One Lancaster-based jewelry shop is doing very well on TikTok.
But after a bill proposing a ban on the app passed in the U.S. House on Wednesday, employees told CBS21 News that they’re frustrated.
Although small business Maejean Vintage began showcasing its work at Building Character on Friday, the majority of its business happens online where TikTok is king.
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“From the beginning, I knew I wanted it to be about brand awareness and building a community of people who love the type of thing that we sell,” said Jess Velke, photographer and digital marketer at Maejean Vintage.
Maejean Vintage has been selling their antique and vintage jewelry for 13 years now, which means they’ve spent plenty of time without using TikTok. But just three years ago, the company’s TikTok account started taking off. In just a short amount of time, the account gained over 300,000 followers.
“The TikTok algorithm makes it a lot easier to reach people who aren’t aware of our brand than it is on some other social media platforms,” said Velke.
It’s something Maejean Vintage and its customers have embraced.
“They’re asking questions about what a certain piece was used for in the past. We like to respond in video format about how pieces were used,” the content creator said.
If the House bill passes in the Senate, the platform’s parent company ByteDance would have six months to either sell the business or ban it across the country, leaving many content creators between a rock and a hard place.
“The initial impact is going to be we’re going to see less traffic to our website so we’re going to have to find other avenues to drive traffic there,” said Velke.
But politicians, like Congressman Lloyd Smucker, (R), 11th district, argue that national security should be the primary focus when it comes to the app.
“There’s always a little bit of a push and pull in regard to decisions that need to be made for national security and how that affects the free market,” said Rep. Smucker. “But the security risk is great enough that we have to force some kind of change here.”
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“I just know how it will affect our business and some of the businesses of the people that I know,” said Velke.
The Maejean Vintage social media team said it’s hopeful that customers will continue following them on other platforms if it comes down to it but that they’re trying not to worry.
Velke said that, at this point, the biggest frustration of all is having to start all over again.