A Northern Irish TikToker who boasts a 45,000-strong following on the platform has claimed that a potential ban of the app in the United States might help local content creators make more money out of their videos.
Millions of TikTok users in the US awoke yesterday to discover they could no longer access the app or platform.
It comes as part of a blackout from the digital stores of Google and Apple under a law that required TikTok’s China-based parent company ByteDance to sell the platform or face a US ban.
However, Donald Trump has already said he plans, when he takes office later today, to act to give TikTok more time.
While some NI users might be concerned about the long-term future of the platform given the uncertainty, Lana Kearney, who runs the account titled Mum Life, said the current situation could work in people’s favour.
“My feeling is that TikTok will be wanting creators to stay on the app, so will offer more incentives in terms of engagement, as well as financial reward,” Lana explained.
She believes NI brands that have invested time and money into working with content creators will also continue to do so.
“I think brands are seeing the benefits that TikTok and influencer marketing brings them and will continue to use these as effective marketing channels for as long as they can.”
Users who have already downloaded the app will still have it on their phones; however, new updates will no longer be delivered to users in the US, meaning the app will eventually become unusable.
A similar ban is not being considered in the UK or Republic of Ireland.
Lana Kearney
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Lana earns an income from her TikTok account, where she shares videos of her daily life as a mum-of-two.
Having worked in digital and social media marketing since 2012, she used her background to develop her account and now helps others develop theirs.
“I’m currently a freelance social media consultant and I have a speciality as a TikTok strategist, helping other creators and small businesses grow their accounts and monetise,” she added.
Lana explained that TikTok remains a great tool for NI content creators to develop their fan base.
“I would say there is a very active creator community in Northern Ireland. TikTok has come a long way in the past few years,” she said.
“It’s no longer just an app for viral dance videos; it’s a popular search engine, which means there is a lot of good quality, valuable content.”
@lana.kearney Just out here trying to normalise postpartum bodies #csectionscar#postpartumbody#postpartumbelly#newmum♬ original sound – Lana Kearney | Mum Life 💫
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Lana believes there are lots of opportunities for content creators to earn a living on the app: they can earn directly through TikTok’s Creator Rewards Program, or selling on TikTok Shop, or brand deals and more.
“TikTok as a platform has more incentives for creators. It’s easier to grow a following and it has a lot of options to monetise and benefit significantly.
“I have clients making four figures a month from TikTok. There are also very few barriers to entry.
“Lots of local brands have invested in TikTok as a marketing and sales tool, which also brings more opportunities to local creators.
While Lana understands the concerns local TikTokers may have following the recent headlines, she says not to panic.
“I think it’s something creators need to pay attention to, especially if they are making money via the app,” she said.
“In the short term, I don’t think it’s anything to worry about; if anything, now is a good time to put more effort into the platform.”
@lana.kearney I’m blaming the postpartum hormones #babynames#changingbabysname♬ original sound – Lana Kearney | Mum Life 💫
However, Lana said it’s important that local content creators keep an open mind to other apps that may replace TikTok as American users potentially leave the app.
One app tipped to replace TikTok is Chinese-owned RedNote, which as seen rapid growth in the US and the UK, ultimately becoming the top free app in Apple’s App Store.
Though Lana said that TikTok could easily see itself replaced as the most popular social media app should a large number of Americans migrate to an alternative, she stressed that there are still opportunities on those other platforms.
“It’s definitely a possibility. And in the very long term, if there is a definite ban, I would imagine so, but it’s hard to say what app that would be. I imagine it would be very different to TikTok.
“For example, Bluesky is a very good alternative to Twitter/ X, but it hasn’t taken off in the same way.
“As I mentioned, if anything, there could be more benefits [from TikTok] to creators outside of the US.
“Also, any skills that come from mastering TikTok and growing a following or monetising content are transferable.
“You’re learning content marketing fundamentals that have been around since the dawn of marketing, which can be applied to other forms of marketing and content creation.”