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TikTok Countdown: Proceed to Pivot

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The Supreme Court announced on Friday January 17 that it voted 9-0 to uphold the Senate-approved “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act”, a ruling that defined TikTok and other apps owned by Chinese corporations that operate in the U.S. and have more than a million U.S. users as a national security risk for America and compelled ByteDance, owner of the popular TikTok social media platform, to either sell out to a U.S. company or cease operating in this country as of Sunday January 19, 2025. On Saturday night January 18, ByteDance shut down TikTok in the U.S., per the SCOTUS ruling. Site visitors were greeted with the message: “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”

Furthermore, the SCOTUS ruling prevents American companies from hosting or delivering content for the Beijing-based social media platform unless parent company ByteDance sells the platform to a U.S. buyer, or a U.S ally. A source close to TikTok reportedly said that “multiple critical service providers” indicated to TikTok that they would no longer carry the app or its data, which forced the app offline. Service providers cited fears that the ban would be applied starting Sunday January 19, despite Biden administration signals to the contrary. The app went dark on Saturday January 18 about two hours before the shutdown deadline and as of Sunday January 19, the TikTok app was not available at the Apple App Store or the Google Play store.

But in true soap opera cliff-hanger style, TikTok did not remain offline in the U.S. for any length of time and leave 170 million U.S.-based TikTok users in the lurch. In fact, it was evident that TikTok would quickly resume operating in the U.S., perhaps inspired by a growing awareness by lawmakers of both parties that the decision to force a TikTok closure is quite unpopular. Some congressional leaders who originally championed the TikTok law are now considering delaying enforcement. So, Washington is setting up to pass the buck—surprise!

  • A U.S. official has confirmed that the outgoing Biden administration would not force TikTok to cease operations in the U.S. on January 19 and will allow the incoming Trump administration to implement the law.
  • In a TikTok video, platform CEO Shou Zi Chew asked President-elect Donald Trump to find a solution that keeps the site available in the U.S. Trump said he would “be making the decision” about TikTok and confirmed that he discussed the platform with Chinese President Xi Jinping. In a phone interview with NBC News on January 18, the President-elect confirmed that he would “most likely” delay the TikTok ban for 90 days after he takes office on January 20 but added that he had not yet made a final decision. Incidentally, Mr. Shou expects to be in attendance for Trump’s inauguration.

What would a TikTok ban look like?

OK, so what might the world look like for TikTok users if the unthinkable happens and the site really is banned in America for a significant length of time? Before going any further, let’s confirm that it will not be illegal to have TikTok on your phone. TikTok has been banned in the U.S. as of January 19, but it’s not illegal to keep the app on your phone or other devices.

  • No new downloads: TikTok was removed from app stores on January 19 and aspiring new users were unable to download the app. Current user accounts were blocked and shown the message detailed above.
  • No updates: Those who are somehow able to access the site would no longer receive updates and the site would eventually stop working properly. Functionality would diminish.

If you are one of the approximately 7 million U.S. residents who use TikTok one minute videos to promote a business, you are advised to act now to protect your entity. President Trump‘s vow to keep the app available notwithstanding, the clock really is ticking and this drama is your wake-up call. It’s imperative that you be proactive and prepare to pivot into Plan B and develop actionable strategies that enable the transfer of your business marketing functions out of an exclusively TikTok arrangement and into a safe, multichannel harbor. Whether or not there is a prolonged TikTok shutdown, keeping all your eggs in one basket has always been risky and is nearly always inadvisable. There is strength in diversity and that’s our mission today. Let’s discuss Plan B—your pivot and survival strategy.

“We have to save it”

As you’ve heard, the TikTok shutdown was in effect for just 14 hours and President Donald Trump pledged to issue an executive order following his inauguration and give TikTok a 75-day reprieve before the SCOTUS law goes into effect, saying that “We have to save it.” President Trump suggested that a 50% American ownership of TikTok is his preference at this time. If TikTok plays a vital role in your marketing campaigns, you can breathe again—-but this soap opera isn’t over yet and you would be wise to use the 75-days to get your house in order.

1. Build and optimize your own website

You relied on TikTok and don’t have a business website, you say? You should protect yourself and take control now, by way of a DIY site-building (and tutorial assisted) project or by outsourcing to a Freelance web developer colleague whose references you’ve checked, so that you can create a website solution that’s customized to fit the needs of your business venture. The only online platform that you completely control is your website. Social media platforms belong to the company that owns them, meaning that your TikTok content actually belongs to ByteDance and your Facebook posts belong to Zuckerberg. If that thought doesn’t motivate you to create a functional website for yourself, I don’t know what will.

