Navigating TikTok’s Still-Uncertain Future for Brands and Creators

It has been a whirlwind few weeks for TikTok and its nearly 170 million users in the United States.

On Jan. 17, the Supreme Court announced that it would uphold the Senate-approved Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act ruling, which states that TikTok must either be sold to U.S. ownership or cease operating in the country. The following evening, TikTok went dark for U.S. users.

After a 16-hour hiatus, TikTok returned, citing a move by President-elect Donald Trump to save the app. Per a message to users on Jan. 19: “Thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!” (Apple, Google, Microsoft and Amazon have still not reinstated TikTok on their app stores.)

On Jan. 20, Trump signed an executive order to keep TikTok operating for 75 days and told the Department of Justice not to enforce the ban’s penalties. His executive order “will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order,” he posted on Truth Social, his social networking site. (This Axios post has a timeline of the TikTok battle dating back several years.)

Meanwhile, other platforms have tried to lure TikTokers with new features and deals. On Jan. 21, Meta announced that eligible TikTok creators could earn bonuses over three months for posting Reels on Facebook and Instagram. Elsewhere, X unveiled a video tab to give U.S. users quicker access to a short-form vertical video feed, while X competitor Bluesky also announced a vertical video feed.

For marketers and communicators who have relied on TikTok, “the most important thing is to continue to make content. You don’t want to assume the worst; you want to continue to serve the people on that platform, whether it’s up in the air or not. But you also have to be smart,” Laney Goff, executive vice president of Strella Social Media and a TikTok creator, told PRsay.

“Having that balance and just making sure that you’re letting people know — especially if you have an email list, if you send out a newsletter — any way that you can contact your audience, to consistently provide that important content that you give to them, that helps them, gives your expertise, sells your product, whatever it is,” she said. “But then also letting them know, “Hey, this is where you can find me, in addition to where you’re getting this information right now.”

Watch the video below with PRSA Publications Director John Elsasser and Goff for more on navigating TikTok and other social platforms in an uncertain future:

Photo credit: prima91

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