Influencer Strategy in a (Possible) Post-TikTok Era
By
Laura Graham
You never want to have all your eggs in one basket – especially if you’re not the one holding the basket.
At the time of this writing, TikTok has been banned, lost its Supreme Court appeal, gone dark, come back up, and received a 75-day reprieve by President Trump. In addition, other platforms have scrambled to welcome “TikTok refugees” with a flurry of new features and incentives – and that’s just in the last few days.
Given all that, what is an influencer to do? While the ban does present real and immediate challenges, it also offers an opportunity to build a more resilient digital presence, and to focus less on a single platform and more on the audience and message.
Relationships are the Key
While technology changes, the need for understanding your audience and your value to them remains the same. Regardless of TikTok’s ultimate destiny, influencers and brands should focus more on their relationships with their audiences. Wherever you meet your audience, you need to know who they are and what you have to offer them. What is your message, and who do you need to reach?
Some of an influencer’s elements of success may seem platform-dependent now, but influencer’s relationships with their followers is what sets this model apart from more traditional marketing. So the question becomes how can you build on your relationships and your value proposition to expand your reach?
Not the Only Game in Town
It’s true that TikTok offers a unique “vibe” and set of tools that make content creation and reaching your audience easier. With TikTok’s unique algorithm, any content creator can go viral, regardless of how many followers they have, and users’ “For You” page offers a specially curated experience with quicker adjustments.
“That’s what makes it so addictive,” says Gordon Duncan, CEO of Capitalize Marketing and Consulting. He explains that “most platforms’ feeds are curated for 10 or so posts before they adjust to your interests. However, if you pause on something on TikTok, you almost immediately start getting that kind of content.”
But that doesn’t mean that TikTok is the only channel for influencers – nor should it be. Even if TikTok survives, some influencers have already begun to look for alternatives. Lisa Mullins, of Beautiful You Wig Review was an early adopter of TikTok, but she’s found it less effective over the years.
“I joined because the algorithms were very favorable then. Now, they aren’t as great because the site is log-jammed with so many creators,” Mullins says.
There’s no denying that TikTok has had a huge effect on other platforms, a several have recently rolled out features to be more attractive to TikTok users and influencers. However, all platforms have their own look and feel, and their pros and cons. If influencers are considering other platforms, they need to do their research before jumping in.
Instagram is the logical choice for TikTok influencers. With the addition of Reels, Edit, and the switch to the vertical image format, Instagram is obviously working to appeal to TikTok users and creators. Instagram Reels and Stories can also be cross-posted to Facebook, which can extend an influencer’s reach.
On the other hand, many users see it as more curated and less authentic. It’s speed of adjustment is much slower, and many users find it challenging to find content, so they spend less time on it.
Red Note
Red Note is another Chinese app that has seen hundreds of thousands of TikTok users and influencers join in the last week. While many American users have reported positive intercultural experiences, Red Note has some red flags that need to be considered.
First of all, it’s another Chinese app, with even greater potential security issues, and therefore subject to even more US government concern. Additionally, as a Chinese-based site, it is rooted in the Chinese language, political climate, and culture, so certain topics such as politics and LGBTQ+ aren’t allowed.
YouTube
As the platform with the second-most users, YouTube is a natural home for content creators, and the addition of YouTube Shorts has made it more friendly TikTok fans and influencers. But it’s sheer size presents big problems for those trying to break through. One of my former students is Jahmir Hamilton, the CEO of IX Studios, a game development company.
“The YouTube algorithm is more category based, and with about three million videos posted every day, it makes it harder to break through,” says Hamilton.
However, for some influencers, YouTube’s longer form videos are the perfect fit for their specific audience. “In the past, many of my viewers have mentioned they prefer to sit back and watch a video,” says Marlene Azcui Thompson of Marlene’s Wig & Chat Studio.
The Attention Reset
One challenge for influencers that’s not being discussed much, however, is the fact that rather than look for another app to fill the TikTok void, many users may decide to find another way to spend their time. When I polled my class of Gen Z students about where they’ll go if TikTok is banned forever, most of them mentioned finding new hobbies or reclaiming the hours they’d usually spend on TikTok. Reading, listening to podcasts, going outside, and being more active were all mentioned more often than spending more time on another platform.
Rather than chasing the “next TikTok,” brands should look at diversifying their marketing and sales across multiple channels and really understanding both those channels and their audiences to keep growing. Whether TikTok sticks around or eventually goes dark for good, influencers and brands need to avoid the dangers of depending on one single platform or strategy. As one creator told me, “If they can take away TikTok, they can take away anything.”
Laura Graham is Faculty Instructor of Business Communications at North Carolina Central University
