The TikTok ban is coming. Here’s how to adapt your social media strategy.

I think it was my junior year of college. I was standing in line at the cafeteria when I started hearing concerned whispers that gradually became louder and louder. As I got closer to the source of the chatter, the girl next to me said, “Did you hear? They’re trying to shut off our access to Facebook!” 

It’s weird to think that there was once a time when Facebook was considered cool, especially if you’re younger than 30 years old, but trust me — it was. The ‘they’ in question was my college’s administration, which believed that students were seeing and posting questionable photos on Facebook that would ruin their futures, and it was the administration’s responsibility to protect them from themselves.

Fast forward to the present day, and now we’re talking about banning another wildly popular social media platform, with the U.S. government slated to ban TikTok in early 2025. The reasons are different from my college’s plans to quash Facebook, but to say that eliminating TikTok would have a jarring effect would be an understatement. It is the second-most popular social media platform among young adults (behind Snapchat) and the fastest-growing social channel since 2021. 

And while it has already been banned for governmental use, including by universities, in a handful of states, TikTok continues to be a major channel for higher ed social media marketers to reach their target audience via casual, playful and informative short-form videos.

Here comes the TikTok ban

So now we are just a few months away from what feels like a digital doomsday. But if that’s how you’re feeling about the TikTok ban, keep in mind that we’ve been here before. 

All modern social media platforms walk atop the bones of older, defunct platforms. A little over ten years ago I was drafting my strategy for Vine and Tumblr. Two years later, I was excited about how to launch my brand Snapchat account. Today, these platforms are either dead (Vine), a shell of itself (Tumblr), or have completely shifted their focus (Snapchat). 

And those are just three examples among others that I could give, but the moral to the story is content creation not only survived but thrived. I would go so far as to say that the death of Vine not only built YouTube into the biggest platform in the world but laid the groundwork for the influencer/content creator culture that we live in today.  

So, what can we do? Easy! We must recognize the direction we are headed and adapt. 

What platforms should you use if (when?) TikTok goes away?

Instagram Reels

First, if you aren’t using Instagram Reels, then stop everything you are doing and focus on that. According to a 2023 survey by Morgan Stanley, 74% of Instagram users use Reels. Reels have greater reach than photos and give you a similar experience to TikTok. I suggest experimenting with the channel. 

• Look at what content is resonating, and see how your mission and goals fit.
• Try switching your account from “business to creator” and explore some trending sounds. 
• Get used to the in-app editing tools that Instagram provides.
• Don’t let Adam Mosseri break your heart with an update, just let it pass over and through you.
• If something worked over on TikTok, try it on Reels. 
• If something didn’t work on TikTok, try it on Reels. 
  • We’ve had so many videos bomb on TikTok and succeed on Reels!

YouTube Shorts

Secondly, have you considered YouTube? Remember how I said the death of Vine built the influencer/creator culture we live in currently? That’s because the most popular Vine creators migrated to the long-form video platform and that trend is happening again with TikTokers. A lot of popular TikTok personalities are trying to diversify their content and their audience by creating a presence on YouTube. This isn’t just for long-form content, a lot of them are utilizing YouTube’s TikTok clone, YouTube Shorts. 

This report from Statista.com estimates that YouTube Shorts has more than 160 million monthly users in the US alone and will grow to over 190 million by 2027. Now, compared to TikTok and Instagram Reels, YouTube has a bit more of a learning curve. It’s harder to grow an audience, the analytics are a little different, and the ecosystem is much bigger. But don’t let that deter you. Here are some quick tips to get you started.

• Look before you leap. What’s resonating on the platform? Be sure to look across a variety of content types and topics. How do you fit?
• Vertical content that does well on TikTok and Instagram still performs well on YouTube Shorts. Try it!
• Thumbnails are REALLY important, so be thoughtful. For Shorts, you can’t have custom thumbnails for Shorts content. You’ll have to pick from a frame in your video and add text in the editor.
• Shorts have a 60-second cap, which is shorter than TikTok and Instagram. So, keep that in mind when repurposing.

TikTok sees YouTube as its chief competitor. I’m guessing this is why they are testing the ability to create 60-minute videos.

Take a leap into the unknown

Finally, anything is possible, so be ready. There are plenty of other options to ponder.

• Streaming sites such as Twitch and Kick are experimenting with vertical, short-form content. 
• LinkedIn recently launched its vertical video editor.
• Niche-based community spaces like Discord and Reddit are still thriving and are worth exploring, if you’re not already. These are different than the public-facing, video-centric channels I’ve mentioned, but there is something to the idea of creating/existing in a community based around your university.
• The next big channel might not exist yet, but it’s coming. You just have to figure out if it makes sense to join and, if it does, when is the right time to jump in.

Social media is like water: It can be scary, it can be unstable, and what lies in its depths is unknowable. It’s also totally shapeless, flexible and nourishing. Be water. Be flexible. Be prepared. And, whatever happens after that, happens. Just be ready.