How 11 TikTok Influencers are Preparing For the Potential TikTok Ban

As the clash between U.S. lawmakers and TikTok over the video-sharing app’s ownership comes to a head, a proposed ban of the platform is set to take effect on Sunday unless it sells to a U.S. owner.

With Chinese parent company ByteDance making it clear it has no plans to change hands, though, the app’s 170 million-plus U.S. users — and the creators whose careers it helped propel — are bracing for what life without the app could look like.

“I don’t think anything can replace TikTok,” said Aditya Madiraju, a beauty creator and Sephora Squad mentor. Echoed fellow beauty influencer Angela Park: “A lot of us are holding onto hope that TikTok will persist.”

Indeed, the platform’s effect on content creation was seismic long before the emergence of TikTok Shop shook things up even further. With its short-form, less-polished video MO and an algorithm that doesn’t solely correlate reach with following size, TikTok has become the native platform for many of today’s biggest names in beauty, fashion and lifestyle content in a mere few years.

It was also the first social media platform to bring the power of microinfluencers — now a key creator group for brands looking to maximize their impact — to the fore, all the while catalyzing the word “authenticity” to the highest echelons of brand marketing.

In short: since debuting in the U.S. in 2017, TikTok has profoundly altered the way people consume content and connect online. As uncertainty over the app’s fate heightens, WWD asked 11 creators how they’re bracing for a potential ban. Here’s what they had to say.

1. Cyrus Veyssi, @CyrusVeyssi

“I’m downloading all of my content, especially my most viral moments — partly so I can start syndicating them across my other platforms, but also because there are so many little sound bites and memories my followers have asked me to safeguard. My thinking is that it’s never too late, but creators should definitely be in the thick of rethinking their content strategy. And rather than forcing themselves onto a new platform/format that doesn’t work organically for them, the challenge is to continue building engagement on the platforms [you] want to use. I’m grateful that I started cross-posting and building my other platforms at the start of last year — I’d definitely be more concerned if I wasn’t feeling confident and excited by the other growth I’m seeing across my socials.”

2. Charlotte Palermino, @CharlotteParler

“I continue to make content on each platform. On TikTok, you have more opportunity to go viral while on Instagram, you have more of a community, so it’s a much more consistent platform. With the influx of creators, though, it’s going to get a lot more noisy and challenging to be seen. Couple that with Meta essentially allowing misinformation on its platform by removing fact-checking and hate speech restrictions, and I’m not looking forward to the future if TikTok is gone. There are always the classics — I’m going to continue to invest in my Substack, and considering that most of my videos on Instagram and TikTok are over six minutes long, maybe it’s time for me to get on YouTube. This isn’t my first rodeo — I worked at Snap Inc. when Instagram Stories launched. Platforms shift and change, but an outright ban will be the first time something like this happens. Being a social media creator, you have to be able to pivot.”

3. Steph Grasso, @StephGrassoDietitian

“Even though TikTok is my main platform, the engagement on my Instagram account is much more active; I get way more DMs, comments and even views there, which honestly blows my mind given the follower gap. I think people are slowly shifting back to Instagram. To prepare for whatever happens, I’ve already downloaded [ByteDance-owned] Lemon8, a potential TikTok replacement, and have gained 22,800 followers there so far. I’ve also been repurposing all my content to YouTube Shorts, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat to make sure my audience stays diversified. That said, I’m holding onto hope that TikTok will be saved. It’s helped millions of people and given me the incredible opportunity to connect with so many people and make a positive impact on their health through nutrition.”

4. Golloria George, @Golloria

“My supporters have been amazing and have followed me over to my other platforms without hesitation. It’s a reminder of how loyal and engaged they are, and I feel so grateful for the sense of community we’ve built together. Thankfully, I’ve always believed in not putting all my eggs in one basket, so I’ve been intentional about spreading out my efforts across different platforms and am using this as an opportunity to be more creative and adapt my content to fit the strengths of each one. On Instagram, I’m focusing on community engagement and sharing more behind-the-scenes moments, while YouTube allows me to go deeper with long-form beauty content and tutorials. My approach is to create tailored content for each platform while maintaining a consistent voice and aesthetic across all of them.”

