Hammer Time for TikTok?
How Brewery Social Media Managers Should React to a Potential TikTok Ban
So you gave in and decided to invest behind building a TikTok presence. Now, you’re watching the TikTok CEO get grilled for 6 hours in front of Congress facing a potential ban for fear of malfeasance from the company’s Chinese parent ByteDance and their connection to the Chinese government. Don’t worry, me too. Was the last year or two of effort all for nothing? Should you stop posting on TikTok? Let’s dance…
In 2019, attention began shifting away from Instagram and over to TikTok. Not necessarily craft beer’s core demographic, who isn’t always the earliest adopters of new technology, but a cultural shift was clearly taking place. Then came COVID which accelerated TikTok’s adoption and I quickly began appreciating the creativity showcased on the app, along with its method of delivery. As I began dabbling with videos of my own, I saw the way TikTok was testing my posts on users based around the hashtags and captions I chose. Unlike Instagram, TikTok wanted my account to grow. This is smart, because the more I grow, the more motivated I am to make good content for their app. The more good content on their app, the longer their users stay on and are willing to watch ads.
2020 was a terrible time for craft breweries to figure this thing out, especially during the year(s) of masks and strict social distancing. Not ideal conditions for showing off culture & personalities, plus more importantly, there were too many higher priorities. But during this stretch, Instagram engagement fell off a cliff for most breweries and posts were being taken down for unclear alcohol-related reasons, leading to a feeling of helplessness from small breweries. Starting in 2021 and especially by 2022, we saw breweries spending time and resources to build a fresh, new following on TikTok.
Now, the app is facing a possible ban. If that were to happen, was all the time invested in the app a waste? No!
TikTok represents an important cultural shift. It changed the trajectory of social media, adding new dimensions to the way creativity, information, and entertainment can be expressed. Instagram has been playing catch-up and is now prioritizing the same type of content that thrives on TikTok. Any time spent learning TikTok will put you in a better position for standing out on Instagram, or whatever comes next. Breweries who ignored TikTok to this point will probably pat themselves on the back for sitting this app, but then I’ll see the same folks bitching on Facebook or Twitter about how nobody sees their posts.
So what should breweries who have invested in their TikTok do now? Should they not bother making content for TikTok until more information comes to light? With IG Reels gaining so much steam, its becoming one and the same as TikTok, so let’s assume most (not all) content is cross-posted on both platforms. Think of each type of video you make as falling into one of these three buckets:
The premise connects best with your Instagram followers because it requires a long history with your brand. Instagram has never excelled at sharing content with new, high-potential followers.
The premise performs well on TikTok because it’s leaning into a viral trend or style that’s native to the app, or a great introductory hook led to an informative or entertaining video that was welcoming to newcomers.
The premise works equally well on both platforms as it’s uniquely you, not inspired by a viral trend, and doesn’t require a long history with your account to appreciate.
I see no reason to stop using TikTok right now if you’re pot committed and continue cross-posting, however I think the threat of being banned is very real. It makes sense to not invest any energy into #2 right now, above while we wait and see. I’d focus your content energy around ideas that fit best into buckets #1 & #3, while continuing to cross post.