TikTok, Taylor Swift & Maine’s shifting social media landscape

Photo / Adobe Stock TikTok was temporarily shut down this weekend, raising question marks over the platform's long-term future. It remains blocked on the Apple Store.

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By Renee Cordes

Before TikTok briefly went dark this past weekend, Maine fashion designer Becky McKinnell’s tailor-made video for Taylor Swift had attracted more than 122,000 views on the social media platform.

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Becky McKinnell showcases her Taylor-made handbag.

In the video, the founder of Wildwood Oyster Co. showcases a tasseled handbag she created for the pop superstar to wear to a Kansas City Chiefs football game to cheer on boyfriend Travis Kelce, a tight end for the NFL team.

The bespoke black-leather purse with a red strap features Kelce’s number on the field (87) as well as Swift's lucky number (13).

McKinnell, the founder and president of Portland-based digital marketing agency iBec Creative, posted the video hoping that through the power of social media it would find its way to Swift.

The effort was stalled over the weekend when TikTok was temporarily shut down in the U.S., under a ban imposed by Congress unless the app is sold to a non-Chinese buyer.

Service on the platform resumed after President Donald Trump intervened, saying he wants the app to be at least half owned by U.S. investors. However, the fate of the app, which continues to be unavailable on the Apple Store, is unclear.

“Now that it’s back, the momentum is incredible,” McKinnell told Mainebiz over the weekend. “We’re gaining thousands more views every hour. It’s amazing to see so many people engaging with the post, commenting, reposting and favoriting it. Fingers crossed — it reaches Taylor soon.”

TikTok, launched in September 2016 by Chinese internet company ByteDance, allows users to create, watch and share short videos via mobile devices or online. The app has around 170 million users in the United States.

Even if TikTok stays around through this weekend's conference championship games and the Super Bowl on Feb. 9, question marks over its long-term future are prompting Maine digital marketers to explore other options for posting video content.

"A TikTok ban would undoubtedly shake up the landscape of social media marketing,” McKinnell predicts. “TikTok is unique in how it fosters organic discovery and authentic connections with audiences. For businesses, it’s been a game-changer — especially in reaching younger demographics and creating viral moments. Losing that platform would mean rethinking strategies to replicate its magic on other platforms.”

Her Plan B for reaching Swift: “I’m hopeful that if TikTok isn’t an option, someone in Taylor’s circle will see the post on Instagram and help get the bag into her hands,” she said.

Maine Public shifts gears

Maine Public, which joined TikTok in July 2023 and has close to 10,000 followers on the platform, is also making other plans.

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Maine Public has close to 10,000 followers on TikTok.

“As America's TikTok era appears to be ending, we are saddened that we can no longer nourish the relationship we have with our audience in this space,” said Lucy Santerre, the public broadcaster’s social media manager.

“You might see us start posting more frequently to Reddit, and perhaps down the line we'll invest more energy into our other high potential platforms like LinkedIn and YouTube,” she added. “We always believe our social media strategy needs to be nimble. Our tactics change week to week, and we're poised to continue to aim for higher engagement and awareness indefinitely."

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It's always baseball season on the Portland Sea Dogs' TikTok channel.

The Portland Sea Dogs baseball team, with 11,600 followers on TikTok, is also tweaking its social media game plan.

"TikTok has never been a focus of our social media strategy, though we looked forward to utilizing it more this season," said Chris Cameron, the team's vice president for communications and fan experience. "Therefore the ban will have little effect on us. We will continue to focus on Instagram Reels and our other primary social media accounts."

'Time is money'

As a general rule, athlete branding expert Greg Glynn, founder and CEO of Pliable Marketing, recommends that companies and influencers build content across a variety of platforms.

“No matter what happens with the future of TikTok, marketing professionals and influencers need to build a strong social media presence and have video content on multiple platforms, and always have a plan B,” he said.

Along similar lines, Nancy Marshall of Marshall Communications said that while most Maine businesses using multiple platforms shouldn’t be hurt too much by losing TikTok, those who stand to lose the most are influencers from lobsterman Jacob Knowles to MisterMainer who depend on followers to buy their merchandise.

“If TikTok goes away, these influencers will need to go to other social platforms and build their audiences, which takes time,” Marshall said. “And time is money."