What’s up with TikTok?
In case you haven’t heard about the latest on the TikTok ban, here are the CliffsNotes:
TikTok was, yet again, in the hot seat at the United States Capitol earlier this year when Congress passed a bill to potentially ban the ByteDance app unless the Beijing-based company sells the app within 9 months. Days later on April 24, 2024, President Biden signed the bill.
But why?
The U.S. government has cited national security concerns and fears over data privacy related to TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance.
TikTok, in response to the bill, is suing the U.S. government to stop enforcement of the bill, claiming the bill violates the First Amendment by restricting Americans’ free speech.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the majority of TikTok’s frequent users in the U.S. (84%) oppose the ban, while the majority of Americans who rarely or never use TikTok support the ban.
Hilariously (like truly, I find this actually so funny), the Biden Campaign plans to continue using TikTok through the election, deeming it an important tool for reaching young voters.
But when?
ByteDance has up to 9 months to sell TikTok (including a three-month extension should the sell be in progress at the end of those 9 months). So, the earliest the TikTok ban would go into effect would be January-ish 2025. But, many experts predict it could take much longer (potentially years), due to court challenges.
Still, many experts believe it is only a matter of time before it becomes a reality. The impact of a ban would be far-reaching, affecting millions of users and thousands of content creators. One sector that stands to be particularly affected is higher education, where social media managers play a crucial role in engaging with current and prospective students.
Impact on Social Media Managers in Higher Education
A TikTok ban could present both challenges and opportunities in continuing to reach what were once TikTok audiences (largely prospective and current students). Sure, there will be obstacles. But it will also provide the space to rethink social media strategies.
Here are some of the key impacts:
Disruption of Established Engagement Strategies: TikTok has become a vital tool for many universities and colleges to connect with Gen Z. Its short-form, engaging content format is especially effective in reaching this current and prospective students. A ban would disrupt established strategies that have been carefully cultivated over the past few years, and social media managers would need to pivot quickly to maintain engagement levels. One of my main concerns is where this type of content will live. As mentioned, TikTok content is especially effective at reaching Gen Z. But the success of this type of content is platform specific. Sure, a lot of TikTok trends eventually make their way to Reels, But even more content doesn’t, and there’s a reason for that. TikTok content is quirky, random and strange (all in the best of ways). That type of content is the antithesis of Instagram, which is more curated, stylized and “safe.” So, where will the American TikTok audience go? Reels? Shorts? A new app that hasn’t even hit the app store, yet? And will the same type of content work there, or will we be reinventing the wheel? How will we reach international Gen Z-ers where TikTok is not banned? TBD, I suppose.
Loss of an Important Recruitment Tool: Higher education institutions rely on social media platforms like TikTok for recruitment. The platform’s algorithm, which promotes content based on user interests, has allowed universities to reach a broader and more targeted audience. A ban would remove this tool from social media managers’ toolboxes, requiring a shift to other platforms that may not have the same reach or engagement levels.
Platform Shift: I hinted at this earlier, but social media managers will need to diversify their content strategies and potentially invest more heavily in other platforms like Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Snapchat if TikTok is banned. Not only would this leave social media managers creating a pretty major change in content creation and strategy, but also fighting to stand out on these already overly crowded feeds. (Meta has to be drooling over the idea of this ban.) At the same time, the loss of TikTok means one less mouth to feed for social media managers, which might be a welcomed reprieve for managers who are already burnt out. One less platform to worry about allows managers to put more time, energy and strategy behind other platforms.
Increased Importance of a Multi-Platform Presence: The potential TikTok ban proves, yet again, the importance of a multi-platform presence. We work hard to ensure our institutions engage with audiences across social media, and that we’re not overly reliant on any single platform. This involves a strategic approach to content that can be adapted and shared across various social media channels, ensuring continuity in the institution’s digital presence.
Community Building and Direct Engagement: With the potential loss of TikTok’s broad reach, there may be a greater emphasis on building smaller, more engaged communities on other platforms. Personalized content strategy is not a new concept, and could become even more important following a TikTok ban.
Opportunity for Innovation: While the potential ban poses challenges, it also offers an opportunity for innovation. Social media managers can explore new types of content and engagement strategies to reach TikTok audiences on other (potentially new) social media platforms. Who knows? It could lead to more meaningful interactions with students in other digital spaces.
The potential TikTok ban in the U.S is a tough (or maybe welcomed) change all social media managers need to prepare for. By diversifying content strategies and focusing on innovation early, we can help mitigate the impacts of the ban and continue to effectively engage with our target audiences. Until a final decision is made on the ban, we’ll likely continue on with TikTok efforts, while putting more time and energy into coming up with content strategies to reach Gen Z on our other accounts. If anything, we’ll end up with more resilient and adaptive social media strategies, ensuring our institutions remain connected with their communities regardless of platform limitations.