5. Toni Bravo, @BoniTravo

“Since the potential TikTok ban was introduced, I’ve noticed so much more crossover from platform to platform than I have before. It’s sweet to know people want to stay connected — I’m also diversifying my platforms and getting cozy with the idea of change. Every platform is so different, and I have a massive place in my heart for the long-form content on YouTube. It’s important to challenge yourself as a creative person. I’m excited to get to know my audience in new ways, and for them to get to know me in new ways.”

6. Casey Malone, @CaseysHappyHealthy

“I certainly haven’t slowed down my posting. I’ve actually tried harder to create a strong foundation [on TikTok] so that when I ultimately start to post more on other platforms, I’ll have those same supporters looking for my content. Other than the basics (saving all of my favorite TikToks that I’ve posted), I’ve really started to try to grow my platform on Instagram through more frequent posting — I’ll just have to work a little bit harder to replicate the incredible community of women that I created on TikTok. When I think about the potential ban, I have to remember that TikTok didn’t even exist a few years ago, so I’m confident that we’ll see new platforms emerge where people can be creative, earn income and share their passions and knowledge. We’re all in this together.”

7. Angela Park, @AngelaYPark

“I think a lot of us are holding onto hope that TikTok will persist. As a full-time creator who counts the platform as my primary source of monetization, there’s not much I’m changing for now as far as continuing to post my regularly scheduled content. It’s kind of like asking someone how they are preparing for corporate layoffs within their company; you can look into other options but ultimately, you still show up to work despite the uncertainty of it all. I have been posting on Instagram and recently started my YouTube channel. It’s hard to pivot because you’re not necessarily guaranteed the same community that you’ve built on a different platform, and diversification requires more hours and more creative energy. But I consider the volatility of my job one of the small prices I pay to pursue what I’m passionate about — I’m using this transitory time as a restart to my creative brain and brand direction, like a blank slate.”

8. Matt Newman, @MattLovesHair

“Engagement on TikTok has stayed pretty similar for me since the announcement of the ban, but there has been an outpouring of supporters asking where they can find me if it goes into effect, which has been really comforting. I have a strong Instagram community that I have always prioritized equally to my TikTok audience, so I’m grateful for having put that work in. I am more dedicated now than ever to diversifying across platforms. Confession: I truly do not understand how Snapchat works, but I am determined to learn. I’ve noticed creators who utilize Snapchat are able to make a really strong connection to their viewers, which is the most rewarding part of my work, so I’d love to put more energy there.”

9. Aditya Madiraju, @AdityaMadiraju

“I have a presence on both Instagram and TikTok, but struggle with YouTube. I think long-form content will prevail going forward, and I recently hired a video editor to help with my YouTube channel. Marketing agencies are also advising [creators] to explore other apps such as Snapchat and Lemon8. I don’t think anything can replace TikTok — it’s a community where a lot of creatives found their voices and a means to earn a living, and that’s hard to replicate and replace. My immediate next step is to grow my YouTube audience, which I know it will be a struggle to begin from scratch but as creators we are used to this. We should all take this as a lesson that social media will never go away, but the platforms you depend upon can.”

10. Brittani Lancaster @BrittaniLancaster

I’ve noticed an increase of my TikTok audience coming over to my Instagram account. Many of us can relate to finding a creator you love and really connect with and you’re willing to follow them to whatever platform they are on. In preparation for the possible TikTok ban, I’m reminding my community on TikTok that I am also on Instagram if they want to continue following my journey there. TikTok is where everything began for me. I’m definitely most comfortable sharing on that platform. However, I have made an effort to lean more into my Instagram account and grow more there. I’m also thinking about diversifying onto YouTube Shorts. Overall, the most important thing to me is giving my community the ability to follow my journey — no matter where I go.