Key takeaways:
- The push to remove TikTok shows why businesses should use multiple platforms.
- There are great TikTok alternatives. Apps like Instagram Reels, Rednote, and Lemon8 can help you reach your audience in different ways.
On January 18, 2025, TikTok went down in the U.S., leaving businesses and creators in limbo. The platform came back online shortly after when the president-elect changed the executive order following ongoing legal battles.
While American users were relieved when TikTok came back, the temporary shutdown was a wake-up call for businesses to start using other platforms too.
Whether you’re using TikTok to drive sales through TikTok Shop, create viral music videos, or engage audiences with short-form video app content, it’s important to explore alternatives. You don’t want all your eggs in one basket, especially when it comes to your business. Here are 7 great alternatives to consider.
Rednote: Amplify your brand through music
Just like TikTok, Rednote is a short-form video app made for musicians and music lovers. It comes with easy-to-use audio editing tools and a built-in music library, making it perfect for anyone passionate about music.
Why use Rednote?
- Rednote allows users to create and share short music clips, gives them access to a built-in music library, and utilizes interactive effects within the app. This helps the users create visually engaging content.
- While both platforms support short videos, Rednote is more focused on music creation and discovery than TikTok. TikTok’s algorithm prioritizes trending music and challenges, while Rednote is more on different music genres and artist promotion.
- If you’re into music marketing, artist promotion, and branded collaborations, then this platform is for you. Your brand can potentially partner with musicians, create branded audio content, and even launch music-related challenges.
Lemon8: Craft aesthetic storytelling
If your brand is more on creating visual content with detailed captions, then Lemon8 might be the perfect platform for you. This social media app combines the visual appeal of Instagram with the discovery aspect of Pinterest.
Why use Lemon8?
- Lemon8 is a great choice for those brands who are promoting fashion, beauty, lifestyle, travel, and wellness. You can post either photos or videos where you can write captions, hashtags, and location information.
- Lemon8 users can create, edit, and enhance visually appealing content with long-form captions while using a creator-friendly algorithm.
- Compared to TikTok, Lemon8 prioritizes high-quality visuals and longer captions which is the total opposite of TikTok’s fast-paced, short-form video format. Additionally, Lemon8 encourages curated aesthetics and in-depth storytelling.
- If your business is heavily involved in aesthetics, content-driven engagement, and establishing a visually appealing brand presence, this platform is for you. As a brand, you can easily collaborate with creators to showcase products in aesthetically pleasing contexts and tell brand stories through captivating visuals.
Instagram Reels: Tap into a massive audience
One of the most popular alternatives of TikTok is the Instagram reels. This platform lets users make and share short, engaging video content within the Instagram app. The video has increased its video length to a maximum limit of 180 seconds (three minutes) after receiving feedback from users that the previous video limit (90 seconds) wasn’t enough to share longer stories.
Why use Instagram Reels?
- Instagram Reels offer a smooth integration of Instagram’s massive user base and shopping features, which offers brands and businesses a built-in audience. Due to its global reach, all types of businesses (eCommerce, influencers, and personal brands), have fully integrated Instagram reels in their social media marketing.
- Now that Instagram Reels have increased their video length to up to three minutes, brands and influencers can easily create videos, integrate music, add interactive stickers, and leverage monetization and ad options.
- Reels benefit from Instagrams’ long established user base and strong advertising platform. While both TikTok and Instagram Reels support short-form videos, Reels integrates with existing Instagram profiles and shopping features. This makes it easier for businesses to connect with customers and drive sales.
- If you’re handling any type of business, Instagram Reels is an excellent option. It helps you enable product showcases, behind-the-scenes content, brand storytelling, and direct integration with Instagram shopping.
Facebook Reels: Reach a broader demographic
Another popular alternative of TikTok is Facebook Reels. Compared to Instagram, Facebook has a much larger user base than Instagram. According to the Pew Research Center, about 68% of US adults use Facebook. This means you can tap into the platform’s large and diverse audience. Just like Instagram Reels; you can also create and share short videos on Facebook.
