It’s been more than four years since Donald Trump first proposed TikTok ban from the United States — and now, just days before a second Trump presidency begins, it might happen.
Last April, President Joe Biden signed legislation that officially began the countdown to force TikTok’s parent firm, ByteDance, to exit the US market. Even later, the attitude on the video powerhouse remained fairly casual, with a few odd jokes about “this app disappearing” interspersed among the normal material.
In the last week, however, the tone has shifted: my favorite creators are posting links to their other social accounts, audiences are creating highlight reels of the most viral moments on the app, and they’re saying goodbye to their “Chinese spy” and threatening to hand over their data to the Chinese government. A Chinese-owned software Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote, topped the software Store this week, fueled by a surge of “TikTok refugees” attempting to reproduce the platform’s experience. It feels like a fever dream on the last day of school.
Many online creatives have had to migrate to new locations before; reach, engagement, and visibility are continuously moving, even on the largest and most stable platforms. However, the potential of a large social media site disappearing — or gradually deteriorating until it is no longer functional — is a new concern. TikTok is like playing the lottery, especially for small creators: you don’t need thousands of followers for your video to go viral, and the unpredictability of the platform encouraged the average person to contribute material.
It is still unknown what will happen to TikTok after January 19. I asked content creators what their game strategy was. (Responses were modified and simplified for clarity.)
Noelle Johansen, @astraeagoods (89K followers)
“From December 2020 to January 2022, TikTok accounted for almost 70% of my total sales. Noelle Johansen, who sells slogan sweatshirts, accessories, stickers, and other things, estimates that it now accounts for little more than 10% of her sales.
“At my height with TikTok, I was able to reach a large number of clients with relative ease. Instagram and Twitter have always been a gamble as to whether or not the content would be seen, but TikTok has been quite consistent in presenting my videos to my fans and prospective new clients,” Johansen told The Verge via email. “I’ve also made fantastic connections through TikTok’s artist community, which is difficult to translate to other social media platforms. Most applications work very differently from TikTok, and many individuals don’t have the time to keep up with all of the many socials and building platforms out there.”
Johansen said they’ll continue to focus on X and Instagram for revenue while building a following on Bluesky and Threads.
Kay Poyer, @ladymisskay_ (704K followers)
“I think the ease of use on TikTok opened an avenue for a lot of would-be creators,” says Kay Poyer, a well-known creator of humor and commentary. “Right now we’re seeing a cleaving point, where many will choose to stop or be forced to adapt back to older platforms (which tend to be more difficult to build followings on and monetize).”
In terms of her own plans, Poyer says she will stay where the engagement is if TikTok becomes unavailable – smaller sites like Bluesky or Neptune aren’t yet significant enough.
“I’m seeing a big spike in subscribers to my Substack, The Quiet Part, as well as followers flooding to my Instagram and Twitter,” Poyer told the magazine. “I have decided to make my podcast, Meat Bus, the centerpiece of my content. We plan to debut our video episodes on YouTube maybe next month.
Bethany Brookshire, @beebrookshire (18K followers)
Bethany Brookshire, a science journalist and novelist, has been posting videos about human anatomy to TikTok, Bluesky, Instagram, and YouTube. Brookshire has noticed disparities in audiences across channels, such as YouTube, which “is not a place [to] build an audience,” citing negative comments on her work.
“Sometimes I feel like the only ethical way to produce any content is to write it out in artisanal chalk on an organically sourced vegan stone”
“I find people on TikTok comment and engage a lot more, and most importantly, their comments are often touching or humorous,” she explains.” “When I was doing pelvic anatomy, a lot of people with uteruses wrote in to tell me they felt seen, that they had a specific condition, and they even bonded with each other in the comments.”
In an email to The Verge, Brookshire explained that sharing content anyplace might be risky. With Nazi filth on Substack, right-wing ass-kissing on Meta, and national security worries on TikTok, it doesn’t seem like any platform is flawless.
“Sometimes I feel like the only ethical way to produce any content is to write it out in artisanal chalk on an organically sourced vegan stone, which I then try to show to a single person with their consent before gently tossing it into the ocean to complete its circle of life,” Brookshire recounts. “But if I want to inform, and I want to educate, I need to be in the places people go.”
Woodstock Farm Sanctuary, @woodstocksanctuary (117K followers)
The Woodstock Farm Sanctuary in upstate New York utilizes TikTok to reach out to new audiences – the majority of its Instagram followers are animal rights activists, vegetarians, or sanctuary supporters.
“TikTok has allowed us to reach people who don’t even know what animal sanctuaries are,” Riki Higgins, social media coordinator, told The Verge via email. “While we still primarily fundraise via Meta platforms, we seem to make the biggest education and advocacy impact when we post on TikTok.”
With a tiny social media and marketing team of two, Woodstock Farm Sanctuary (like other small businesses and nonprofits) must be strategic in its approach. YouTube material can be more labor-intensive, according to Higgins, while Instagram Reels lacks critical features such as 2x video speed and the ability to pause videos.
“TikTok users truly, really dislike Reels. They see it as a platform where jokes, trends, and other outmoded content are reproduced, and younger users, in particular, consider it as an app that only older audiences use,” Higgins says.
The sanctuary claims it would meet viewers wherever they travel if TikTok becomes inaccessible.
Anna Rangos, @honeywhippedfeta (15K followers)
Anna Rangos, who works in social media and creates tech and cultural commentary videos, is no stranger to needing to switch platforms. As a retired sex worker, she witnessed personally how vulnerable a social media following can be.
“What if you woke up one day to find your accounts had been deactivated and needed to be restored? Forget it. “Good luck getting any type of service from Meta,” Rangos wrote in an email. Having an account canceled results in lost income and hours spent attempting to reestablish a following. “Over my time in the industry, I went through three or four Instagram accounts, constantly trying to recapture my following.”
Sex workers and sex education creators frequently see their content removed, blocked, or entire accounts destroyed. Rangos adds that, while the TikTok community is more friendly, she’s attempting to carve out her own area with a website and newsletter. She also intends to be active on YouTube, Pinterest, and Bluesky.
“I don’t plan on using Meta products much, given [Mark] Zuckerberg’s recent announcements regarding fact-checking,” she said in a private message.
