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TikTok Ban: What It Means for UK & Global Social Media Strategies

The US election cycle has had significant effects on social media, from the (temporary) TikTok ban to an exodus from Twitter/X. While this primarily impacts the US market, shifts in user behaviour can influence advertising costs and the demographics available on these platforms. If you rely on social media for marketing, ensure your strategy accounts for these changes.

Short-form video continues to dominate social media, so with the recent TikTok ban and the platform’s uncertain future, new competitors are emerging and established platforms like Instagram and YouTube Shorts are testing new features. These platforms are experimenting with ways to help users optimise engagement, post longer videos, or easily repurpose existing content for their formats.

What’s Happening with TikTok?

On Sunday, 19th January, TikTok went offline in the US for approximately 12 hours as this was the initial date for the TikTok ban to take place. This outage triggered a surge of new trends, from influencers revealing the secrets behind their success to mass downloads of RedNote, a competing app with a predominantly Chinese audience. TikTok have since been granted an extension on the ban, so will likely stay online in the coming months as they try to reach a solution with the new administration.

What is RedNote?

RedNote, known in Chinese as 小红书 (Xiaohongshu), is a social media platform that blends features of Instagram and TikTok. Since its launch in 2013, it has been primarily used by Chinese-speaking users but has not reached the same level of popularity as Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok). Originally designed as an online shopping and travel review platform, RedNote has evolved into a broader social media space.

Why Did “TikTok Refugees” Move to RedNote?

While many expected displaced US TikTok users to transition to Instagram Reels, the decision to shift to another Chinese-owned platform was, for some, an act of online protest. The TikTok ban stemmed from US government concerns over data privacy and potential data-sharing with the Chinese government, making the move to RedNote a symbolic stand against these policies.

Government-level concerns about TikTok are nothing new. The UK government, for example, banned the app from staff phones in 2023 over similar privacy issues.

Who Are TikTok’s Biggest Competitors?

Instagram Reels

Instagram Reels is a major TikTok competitor, particularly as many creators cross-post content between the two platforms. Instagram has been gradually aligning its features with TikTok’s, introducing longer video lengths and launching a dedicated editing app. These changes ensure it remains a dominant player in short-form video.

RedNote

As mentioned above, “TikTok Refugees” moved across to the platform leading to a spike in the app’s popularity, with a 2,770% increase in app downloads in lieu of the TikTok ban. Whilst most of the downloads came from the US, there were still nearly 200k downloads in the UK.

Lemon8

Launched in 2020, Lemon8 is a video-sharing platform modelled after RedNote. Developed by a Singaporean company but owned by ByteDance (TikTok’s parent company), Lemon8 focuses more on product showcases than social interaction. Lemon8 also saw a 50% increase in downloads over the past week.

YouTube Shorts

YouTube Shorts has primarily been used for reposting content—either from long-form YouTube videos or other platforms. However, as part of the world’s largest video-sharing platform, Shorts benefits from a vast audience. YouTube is also testing a YouTube Studio feature that automatically converts long-form videos into short clips and has extended the maximum Shorts length to match Instagram Reels.

What Does This Mean for UK and International Audiences?

As mentioned, the UK government has already raised concerns about TikTok’s privacy implications and banned the app from government devices. However, the wider impact of the US TikTok ban (or further regulations) will likely be seen in shifts in user behaviour and advertising dynamics.

TikTok also put out a statement in which they declared that over 7 million small businesses in the US utilise TikTok. Whilst TikTok shop is an excellent revenue stream for eCommerce brands and a great place for advertisers to increase awareness, it’s always worth noting that with any platform, care must be taken to avoid relying on it and to include “safer” options in your marketing strategy, such as Google or Microsoft ads.

Screenshot of TikTok's statement on X/Twitter, following the postponement of the TikTok ban in the US
TikTok’s Statement released on X (formerly Twitter)

Additionally, the trend of influencers sharing the secrets behind their brand and viral moments, could also have wider implications on influencer marketing as audiences lose faith and trust in the influencers. This highlights the needs to diversify your strategy, and not to over-rely on just one pillar.

With the US government asserting control over TikTok’s future, questions remain about what’s next for the platform. If TikTok is acquired by another company or individual, the political landscape could lead to a situation similar to Elon Musk’s 2022 takeover of Twitter (now X). Such a shift would have ripple effects for advertisers and organic social media strategies.

Final Thoughts

The short-form video space is evolving rapidly, and platforms are adjusting their strategies to adapt to user behaviour and government regulations. Whether TikTok remains independent or changes hands, the coming months will be critical in shaping the future of video content and digital marketing. Stay informed and be prepared to pivot your strategy as new developments unfold!

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