What the TikTok Ban Means for Creators

Checking in here … how are we all doing on day 1 of the TikTok ban?

Scratch that. That was a weird 12 hours, wasn’t it? The moment TikTok went dark, I found myself bouncing between Reels (which, let’s be honest, just don’t hit the same), YouTube, Reddit, X (ugh — it’s already been ruined), and even Facebook (but only to use Marketplace).

It made me realize how much we’ve come to rely on TikTok — not just as entertainment, but as a cornerstone for creativity, discovery, and business growth. And even though TikTok is back for now, this should be a wake-up call for creators.

TL;DR: What TikTok’s Ban Teaches Us

TikTok is back (for now), but the 12-hour ban was a wake-up call. 

Creators and business owners can’t afford to rely on one platform. TikTok’s discovery engine is unmatched, but it’s still just a tool — not a foundation. 

If you want to future-proof your business, focus on building an email list, diversifying your presence, and owning your audience.

TikTok: By the numbers

Let’s start with one undeniable fact: there’s never been a platform more powerful to help individual users and everyday people build extraordinary businesses. 

Here’s what we know:

• TikTok paid billions of dollars to creators through programs like the Creator Fund and ad revenue-sharing.

• TikTok reported that small and medium-sized businesses on the platform generated $14.7 billion in revenue in 2023

• Millions of small businesses globally have leveraged TikTok to grow, with many reporting significant revenue increases due to the platform’s reach.

• A TikTok-commissioned study by NRG found that 58% of TikTok users discovered new brands and products on the platform

These numbers represent lives changed, businesses launched, and dreams realized, all because of the opportunities TikTok created.

I know I’m not the only one who has gotten a little emotion watching the video compilations of top creators, like Wishbone Kitchen, who got their start through the platform.

TikTok is at its core a discovery engine.

The real power of TikTok lies in its ability to help creators and businesses get discovered. Its algorithm doesn’t just connect you to your friends or followers — it connects you to people who genuinely care about what you’re creating.

The platform often knows what type of content you want to consume before you do.

Its hyper-personalized recommendations turn creators into overnight sensations and help businesses reach customers they didn’t even know existed.

You’ve probably seen this time and time again. Musicians like Noah Kahan who’ve launched global careers and influencers like Alix Earl who’ve turned vlogging content into an empire of hundreds of millions of followers.

As Brett Dashevsky, founder of Creator Economy NYC, pointed out in his recent post, TikTok wasn’t just a platform — it was the entry point into an entire digital ecosystem. Creators could capture attention on TikTok and then guide that audience to platforms like Instagram, Spotify, or Discord, where they could build deeper connections.

If you’ve just tried to grow on Instagram, for example, you know how challenging it can be to rely on being discovered there.

Losing TikTok essentially takes away the most effective tool we’ve found for connecting audiences with content they will love.

But at the end of the day, TikTok is a tool for the creator economy but not the end-all-be-all.

As transformative as TikTok has been, it’s essential to remember that it’s a tool — not the foundation of your business.

The platform gave creators incredible opportunities, but it also came with a catch: dependency.

Here’s the hard truth: TikTok is incredible, but it’s not forever. It’s easy to get swept up in the platform’s power — the viral potential, the exposure, the growth — but it’s still just a tool. And like all tools, it can break, be taken away, or simply become obsolete.

When you rely on one platform, you’re essentially building your house on rented land. And when the landlord — whether it’s a government, an algorithm, or a billionaire — makes a decision, your entire business can be uprooted overnight.

TikTok is one of the most effective tools we’ve ever seen for reaching new audiences, but it shouldn’t be the foundation of your business.

Any financial advisor, for example, would always recommend that you diversify you assets to protect yourself from volatility. The same is true for social media.

What’s next for creators?

Now I don’t have a crystal ball to tell you what’s going to happen next with TikTok, unfortunately. I’m hopeful that we find a way to bring it back.

But my message is bigger and much more important.

It’s time for any creator and business owner to create an email list. Own your audience.

The real work begins when you take what you’ve built on TikTok and turn it into something that can stand on its own. That means moving your audience to platforms you control — email lists, websites, communities — where no algorithm or government policy can get in the way.

My suggestions:

• Try out beehiiv if you want to grow your email list with a newsletter-focused approach. It’s what I use, and the features make it super easy to manage and monetize.

• Try out Substack if you want a streamlined, all-in-one platform to create, publish, and charge for content. *especially if you want to do long-form writing

• Try out ConvertKit if you want to sell digital products/coaching/courses and are looking for more advanced marketing features, automation, etc.

As a disclaimer, I run my newsletter through beehiiv and also work with them as a freelance writer. But I’ve also personally used Substack, ConvertKit, and others both personally and with clients.

Just remember this: the creator economy is bigger than any one platform or person. It’s built on the backs of individual creators like you who dared to put themselves out there online.

Next week, I’m going to break down the 1,000 true fans principle and explain what that means for creator businesses. Because spoiler alert: you don’t need millions of social media followers to run a great, profitable business.

And if you want to chat about any of this, I’m offering some free consulting calls to get people up to speed on building a newsletter. If you have questions about which platform to choose, how to monetize a list, or even just what to share — this is your chance.

💬 Let’s connect:

If you want to talk about building a newsletter, monetizing your audience, or finding the right tools, I’m offering free consulting calls to help creators get started. Let me know if you’re interested!