Don’t Let the TikTok Ban Stop Your Holiday Sales 🛍️

Although TikTok could be banned next month, brands shouldn’t hesitate to capitalize on TikTok Shop this holiday season.

Author

Lindsey Gamble
December 13, 2024

TOGETHER WITH
TODAY’S EDITION

  • Making the case for brands to lean into TikTok Shop this holiday season, despite the potential ban.

  • Instagram launches Trial Reels to help creators test content with non-followers.

  • Instagram is rolling out the ability to schedule DMs.

  • YouTube pilots a new feature that allows sports creators to share live commentary, analysis, and real-time reactions during games and events.

  • NASA is inviting creators to apply for access to its upcoming space missions.

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DEEP DIVE

Why Brands Should Go All In on TikTok Shop This Holiday Season Despite the Potential Ban

TikTok

The TikTok US ban has been a concern for years, but it feels more imminent now. Creators and brands are scrambling, redirecting followers to Instagram and YouTube, while also focusing on growing email lists.

For brands, the natural move might be to wait for more clarity after the January 19th deadline. But with the holiday season already underway, that might not be the best strategy, especially when it comes to TikTok Shop.

With the biggest shopping season of the year here, brands should continue pushing forward, despite the potential ban. Here’s why:

Why TikTok Shop is Essential This Holiday Season

TikTok

The holiday shopping surge is in full swing, and brands are working hard to maximize their budgets and capitalize on increased consumer spending. To do that, it's crucial to be where the action is—and that’s increasingly looking like TikTok Shop. Half of active users say they’ve already made a TikTok Shop purchase.

This past Black Friday and Cyber Monday, TikTok saw a 165% year-over-year increase in shoppers. On Black Friday alone, TikTok Shop generated over $100 million in sales—three times more than last year. TikTok is expected to see even stronger performance for Christmas.

Given these results, TikTok Shop should be a key part of any brand’s holiday strategy.

TikTok Shop’s Role in the Evolution of Shopping

TikTok Shop is at the forefront of how people shop today: through creators and authentic content. Creators are now the driving forces behind product discovery, and TikTok has made it easy for users with as few as 1,000 followers to join TikTok Shop and earn revenue.

With shoppable videos, live shopping, and other features, TikTok has seamlessly integrated shopping into the app, allowing users to shop while engaging with the content they love.

One of the biggest challenges brands face during the holidays is standing out amidst the noise of advertising. TikTok’s highly personalized algorithm and its focus on TikTok Shop videos give brands a competitive edge over other commerce platforms.

With TikTok rewarding users who get friends to sign up to TikTok with Shop credits, these in-app promotions likely drive increased activity across the platform. Brands can also tap into the impulse-buying nature of TikTok Shop by offering discounts and limited-time offers.

Will TikTok Actually Be Banned?

It’s hard to say what will happen. However, the biggest regret for brands would be not acting now, only to find TikTok still here on January 19th—and missing out on the massive opportunity to drive sales. The risk of missing out is greater than waiting to see what happens with the ban. Even if TikTok is banned, it’s unlikely to be permanent.

One thing is certain: platforms are constantly evolving. Algorithm updates, regulatory changes, and shifts in platform popularity are all part of the landscape. While it’s important to focus on long-term strategies, the social media landscape requires brands to strike while the iron is hot, while also preparing for the future.

Getting Started with TikTok Shop

Superfiliate

If you want to jump on TikTok Shop this holiday season or ramp up your current efforts, you’ll likely need some support—whether that’s the right technology, services, or both. That’s where my friends at Superfiliate come in. They have expertise in both, supporting brands like Clearstem that are heavily investing in TikTok Shop.

As one of the first beta partners of TikTok Shop, Superfiliate offers a platform integration that allows brands to connect their TikTok Shop and manage all aspects—from discovery and communication to performance tracking—in one place.

  • TikTok Shop is a numbers game. Working with creators at scale is essential—not just for finding the right influencers but also for driving sales. With features like Autopilot, you can easily create targeted creator lists and invite them to collaborate on your TikTok Shop campaigns. Autopilot automatically sends daily invites to creators who match your criteria, saving you time and effort.

  • What’s social commerce without data? From views, likes, and comments to units sold, orders, and AOV (average order value), tracking performance is critical. Superfiliate’s dashboard gives you the insights you need to spot trends, optimize your strategy, and boost sales.

