As Another Deadline Looms, Is TikTok Worth the Investment?

The April 5th deadline for TikTok to sell or go dark in the US (again) is days away.

Another Deadline, Another Drama for TikTok

If you’re a brand that’s had success on TikTok, you may be on the edge of your seat as yet another deadline for the app to either sell its American interests, or go dark in the US is just days away.

As of April 1, 2025, all eyes seem to be on The Blackstone Group - the world's largest alternative asset manager, who may take a small stake in TikTok’s US operations. The New York Times reported last week that the investment would most likely be miniscule compared to most of Blackstone’s investments and it’s unclear if it would be enough to fulfill the requirements of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act that was signed into law last year.

The President famously stayed the shuttering of TikTok back in January, and has said he’ll do it again if a buyer hasn’t been found by this weekend’s deadline. If he pushes the deadline again it could be in the form of an Executive Order for unspecified weeks or days, or the 90 day extension provided for in the original legislation.

With All This Uncertainty, Is TikTok Worth the Investment for Brands?

Depending on who you ask, TikTok is either a great marketing tool, or it’s an expensive endeavor that may go dark in the US anyway.

I think the answer lies in the state of your marketing - if you have a team that has the capacity to make continuous quirky videos, then you love it. This works for larger organizations, or, ironically for smaller companies that have time to do all their own in-house social content. That leaves middle brands with a conundrum, to Tok or Not? Failure is an option …

What is “Failure” on TikTok Anyway?

You post some videos, they don’t get sufficient views. Is this really failure when your Instagram account gets a good amount of engagement? It depends on your point of view. Plenty of successful influencers have huge audiences on Instagram, with only marginal success on TikTok.

I’ve long told clients that when budgets are limited, focusing on one or two platforms is a better plan than trying to spread out across everything. You’re better off making a big splash on Instagram and building content on your blog and marketing newsletter than trying to contort your brand into TikTok’s narrow and ever changing algorithm.

“Failure” is not posting a few videos just to placehold your brand name, and then not engaging further. Actual failure on TikTok happens when you push content that just doesn’t relate to the audience there, and in turn leads to negative feedback (aka Corporate Cringe).

Keep in mind that lack of pronounced success on TikTok isn’t really about views and likes - it’s about putting in a monumental effort, investing copious amounts of time, and in the end not achieving viral level engagement - this can discourage a company in a way that is demoralizing when your efforts are better invested somewhere else.

How to Approach TikTok if You Really Want to Forge Ahead…

Most brands fail at TikTok when they fail to understand the app’s quirky culture and audience. TikTok is driven by creativity, authenticity, and entertainment, which many brands, due to budget and time constraints struggle to create.

A common mistake is treating TikTok like a traditional advertising platform. Brands often push their products without engaging in the community on the platform. This leads to content that feels forced and fails to resonate with users.

Be sure to prioritize authenticity in your messaging. Users on TikTok are drawn to genuine content, and brand attempts at humor or relatability can come off as insincere.

Be sure to study your analytics and make note of feedback. Overlooking TikTok data might lead to missed opportunities to refine your strategy. Adaptability and responsiveness are key for maintaining relevance in a fast-paced environment.

Remember, success on any social platform is not about “posting and ghosting” - it’s important to invest time on any platform -TikTok especially, liking and commenting on other posts, scrolling and discovering trends before everyone jumps on them, and following accounts that are relevant to your brand.

Alternatives to TikTok that you might not have thought about that are excellent for brands: