So, Your Platform Just Got Banned. Now What?

Here at Linktree, we believe that your audience can follow you wherever you go. And this isn’t the first time influencers have been forced to migrate. Just like birds, you might even add a few more to your flock along the way. 

Not MySpace Anymore

Yeah, we’re going way back. MySpace, for anyone that doesn’t remember, was probably the first social networking site everyone over 25 used. If you’re wondering what the content was like – imagine Tumblr and Facebook had a child that was going through an angsty phase.

Even though MySpace’s heyday predates our modern concept of ‘influencers,’ a lot of popular users were influential enough to use it to start their careers. This is particularly true of musicians like Ke$ha, Skrillex and Lily Allen. 

Why is this important? Well back then, influencers used MySpace as a jumping-off point for bigger and better things. All of the aforementioned musicians had their content sought out elsewhere. By the time MySpace had declined in popularity, influencers no longer needed the platform. MySpace was our first lesson that your fans are loyal to you, not your platform. 

 

The Vine Intervention 

One of the first modern cases of an entire influencer community migrating en masse was with Vine. Vine was a platform similar to Tik Tok, in that video content had strict time limits. Vine users were required to get to the point, resulting in hilarious micro-skits, impressions and short-lived trends. 

Then in 2016, Vine was suddenly shut down. And popular Vine stars had some decisions to make. A lot of them had become popular based on viral 7-second videos, but they weren’t sure if this could transfer into success on other platforms. So they adapted.

Drew Gooden, for example, became famous on Vine after one clip of him making a pun went viral. After Vine shut down, he created a YouTube Channel full of more long-form skits and reviews that have since amassed over 2.4 million subscribers.  

Lele Pons started with a Vine following and created a successful YouTube channel and TikTok profile. She’s a top influencer on Instagram and even has a best-selling book. A huge switch from the 7-second relatable content she became famous for. 

King Bach realized that video creation wasn’t his speed, and spun his Vine following into a successful comedy career. He turned his on-point 7-second comedic style into fully-fledged comedy albums. This has lifted him to Hollywood stardom.

Which leads us to our next lesson. It’s not about the format, it’s about the person. If you’re growing on a restrictive platform, you can adapt your style and persona to fit another. This might alienate some older fans, but in the long run, you might even find success with an entirely new audience. Always give yourself room to adapt. 

 

De-Mixer-fied

Let’s talk about the most recent example of a platform getting Thanos’d out of existence – Mixer. Mixer made waves last year by paying popular Twitch streamers like Ninja and Shroud to join their platform. And they did! But it was too little too late and the platform went defunct earlier this year. 

What’s significant in this case is that Ninja and Shroud both left Twitch of their own accord, and now that they don’t have a ‘home’, they’re still making big waves in the gaming industry. 

That’s right, these two mega-streamers, at the height of their popularity, decided to ditch the platform that made them famous, and they came out the other end even better. What does this communicate to their fans? That they have faith in them to continue the streamer/viewer relationship no matter what they decide, and that they don’t mind ditching a platform that may not align with the content they’re trying to make. 

Ninja and Shroud’s fans are as loyal and devoted as ever. Grateful, in fact, that they’re making decisions that benefit them, more than themselves.