Learn more about Superfiliate and get started with TikTok Shop here. Tell them I sent you, and enjoy your first month free!

Also, don’t miss their new TikTok Shop mini-guide, packed with tips for building a social commerce strategy. It’s the latest addition to their Influencer Marketing Field Guide—a free resource for influencer marketers. Plus, you'll find a few videos from me included.

Instagram

Instagram Enables Creators to Test Out Videos With Trial Reels

Instagram launched Trial Reels after months of testing. By selecting a "Trial" option during the publishing phase, creators can initially share Reels exclusively with non-followers. After 24 hours, they get performance metrics (views, likes, and comments). Based on these insights, creators can decide whether to share the Reel with their followers.

Why It Matters: Trial Reels provide a low-pressure way for creators to experiment with new video ideas, concepts, or variations and see how they resonate with broader audiences before sharing them with followers who may expect specific types of content. This is useful for creators who are exploring a pivot to a new niche or sharing content outside their usual style.

It also brings opportunities for influencer marketing. For example, brands can work with creators to conduct informal A/B testing of sponsored videos, experimenting with different hooks, talking points, or visuals to identify what content works best for a campaign.

Instagram Rolls Out Scheduling for Direct Messages

Instagram has rolled out scheduling for Direct Messages (DMs). Users with access can open a chat, compose a message, and then hold down the send button. This will prompt an option to choose a date and time to send the message. Once scheduled, users will see a confirmation that says "1 scheduled message" in the chat.

Why It Matters: Instagram continues to improve its DM capabilities, and scheduling adds efficiency. It gives users the ability to plan their communications in advance, which can be helpful in many scenarios. For example, users can send messages at times when recipients are most likely to respond. Creators, in particular, will find this feature useful for scheduling brand outreach messages and responding to fans.

Threads Tests Topic-Specific Profile Collections

Threads is testing collections of profiles focused on popular topics and communities, such as basketball, style and fashion, food, books, pop culture, and more, curated by a few users in the US. Users will see these suggestions when they first join Threads, as well as in the For You feed.

Why It Matters: These collections are similar to Bluesky’s Starter Packs, which provide curated lists of suggested accounts to help users find people to follow. Threads offers a comparable experience by suggesting accounts tied to specific topics and communities, making it easy for users to follow them all at once. This increases the likelihood that users will discover relevant content early on, aligning with their interests, which can help keep them engaged.

YouTube Pilots Watch With Feature for Sports Creators

YouTube is piloting a new feature called Watch With, which allows creators to share live commentary, analysis, and real-time reactions to games and events. YouTube says it's still in the early stages, but the feature is expected to roll out to more TV screens in the near future.

Why It Matters: Watch With taps into the growing trend of creators acting as today’s sports broadcasters. Whether they're breaking down a game, recapping highlights, or analyzing post-game interviews, audiences are increasingly turning to creators for sports content. In fact, the total time spent on sports content on YouTube has grown by 30% year-over-year, demonstrating the rise in creator-led sports consumption.

With a full rollout of Watch With, we could see this number increase even further, as audiences seek more interactive, creator-led viewing experiences. While the feature is currently focused on sports, it could also be valuable for other live events, like award shows, festivals, and political debates—events where creators often share their perspectives.

LinkedIn Adds View Counts on Videos

LinkedIn is now showing view counts on videos. When scrolling through the feed on mobile, video posts will display the view count at the bottom left.

Why It Matters: While public view counts may seem like a minor update, they can influence user behavior in several ways. High view counts act as social proof, signaling that content is worth watching, which can encourage viewers to engage with it.

Additionally, seeing videos with high view counts could motivate creators to post more video content themselves, as it highlights the potential reach they can achieve by investing in video.

WHAT I’M READING

NASA is accepting applications for creators to apply to attend two upcoming missions. Selected creators will have the opportunity to view the launches, tour NASA facilities, meet with mission experts, and more.

Amazon is reaching out to influencers with questionnaires about the product reviews and testimonials they've posted on social media platforms as well as their relationships with the brands behind those products. This move appears to be part of Amazon’s broader efforts to crack down on review manipulation. It also follows the Federal Trade Commission’s ban on companies purchasing positive or negative reviews.

Creator Economy Live has released its report on the Top innovators in the Creator Economy, spotlighting creators, marketers, and brands reshaping the industry’s future. I'm honored to be recognized alongside some friends.

THANK YOU

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