ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The House vote to ban TikTok has users concerned about the future of their business marketing strategies.
Since Tempest Page created her account in December 2019, hundreds of thousands of people have been able to connect with her.
“One video got a lot of attention, but two weeks later the lockdown started and I couldn’t work in the shop anymore. So I started filming TikToks at home alone,” Tempest explains. did. “From there, my account slowly started to grow, and by the time I was able to go back to work, I had close to 300,000 followers. I started making more TikToks of him about it and everything just exploded.”
With the click of a button, Page created her own community on the social media platform.
“TikTok currently has about 500,000 users,” Page said.
In the five years since she became a user, Page has used the platform to market her business, Sweet Poison Cupcakes. This is an alternative fashion and anime shop themed around Paige's passion.
“When I was in high school, I always dreamed of one day owning my own store and selling clothes someday. Maybe that's my job.'' Then, when I was 19 years old, I realized that that day would come. “And now here I am, 29 years old, still doing this job, never in my wildest dreams did I think this would be my life,” Paige smiled.
She says her business has doubled since she started on TikTok. She uses her personal page to promote her new products, connect with people all over the country, and even make new friends.
“TikTok has not only contributed to the success of my store, but also the success of other local businesses in Rochester. And on a personal note, I actually met my husband on TikTok. So it changed in a lot of ways, not just my business. It changed my life,” Tempest said. explained.
She says it has given her the opportunity to collaborate with other brands and learn new skills to get her name out there.
“The number of companies I've had the opportunity to work with and the collaboration aspect has been really great, giving me a backseat view of how things work and how advertising is done. I feel like it's working. And I'm so glad I learned all these tips and can implement them in my own business. ” she explained. “TikTok has made me feel more confident in myself. I've never really created content that speaks and I always thought my voice was annoying, but thanks to TikTok, I felt more confident in myself. I've become more open to being funny and being goofy, and now I can take perfect photos on Instagram. When I take posed photos like on TikTok, I can be goofy too. You can do it, you can do stupid things, and people really like it.”
But she worries it could leave a financial burden on her business, as her main marketing method could be banned.
“An aspect of marketing is being lost and that should worry any business, as fake social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram prioritize bigger business,” Page said. “On the one hand, I think Tiktok is giving more voice to small businesses, independent businesses, and women-owned businesses. Connecting people of color to LGBTQ+ businesses. , and those businesses need that consideration more than large corporations, and I feel that losing it could potentially be problematic not only for my business, but for any business that meets that standard. Masu.”
Other platforms work, she says, but advertising costs quickly add up for small business owners.
“The TikTok ban worked for me at first as a business owner and I'm on Facebook and Instagram, but as social media platforms evolve, it's become a little frustrating to deal with in order.” Reach your entire audience You are highly encouraged to pay the advertising fee. Business account payments. And on TikTok, you can spread it much more randomly than if you just paid for it,” Page said.
As the waiting game continues, she prepares a new plan for the worst-case scenario.
“Even if TikTok gets banned and you can't access TikTok on your phone here in America, I'll continue to make content on Instagram. I'll continue to make content on Facebook,” Page said. “I try to think of other ways to get my voice out there and have my voice heard.”
