Will Trump Stop the TikTok Ban? How To Prepare Your Business

The January deadline given in the bill to ban TikTok is quickly approaching, and a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce has made it clear that China is likely to “firmly oppose” the sale of the platform to the US.

During his campaign, Donald Trump advised “all of those who want to save TikTok in America [to] vote Trump.” However, since the bill has already been approved by the Senate, Trump would have to convince Congress to repeal the bill by gaining the support of Congressional Republicans. And even after this happens, for the bill to be nullified before January, it would need to be one of the first laws enacted by the new Congress.

It’s clear that TikTok stands a much higher chance of sticking around in America with Trump in power, but legal challenges may stand in the way of a successful appeal.

With the potential that TikTok may be unavailable in the US next year, now is a good time to evaluate your social media usage.

Consider what TikTok features you currently use, and how you might  be affected by their loss:

• Video posts – TikTok duets, stitches, and video comment replies make it a great place to interact with and build customer relationships.
• TikTok Shop – If the ban goes ahead, TikTok Shop won’t be accessible to US companies or buyers. Global businesses also won’t be able to sell to American audiences through the platform.
• Live streams – If you currently gain revenue through live streaming, keep in mind that the ban would prevent this. International brands that receive gifts and sales from an American audience will also be impacted.
• Search – According to research by Adobe, 40% of Americans use TikTok as a search engine. Local businesses, like those in the food and beverage industry, may notice a decline in new customers if they rely on TikTok for discovery. Plus, the ban will stop global ecommerce stores from being discovered on TikTok in America.

Understanding the full extent to which a TikTok ban could affect your business will help you to make preparations to minimize the impact.

If your business is reliant on TikTok for sales and growth, you should reassess your social media strategy and put time into growing your business online through other channels.

It would be wise to use the rest of the year to open other social media accounts and use your TikTok reach to make your followers as aware of these other accounts as possible – especially if TikTok is your only business platform.

The good news is that other social media platforms offer comparable features to TikTok – namely Instagram. You can make money on Instagram through Instagram Shopping and livestreams. Polls, threads, broadcast channels and collaborative posts also make it a great platform for engagement and interacting with followers.

Other channels, like X, Facebook, and YouTube, have different strengths, so research these and start building alternative online networks to stabilize your business for all possible outcomes.