Lessons For Marketers From The TikTok Bill Situation

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The U.S. has passed a bill to ban TikTok. Or has it?

Congress passed and President Biden signed legislation that will impact the operations of TikTok in the U.S. Many are calling this legislation a “ban.” However, even though the bill itself does not contain the word “ban,” a “ban” has still been widely inferred and discussed to the point where it has dominated media headlines and international relations between the U.S. and China.

In fact, the Financial Times has reported that U.S. lawmakers have denied that they are trying to ban the app and are simply demanding that TikTok sever its ties to China.

From a comms perspective, this “ban” language has not helped. Calling it a “ban” is a poor choice of words for those advocating for TikTok’s sale. As a communicator, the words we use matter, and a simple word has the power to torpedo a movement, initiative or launch.

Where The Situation Stands

TikTok is often an inherent segment of a creator’s and/or brand’s social media strategy. Some content creators who depend on the platform for income and marketers and brands who use it to reach their audiences have not reacted favorably. TikTok is a fundamental part of many Americans’ lives: streaming entertainment, education, news—and, of course, advertising.

Now, every marketer is asking: Should I be worried about a ban? Does my strategy need to change?

The long and short of it is: probably not.

If the bill becomes law, TikTok will need to be sold to a U.S. company within one year or not be able to operate in the United States. There’s likely to be a long list of potential suitors. In 2020, when TikTok was previously under pressure to sell its U.S. arm, Microsoft, Walmart and Oracle all expressed an interest. So finding a buyer shouldn’t be too much of a problem. However, the bill may not even make it that far, given the possibility of pushback on the grounds of protecting free speech. TikTok has successfully used this argument to overturn state prohibition in Montana.

Even if the TikTok app was blocked in the U.S. and prohibited from being listed in app stores, from a marketer’s perspective, it simply shifts the focus onto other social platforms.

Lessons For Marketers

However, we can all learn two things from the TikTok news cycle.

The first is a potent reminder of what happens when you fail to control your narrative. An escalation of words has embittered an already tense relationship between the U.S. and TikTok, and the “ban” news cycle has taken on a life of its own.

The second is a reminder for marketers.

A good communications strategy considers content first and channels second. For many brands, video has become integral to their larger communications and marketing strategy. Good content, including strong video content from brands, can be used and reused across multiple channels to drive growth and engagement. In contrast, bad content, like video content that misses its mark, will fail, regardless of where it’s published or streamed.

Conclusion

The discourse around TikTok is a wake-up call for brands to review and refresh their content strategies. Too often, a strategy is a slide in a deck that gets turned into a PDF and sits on a server for 12 months. It’s not reviewed, maintained or updated. In today’s digital world, where the pace is fast, strategies that include video, whether social videos or owned content, should always be considered a work in progress.

A TikTok ban will likely not happen. But the media furor is a reminder that language matters and that brands should continually review and improve their strategies to ensure that their video content on owned channels, TikTok or other social platforms helps deliver strong value and ROI for their brand.