Why use Facebook Reels?
- Facebook Reels, just like Instagram Reels, connects to various brands with Facebook’s extensive user base, which is particularly composed of Gen X and Millennials. Most brands utilize Facebook Reels for retail, local businesses, service providers, and eCommerce.
- Since both Instagram Reels and Facebook Reels are owned by Meta, you can create and publish reels to both platforms. You can also cross-post Reels to Instagram, where you can maximize engagement tools and integrate ads.
- Facebook Reels attracts a significantly older user base, with a larger proportion of users aged 25 and above. Meanwhile, TikTok is mostly composed of younger generations, particularly Gen Z. Additionally, Facebook Reels has cross-posting capabilities between Facebook and Instagram which allows you to expand your reach.
- Facebook is more accessible than TikTok; many users utilize Facebook Reels for local business promotions, customer testimonials, and brand awareness campaigns.
YouTube Shorts: Leverage the power of search
YouTube Shorts was first launched in 2020, serving Google’s entry to the short-form video scene. Users can create 60-second videos on YouTube where they can start trends, jump in to dance challenges, and more. It leverages YouTube’s massive user base and powerful search engine.
Why use YouTube Shorts?
- YouTube Shorts has the advantage of YouTube’s powerful search engine and monetization options, which provide long-term content value. Most tech brands, educators, influencers, and businesses use YouTube Shorts because they are more focused on longevity.
- Users make short-form videos (60 seconds) and post them on YouTube to participate in revenue sharing and engage directly with their audience.
- YouTube Shorts highly benefits from YouTube’s search functionality, which helps your content discoverable beyond immediate trends. To compare, TikTok is reliant on algorithmic discovery, while Shorts benefits from search optimization, making it ideal for promotional content.
- Many types of businesses use YouTube Shorts in promoting their brands. Most of which include fashion, beauty, consumer goods, real estate, and travel brands. YouTube Shorts help them develop content that resonates with their audience and tell their viewers something about their businesses.
Clapper: Foster authentic community engagement
Another potential TikTok alternative is Clapper, a social video platform that highlights authentic community interaction and organic reach. This platform provides a good alternative to algorithm-driven platforms.
Why use Clapper?
- Just like TikTok, Clapper users can go live solo or duet with other creators. But, if you don’t want to go live or even post a video, Clapper offers an audio-only feature. This feature allows you to create rooms for up to 2,000 listeners and 20 speakers to chat in real-time, which is a bit like Spaces on X. To add, Clapper prioritizes organic engagement which makes it ideal for small businesses, niche communities, and independent creators.
- Users can utilize several monetization options in Clapper. You can opt for subscription-based revenue, live-streaming, and community-building tools.
- In comparison, Clapper is more on authentic community interaction. This is a total opposite to TikTok’s algorithm-driven content promotion.
- Small businesses, niche communities, and independent creators can highly benefit from Clapper’s easy-to-use interface. It promotes real community contact, direct participation through live Q&As, and the development of a devoted client base which raises brand awareness.
Triller: Unleash creative video editing
The last alternative in the list, Triller, is a social media platform that allows users to make and share short videos. Triller was first released in 2015, and it became a prominent competitor of TikTok in 2020. However, most of Triller’s content is geared toward a more engaged music audience.
Why use Triller?
- Triller provides advanced AI-driven video editing features and music synchronization. This platform is a perfect choice for music brands, entertainment industry, and digital artists.
- This social media app has several special features, which include auto-editing, music, and filters. Additionally, users have access to professional editing tools and a high-quality music library.
- Compared to TikTok, Triller is heavily focused on AI-based, fast/slow motion, and basic text overlays. It also favors EDM and hip-hop content, while TikTok users can make videos out of any topic.
- Triller is an ideal choice for influencers, musicians, content creators, marketing agencies, and many more due to its versatility. This app can be used as a tool for marketing campaigns with a focus on visual appeal and audience engagement.
