Endear
Endear

TikTok Ban 2025? The Case for "1st Party" Clienteling

How retail brands can fill the void that will be left after the TikTok ban

Written by

Robert Woo, Writer @ Endear

SHARE THIS ARTICLE

Latest posts in Modern Retail

  1. Want to Turn Nearby Online Shoppers into In-Store Shoppers? Here's How.
  2. What is Social Commerce?
  3. Clienteling Platform or Traditional CRM? How To Decide What's Best For Your Retail Brand
  4. Why the Sum Studio’s Data-Driven Retail Design Philosophy is a Breath of Fresh Air
  5. Endear vs. Tulip: The Battle of the Retail CRMs

If your Gen Z child, friend, or coworker seems a bit more stressed than usual, it might be due to the looming ban of TikTok in the US. People have been making wisecracks about it for a full year now (“oh you can still dance alone in your room, don’t worry”) but now it seems like a real possibility.

And it’s not just Gen Z who is sweating. With the looming ban, many retailers who’ve leaned heavily on the app for clienteling and connecting with customers are suddenly doing the digital equivalent of clutching their pearls. After all, where else can you pair a product recommendation with a trending sound and PG-13 choreography?

It’s actually no joke. According to a recent survey by TikTok and Ipsos, 3-in-4 shoppers who use the platform agree that it’s the go-to place to discover new brands and products. And not just that, but the engagement on TikTok surpasses traditional channels like ecommerce platforms:

A graph comparing TikTok to alternatives



If their numbers are to be believed (and please note, these are TikTok’s own numbers), shoppers are watching more videos on products, commenting more on products, and asking more questions about products. This type of engagement is what retailers desperately want.

But here’s the hard truth: if your brand’s clienteling strategy is built on rented land (read: a third-party platform like TikTok), you’re always one policy change or government decision away from losing everything. That’s why it’s time to double down on clienteling using platforms you can control: 1st party clienteling via email, SMS, and your website. These are your owned channels, and they’re the safety net your brand needs to keep connecting with customers, no matter what happens to TikTok (or Instagram, or whatever app is next on the chopping block).

Here’s how you can pivot and thrive, even if TikTok says bye-bye.

Why You Need To Own Your Channels for Clienteling

Owned channels—email, SMS, and your website—are like your private VIP club. You control the guest list, the decor, and the playlist. No algorithm decides who gets in or how often they see you. When TikTok (or any other social platform) wobbles, owned channels keep your customer relationships steady.

Benefits of Owned Channels:

  1. Direct Communication: You don’t have to worry about an algorithm burying your content or deciding who sees your messages.
  2. Brand Control: You can craft the exact message you want, with your branding, tone, and vibe fully intact.
  3. Data Ownership: All the engagement data you collect—open rates, click-throughs, responses—is yours. No middleman.

So for retailers worried about the TikTokalypse, what can they do to shore up each of their owned channels for effective clienteling?

Clienteling on Email: Building Relationships Straight to the Inbox

Email isn’t just the “old faithful” of digital marketing—it’s a clienteling powerhouse. Done right, it’s often the most successful clienteling channel a brand can have. Emails are ubiquitous, have no learning curve, and every generation has an address (or five). So how can retailers leverage their email communications to fill in the TikTok void?

Tips for TikTok-Level Email Clienteling:

  • Segment Like a Pro: If you’re not segmenting your email lists, you’re basically shouting into the void. Divide customers by behavior, purchase history, or preferences so your messages feel personal.
  • Make It Visual: TikTok is all about visuals, so bring that energy to your emails with eye-catching imagery, GIFs, and shoppable links.
  • Be Relatable: Use conversational language that feels one-on-one. Think, “Hey Gemma, we thought of you (yes, you!) when this new collection dropped!”
  • Curate: TikTok has a For You page that works to help users discover new videos and products. Likewise, your emails can curate personalized products for your audience, helping them discover what they’ve been missing.

For example, a jewelry brand could email customers who loved your TikTok video tutorials with a similar step-by-step guide: “How to Stack Rings Like a Pro.” Pair it with exclusive offers and shoppable links to recreate the magic.

