Six TikTok Creators Share Their Plans in Case the App Gets Banned.

The possibility of TikTok being banned in the United States is just around the corner, following more than four years since Donald Trump first proposed its removal from the country. The situation has intensified after President Joe Biden signed legislation last April that initiated a process requiring ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, to divest its U.S. business. While prior to this, there was a carefree atmosphere surrounding the popular video platform, the recent uncertainty has led many creators to take precautions.

User movements are already being observed as people say goodbye to TikTok while posting links to other social media and celebrating the viral moments they experienced on the app. This week, a Chinese app called Xiaohongshu, known as RedNote, has reached the top spot on the App Store, fueled by an exodus of TikTok users looking to recreate the experience of their favorite platform. The situation seems to evoke a feeling of a last day of school.

For many content creators, this would not be the first time they are forced to move their work to new spaces, as reach and visibility on social platforms are constantly changing. However, the threat of such a large-scale app disappearing or becoming inoperable is a new type of challenge. For smaller creators, TikTok has been like a lottery game, as it is not necessary to have thousands of followers for a video to go viral, which has motivated many people to upload content.

It is still unclear what will happen to TikTok after January 19. Various content creators have shared their plans in case the platform goes offline.

Noelle Johansen, with 89,000 followers, mentions that at one point TikTok represented 70 percent of her sales, while now it barely accounts for 10 percent. "I reached many customers easily through TikTok. Other platforms like Instagram and Twitter are a shot in the dark in terms of visibility," she says. In the future, she plans to focus on X and Instagram for her sales while looking to grow her audience on Bluesky and Threads.

On the other hand, Kay Poyer, with 704,000 followers, has noticed that TikTok has made content creation easier for many people. "We're at a tipping point where some leaving TikTok will feel compelled to adapt to older platforms that are harder for building audiences," she says. Poyer plans to stay where there is interaction if TikTok is no longer available while watching her follower count grow on Instagram and Twitter.

Bethany Brookshire, with 18,000 followers, has been able to observe diversity in her audiences while sharing content on TikTok and other platforms. She believes TikTok fosters greater audience engagement, as interactions tend to be more meaningful. "Sometimes I feel that the only ethical way to produce content is to convey it in a handcrafted manner that truly reaches people," she reflects.

For Woodstock Farm Sanctuary, using TikTok has allowed them to reach new audiences that are unaware of animal sanctuaries. Social media coordinator Riki Higgins notes that TikTok has had a significant impact on their educational and advocacy efforts. Should the platform become inaccessible, they are prepared to adapt and follow their audiences wherever they go.

Anna Rangos, with 15,000 followers, emphasizes how losing an account can mean a loss of income and time. For this reason, she is preparing to maintain her online presence through a website and newsletters, while also staying active on platforms like YouTube and Pinterest.

Amanda Chavira, who has built a community through TikTok, plans to re-upload some of her creations to YouTube Shorts to see how they perform there. However, she has no intention of joining Meta's platforms, where she has had negative experiences in the past.

The uncertainty surrounding TikTok has led many creators to adapt their strategies and seek new ways to connect with their audiences. The future of the platform remains uncertain, but the community is preparing for whatever comes next.