On your website, you own and control your marketing content and can also sell your products and services, post customer surveys and calls-to-action and, maintain a sales/marketing funnel for inbound customer appeals and, best of all, you’ll own and control all customer data that you collect and maintain because the site is yours. Keep in mind that your website can and should be designed to function as the primary hub for all activities that drive customer engagement and transactions of any kind. Furthermore, be certain to enable site cybersecurity and configure https in your website address, which is the secure version of http, the primary protocol used to send data between a web browser and a website. The principal motivations for https are authentication of the accessed website and protection of the privacy and integrity of the exchanged data while it is in transit.

2. Develop a robust email list

Congratulations to you if your TikTok following is significant—but during the site shutdown, all of your customer contact info was Missing In Action, beyond your reach. Because email marketing remains a powerful resource, act now to find an alternative platform that gives you control of your most important piece of customer (and follower) data—email addresses. Investigate and compare email marketing platforms and get started ASAP. Once you’ve selected a provider, create opt-in forms to grow your list as you continue contacting and nurturing your relationship with your loyal base of customers. Your email list is how you own your audience and you must be able to support mutual communication between your audience and your company.

3. Diversify your online channels

Don’t be complacent and let yourself remain a one-trick pony. The TikTok drama reminds us all that social media platforms you rely on today might be gone tomorrow. A good defensive strategy is to spread the wealth and consider multiple channels for your content and customer outreach, guided by the platforms your target market follows. TikTok followers are obviously visual and gravitate to videos, so think Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and Facebook for your Plan B pivot into multiple channels—plus your website, which will be the gatekeeper of everything. Pinterest, a visual imagery search engine, could be another useful marketing channel that your customers and prospects like. Diversifying will give you better control over customer engagement and monetization, so instead of betting the house on a single platform, spread your bets.

4. Create a viable sales/marketing funnel

Why not launch your pivot by creating landing pages that lead prospects and other followers to sales/marketing funnels you’ve established on different platforms and advertise your powerful new online presence? It will also be good for brand building to give prospects (followers) and customers a reason to connect with you outside of social media — whether it’s a free e-book, a special offer, or a chance to join a community of customers and followers. You could do well to check out Constant Contact to automate those funnels and turn prospects and followers into active customers.

5. Use SMS marketing to connect instantly

SMS marketing (text messages) can give a jolt to customer outreach. You can invite your email list members to opt-in for real-time updates (always request permission, even if you send the first message without asking first) and exclusive offers via text. This tool can be one of your most powerful ways to stay connected with your target market and reach them instantly. For example, a strong SMS list can boost sales conversion rates of limited time special offers and also lift attendance at your webinars and podcasts where you are a guest or the host.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: ©Shopee Mobile Malaysia Sdn.Bhd.

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Six Strategies to Spark Sales

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As every Freelancer and business owner eventually learns, an occasional sales revenue slump is not unusual. The precipitating factor can be anything from the potential for federal legislation that if passed would impact your industry, fluctuations in your local economy, or maybe even a social media meme that’s sweeping the country. Beyond the expected seasonal variations, sales revenue can wax and wane for mysterious reasons, making it a necessity to have financial reserves available to allow your company to continue operating as usual.

What this observation reveals is this—being successful in business means being resourceful. The best way to survive revenue peaks and troughs is to devise a remedy that revs up revenue and creates robust cash-flow that positions your company to thrive. Taking action to stimulate sales is always good business. For inspiration, please see here insights from a survey of the 14,000 member companies of the National Association of Manufacturers conducted by the Chicago, IL based global risk management, tax and consulting firm RSM McGladrey. Identified in the survey are strategies that you’ll recognize as low-hanging fruit selling opportunities that have excellent potential to generate revenue now and into the 4th quarter.

1. Increase market penetration

More than 60% of survey respondents considered it smart to focus on what their business does well—selling to current markets. Expanding penetration into your market segments is considered a wise revenue-generating strategy, since competitive advantages and all necessary systems are in place—relationships are favorable and communication protocols are familiar; you know how to facilitate the sale and know how the client wants products or services to be delivered; client pain points and priorities have been documented; and, most of all, you’ve earned client trust.

Pave your path to success by becoming more diligent and systematic about marketing outreach strategies, tactics and follow-up. Email marketing, social media posts, newsletter and blog articles and telephone calls are among the activities that effectively transmit personalized messages known to stimulate sales and expand market penetration.