Here’s a table for a quick overview of the TikTok alternatives on the list:
| Platform | Focus | Ideal For | Special Features | Best For |
| Rednote | Music creation and discovery. | Musicians, DJs, entertainment brands, music industry. | Integration with Instagram, ad monetization, and music integration. | Music marketing, artist promotion, branded collaborations. |
| Lemon8 | Aesthetic storytelling and visual content. | Brands in fashion, beauty, lifestyle, travel, wellness. | Long captions, curated aesthetics, content-driven engagement. | Aesthetics-focused, visual storytelling brands. |
| Instagram Reels | Short videos integrated with Instagram. | All types of businesses, influencers, personal brands. | Local businesses, eCommerce, retail, and service providers. | Businesses are looking for a large, integrated audience. |
| Facebook Reels | Reels within Facebook’s large user base. | Cross-posting between Facebook and Instagram, with a wide user base. | Leverages YouTube search, monetization, and revenue sharing. | Reaching older demographics and expanding brand reach. |
| YouTube Shorts | Search-driven short videos. | Tech brands, educators, influencers, fashion, beauty, real estate. | Live-streaming, audio-only feature, community-building tools. | Promotional content leveraging search optimization. |
| Clapper | Authentic community engagement. | Small businesses, niche communities, independent creators. | Advanced AI editing, professional editing tools, and music synchronization. | Authentic engagement, small business brand awareness. |
| Triller | AI-driven video editing for music and entertainment. | Influencers, musicians, marketing agencies, digital artists. | Advanced AI editing, professional editing tools, music synchronization. | Engaging with music brands, digital artists, and influencers. |
Future-proof your business with the right social media platform
Businesses must adapt to the ever-changing social media landscape by maximizing available platforms. Staying visible and involved with your audience is paramount, regardless of whether you decide to use YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, or a newer site like Lemon8 or Rednote.
As a small business owner, you can easily handle social media, email marketing, and website optimization with Networksolutions.com’s all-in-one digital marketing solutions, guaranteeing that your brand remains relevant across all platforms.
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Frequently asked questions
TikTok is a Chinese app or a short-form video app that allows its users to create and share engaging content through short-form videos. This app can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play. Content creators create and share content about almost everything, from entertainment, music, DIY u0026 life hacks, beauty and fashion, and so much more.
Because of its massive global reach, availability, and highly engaging format, businesses have used TikTok to promote their products and services. However, some lawmakers continue to push efforts to ban TikTok due to data privacy issues, lack of transparency, and national security concerns.
Businesses must diversify their marketing techniques as TikTok deals with growing uncertainty in the U.S. The potential ban is due to the risk of national security and data privacy concerns linked to TikTok. Alternatives to TikTok offer special chances to interact with various audiences, place advertisements, and even make money from content. These platforms may provide comparable or superior functionality for generating content, interacting with the community, and increasing sales.
Your industry and objectives will determine which TikTok substitute is best for your company. Facebook Reels and Instagram Reels provide powerful purchasing and advertising tools for eCommerce and retail enterprises. Platforms like Rednote and Triller provide great tools for marketing songs and innovative campaigns if you work in the music or entertainment industry. Make sure the platform you select complements both your content strategy and the tastes of your audience.
Pay attention to the kind of audience each platform draws to match your content with its demographics. For instance, Rednote and Triller are perfect for material that focuses on music, while Instagram Reels and Facebook Reels are excellent for wide audiences. For more interaction, modify your content to fit the culture and trends of each platform.
TikTok alternatives can support the expansion of your company by providing fresh approaches to audience engagement, producing original content, and advertising new product launches. Businesses may reach new clients, boost visibility, and encourage conversions with the help of these platforms’ monetization, community-building, and advertising tools.
Consider audience reach, discoverability, revenue choices, and content development tools when assessing TikTok alternatives. While some platforms, like Clapper, offer subscription-based monetization, others, like YouTube Shorts and Facebook Reels, are excellent for long-term content visibility. Verify that the platform helps you achieve your marketing objectives, whether they are direct sales, community involvement, or brand exposure.
