From tarot readers who built six-figure businesses sharing daily pulls to herbalists whose foraging tips inspired millions, the online creator community has been reeling over the TikTok ban news, and for good reason.
TikTok gave millions of people around the world a platform to build a community around their interests and talents. It made pursuing a creative, self-employed career possible without the upfront investment. It gave thousands of Gen Zers the freedom to ditch their soul-sucking 9-to-5 jobs (because they literally could not afford them!). And, of course, it provided folks all over the world a shared space to express their discontent with the dumpster fire that is U.S. politics. For the 7 million small U.S. businesses using the platform as their primary marketing channel, it’s a wake-up call about digital sovereignty.
At the time of writing this, TikTok has in fact been reinstated in the U.S., but under the most sketchy broligarchy-est terms. Also, Meta has taken a radical swing to the right, and Substack is trying to be the new Meta. So, no, we’re not “in the clear”.
The recent dystopic social media news cycle has revealed how quickly our communities and our livelihoods can be compromised by forces beyond our control. So where do small businesses on TikTok (and Meta, Substack, etc.) go from here?
Let’s start by auditing your marketing ecosystem.
Is Social Media a Part of Your Marketing Funnel, or is it The Whole Funnel?
If you’re a small business owner who has made a killing exclusively posting on TikTok or IG—you go Glen Coco! You’re not alone—72% of small businesses cite social media as their primary marketing channel, and 73% of businesses rely on social media as their primary customer acquisition channel.
This is all fine and dandy until the next billionaire toddler decides to go and flip the algorithm pancakes on us, forcing everyone who relies on it as their only lead source to stress, scramble, and pivot—yet again. According to Hootsuite, 58% of marketers had to significantly alter their strategy due to algorithm changes in 2023.
Can you imagine how many collective hours we spend keeping up with the new (often hateful, often suppressing) algorithm changes? It’s bananas.
Of course, the billionaires who profit from our data and social activity are happy about us condensing our entire marketing funnel into a single app, but is it really serving us? Aside from the fact that it’s never a good idea to put all your eggs in one basket, it’s definitely not a good idea to put all your eggs in a basket that you don’t have control over.
The downside of building your entire business funnel on social media:
- One algorithm change can slash your revenue overnight
- Your customer relationships are mediated by platform policies
- Your marketing data belongs to someone else
- Your growth is limited by platform priorities
So although TikTok might be here to stay (for now, thanks to your favorite right-wing PR stunt monkey), the Supreme Court case has exposed how vulnerable businesses become when they treat social media as their entire marketing ecosystem rather than a branch of a diverse strategy.
Now that we’ve gotten the obvious stuff out of the way, let’s talk about why only being accessible on social media platforms is a major disservice to your audience.
The Hidden Cost of Social Media Engagement
The TikTok ban news is as good a time as any to bring up a conversation about attention as currency and data as a commodity. Because even if you don’t offer paid subscriptions, every like, comment, and share on social media comes with a price.
When your business relies solely on social media for exposure, you’re inadvertently participating in the commodification of your audience’s attention and personal data.
Here’s what that means:
- Every minute your audience spends engaging with your content on social platforms is monetized by tech billionaires.
- Instead of developing long-term digital value for your business, the engagement you build on social platforms feeds the platform’s growth.
- Your successful content—although it may inspire, entertain, and lead to sales—ultimately helps platforms refine their algorithms to keep users scrolling longer.
Again—not a social media hater here! But there are millions of people who straight up don’t mess with social media because they have noticed its drug-like effects on their mental health. So when we’re not offering our audience a social media-free place to engage with our work, we’re not only missing out on 36% of global users; we’re obligating folks to engage with platforms that don’t have their best interests in mind.
And speaking of platforms that don’t have our best interests in mind…
Wait—Why Are We Letting Billionaires Control Our Communities?
When we build our communities exclusively on social platforms, we hand over the keys to our collective power. Platform owners—and the politicians they align with—can effectively silence entire communities with a simple policy change or algorithm update.
We’ve seen this play out repeatedly:
- Instagram’s 2021 “shadowban” of sex education, sex workers, and wellness educators sharing reproductive health information, cutting off their access to hundreds of thousands of followers overnight.
- Meta’s 2023 algorithm change that dramatically reduced the reach of LGBTQ+ content creators during Pride Month, with many reporting their engagement dropped by up to 80% after using certain hashtags or discussing queer topics.
- Meta’s documented suppression of pro-Palestinian voices and factual reporting about Gaza in late 2023 revealed how platform policies can systematically silence entire communities during critical moments. Thousands of users reported their stories, posts, and even historical content about Palestine being removed or their accounts being suspended for sharing humanitarian information.
Even more alarming is Meta’s January 2025 policy shift that no longer classifies certain anti-trans content as hate speech, instead categorizing it as—lol—”religious expression.” This effectively legitimizes harassment as “religious freedom”, leaving trans creators and their communities more vulnerable to abuse while their content faces increased scrutiny and suppression.
TL;DR: Meta is officially an anti-LGBTQ platform.
Great! Lol. What’s next?
Listen, the billionaires have been telling us they don’t give a damn about us. And while we can choose whether to listen, we can’t ignore the very real implications of staying dependent on their platforms:
- Marginalized communities get disproportionately affected by “content moderation” policies
- Platform algorithms can suppress organizing efforts when it’s politically convenient
- Access to your community can be revoked without warning or recourse
We can’t change how these platforms operate, but we can change where and how we gather, connect, and engage our audiences.