Clienteling on SMS: Quick, Personal, and Effective

SMS isn’t just for delivery updates and coupons—when used right, it can be a clienteling goldmine. It’s fast, direct, and often feels much more personal than email. With SMS, you can build customer relationships that are as engaging as a viral TikTok trend. After all, texts give your team that one-to-one, two-way conversation that is the foundation of a strong customer relationship. Using the right tools to make mass SMS communications a breeze, texts can absolutely help carry the clienteling weight if TikTok is banned.

Tips for TikTok-Level SMS Clienteling:

  • Keep It Snappy: You don’t have the luxury of long captions here. Get to the point quickly, but make it engaging. Perfect for your younger shoppers with short attention spans!
  • Use Interactive Links: Send links to lookbooks, quizzes, or AR try-on tools to keep the experience interactive.
  • Personalize Every Message: Include names, past purchases, or interests to make each text feel like it was written just for them.

Example: “Hi Taylor! It’s Alex from Expressive Mens. We just got the new [Brand] collection in—thought you’d love it. Want me to set aside your size? Here’s a sneak peek: [Link].”

Using SMS to engage customers without TikTok?

Get our guide to the Do's and Don't of SMS marketing

Clienteling on Your Website: The Central Hub

Your website doesn’t have to just be your virtual storefront. It can also act as your clienteling HQ, the place where all roads lead. It’s where customers browse, buy, and (hopefully) fall in love with your brand. Use it to replicate the TikTok experience by offering dynamic, interactive, and personalized content.

Tips for TikTok-Level Website Clienteling:

  • Create Interactive Experiences: Think shoppable lookbooks, AR try-ons, or style quizzes that mimic TikTok’s engagement factor. Invite displaced TikTok influencers to do videos for you directly for your site and let them auto place on certain product pages.
  • Highlight User-Generated Content: Feature photos or reviews from real customers to build social proof. This is TikTok’s bread and butter, but you can have a full on “social sharing” section on your website that people can post to, vote on what they like, and even share styling tips.
  • Offer Personalized Recommendations: Use past browsing or purchase behavior to tailor what each visitor sees. Now that they’re on your site, you can show these all the way through checkout to entice more impulse buying as well.

Think about what your brand uses TikTok for the most with your audience and recreate it on your site. For example, if a customer frequently viewed your TikTok videos about sustainable fashion, that might spur you to create a dedicated page on your website showcasing your eco-friendly collection with a “Shop the Look” feature.

More Tips on How to Fill the TikTok Void

If TikTok vanishes, here’s how to replicate its best clienteling features across owned channels:

1. Bring the Energy to Email and SMS

Recreate TikTok’s engaging, fast-paced style with personalized, visually exciting content. Share tutorials, styling ideas, or quick tips via email and SMS to keep customers hooked.

2. Go Live—But On Your Terms

Miss TikTok Lives? Host live shopping events directly on your website or through platforms like Instagram. Invite VIP customers and follow up with personalized messages post-event.

3. Leverage & Encourage User-Generated Content

Again, this is what made TikTok soar. Encourage customers to share photos or videos of themselves using your products. Highlight these on your website, in emails, and on social media (yes, including some TikTok alternatives). You might even want to start a UGC-centric newsletter just for this purpose.

4. Get Clienteling with Better Tools and Platforms

TikTok helped you start conversations—now it’s time to keep them going. Use Endear to track customer interactions and preferences, making every message feel like it’s coming from a trusted friend.


TikTok may be the shiny new toy in the retail clienteling toolbox, but it’s not the whole toolbox. Email, SMS, and your website are your most reliable allies in the face of uncertainty. And with better clienteling tools like Endear, you can elevate those channels to deliver personalized, TikTok-level engagement—no algorithm required.

So, while the world debates whether TikTok will stick around, take this as a wake-up call. Build your owned-channel strategy, perfect your clienteling game, and turn uncertainty into opportunity. Because even if TikTok fades into history, your brand’s connection with its customers doesn’t have to.

Discover the future of clienteling

Get our guide to the top 6 trends that are going to transform the face of clienteling in the near future.