are loosening up their rules about how an account gets banned or copystriked or what have you… They can always constrict these rules back to their original strangled self. 


(Heck, I was in a bingo-related Facebook group that offered free stickers for hitting bingo, required no money to play, and even that group got in trouble!) 


I say all that to say this: 


Yes, social media can be a good way to find new customers and grow your business. 


But if you’re gonna play the social media game, you must be prepared for rapid changes that come without warning that can ransack your business and marketing channels. 


That’s the bad news. 


The good news?


Preparing for this is much easier than you might think—and it’s something I’ve frequently chatted about too:


Use your social media channels as a “top-of-funnel” strategy that leads to collecting email addresses. 


If you want to dominate the business, you gotta steal some of the Tech Bros best-kept secrets. They realize they’re in the data collection game. And you ought to too. 


The only difference is, if you’re not a giant corporation, your data collection is ethical, moral, and humane. 


And so, think like these billionaire Tech Bro CEOs do and also use your social media for data collection, e.g. email addresses. 


Not only do you own this list of email addresses you gather (which means, even in the unlikely scenario that an email marketing platform bans you, you can still export your email list and import it into another platform), but you’re also less likely to be affected by big sweeping changes (though it’s still a possibility). 


And the best part?


Email is “closer” to the final sale anyway. 


It’s easier to sell with email. 


Easier to build relationships (which is how you get sales).  

Easier to grow your business when you have a reliable faucet of leads coming in and an email strategy designed to turn those leads into customers. 


Heck, you could’ve even had a “TikTok is banned special” where you profited off TikTok getting banned. 


Then unbanned. 


Well, semi-banned. 


You got the point. 


Need help creating a strategy that takes social media followers and turns them into loyal, diehard customers?


Hit reply, and let’s chat. 


John

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