Building community in your own digital space means:
- Having control over how you connect and organize
- Freedom to discuss issues without algorithmic suppression
- Direct communication channels that can’t be shut down
- The ability to protect your community’s privacy
- Meaningful relationships that transcend likes and emojis
If ethical digital marketing is something you want to focus on this year, start by treating your audience’s attention like gold (because it is). One of the best ways to do this is by starting your own website, building an email list, or both! To help you understand this a bit better, we have to get clear on what we actually control.
Your online presence can be visualized in two categories:
1. What you can control
2. What you can’t control
Within Your Sphere of Control
- Website copy & design
- Email list & engagement
- Blog content & SEO
- Brand voice and messaging
Outside Your Sphere of Control
- Platform policies
- Algorithm updates
- Content moderation decisions
- Platform accessibility
- User data policies
When you direct traffic to your website instead of your social profile:
You build direct relationships with your audience
Instead of hoping your Instagram followers see your posts in their feed, you have their email addresses and can send your professional insights and service updates directly to their inbox. You might not get the quantity of likes and emoji comments you do on IG, but the quality and depth of the responses you’ll get are worth so much more than 100 likes. When someone joins your email list, you know they’re genuinely interested in what you offer, not just mindlessly scrolling.
Engagement translates to meaningful business metrics
Rather than chasing likes that don’t pay the bills, you can see that 30% of your website visitors who read your blog about holistic hair care end up booking a consultation call. That’s concrete data you can use, unlike tracking how many people saved your latest Reel and hoping that one day, they’ll DM you about a consultation.
Your content creates lasting value for your business
A blog post you wrote about sustainable business practices two years ago can continue to bring in new clients through Google searches, while your viral TikTok from last month is already buried in the algorithm. That’s because your website content compounds in value over time, unlike social posts that disappear in the feed after 48 hours. Plus, businesses using 3+ marketing channels (i.e., blogs, email, and IG) generate triple the leads of single-channel businesses!
You protect your community’s privacy and data
Instead of Meta selling data about your community’s interests and behaviors to advertisers, you maintain a secure membership portal where your clients can access resources and connect without their personal information being harvested and sold.
Analytics serve your business growth, not platform profits.
Your website analytics show you exactly which topics resonate most with your ideal client (like your post on postpartum somatic practices getting 3x more time-on-page than others). This is great because it helps you create more of what they want, instead of bowing to the algorithm gods.
If this has got you convinced that a website and email list is the way to go, but you’re worried about being an obnoxious GirlBoss or using unethical sales tactics—I hear you. Start with this guide to ethical digital marketing or this guide to About page copywriting for values-led service providers.
Creating Your Digital Sovereignty Strategy
Okay, so we’ve determined that social media is low-key a branch of fascism and that politicians are out here straight up playing with your money. What’s a determined, values-based small business owner to do?
1. Build A Digital Space That Can’t Be Shadowbanned or Moderated
If you’re someone selling anything on the interwebs, you’ll want to start with a professional website that serves as your business hub.
Can’t I just create a LinkTree?
No, not a Linktree! A real, yourcoolstuff.com site. Because every time someone clicks on your “link in bio” to learn about your offers, they should be visiting your website, which gets registered as traffic to your domain, signalling to Google that your site is legit, helpful, cool, important, etc. Whereas if you had a LinkTree, every one of your clicks would benefit…LinkTree!
But most importantly, this is about creating a space where you have complete control over your message and how you connect with your audience. Luckily, you don’t need to spend a fortune, especially if it’s your first site. Check out this post for a guide on writing website copy that converts.
2. Develop a Diverse Content Foundation
Next, you’ll want to invest in creating more long-form content that your audience can enjoy without having to interface with social media:
- Educational blog posts
- Email newsletters
- Downloadable guides
- Podcast episodes
3. Build Direct Connections
Once you have your foundation, you’re ready to start building some sustainable relationships that don’t involve a home feed. Exciting!
Focus on creating genuine relationships with your audience through:
- Email list building
- Free/Paid Workshops
- Newsletter engagement
- Promoting your business with local businesses/guest posting
So…Are We Ditching Social Media in 2025?
To be clear—this isn’t me convincing you to abandon social media completely. Small businesses on TikTok and other platforms can still benefit from these channels when used strategically. The key is shifting from dependency to strategic, fun, and experimental use.
Strategic Ways To Use Social Media Without Giving Away Your Power
- Content experimentation
- Community engagement
- Market research
- Brand awareness
- Network expansion
The Future of Your Business Shouldn’t Depend on a TikTok Ban (or a Billionaire’s Descent into Fascism)
If there’s one thing I want you to take away from this article it’s this: The billionaires and politicians do not care about your small business. They don’t care about keeping their users safe. And they’re showing us this with every policy change and algorithm update that prioritizes profit over people.
But we don’t have to play by their rules anymore. We don’t have to wonder if tomorrow’s update will be the one that silences our voice or cuts us off from the people who need our work most. Your business deserves a foundation built on your terms, and your community deserves a space where they can find you reliably, connect authentically, and engage safely.
If you’re someone who has writing “write my website copy” on different to-do lists for months, this might be the month/year to prioritize it. And if hiring a copywriter is not in the cards for you right now, there are hundreds of tools and resources for setting up your own website on a budget. Start with my website copywriting guide, my guide to doing research for copywriting, or my About Page Checklist for Service Providers. Feel free to DM me on IG for my favorite website template recs, too!
Or, if the thought of writing your own web copy has given you a full-on migraine, I hear you. And I’d love to help you develop a website that gets your incredible offers in the right hands! Reach out to inquire about my done-for-you Web Copy Package. Whatever you choose, I’ll be here rooting for you!
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