Episode Summary

TikTok has officially been sold, and the short-form video landscape is shifting. In this episode, Liz and Mike walk through what the sale means for everyday users, content creators, and small business owners — covering everything from algorithm changes to data privacy concerns and what platforms you should have on your radar.

Key Takeaways

1. TikTok's algorithm is being retrained on American user data, which will cause a period of instability — Expect glitches before things stabilize.
2. The new privacy policy grants TikTok broad rights to collect sensitive user data (including age, gender, health, religion, and immigration status) and to use content — even unpublished drafts — for their own purposes. Read it and decide your comfort level.
3. The Twitter/X sale offers a cautionary tale: rapid ownership changes, mass layoffs, a shift to pay-to-play discoverability, and a toxic atmosphere that drove millions of users off the platform.
4. Diversify now if TikTok is your only platform. At minimum, start reposting content to YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels to build a presence elsewhere.
5. Smaller platforms like Upscrolled (growing fast) and Skylight Social (decentralized) are worth keeping an eye on for early-mover advantage.
6. SEO on TikTok is going to matter more than ever as the algorithm relearns its audience — make it easy for the platform to know what your content is about.
7. People won't stop consuming short-form content. The question is just where they'll do it.

Platforms Mentioned

1. TikTok / TikTok US
2. YouTube Shorts
3. Instagram Reels / Facebook Reels
4. Threads
5. X (formerly Twitter)
6. Bluesky
7. Mastodon
8. Upscrolled
9. Skylight Social

Connect with Us

1. Liz Bachmann: Wildflower Social Media
2. Mike Albuquerque: Bear Double