How Brands Can Prepare for a Looming TikTok Ban

During this moment of uncertainty in the world of social commerce, marketers need a backup plan for the potential end of TikTok in the United States. Regardless of whether it goes away entirely or gets bought, the platform will likely undergo changes that impact the creator economy and, in turn, brands. The short-form video social media app has been a go-to for influencer marketing campaigns. Without it, brands will need to diversify their social marketing spend and look for new opportunities to increase return on investment on these channels.

Short-form video content has the highest ROI among social marketing approaches, and consumers’ penchant for engaging with this medium has become one of the best ways to capture the attention of shoppers on social media. Yet despite the popularity of viewing and sharing video content created by brands and influencers, it's nearly impossible for brands to correlate a direct ROI on influencer campaigns.

Influencer marketing is predicted by Statista to reach a staggering $24 billion by the end of 2024. Yet there's still no clear path to ROI. When brands and retailers hire influencers to promote their products, they pay the influencer upfront, regardless of whether or even how much the product sells. Brands can measure the reach and engagement that these campaigns delivered, but those numbers never translate into a direct ROI. In fact, only 23 percent of marketers create influencer campaigns to drive sales — 56 percent say that their primary goal for influencer campaigns is to create user-generated content (UGC).

Brands looking to gain market share in social commerce must avoid common pitfalls and adhere to winning tactics that will position them in a positive light while attracting customers. However, while UGC can enhance your brand's visibility and relatability, it also comes with risks that can potentially harm your brand's reputation.

Democratize the System

Because UGC is so valuable to brands, democratizing the influencer ecosystem is one way to drive greater ROI and leverage a brand’s own content. Everyday consumers are becoming influential content creators in their own right. Brands should be looking to these shoppers as a way to extend their influencer marketing spend. Democratizing the social shopping experience by offering all platform users performance-based cash rewards for each share would reward consumers for doing what comes naturally to them

Explore New Social Commerce Strategies (That Might Deliver Even Better ROI)

Smart chief marketing officers are using this time to expand their content marketing and social media strategies across different platforms, such as YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, as well as their owned channels. To attract a diverse consumer base, look for a social commerce platform that incorporates the best aspects of livestream shopping. The customer journey on social platforms can be subpar, extremely disjointed, and often prevents shoppers from acting on their intention to purchase an item. When they click the purchase button only to discover that the item they want is out of stock, that may be the last time they interact with that brand. Shoppers expect to know exactly how much product is available so that they can make informed decisions.

Invest in AI to Help Protect the Brand

Leading social commerce platforms use advanced artificial intelligence moderation filters that review and flag inappropriate UGC before it's shared on a brand’s official channels. This ensures that off-brand videos get squashed before they ever reach the public, preserving your brand integrity. Automating this process also reduces the burden on brand personnel, freeing them to focus on strategizing instead of policing.

By exploring alternatives to influencer marketing on TikTok, brands will have a greater opportunity to develop better strategies that maximize the ROI they spend on influencer marketing. Leveraging UGC on social commerce platforms turns loyal shoppers into brand influencers and is one of the most powerful ways to enhance your brand’s authenticity and engagement.

Faisal Ahmed is the co-founder and CEO of ORME, a new social commerce app.