2. New extension to your line

Consider extending your product or service line to include an inventive complementary addition that will enhance the desirability of the solutions clients buy from you now. This strategy is linked to your ability to leverage customer knowledge and relationships in a way that reveals seldom expressed frustrations or aspirations when using your category of products or services. When you make time to talk with clients and understand what matters most to them, you will eventually learn how your organization can more effectively provide solutions that solve problems, achieve goals, eliminate glitches and deliver an exemplary client experience as you do. Do this and your company will become more indispensable to their operations and more orders will flow to you.


3. New add-on or upgrade

More than 40% of respondents believed that providing add-on or upgrade options to the products and/ or services sold would likely be embraced by enough clients to become an efficient and effective growth strategy. Certain of your clients may feel that a more comprehensive version of your basic product or service brings an advantage that they consider to be worthwhile and they’d be willing to pay more to have it. Inviting clients to “trade up” can sometimes rather easily produce a revenue stream for your business. Best of all, you may be able to create the enhanced version of your product or service for a modest cost and sell to clients at a premium.

4. New distribution channels

Identifying new sales channels could make doing business with your outfit more appealing to certain client segments and result in an increase in sales revenue. Additional sales distribution channels will expand the availability and visibility of your products and/or services and encourage more sales. The additional revenue can soften the effects of whatever erratic purchasing patterns that might occur throughout the year and help stabilize cash-flow.

If you haven’t done so already, enable clients to purchase some or all of your products or services directly from your website and social media accounts. Depending on your product line, explore the possibility of placing selected items on consignment in retail outlets that fit your brand. You might also evaluate the feasibility of opening a pop-up store.

5. New service

Whether your company sells B2B or B2C, you may be able to develop a new service that both aligns with your current products and/or services and solves a problem by providing a solution that your market segment finds desirable. When a product or service line comprehensively addresses what clients have in mind, sales growth will result. Presenting more reasons for clients to do business with your company builds brand loyalty and value along with sales revenue and that can include repeat business and referrals, too. What practical and appealing new service do your clients hope you can offer?

6. Price to tempt

What creative pricing offer might intrigue your clients and persuade them to do business now instead of later? While it is preferable to sell on value and quality, limited time loss leader pricing tactics do little harm to gross sales and have been known to stimulate purchases of higher profit margin items in your product and service lines—exactly the outcome you’re looking for!

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star.  Business is brisk at Bouchard Gardens on opening day of the Downtown Farmer’s Market in Windsor, Ontario (Canada) on Saturday, May 30, 2015.

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Stir Up Your Sales Strategy

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Because you have set up shop as an independent business owner, consistently generating sales of your product or service is central to your existence. Whether your company’s revenue is derived mostly from the sales of long-standing customers or from new arrivals (some of whom are referred by long-standing customers, I hope) and whether your economic landscape is brimming with opportunity or undermined by difficulty, the presence of a sales strategy that consistently produces revenue for your enterprise is a matter of survival. The performance of your sales strategy is not a phenomenon that you can leave to serendipity. It’s a vital sign that deserves your constant attention. Should sales become sluggish, or on the other hand unexpectedly vigorous, you’d better know why it’s happening. If the significant movement in your sales trend is anything other than a seasonal variation, it will be incumbent upon you to diagnose the situation and fix it.

As we’ve explored in this column over the past several months, B2B selling encompasses several factors. It’s a lot to keep your eye on, but that’s the nature of the beast:

  • A robust inbound marketing funnel that invites prospects to explore and consider your products and services
  • Communicating the perceived value of your products or services
  • Asking smart questions that invite prospects to share information that confirms what s/he hopes to achieve when using your category of product or service.

Building a robust sales engine that helps your entity survive the inevitable economic downturns is required of every business owner. Understanding your ideal customer, recognizing which Key Performance Index metrics are relevant, meaning you follow the numbers that reflect an accurate picture of business operations and diversifying the sales channels you use, all with the goal of increasing sales volume, are the primary components of a resilient sales strategy.

Even the invincible iPhone has a sales strategy because there is no product that “sells itself.” Develop and implement a successful sales strategy and you enable your business to not only survive economic challenges but also be positioned for growth and long-term success.

Define your ideal customer

To successfully navigate through business adversity, a deep understanding of your ideal customer will be your guide. You need to know who they are and why they buy from you, instead of a competitor. Along with basic demographic info, you should also comprehend customer pain points, i.e., buying motivations, plus the usual challenges they face and what they hope to achieve once their preferred solution is enacted.

