TikTok fined £12.7m – What this could mean for SMEs marketing on the app

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TikTok has been fined £12.7m for misusing children’s data, following an investigation conducted by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which found that the platform breached data protection laws.

This follows a string of controversies revolving around the social media platform, including a ruthless questioning of its CEO in the US Senate, and a recent ban on UK government devices.

The accumulation of bad headlines has cast a dark shadow over TikTok, which is cause for concern for SMEs that have plugged their marketing strategies onto the platform.

Amid the rising tide of TikTok controversies, should small businesses think twice before betting on the upstart app for their marketing?

Huge user engagement for SMEs

Some 47% of users say TikTok is the platform they use most to engage with SMEs. On top of this, 77% said they came across small businesses on the platform before discovering them anywhere else.

Looking at things from the perspective of SMEs, 73% say TikTok has helped them reach new customers, and 78% saw a positive ROI after integrating the platform into their strategy.

The escalating distrust in TikTok’s use of sensitive data could spell disaster for those that use TikTok as a marketing lifeline. This could particularly impact SMEs that use it as a channel to connect with younger audiences.

Why diversification of channels is key

Breaking news of TikTok’s misuse of children’s data could be highly consequential for SMEs that take advantage of the platform’s high marketing ROI. However, to Joseph Black, Co-Founder of UniTaskr, the headlines haven’t been a reason for panic.

“I think, naturally, it plays a concern, because it does play a big part of our business. But, diversification is also a key word,” says Black. “You should never really be relying on one platform to drive all of your growth.”

TikTok made a place for itself in the social media marketing leagues, as it allowed SMEs to experiment with short form content that could be…

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