“She’s Selling Something, Too”: Predatory Marketing on Tiktok
In February, I added a new content lane to the videos I’ve been creating on TikTok. You see, my plan was—and is—to chat about marketing, branding, and communications strategy. I make 3-minute videos on trending topics and what we can learn.
But harmful content keeps popping up on my For You Page, and so I’ve been spending more and more time breaking down that harm. (I’m not a fan of bystander culture. It’s who I am to say: “This is wrong.”)
And then, I noticed a pattern across my posts. The follow up videos the original creators made after platform-wide backlash would be reported in my comments. Comments to the effect of: “Did you see? She doubled down. She didn’t really apologize, and she’s selling something”.
And it made me think: Holy shit. This harm is for eyeballs. And monetization.
Which means—this isn’t just icky content practices. This is bad marketing. And it’s relevant for us to address how its trending across categories on TikTok.
A few examples:
I created a video about a young fitness influencer shaming women in menopause for not trying hard enough to lose weight. (If you have three minutes, you can watch here) Excerpt:
“She asserts herself as an expert in an experience that she has never personally experienced herself due to her proximity to someone who has and who is living into societal standards of exceptionalism.”
Why did she create this cruel video? To sell menopausal women weight loss supplements.
I filmed this video re: incorrect information around formula feeding and SIDS. I called out the original creator for harming infant loss mothers and mothers trying to feed their babies. (Have three minutes? Watch the whole video)
Why did she create this false, awful video? A video that shames formula-feeding mothers and re-traumatizes those who’ve lost their babies?
To sell a parenting course.
Here are two videos I created addressing a white creator who stole a video from a Black creator to go viral. That’s right: During Black History month she stole a video on Black inventions from a Black woman creator nearly word-for-word. (I breakdown the backstory and her problematic “apology.”)
Why did she create this video? She doesn’t have a product yet, but 4.6M views and 1.2M likes from one video alone will help her monetize as an influencer.
I am aware that the three examples I chose of predatory marketing were created by young white women on TikTok. I am aware that people of all genders, races, and backgrounds can engage in ethical or unethical content creation and marketing. I am aware that there are grifters and scammers on every platform. I am aware that there are more good than bad people in the world.
And I don’t have the time, reach, knowledge, or interest to be the TikTok police.
But just like I’m going to share when I see a positive trend catch fire; I’m also going to note when I see person after person use their 3 minutes to shame-sell, to scare-sell, and to steal.
That’s why I can’t simply “scroll by because it’s not for me.” Scroll by is for disinterest and disagreement—not harm.
I believe wholeheartedly that we can create marketing strategies that convert better when they honor, respect, uplift, and appeal to our audiences. Let’s collectively call out the practices we disagree with and aim higher to uphold ones we do.
