TikTok Creators Urge Fans to Follow Them on Instagram or YouTube as Ban Approaches

 Before Jack Nader began posting beauty videos on TikTok in 2023, he was working as a barista at Starbucks in Chicago, living at home with his parents. But after he started taking his TikTok videos seriously in April of that year, his account quickly gained traction. With over half a million followers, Nader was able to generate enough income through brand deals and ad revenue to quit his Starbucks job and move into his own apartment.

"This is my 9-to-5 job," Nader, now 21, told CNBC. "This is how I make a living. This is how I pay for my groceries. This is how millions of small businesses make their money."

However, his newfound stability is uncertain. TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, faces a January 19 deadline to either be sold or face a ban in the U.S. As many creators have come to rely on TikTok for their income, Nader has urged his followers to find him on other platforms, anticipating that not all will follow him if TikTok is banned.

“Not everyone from my TikTok following is going to come over, and that’s really sad,” Nader said.

The threat of a TikTok ban has been looming for years, but it intensified in April after President Joe Biden signed legislation requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok by January. If ByteDance doesn’t comply, Apple and Google will be forced to remove the app from their platforms in the U.S.

Former President Donald Trump, who previously supported a TikTok ban, has since shifted his stance and is advocating for the delay of the ban, citing the need for a “political resolution.” The Supreme Court heard arguments on January 10, with justices expressing skepticism about TikTok's defense that the ban infringes on free speech rights.

Meanwhile, businessman Frank McCourt's advocacy group, Project Liberty, has submitted a bid to buy TikTok and restructure it as an American-owned platform, prioritizing user safety. A decision could come at any time, but Nader isn’t waiting around for answers. He’s actively downloading and re-editing his TikTok videos for Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts to ensure his content is not lost, though he’s not yet making money on those platforms.

"It took me over a year and a half to build the following I have on TikTok. Now, I have to rebuild my entire brand on another platform, which is not ideal," Nader said.

Danisha Carter, 27, another full-time creator based in Los Angeles, also began migrating her followers to other platforms, including YouTube and Instagram, after realizing the potential impact of a TikTok ban. Carter, who makes about $4,000 a month on TikTok, emphasized that TikTok has been a life-changing platform, far beyond just a place for dance videos.

With over 115 million monthly active users in the U.S., TikTok’s potential ban could significantly disrupt the creator economy. YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook stand to benefit the most, with the short-form video market gaining traction across those platforms.

Despite the uncertainty, creators like Nader, Carter, and others are diversifying their social media presence to ensure their careers stay afloat. As Kristina Nolan, vice president at marketing agency DMi Partners, advises, "We’re consistently reminding creators to diversify their followings across platforms."

Some creators are even using creative tactics, such as subtly encouraging followers to find them on other platforms without directly mentioning TikTok, to avoid "shadow banning."

For creators like Nealie Boschma, a 27-year-old who made the leap to full-time content creation in 2022, the potential ban is seen as both a challenge and an opportunity to grow creatively. Boschma, who has 2 million TikTok followers, plans to encourage her audience to follow her on YouTube if the ban happens. While she faces a challenge in rebuilding her following, she remains optimistic: "I’ll find my footing in other places, like I did on TikTok."

As the uncertainty around TikTok's future continues, creators are preparing for a possible shift, adapting to new platforms while hoping for a resolution that allows them to keep engaging their audiences.