Gone are the days when a brand proudly claimed it was an "as seen on TV" brand. Now, it's about which brand has the most digital real estate on a social media behemoth like TikTok. In fact, we now have articles about what's trending on TikTok and what products, "as seen on TikTok," are a must-have in your lives.
Of course, the hype is fully justified. As per statistics provided by Wallaroo, TikTok has over 1 billion active users worldwide! Now that's impressive and definitely not numbers that any social media platform can flaunt. Even with the app being banned across a few countries, it is neck and neck with other platforms that have existed for far longer. But that's just it. What if you wake up one day and find out that TikTok has been partially or entirely banned in your country?
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While it’s scary to think about it, it’s definitely a possibility. Just recently, a majority of Canadian provinces and territories ruled in favour of banning TikTok on federal devices fearing privacy and data-breach concerns.
So, what should we do immediately, and how can we plan ahead to sustain the least possible impact? Adriana L Cowdin, CEO & Managing Director, Dekaf Digital, advises, “Invest in a diverse social media strategy, implement the strategy and measure, measure, measure to optimize. With as fast as social media changes, it’s essential to have a game plan that’s diverse, based on data and can pivot as the industry does and that includes networks. Think about your audience first and foremost followed by the action you want them to take."
So, instead of putting all your eggs in one basket (ahem, subtle Easter pun 🐰), here is how you can leverage other social media platforms to save your video strategy and to continue crushing it across the digital landscape.
YouTube is a popular video-sharing platform that allows users to upload and share videos. It's the second largest search engine following Google, its parent company. With over 2 billion active monthly users, YouTube is a giant for video content. By leveraging YouTube Shorts, you can repurpose your existing TikTok content (considering it's also a vertical-format-friendly, short-form video platform) and grow your audience here. SKIMS is an excellent example of how you can use Shorts to grow your audience if you're in the fashion industry.
Instagram is a popular social media platform that is focused on visual content, both static and video. With over 2.3 billion monthly active users, Instagram is a great social media platform for your brand to showcase itself and to cross-post to or from TikTok. Instagram's vertical-format-friendly, short-form videos can be up to 90 seconds long, and regular videos go up to 10 minutes! Instagram is an ideal platform for creating short and engaging videos.
David Walter, CEO at Electrician Mentor says “adept marketers will always have an omni-social strategy in place. Flesh out other strategies, so you have a safety net in case the [TikTok] ban takes place.”
Yup, you read that right! LinkedIn makes a surprise entry to this list. LinkedIn is a social media platform people primarily use to network with others. However, the platform recently began pushing its users, both creators and brands, to publish more video content. Statistics show videos on LinkedIn receive more than five times the engagement an image post gets!
LinkedIn's video content can be up to 10 minutes long, making it ideal for you to create longer-form content. Plus, the platform doesn't advise against using vertical-format-friendly, short-form videos, which means it's perfect for cross-posting content across TikTok and LinkedIn.
“Social media platforms are constantly changing. What's hot today may be gone tomorrow. By having a presence on multiple platforms, you can hedge your bets and make sure you're reaching your audience where they are. Users interact with brands differently on each platform.” says Febra Alexander, Owner, Doggy Bag Treat.
In conclusion, my goal with this article is not to cause panic. TikTok is an excellent platform that's here to stay. With such a massive user base, it's almost impossible to ignore if you're working on your video content strategy. However, you're missing out on many marketing touch points if you're not leveraging some (if not all) of the platforms we discussed. So, don't hesitate to try new platforms and see how it works wonders for your video marketing. Joseph Counts, Chief Marketing Officer at HiStylePicks, states that “While planning their influencer marketing initiatives, marketers should think about utilizing a variety of social media platforms. This can lessen the chances of a platform ban and guarantee that they are reaching more people.”
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