As TikTok faces a potential ban in the United States, Instagram and YouTube are poised to see a significant increase in user numbers.
While TikTok has been the most downloaded app globally since 2020 and has surpassed YouTube in some countries, its uncertain future may leave a significant void in the industry, opening the door for entrenched competitors such as Instagram and YouTube.
TikTok surpassed YouTube in the United Kingdom in June 2020. In the United States, TikTok and YouTube went head-to-head in 2020 before TikTok came out on top in April 2021. However, TikTok's possible ban in the US would significantly impact its creators and the industry as a whole.
Creators Migrating to Other Social Media Platforms
According to Datareportal, the vast majority of TikTok users are also avid users of other social media platforms. A whopping 76.9 percent of TikTok users are known to visit YouTube, while 80.5 percent have succumbed to Instagram's eye-catching content.
With this, the ban could leave millions of users and creators searching for a new platform and open the door for YouTube and Instagram to capture this audience.
This Forbes report tells us that some creators are already preparing for the possible ban by redoing contracts, thinking through YouTube- or Instagram-specific strategies, and bracing for more saturation on the platforms that would be left.
Ahmad Alzahabi, a Syrian-American creator, tells Forbes that he would focus more on YouTube if TikTok were banned because of its history and longevity.
Both YouTube and Instagram launched their TikTok clones, Shorts and Reels, respectively, in 2020.
However, TikTok has supplanted them in some crucial areas. TikTok has been able to create a community heavily focused on short-form video, something that Instagram and YouTube have struggled with in the past.
If TikTok is banned, creators and users could migrate to YouTube and Instagram's short-form video features. This would create a new landscape in the social media industry, with Instagram and YouTube vying for the attention of millions of users.
Read Also: TikTok Ban: US Schools Act to Ban TikTok From Campus Devices Amidst Data Privacy Concerns
The uproar surrounding the possible ban is causing people in the creator ecosystem to form contingency plans. TikTok's possible ban in the US has previously happened in India, where YouTube Shorts became an instant hit. The ban could help big tech giants, which US lawmakers have tried to corral for years.
Instagram and YouTube are already trying to take advantage of this opportunity. They have been working hard to improve their short-form video features and make them more appealing to creators and users.
Instagram has been promoting Reels heavily in its app, and YouTube has been testing new features for Shorts to make it more competitive with TikTok.
While TikTok has been the most popular short-form video app in recent years, Instagram and YouTube have already pushed to improve their short-form video features and make them more appealing to creators and users.
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