1/17/2025
Created by: WayneZ0207
TikTok has been the big thing for various content creators, oddly enough for its short-form content and trendy dances. It's gotten people by during the pandemic and provided various creators who needed a head-start with a way to build their audiences by showing their creativity through music and dance. Every viral sound you can think of on TikTok, everyone has done. I wasn't a fan of TikTok myself because I believed in getting recognized for content in a more "natural" way; in Layman's terms, I assumed if you got recognized for long-form content, you could get recognized for any content. Eventually, I did get around to TikTok, and the content I've done there produced astonishing results unlike the ones I'd recently been getting: at least a thousand views, commenters (although mostly haters), and even likes from audiences of different backgrounds!

However, we can unfortunately say that this is the end of an era for multimedia content creation. On April 24th, Joe Biden had signed into law that TikTok's parent company, Bytedance must divest its American assets to an American owner by January 19th of this year or face a ban. Having become a home for various content creators, veterans and newcomers, the removal of TikTok already showed devastating effects on the creator economy, with some creators relying on the platform as their main source of income. TikTok, much like Twitch, allowed for live streaming; however, there was a follower requirement of 1,000 followers before one could begin streaming on TikTok. I was one of those creators that never passed that threshold.

However, for the fortunate chunk of us that went viral during TikTok's time in the US, things will not be the same. Various small creators, including creators using simulcasting to market their live streams to be inclusive to different audience types, rely on TikTok to establish their presence, like myself. It's during a disappointing time like this we must learn how to turn this event into an accomplishment we can be proud of. That being said, we need to continue to plan for when TikTok gets banned to retain some of our follower base and promote growth on our platforms. Here are the highlights of the actions taken to ensure the TikTok ban's impact on small creators is minimized.
Redirecting our Followers
Smaller content creators aim to expand their presence by engaging audiences across diverse social media platforms. Knowing the inevitability of TikTok's ban unless a miracle investor decides to buy TikTok's American assets from Bytedance, creators are taking measures to ensure their following remains unaffected and that monetization is still a possibility. TikTok's creators frequently use TikTok to highlight their YouTube or Instagram accounts. They might produce short clips that hint at longer videos on YouTube or exclusive content on Instagram, prompting viewers to follow them on these platforms and then repurposing their short-form videos into extended formats for YouTube or Instagram reels. This approach helps them sustain engagement while offering their audience familiar content in new formats.
To encourage followers to switch platforms, creators can provide exclusive content on YouTube or Instagram, like behind-the-scenes clips, Q&A sessions, or detailed tutorials not found on TikTok. Navigating our TikTok audience to Instagram and YouTube with the ban coming into effect on January 19th was a critical step in managing our newfound threat of TikTok's ban in the US. It was simple: if the audience hadn't been notified, they must be as soon as possible. TikTok "went dark" on the 19th when the ban was slated to take place. If there's any deadline, the 19th of January fit the mold.
Seek Alternative Income Sources
Content monetization is not the only way to make a profit. Many well-known creators have alternative income streams, showcasing their entrepreneurial abilities and tenacity to navigate hurdles. When a content creator has an idea they're passionate about, we know they will pursue it because they have the discipline to keep their audiences satisfied through videos, imagery, and more. That's the heart of multimedia content creation. Take well-known YouTuber Jacksepticeye, who created Top of the Mornin' Coffee.

Inspired by his catchphrase, "Top of the Mornin' to you ladies," Jacksepticeye created a coffee brand he could make income from as another income stream in case he happened to decide to retire from YouTube, which he stated would not be for a long time. Audience members can see his coffee brand's origin story here. Pokimane went on a similar path, opting for healthy alternative snacks instead, like her Midnight Mini-Cookies; however, what makes their stories unique is their businesses don't utilize a Marvel Cinematic Universe (although YouTube Cinematic Universe should become a thing). Instead, when Jack created Top of the Mornin' Coffee, he had a simple idea with a concrete foundation behind it with credible ingredients with an emotional story that went behind what he wanted to accomplish; his coffee brand reveal was unexpected, too! For many of us, an idea doesn't have to be among the ranks of big corporations like Disney or Nintendo; it can be as simple as starting a restaurant, opening a daycare, or even providing a service never done before.
Our Streamloots cards are like this. No creator in Klamath Falls took the initiative to create a third-party product that can preserve a board game such as Atmosfear. Atmosfear Streamloots cards provide fast, frightening fun like never before! The best part is when you purchase our tailored collection of Atmosfear Streamloots cards, there's always a surprise; you might even draw a limited-edition, one-time-use Ultra-Legendary card to change the outcome of the game (and the tournament behind it) drastically. Use this link to get your cards; as a thought experiment at content monetization, the proceeds will support Oregon Tech's Center of Well-Being.
Explore Emerging Platforms for Engagement with Emerging Audiences
TikTok was revolutionary because it changed the landscape of how content creation is done. However, like any platform, TikTok catered to individuals of many communities in the creator economy, from gaming, ASMR, vlogging, and live video. TikTok had the essentials like any social media platform should; however, they took content creation above and beyond for their notorious short video trends that allowed creators to put a fun spin on videos created on the internet, allowing for replayability--a key function in videos going viral. Since TikTok provided a different perspective to content, there will be no replacing TikTok as it transformed content creation in a positive light, despite the overall changes in the social media algorithms, making smaller creators struggle amidst generation alpha, taking social media by storm with low effort brain-rot content. Some might argue content creation can never return to the "normal" where anything could be uploaded and would still gain plenty of views, such as a favorite video game mod, Let's Play series, or anything you could bring passion into.

Lemon8, Bytedance's sister platform to TikTok is a prime example of such a predicament. Lemon8 limited how content could be done overall, and creators are already redirecting themselves to platforms such as the infamous "Rednote." YouTube set a precedent for entertaining videos, encouraging creators to be innovative with how an idea is brought to reality, even when taking inspiration from popular culture. With the seemingly "devolving" algorithms, it's tough to say which platform would fit the standard once upheld by all creators. However, we make the most of the platforms at our disposal, turning these disappointments into accomplishments.
With TikTok gone, it is a dark time for small creators everywhere in the US. We don't know when the next "YouTube" or "TikTok" will come along; however, the one thing that is guaranteed is that there is a swarm of creators looking to swipe up whatever they can get on the next big platform. To what degree remains uncertain. What we can acknowledge is TikTok brought memories that will last forever. In such cases, we must look to the words of key writers and historical figures when it comes to the end of something great, like Dr. Seuss who said
"Don't be sad that it's over; be glad it happened."
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