DES MOINES, Iowa — A social media expert from Drake University is weighing in on how the looming TikTok ban could impact businesses and organizations in Iowa who use the app as a marketing tool.
Over the weekend, the House passed a bill that could ban the popular social media app across the U.S., which is used by 170 million American users. Here in Iowa, many businesses and organizations use the app to market themselves or their brands.
"I think the loss of TikTok would be huge for local businesses," said Chris Snider, who teaches a variety of social media courses at Drake's journalism school.
Catch Des Moines, the tourism organization for Iowa’s capital city, has gained nearly 10,000 followers on TikTok. Their page gives free promotion for entertainment spots, restaurants and events all over town.
Local 5 reached out to Catch Des Moines about the potential ban and how it could impact their social media strategies.
In a statement, the organization said: "If this does become an issue, we would just reallocate those efforts into Instagram, Meta, and YouTube, where we usually repurpose our TikTok content anyway."
Snider warns that businesses who market on the app must make similar moves and be prepared in the event of a ban.
“I'd recommend the businesses keep going with TikTok because who knows what's going to happen, but you know, maybe start figuring out how you have your exit plan kind of starting to be in place," he said.
What makes the popular app stand out among other social media platforms for marketing purposes is TikTok's algorithm. According to Snider, the algorithm allows businesses to put their content in front of people who want to see that content, or may live in the area.
“The amount of business, the amount of visitors they get to their business, or people buying products just, you know, skyrockets. No other app has been able to replicate that," Snider told Local 5.