Whatever Happens to TikTok, Big Tech Is Coming for Its Millions of Creators

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Big Tech is coming for the TikTokers. 

As the potential closure of TikTok in the U.S., following a Supreme Court decision or last-ditch efforts by either Trump or Biden, approaches, other technology firms are gearing up to seize the opportunity to attract both content creators and users away from the popular video platform.

With tech giants such as Meta and YouTube pursuing TikTok for years, the potential shutdown of the platform presents a unique opportunity for competitors to acquire its over 170 million U.S. users, along with a vast pool of creators who have been attempting (or managing) to earn income through the service.

At minimum, the buzz surrounding TikTok offers an opportunity to gauge user engagement, especially considering the growing popularity of similar apps such as Red Note and Lemon8, both owned by ByteDance, are starting to pick up steam.

Due to a surge in the number of creators, users, and viewing minutes on their platforms, several tech companies are planning aggressive strategies to attract TikTok users. Some are reaching out discreetly to creators, while others are taking a more direct approach.

In a fresh move, Snap is launching a new promotional effort across the public sphere with the catchphrase “Discover Your Favorites on Snapchat.” This campaign will showcase popular personalities, such as Loren Gray, Matt Friend, Avana Gregg and Harry Jowsey, who have gained significant recognition for their TikTok posts.

At a single location, Gregg informs users that they can discover all his daily content on Snapchat. That’s where he shares a variety of content, such as ‘get ready with me’ videos and entertaining behind-the-scenes glimpses.

The initiative aims to persuade TikTok users to keep up with their preferred content creators, by shifting their focus to another social media platform instead.

Jowsey asserts that Snapchat is the ideal venue for fostering an authentic community, making this campaign a straightforward choice. He notes that other apps seem to necessitate extensive curation, but on Snapchat there’s no undue pressure, and it feels like he’s conversing with friends. Remarkably, daily posts on Snapchat have significantly boosted his podcast audience as fans get to know the genuine Jowsey.

However, Snapchat’s marketing strategy underscores the fact that the future of social videos lies in the hands of content creators. Since viewers tend to gravitate towards where their favorite creators are, the competition to capture the attention of these creators is set to intensify.

For instance, Substack is trying to attract TikTok creators by offering a reward and enhancing their video tools.

The well-known newsletter platform, typically favored by journalists, writers, and other content creators with a following, recently unveiled a $25,000 “TikTok Freedom Award” for users who make an original TikTok video that encourages others to sign up for Substack. The award will be given to the videos that receive the most engagement from viewers.

For quite some time now, I’ve been reaching out to individuals across various social media platforms, advocating that the deals you secure through these apps might not be as favorable as they seem. The truth is, you don’t truly own your connection with your followers. You lack a personal online space, instead relying on an algorithm that may not always prioritize your best interests.” – Chris Best, Substack CEO

Best humorously states that they’re saving “the brains” from TikTok, yet he clarifies that Substack isn’t an identical substitute for the social media platform. Instead, he views it as a platform where creators with dedicated fan bases can establish a direct link with their audience.

In recent times, Substack has been incorporating diverse video functionalities into its platform and had intended to unveil live videos shortly, but the potential TikTok ban accelerated the announcement timeline, according to Best. On January 14th, Substack declared that they would grant access to live video for all publishers with at least ten free subscribers on their app, a move that was initially meant for top-tier authors starting last fall.

Substack is experiencing an increase in popularity as it braces for a potential ban. According to the company, this week’s Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday saw the highest number of daily active users ever recorded on the Substack app.

Indeed, while Snapchat and Substack are making noticeable public efforts, YouTube Shorts and Meta’s Reels hold significant sway in the realm of short-video platforms following TikTok. Both platforms leverage algorithmic interaction to present tailored content to users, ensuring optimal visibility within their respective apps and digital environments.

In Instagram’s most recent financial discussion, Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, shared that over 60% of Reels suggestions are now entirely original. He explained that this development assists users in discovering distinctive and varied content on Instagram while also aiding emerging creators in gaining visibility.

On YouTube, over 70% of channels are now posting Shorts alongside their regular longer videos. The platform has even expanded this feature to allow Shorts that run as long as three minutes.

However, monetization continues to be a significant challenge. Despite TikTok’s less-than-optimal monetization structure, it excelled in helping creators build an audience, outperforming its competitors in this aspect, as attested by one creator who maintained a presence on most major platforms.

As this innovator claims, YouTube surpassed other video-sharing platforms significantly in terms of monetization, despite the fact that YouTube Shorts paid less compared to standard videos.

It turned out to be quite unexpected, but it was mentioned that following YouTube, Elon Musk’s X platform was one of the most reliable in terms of providing payouts.

A confidant from company X mentioned that the platform has significantly expanded into video content during the past year (with a reported 40% increase in video usage on X compared to the previous year), and they’re keen on capturing TikTok users due to a significant overlap between the two platforms. This insider indicated that there is an 80% overlap between X and TikTok among Gen Z demographic, which fuels hope that some of these users might switch over to their platform.

Starting from February 1st, Snapchat is planning a significant overhaul of its revenue system, which could result in increased earnings for content creators on the platform.

Under the revised all-encompassing monetization scheme, ads will appear in creators’ Spotlight videos as well as within Stories. This updated platform simplifies the process for content creators to earn income from their Snaps, regardless of whether they are showcased on the Spotlight stage or the more intimate Stories setting.

Substack, meanwhile, says that it is already delivering meaningful revenue to former TikTokers. 

In a fresh initiative, Substack highlights content creators like Violet Witchel (with 2.7 million TikTok followers) and Coco Mocoe (1.1 million on TikTok), who have successfully moved their audiences to Substack. During a recent broadcast, Witchel revealed that she earned over six figures by posting paywalled recipes and meal plans on Substack, while Mocoe made $10,000 in just three months from her video podcast about the creator economy on Substack. Furthermore, creators such as V Spehar, Meredith Hayden, Leo Skepi, and Tini Younger have also joined Substack’s platform.

It’s unclear at this point whether Meta (Facebook) or YouTube will modify their earning approaches for Reels and Shorts, considering the ongoing circumstances with TikTok.

However, it appears that there’s a common consensus: nobody can predict the outcome of the TikTok situation. Whether it persists or gets removed from app marketplaces, it seems that the struggle for content creators and the competition for audience engagement will undoubtedly continue.

Best stated that it’s unclear if the ban will occur or last, and for how long. Everything seems uncertain at the moment. This uncertainty appears to be sparking a thought process among people about which platforms they use and the value of maintaining a direct connection with their audience.

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2025-01-17 04:25