As you discuss the needs of your prospects and the particulars of the project you’ve been hired to do, as well as other conversations you may have with the customer, you’ll be able to conduct in-depth research, gather feedback and eventually get a picture of your ideal customer and what matters most when your category of product or service is used. You research will enable you to create a buyer persona, a sophisticated reference document that identifies and describes your ideal customer, his/her motivations and behaviors.

By understanding your customers well, you can tailor your sales approach to address their specific needs. This not only enhances your value proposition but also establishes trust and credibility. When customers feel heard and understood, they are more likely to choose your products or services, even during challenging economic conditions.

Define and recognize success

A robust sales process relies on clear and measurable metrics. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are the metrics that become your compass, a roadmap of the numeric indicators of company performance. If business softens, following a data-driven approach to bring about a recovery is the best defense.

Identify and define KPIs that align with your sales objectives. These may include the sales conversion rate, number of new customers, number of returning customers, average invoice amount and sales cycle length. Regularly monitor and analyze these metrics to identify trends and areas for improvement. By having a data-driven sales process, you can quickly adjust strategies and tactics to respond to changing market conditions.

Identify new sales channels

Relying too heavily on a single sales channel can leave your business vulnerable during economic downturns. To build resilience, diversify your sales efforts by locating additional channels. Investigate both online and offline avenues that align with your target audience and industry.

So if you primarily sell products at pop-up venues, consider expanding into e-commerce and/or strategic partnerships with local stores. Diversification not only expands your reach but also spreads the risk. When one channel faces challenges, others can continue to generate revenue, helping your business weather downturns more effectively.

Utilize technology and automation

In an unpredictable business environment, leveraging digital tools becomes essential for sales resilience. Integrate customer relationship management (CRM) systems to gain insights into customer behaviors and preferences. These platforms enable your sales team to fine-tune your customer outreach activities, prioritize leads and enhance customer interactions. Additionally, consider automating routine tasks such as email follow-ups. Marketing automation not only ensures that every customer request receives a response in a timely and appropriate fashion, but also allows you to concentrate on building relationships that lead to generating revenue.

Finally, because your B2B prospects are not always available for either video or telephone meetings, it’s also wise to invest in virtual communication tools. Platforms for videoconferencing and virtual demos ensure continuous engagement with clients, bridging any physical gaps. By embracing digital transformation, your business is better positioned to navigate economic uncertainties efficiently.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © Wang Huazhong / China Daily. Shoppers browse for bowls at the Barkhor Shopping Mall in the Kham region of Lhasa in eastern Tibet.

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Scalable: Add A Wholesale Distributor to Your Product Sales Channels

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Are you a Freelance solopreneur who has a tangible product to sell,  one that you feel is ready to get into the hands of many more customers? You have an efficient and reliable means of production worked out:  you may manufacture it yourself,  or have a great team working for you,  or you have a reliable wholesale source who sells to you at a competitive price.  You fulfill requests for product on time and seldom back order.

The product is sold on your company website and is also available in a network of local stores.  Sales are brisk and there are lots of reorders.  You come to see that without wider distribution,  you are losing money.  You conclude that it is time to look for a third sales channel,  a wholesale distributor .

Congratulations! Selling your product through a wholesale distributor is a big step,  a real validation of your business acumen.  Be a real pro and take a minute to understand what will persuade a wholesale distributor to include your product in their mix.

A distributor is a middle man who makes money from products he sells to a wide range of retail outlets,  so he will take on only those products that he expects to sell quickly.   Show that you are a good risk by demonstrating healthy product sales both from your website and at retail outlets.  Be prepared to sell your product to the distributor for less money than you sell to retailers.  The distributor needs to see a certain profit margin before he takes you on.  Moreover,  the distributor must buy inventory and so must invest in much more product than a typical retail establishment.

The advantage for you is that your product will be much more widely available.  Another advantage for you is that many more retailers will stock your product when it is available through a wholesale distributor,  because they prefer to purchase a wide array of merchandise from a limited number of vendors.  It is too time-consuming to deal directly with many small vendors,  interacting with numerous salespeople and invoicing each separately.

Distributors also prefer business owners who have multiple products,  because it is favorable to their administrative costs.  It is easier to sell several products from one company,  so the more products you manufacture for sale,  the more attractive you are to a wholesale distributor.

When your sales are strong and the time you spend selling individually to retail outlets becomes unwieldy,  it is time to contact wholesale distributors to see if you are considered a good prospect for them.  Ask the retail establishments to whom you sell who you should contact and ask for a reference.

Thanks for reading,

Kim