The Simmonds Signal

Write to bring peace to your mind. Write to create financial abundance. Write to find your people. Write to discover your personal path to spirituality. Write to know yourself. Write.

Insights, actionable tips, and philosophies for writers, creatives, and storytellers…

Crazy times, eh?

The social media behemoth TikTok launched in 2016, conquered the world, and got banned in the US today.

Let's put that into perspective:

• 1B+ monthly active users

• 8x higher engagement than Instagram

• The #1 most downloaded app globally for 3 years straight

And now it's gone. Just like that.

Let's unpack the wild story, why TikTok got banned, and how you can take advantage of it as a writer and creator…

The Rise & Fall of TikTok

TikTok didn’t just compete with social media giants—it obliterated them with a single weapon:

A hyper intelligent algorithm

Unlike Instagram or Facebook, TikTok didn’t care about your follower count.

It figured out what you wanted to see before you even knew it.

This meant anyone—literally anyone—could go viral.

Creators who had been slogging away on other platforms for years suddenly skyrocketed overnight.

How?

TikTok analyzed every second you spent scrolling and used it to predict your consumption patterns.

But with great power comes…well, you know the rest.

The problem is that TikTok is owned by ByteDance—a company based in China.

Cue the alarms.

U.S. critics claim TikTok is a national security threat because:

• It collects user data (and lots of it)

• It could push narratives and shape public opinion

• A tool this powerful in the hands of another nation is terrifying

The U.S. government demanded ByteDance sell TikTok’s American operations to a U.S.-based company.

But ByteDance refused.

And so, the ban hammer dropped.

TikTok will officially be banned today. Nationwide. January 19th, 2025.

But here’s the kicker:

This isn’t just a headline. It’s your next big opportunity.

The New Attention Economy Goldmine

TikTok’s ban is a massive wake-up call:

• Billions of ad dollars are now up for grabs.

• Over 5 million businesses used TikTok for marketing

• Thousands of creators built entire careers on the platform.

If you’ve ever doubted this rule, let this be your reminder:

Never build your empire on rented land.

With TikTok gone, where does all that attention go?

Competitors like YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels will scramble to snatch TikTok’s audience.

There are even rumors that Elon Musk might resurrect Vine or create a TikTok alternative.

The platforms will change. But the opportunity stays the same.

This is your chance to:

• Write online

• Build a personal brand

• Build a profitable one person online business

• Become a ghostwriter to help creators and businesses migrate to new platforms

Because here’s the truth:

Your personal brand is the greatest investment you can make in the modern era.

It’s not just followers. It’s your voice, your values, your worldview, and the story only you can tell.

And now, with TikTok gone, you’ve got tens of millions of displaced users and ad dollars looking for a new home.

So, ask yourself:

Will you sit back and watch?

Or will you seize this moment to build an extraordinary online business and personal brand?

The choice is yours.

-Taylin John Simmonds

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