Let’s cut the fluff: TikTok’s got 90 days to live in America. While everyone else is panicking about their TikTok empire crumbling, you’re about to turn this chaos into your biggest opportunity of 2025. This isn’t another doom-and-gloom prediction—it’s your battle plan, backed by $50 billion in market data1.
Whether you’re a brand owner, marketer, business leader, or content strategist, what you’re about to read will separate the winners from the losers. Because while 170 million Americans are wondering what’s next, smart money is already making power moves.
Oh, and this part’s crucial: your competition hasn’t figured this out yet. But they will. Soon.
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Want to stay in the game while your competition freaks out? Then stop hoping for the best and start planning for what’s next. Let me show you how to play this.
The real impact: Losing your home-field advantage
Let’s face it: losing TikTok feels like losing your home-field advantage. Your audience, your momentum, your ad performance—it’s all on the line. We’re staring down a $24.2 billion hit to the US GDP and 224,000 jobs hanging in the balance2. But that’s just the surface.
Dig deeper, and the numbers tell an even more compelling story. Small businesses? They’re about to feel this hard. In 2023 alone, TikTok helped these businesses generate $15 billion in revenue3. We’re not just talking about influencers and content creators – we’re talking about your local boutique, that innovative startup, and the family restaurant down the street.
The platform’s impact on consumer behavior is staggering:
Look, here’s the thing about trust: it’s platform-proof. When everything’s going crazy, raw honesty is your best bet. Skip the polished PR speak—show people the real deal. Share your wins, your mess-ups, your “holy crap, what now?” moments. The brands that keep it 100% real aren’t just going to make it through this mess—they’re going to crush it, no matter where the party moves next.
The new power players: Where the money's moving
While everyone else panics about TikTok dying, two giants are quietly eating up the market. And their numbers aren’t just good—they’re ridiculous. Here’s where your audience is already heading:
YouTube isn't just waiting in the wings - it's actively dominating:
Here’s what most people miss about YouTube: it’s not just another Shorts factory. This is where you can go deep—drop those meaty tutorials, behind-the-scenes gold, and the kind of story-rich content that makes people stick around. While everyone else is chasing quick hits, you can build something that actually lasts. It’s your chance to show up as the expert you are, not just another face in the feed.
Instagram? It's not just growing - it's transforming the game:
Your 90-day survival plan
Let’s break this down into phases, so you know exactly what to do—and when.
Phase 1: Immediate action (Days 1-30)
🚀 Start cross-posting your highest-performing TikTok content to YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels
📧 Build your email list aggressively (because you own it, unlike your TikTok following)
🎬 Test different content lengths (YouTube’s sweet spot is 30-40 seconds for Shorts, 20-30 mins for VSLs)
📝 Document everything that’s working on TikTok now—you’ll need these insights
Phase 2: Platform optimization (Days 31-60)
🎭 Focus on YouTube’s proven content categories: entertainment, dance, and prank content drive the highest engagement [StatsUp]
🔑 Double down on UGC: it performs 2.5x better than branded content [UGC Marketing Stats]
🎯 Create platform-specific content strategies (what works on TikTok won’t automatically work elsewhere)
🔍 Focus on searchable content for YouTube—it’s the world’s second-largest search engine
Phase 3: Revenue protection (Days 61-90)
🌐 Diversify your revenue streams across platforms
🤝 Build direct relationships with your top customers/followers
💡 Launch platform-independent revenue streams (merchandise, digital products, coaching)
🏠 Focus on owned media channels (your website, email list, SMS)
The new content playbook
UGC is the ace up your sleeve… it’s not just content—it’s your survival strategy.
Here’s why:
Let’s get real about UGC: it’s not just random people showing off your stuff. It’s your brand’s heartbeat. When did real customers tell their real stories about your product? That’s marketing gold you can’t fake. Because when someone sees another person just like them loving what you do? That hits differently. No algorithm can touch that kind of authentic connection.
The new content playbook
Don’t just survive the TikTok ban—make sure you never get burned by a platform again:
📧 Own your audience (email lists, website, direct relationships)
🔄 Diversify your platform presence
💰 Create platform-independent revenue streams
🏆 Build a brand that transcends any single platform
🛠️ Focus on owned media channels
Here’s the bottom line: your audience rides with YOU, not your platform. Trust is the real MVP here. Build those genuine connections, nurture that community, and your people will follow you anywhere. While everyone else is platform-hopping like crazy, you’ll be building something that actually sticks.
Your immediate next steps
The next 90 days will define winners and losers in this space. Every day you wait is a day your competitors are grabbing your audience’s attention.
Here’s what you need to do right now:
🚀 Start your platform migration TODAY
🎬 Begin testing content on YouTube and Instagram
📧 Focus on building your owned media channels
📝 Document what’s working on TikTok (you’ll need these insights)
📊 Build your email list aggressively
The clock’s ticking on TikTok, but now you know exactly what moves to make. So let’s get it.
Happy Crimbo and catch you in 2025! 🎄
Want to brainstorm with our team on new ways to scale your business with YouTube Ads (and other performance video platforms)?
Join us for a free YouTube ad brainstorming session👇
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Holly Preston, Lead Copywriter
Holly is behind most of Inceptly's successful creatives, supporting the team with her experience and imagination, making her an invaluable asset to Inceptly.
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