Creators in the United States are quickly shifting content production to Instagram Reels following the Supreme Court’s TikTok ban on January 19, according to new research from creator marketing agency Billion Dollar Boy.
The study analyzed over 78,000 posts and 19 billion impressions from over 10,000 creators across the U.S. and UK markets.
Platform Shifts Show Instagram’s Resilience
Instagram Reels has witnessed a 16% increase in creator posts following the ban while maintaining relatively stable viewership with only a 4% decline in average views per video.
This performance contrasts with YouTube Shorts, which sees a 14% rise in content but suffers an 18% drop in average views.
TikTok usage among creators remains largely unchanged, with only a 3% decrease in posts, though the platform records a 9% reduction in average views per video after the ban.
“Content creation has shifted in near equal measure to YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels,” said Thomas Walters, CEO & co-founder of Billion Dollar Boy. “However, viewership has remained consistent on Instagram, highlighting its ability to retain audience engagement regardless of how saturated the user’s feed becomes.”
UK Market Shows Divergent Trends
The research reveals distinct patterns in the UK market, where creators increase their TikTok presence by 15% following the U.S. ban, possibly attempting to capitalize on reduced competition from American creators. However, this surge is offset by a 16% decline in average views per video on the platform.
UK creators show more modest increases on alternative platforms, with Instagram Reels posts rising 6% and YouTube Shorts growing 2%. YouTube Shorts experiences the steepest viewership decline among UK creators, with average views falling 24%.
Creator Economy Adapts to New Reality
The study, which compares metrics from the week before and after the ban’s implementation, indicates that creators are maintaining a presence across multiple platforms while adapting their content strategies.
“Most of our clients have continued creator marketing activity on TikTok, recognizing that it continues to be a vibrant destination for content discovery,” Walters noted. “Creators are also demonstrating remarkable adaptability, strengthening their presence on alternative platforms while maintaining their TikTok audiences.”
The ban remains in effect with a 75-day implementation period, during which TikTok continues to operate in the United States.
President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order directing officials to establish a sovereign wealth fund to buy the company’s U.S. operations in partnership with private investors.
TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has received multiple acquisition inquiries. Potential buyers include Microsoft, Perplexity AI, X owner Elon Musk, YouTuber MrBeast, “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary, and business magnate Frank McCourt.
Billion Dollar Boy’s analysis indicates that while creators are diversifying their platform presence, they are not abandoning TikTok entirely, instead adopting a multi-platform approach to maintain audience engagement and revenue streams.
David Adler is an entrepreneur and freelance blog post writer who enjoys writing about business, entrepreneurship, travel and the influencer marketing space.
Creators in the United States are quickly shifting content production to Instagram Reels following the Supreme Court’s TikTok ban on January 19, according to new research from creator marketing agency Billion Dollar Boy.
The study analyzed over 78,000 posts and 19 billion impressions from over 10,000 creators across the U.S. and UK markets.
Platform Shifts Show Instagram’s Resilience
Instagram Reels has witnessed a 16% increase in creator posts following the ban while maintaining relatively stable viewership with only a 4% decline in average views per video.
This performance contrasts with YouTube Shorts, which sees a 14% rise in content but suffers an 18% drop in average views.
TikTok usage among creators remains largely unchanged, with only a 3% decrease in posts, though the platform records a 9% reduction in average views per video after the ban.
“Content creation has shifted in near equal measure to YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels,” said Thomas Walters, CEO & co-founder of Billion Dollar Boy. “However, viewership has remained consistent on Instagram, highlighting its ability to retain audience engagement regardless of how saturated the user’s feed becomes.”
UK Market Shows Divergent Trends
The research reveals distinct patterns in the UK market, where creators increase their TikTok presence by 15% following the U.S. ban, possibly attempting to capitalize on reduced competition from American creators. However, this surge is offset by a 16% decline in average views per video on the platform.
UK creators show more modest increases on alternative platforms, with Instagram Reels posts rising 6% and YouTube Shorts growing 2%. YouTube Shorts experiences the steepest viewership decline among UK creators, with average views falling 24%.
Creator Economy Adapts to New Reality
The study, which compares metrics from the week before and after the ban’s implementation, indicates that creators are maintaining a presence across multiple platforms while adapting their content strategies.
“Most of our clients have continued creator marketing activity on TikTok, recognizing that it continues to be a vibrant destination for content discovery,” Walters noted. “Creators are also demonstrating remarkable adaptability, strengthening their presence on alternative platforms while maintaining their TikTok audiences.”
The ban remains in effect with a 75-day implementation period, during which TikTok continues to operate in the United States.
President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order directing officials to establish a sovereign wealth fund to buy the company’s U.S. operations in partnership with private investors.
TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has received multiple acquisition inquiries. Potential buyers include Microsoft, Perplexity AI, X owner Elon Musk, YouTuber MrBeast, “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary, and business magnate Frank McCourt.
Billion Dollar Boy’s analysis indicates that while creators are diversifying their platform presence, they are not abandoning TikTok entirely, instead adopting a multi-platform approach to maintain audience engagement and revenue streams.