The US may be facing another TikTok ban – for real this time – on April 5. Before that happens, do these 10 things to preserve your audience and future-proof your online presence.
The US may be facing another TikTok ban – for real this time – on April 5. Before that happens, do these 10 things to preserve your audience and future-proof your online presence.
After the rigmarole of the first TikTok ‘ban’ in January – one that lasted a mere 24 hours – another US shutdown is on the cards at the beginning of April.
Brands and creators need to take steps now to safeguard their income, protect their engagement, and own their audience online in case TikTok goes dark.
Following the almost-ban back in January, TikTok was given a 75-day ban extension from President Trump, which is set to end on April 5. This provided the Chinese-owned app with an opportunity to find an American buyer. But there are no signs of this happening yet.
For the most part, things have gone back to normal at TikTok despite the looming ban, with app usage returning to pre-ban levels and advertisers still showing up in droves.
So, what happens next for TikTok? Well, according to Trump, there’s been “a lot of interest in TikTok,” which suggests the ban could be extended beyond the 75 days. But, with nothing confirmed, all we can do is wait and see – and prep for the ban possibly being re-enacted again on April 5th 2025.
With the TikTok ban completely up in the air, creators and brands alike would be remiss to not protect their online presence and own their audiences across other platforms.
Want to get on the front foot? Here are 10 things you should do before a potential TikTok ban on April 5th.
With TikTok off the table, Instagram is the next best thing for short-form video sharing and engaging photo-based content. There’s a solid audience overlap between the two platforms, so it’s the natural first place users will look for you when TikTok is no more.
If you’re new to Instagram or haven’t focused on this platform much in the past, there’s lots to love.
From TikTok-style video content (a.k.a. Instagram Reels) to community engagement features like broadcast channels, Instagram is packed with ways to attract leads, build a strong following and convert users to customers.
When word of the TikTok ban traveled, social media users started making big moves to other platforms that offer a similar experience, such as RedNote.
According to Linktree’s data, there was a 400-570x increase in links being appended to alternative apps like Flip, Fanbase, Clapper and Favorited. Linktree also spotted big shifts to platforms like Whatnot (292x increase), Bluesky (287x increase), Lemon8 (279x), and Instagram (220x).
In fact, in the week leading up to the first shutdown in the US, Linktree saw a massive 1170% increase in Linkers adding their RedNote links. With the ban looming once again, now’s the perfect time to build your audience on competitor apps if you haven’t already.
As well as RedNote, consider TikTok-esque platforms like YouTube Shorts, Triller and Clapper, and investigate similar apps like BlueSky and Lemon8. In a world where nothing is certain, you’re best off spreading the love to avoid losing access to the communities you’ve so carefully built.
🔥Hot tip: Ready to own your audience? Take these proactive steps to reduce your reliance on social media platforms by owning your audience and content.
Once you’ve established a presence on other apps, you need to find your people over there – and starting from scratch is no joke! Luckily, you’ve got Linktree to bridge the gap.
Rather than waiting for like-minded followers to discover you organically, use your Linktree to boost your cross-platform following now. Build up your links so all your social platforms are covered, and make the transition for your audience easy.
🔥Hot tip: On your Linktree, you can add clickable icons for all the major social networks and display them right at the top of your Linktree so they’re impossible to miss.
Linktree? Sorted. So, what’s next? Here’s where cross-promotion comes in.
In the lead-up to the ban, create TikTok content as usual, but add in call-to-actions (CTAs) that direct your audience to your Linktree to follow you elsewhere. You can even incorporate this as a verbal CTA at the end of your videos.
Of course, TikTok isn’t the only place you can cross-promote. In fact, the more you diversify, the better! Add your Linktree to your bio across all your channels and include strong CTAs into other content pieces, from LinkedIn posts to YouTube descriptions, blog posts and marketing emails.
January’s TikTok ‘ban’ saw creators scrabbling to save their favorite pieces of content downloaded for future use. Ahead of April 5, it’s time to do this again.
You no longer need a third-party app to do this. Simply click the Share button on TikTok or hold down on the video you want to save, then select ‘Save video’. The video will then be saved to your device, where you can reuse it across other channels like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts.
To future-proof your videos going forward, consider using an external editing app to produce and edit your content first. This will help you avoid the dreaded watermarks and ensure you always have access to the highest-quality content for easy repurposing.
If you want an even more detailed record of your history on TikTok, you can also save all your data to your device, including your watch history, comment history and direct messages.
In the TikTok app, navigate to your profile, select the hamburger menu at top right, and then click ‘Settings and privacy’. From this screen, hit ‘Account’ and then ‘Download your data’.
You’ll need to first submit a data request, which may take a few days for TikTok to process. So get in front of the 8-ball now to avoid getting caught out in April! Once the data request has been processed, navigate back to this screen to download it as a .txt file.
One of the biggest challenges presented by a TikTok ban is loss of income. Many creators live comfortably off their TikTok earnings, especially if they’re regularly taking brand sponsorships, creating user-generated content (UGC) on TikTok or hosting livestreams.
So, what can you do to avoid losing this lucrative stream of income?
Consider other passive income streams. Selling on social media is booming, and there are lots of ways to monetize your content that you mightn’t have thought of – eBooks, courses, digital downloads and more. You can sell these on your social channels and through your Linktree (more on that in a second!).
The best part about digital products is that they’re passive, which means you can create them once and sell them over and over again without any extra work.
If you’re serious about selling on social media, you’ll need the right setup – and Linktree Shops is just that. Millions of Linkers are already making the most of this feature, which allows you to create a customizable shopfront within your existing Linktree to smooth the sales process and drive conversions like never before.
Linktree Shops removes the need for your own ecommerce site, instead letting you curate products from thousands of participating retailers and earn commission immediately or seamlessly add affiliate links ready for your followers to click. You can even add shoppable social media content to attract new customers and earn their trust.
It’s time to maximize your monetization – get started on Linktree Shops for free now.
Unlike your social media following, your email marketing list is an owned audience because you have access to valuable (consented) user data such as email addresses, names and locations. This information isn’t going to up and disappear any time soon, and can be used across other marketing channels, such as list-building for social media ads.
If your email list is looking a little dusty or you haven’t spent much time building it up, the TikTok ban is the perfect opportunity.
Linktree has a ton of convenient features that make cultivating a dedicated email list an easy feat, including the Email Sign-up Link, which integrates with popular email marketing platforms like Mailchimp and Zapier. When you turn this on, visitors to your Linktree can sign up to your mailing list in seconds – and hand over that juicy data in the process.
Before you leave TikTok altogether, say one last goodbye to your audience. What better way than with a tongue-in-cheek parting video? While creating something funny isn’t a prerequisite, it’s a fresh way to make light of the whole situation and drum up some engagement while you’re at it.
Choose an angle that fits your vibe and record a video – or even a series of videos – for TikTok that you can post in the days leading up to the ban being re-enacted on April 5th.
Don’t forget to add a strong CTA for users to find you elsewhere, such as on Instagram, YouTube or your website. Then, before all is said and done, double-check that your Linktree is firmly in your bios across platforms and is as up-to-date as possible.
By taking these steps now, you’ll future-proof your online presence and your income streams, alleviating the impacts of a potential TikTok ban on April 5 – even if it isn’t set in stone just yet!
Regardless of TikTok’s fate, use Linktree as an invaluable tool to cross-promote your content, guide followers to find you online, and safeguard the income you earn online.
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