For now, the TikTok ban is delayed, but the future of the app is anything but clear. The potential ban is definitely annoying for casual users, but it could be devastating for creators that make a sizeable chunk of their income from the app.
Many TikTok users and creators are speaking out against the ban, expressing the concern for how it would impact their careers. We’ve seen it before with the likes of Vine. Some creators pivoted and thrived, others fell to the wayside and are just distant memories from a pre-TikTok-short-video-skit era.
So what will the TikTok creators and influencers do if the app goes away?
TikTok Influencers
Let’s start with this: yes, people can make their income from their TikTok page. There are several creators that started out on TikTok and first gained an audience there. For example:
- Charli D’Amelio has 91.3 million followers (yes, you read that right) and an estimated net worth of $4 million.
- Addison Rae has 63.5 million followers and an estimated worth of $2 million.
- The Hype House crew is made up of 19 TikTok creators that live in a Spanish-style mansion house in LA worth over $9 million. The collab Hype House Page itself has 18.8 million followers.
TikTok stars make their money in a similar fashion as other social media influencers. They amass a following that leads to brand deals, sponsorships, and other paid opportunities.
The allure of TikTok has also attracted many influencers that began on other platforms. Lifestyle vlogger Tara Michelle spoke about how easy it seemed to grow on TikTok compared to other apps and how she was able to gain 500,000 followers on the app so quickly (it took her several years to get that many subscribers on YouTube). You could argue that Tara already had a large YouTube following, but her growth on TikTok actually ignited a spark of growth on her YouTube channels, helping her finally break the 1 million mark after a few years hovering below it.
What Happens to Creators if TikTok Disappears?
For now, TikTok is here, but nobody knows if it’s here to stay. The fact is that there are creators making serious money from their TikTok careers, including creators that began on other platforms. So what will happen to them if TikTok is no longer?
Well, that all depends on what they do. We can take Vine as an example. Back when Vine was popular, there were Vine creators that made their money from their large following on that app. When the app was closed in 2016, the lesson of diversification hit some hard. As Vine ended, many Viners switched over to YouTube. The smart ones starting building up their YouTube before Vine even ended. Some creators from Vine were able to essentially transfer their followers to other platforms and build from there, but others were too late.
Many Tiktok creators are worried about losing their followers and being unable to grow on another platform. For all creators, it’s a big challenge. 20-year-old TikToker Nick Austin has 7 million followers on TikTok but says it will be hard to transfer them all over to something like Instagram or YouTube because the platform has such a unique offering.
Diversify Early
For obvious reasons, TikTok creators with established followings on other platforms aren’t as concerned about the ban. The reason is that they’ve branched out and no longer rely on only TikTok. Even if TikTok is gone tomorrow, they will have other successful streams of income.
Creators on every platform must know the value of diversifying, and it’s a big reason many YouTubers and IG celebs even started making TikToks. Instead of waiting for a ban, TikTok creators need to take action now to ensure their financial security. To do this, they should encourage their followers to connect on other social platforms and start leveraging creation from other mediums.
Another key is to balance stable endeavors with trends. TikTok and similar apps may come and go, but after 15 years, YouTube is a rock in the social media world. TikToker Q Shamar Stenline with 4.4 million followers had decided to focus his time on YouTube. “YouTube will be around,” he said, “These other apps come and go.”
Business Takeaways from TikTok Creators
Watching creators grapple with the potential TikTok ban should remind us all that our paths are not always guaranteed. Some key takeaways we can learn from the Viners turned YouTubers and the current TikTokers are:
- Diversify. Businesses should diversify marketing channels much the same way creators need to. As a person in the workforce, you should also ensure you have more than one stream of income so that you can survive should anything unexpected happen.
- Adapt. YouTubers that joined TikTok to diversify their revenue had to adapt (the two platforms are very different), and TikTokers looking to expand will need to do the same. Be flexible and willing to learn the best ways to be successful in different settings.
- Save. The 18-20 somethings of TikTok that have been saving will likely be a lot less stressed than those that have been ferociously spending all their cash. Just because you have a certain income now does not mean you could 6 months or a year from now. Plan ahead for the uncertain future by saving at least 6 months of living expenses.
Nothing may ever replace TikTok if the app is banned, but creators that are able to adapt will be the ones that survive. Most of us won’t ever be TikTok, Instagram, OR YouTube famous, but we can still learn some valuable lessons from the unpredictable path of social media creators.
