What is happening with Tiktok and what does it mean for your Brand? | MN2S

Bans, extensions, mass panic. What’s next?

Like us, you’ve probably been glued to your phone over the weekend, trying to keep up with the TikTok ban drama. Is it happening? Has it happened? If it hasn’t, why? And could it still happen? Wait, it’s happened, the US is gone! Oh, they’re back? What is going on?!

Up to 25% of the brand partnerships we help to book at MN2S involve TikTok. It could be brands booking talent for collaborative posts or booking other celebrities to provide endorsements or star in exclusive content. It’s one of the most important platforms out there. Talk of a US TikTok ban, then, has had an urgent impact on how brands approach their digital marketing strategies.

The last thing any of us need right now is more upheaval and uncertainty. To help you, this article is going to give a concise account of:

  • Why a TikTok ban is/was being proposed in the US.
  • What the current state of play is.
  • What the strongest alternatives to TikTok are.
  • Above all, how your brand can stay agile on social media with so much still up in the air.

Why did TikTok vanish for 12 hours?

Yesterday morning (Sunday 19th), users were greeted with this message: “Unfortunately TikTok isn’t available right now.” By early afternoon, however, they were beng greeted with another message: “TikTok is back in the US!” There had been a last-minute reprieve. And as the screenshot shows, TikTok gave incoming (again) US President Donald Trump the credit. So what happened? Is TikTok here to stay after a brief scare? Or are we going to relive this whole drama in another few months?

Untitled design

Why does the US want to ban TikTok anyway?

TikTok went offline because of a US law, passed by Congress in April 2024, banning platforms “controlled by foreign adversaries” from operating in the States unless they “divest”—i.e., sell their platform—to American owners. As TikTok is currently owned by a Chinese company called ByteDance, it fell foul of this new law.


This drastic move was motivated by longstanding concerns about the potential misuse American citizens’ data. Ironically, President Trump threatened to ban TikTok back in 2020 for the same reason. That ban was ultimately avoided by the platform partnering with an American software company on its infrastructure and algorithm moderation. Regardless, it has been banned on federal devices since 2023.

Despite legal bids to overturn the 2024 ruling, a deadline was set for ByteDance to sell by January 19th 2025—the penultimate day of Joe Biden’s presidency. But they refused to sell. Confusingly, the outgoing US administration, which passed the law in the first place, also said they wouldn’t enforce the ban.


In the event, TikTok took itself offline minutes before the deadline. This led to the White House branding the whole thing a publicity stunt.   

Has TikTok been sold?

Despite rumors that everyone from Meta and Musk to Mr Beast had bought or was going to buy TikTok—which is valued at up to $200 billion—ByteDance remains the owner for now. So why the reprieve?

In short, President Trump, who takes office this week, has promised to extend the deadline by 90 days. He’s cited a caveat that says the deadline can be extended if a sale is in progress. He’s also hinted at a joint-ownership deal, with the US owning half of the platform. Assuming the extension happens, TikTok will be available as normal in the US until at least mid-April.

What next for Brands?

Social media and digital marketing are inherently fast-paced and unpredictable. Agility is key, and nothing underscores that better than the current drama. Brands and creators that rely on TikTok for engagement and outreach (in our experience, Asian brands in particular find TikTok a fantastic way to reach younger demographics in the US) have been scrambling to find alternatives. 

Something that has become clear over the last week is that there’s no going backward in social media. The industry hasn’t yet gone retro; there’s no falling back on Facebook or rediscovering MySpace. Once a platform is out, it’s out—and you can’t market on a platform your audience doesn’t use—so you have to keep up with the crowd.

That said, Instagram and YouTube remain valuable platforms for marketers (with the TikTok deadline approaching, many creators were asking fans to follow them on Instagram.) These two platforms have millions upon millions of active users, and they haven’t gotten caught up in the kinds of political controversies that have dogged Facebook and X.

However, even Insta reels and YouTube shorts can’t match the power of TikTok’s algorithm, its monetization structure, and the speed with which is can spread a message. Therefore, the most switched-on brands have been setting themselves up on trending platforms.

What are people using instead of TikTok?

images

Ironically, the two apps that have shot to the top of the download charts amid the TikTok uproar are both Chinese: Rednote and Lemon8. But are they any good? RedNote is an English translation of Xiaohongshu, Chinese for “Little Red Book”. It became the app to get set up on as the TikTok ban loomed. RedNote operates in a very similar way to TikTok: an unlimited feed of algorithm-driven content, overwhelmingly filmed and edited by users (rather than professionally produced in a studio). The central difference appears to be that RedNote more adherent to Chinese government policy than TikTok. This means little-to-no political content and potentially more stringent censorship if your marketing touches on political issues.

Lemon8 is second only to RedNote in the app-store charts. It offers a similar user experience, but be warned that it is owned by ByteDance, which also owns TikTok, and so it could be affected by the same problems as its sister platform in the US. Basically, if TikTok is staying, then stay with it. But keep your eye on the trending alternatives. As well as RedNote and Lemon8, many other new apps will likely emerge as developers look to capitalize on the uncertainty around TikTok’s future in the US.

The importance of omni-channel marketing

Social Media Platforms Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, X, LinkedIn, Reddit, TikTok, Threads
Social Media Platforms Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, X, LinkedIn, Reddit, TikTok, Threads

No social media platform is too big to fail, fall out of fashion, or get banned outright. So diversity is needed, but so is balance. Try being on every social media platform out there and you spread yourself too thin. Overcommit to one, such as TikTok, and you’re liable to get caught out when a certain something hits the fan.

This is why omni-channel marketing is key for any brand. You need to have your message going out across several relevant channels, with the content tailored to each platform. TikTok-optimized content won’t work as effectively on Facebook, and vice versa. 

If TikTok is a large part of your marketing strategy and you’re unsure of where to go from here, then fear not. At MN2S, we pride ourselves on being ahead of the curve. We specialize in marketing strategies that are tailored to your needs and understand the ever-evolving marketing landscape. 

Whether you’re a major brand or a solopreneur, reach out to one our agents to discuss your digital marketing goals, and we can help find the right talent and platform to help you achieve them.

Key takeaways

  • TikTok is back online. It’s business as usual until at least mid-April.
  • RedNote and Lemon8 have fast emerged as contenders to replace TikTok in the event of a ban.
  • However, Lemon8 is owned by ByteDance, who also own TikTok. Therefore, it may not be immune to a similar ban in the US.
  • Brands of all sizes need to remain agile enough to respond when there’s upheaval on major platforms.


Check out the MN2S talent roster to book more artists and celebrities.

got more questions, or want to get going?

NEXT
BACK

Atleast one genre is required

NEXT
BACK
STEP 01 of 03