Ohio influencers are preparing for a potential TikTok ban, which is due to take effect on January 19. The app will not be available for downloads or updates unless the Supreme Court intervenes or ByteDance transfers ownership to a U.S.-based company.
Ohio Influencers Speak Out on TikTok Ban
Ross Smith, a Central Ohio influencer known for his heartwarming content with his 98-year-old grandmother “Gangster Granny,” have approximately 25 million followers on the App. Smith shares how creating content has brought them closer together and added joy to their lives.
"The beautiful thing about social media for me has been getting closer to my family, particularly my grandmother, who now lives with me. We have become best friends, and I believe it has added years to her life by giving her something to look forward to and do every day, as well as making people laugh and smile,” Smith said.
Mitchell Bienvenue is another influential figure in central Ohio. He began using the app to compose posts about working on a yacht in Florida, but when he returned home to Worthington during the pandemic, he began posting contents about Columbus and the state of Ohio to his over 315,000 followers.
“I started filming, going around neighborhoods in Columbus, all over the state showing what I liked what I did, and I started gaining the following I have in Ohio, and it has taken off since then,” Bienvenue said. “To lose that platform and the reach that I have on it hurts my ability to connect with businesses and brands I want to work with.”
Preparing for a post-TikTok ban Era
Both Smith and Bienvenue are diversifying their efforts to build audiences on other social media platforms, ensuring their businesses can survive the potential loss of TikTok.
“It’s a big loss, but not the only way to connect with people,” Bienvenue added.
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