Gulf Coast companies fear TikTok ban's impact on business, promotion of coastal Alabama

Posted 1/20/25

With 9,336 followers and 574 videos posted currently, TikTok “has been huge for reaching new audiences” and sharing content on activities around Baldwin County's Gulf Coast for Tammilee …

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Gulf Coast companies fear TikTok ban's impact on business, promotion of coastal Alabama

Posted

With 9,336 followers and 574 videos posted currently, TikTok “has been huge for reaching new audiences” and sharing content on activities around Baldwin County's Gulf Coast for Tammilee Tillison, owner of and writer for Gulf Coast Journeys.

Tillison uses the social media app, which was set to be banned in the United States this weekend, to share content about what’s happening in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach and “highlighting our amazing restaurants and attractions.”

The Chinese-owned app has restored its services in the country after Donald Trump, who was being inaugurated as president Jan. 20, said he would issue an executive order that would give the owners more time to find a U.S. buyer, a condition for its continuation.

Though the app is back online in America for now, restoring usage for an estimated 170 million users, its uncertain future is causing local businesses to wonder how they will navigate social media in the event the platform doesn't find an American buyer.

“It has created conversations around the local area and given us the opportunity to showcase how amazing our local community is,” Tillison said.

Tillison said she thinks the ban is “ridiculous” as the White House never had the “opportunity to answer questions or talk about how the company is set up.”

“We had over 10 million views in 2024 for our TikTok content specifically for this area,” Tillison said. “It is going to make an impact on the number of people who are introduced to how amazing Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and surrounding communities are.”

Families have planned road trips to the area or have visited local restaurants based on some of the company’s recommendations and features on TikTok, Tillison said.

Gulf Coast Journeys plans to use their other social media pages on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest, but Tillison said she hopes the company will find another “channel that focuses on community and takes care of their creators” like TikTok did.

“The economic impact of the shutdown is going to be felt by many small businesses and people who were able to make a big impact in their budgets,” Tillison said.

Another local business, Zavros’s Boutique, a women’s clothing boutique in Orange Beach, used TikTok regularly in gathering customers, creating content and “researching the next trend coming into fashion.” Co-owner Nora Whatley said the business currently has 2,774 followers and at least 200 posts.

“TikTok has brought in new followers and shoppers from all around that will either come and shop in store or online, which generates profit for us," Whatley said.

Whatley said Zavros’s Boutique plans to continue posting on Instagram and Facebook while potentially starting a YouTube shorts series. She said the business has been “genuinely worried” about the TikTok ban after they “finally (had) figured out TikTok and started making a profit from it.”

She said she expects her reach to diminish if the ban is reinstated, “considering TikTok reached many different demographics."

“My thoughts on the TikTok ban are a little biased, considering it really has helped us grow as a business,” Whatley said, “so of course we are upset with the news and hope the ban does not go through or at least we get something similar introduced because we know it affects more than just us sadly.”

Janel Hawkins is the owner of and sculptor with Sand Castle University (SCU), which recently earned 1 million followers on the platform. Hawkins said TikTok allows small businesses to “reach a large global audience” as the “TikTok algorithm can quickly propel” the short, engaging videos.

SCU plans to use platforms they already have content on such as Instagram Reels, Facebook Stories and YouTube Shorts, all “video-based mediums.”

“It’s all about building genuine connections wherever our fans are, so it will be interesting to see where they migrate after the ban,” Hawkins said. “Maybe our current platforms will try to fill the gap that TikTok is leaving? Who knows?”

Hawkins said the ban on TikTok would have been a “big loss for the industry” as it allowed “businesses to show our creative side” and have “genuine connections” and interactions with viewers and “potential customers” the app provided.

“However, those looking for a TikTok replacement do have alternatives. Short video content is something people want, so they will find ways to get it,” Hawkins said. “Therefore, other platforms will gain more users as people migrate over.”

During his first administration, Trump initially expressed support for a ban of the app, issuing executive orders to do so as well as for the Chinese messaging app WeChat. However, these orders were subsequently blocked by the courts.

In April 2024, Congress passed the ban, which gained overwhelming support from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers. The ban was subsequently signed into law by Joe Biden and was recently upheld by the Supreme Court, giving the social media giant a window lasting until Jan. 19 to find a U.S. buyer or else the app would cease operations in America. It shut down for less than 24 hours on Sunday before being restored.

Trump has now said he wants to keep the app alive in the States.

Are you a local business that has used TikTok to boost your business reach or earn income? We'd love to hear from you. Email editor@gulfcoastmedia.com.