Three Things Challenger Brands Can Learn From The 12 Hour TikTok Ban Fiasco
Do Not Put All Of Your Eggs In One Basket
The TikTok ban chaos was a wake-up call that social and digital platforms can vanish in an instant. If you’re relying on one platform, you risk losing your audiences overnight. Vine? Gone. MySpace? Ancient history. TikTok might be back, but no platform is bulletproof.
To future-proof their strategy, brands must embrace a multi-platform approach, using each for its unique strengths while ensuring they’re not over-dependent on any single channel. This agility is essential in a world where the only constant online, is change.
Choose Authenticity Over Virality
When TikTok influencers confessed their secrets hours before the ban; such as never actually using the products they endorsed or faking content to their followers, it was a shock to say the least. Trust is everything!
Challenger brands must partner with authentic creators who genuinely love their products, embrace long term partnerships and create meaningful connections with content creators, not just going for the biggest names on social.
Use Disruption To Spark Creativity
Challenger brands thrive in disruption because they see opportunity where others see chaos. During the TikTok blackout, brands like Duolingo shifted their focus to other platforms like Instagram and X, using their signature humour and quirky content style to keep audiences engaged. Take inspiration from how creators and brands adapted in moments of unpredictability.
You’ve got 75 days to future-proof your social strategy. With TikTok on borrowed time in the US (again), challenger brands need to stay ahead of the curve...Need help figuring out your next move? Slide into our DMs, and let’s get to work.
