Hey there, eComm legend.

Look, while Congress is busy playing hot potato with TikTok's fate, eCommerce owners are forced to play 4D chess. Because let's face it: this isn't just about Gen Z losing their favorite spot for 'delulu' manifestations and 'mob wife' fashion inspo. The real story is how this shake-up could send marketing strategies into a tailspin faster than #pepethekingprawn.

Why it matters: This isn’t just another headline. The Great Social Media Shuffle is happening, and TikTok is just a symptom of broader changes to come. Whether you’re bracing for a total TikTok shutdown, recalibrating your cross-channel strategy, or exploring up-and-coming digital hangouts, staying ahead of the curve will keep your business growing, even as the sands keep shifting.

Let’s break down what’s happening, what’s next, and how to thrive—no matter where your customers end up tapping.

In today’s agenda:

1) Congress vs TikTok: the final countdown ⏰

2) Again?? Another Alibaba AI beep-beep-boop

3) New payment method unlocked: Buy Now, Pay with Junk 💳

4) Ads in ChatGPT soon: “What nail polish for my outfit?” 💅

— Alex

1) Congress vs TikTok: the final countdown ⏰

Australia wants to keep kids off TikTok. The U.S. might want to keep everyone off TikTok. Meanwhile, you (🫵 YOU) just want to know if your next marketing campaign will still reach Gen Z on their smartphones. Welcome to the social media circus, where two ringmasters are cracking the whip in radically different shows.

Australia’s mic drop moment: Down Under just pulled off a first-of-its-kind move: a law banning anyone under 16 from signing up for TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and X. If you’re 15 and dreaming of influencer fame, think again (it’s off to YouTube or Twitch instead). The penalty for platforms that slack: up to AUD 50 million, a fine that makes a tech exec spit out their oat milk latte.

The U.S. jumps in: While Australia’s law looks like parental controls gone national, the U.S. is obsessed with a different TikTok worry: national security. Uncle Sam wants ByteDance to hand over its U.S. operations by January 2025 or face a total ban. Courts back the government, and TikTok’s protests land with all the charm of a spam email.

Enter Donald Trump: In a previous life (his last term), Trump tried to ban TikTok. Now, he’s riding back into the White House vowing to “save” it. Perhaps he’s realized that young voters love their TikTok dances and small businesses rely on its algorithmic magic. But before you think “TRUMP APPROVED”, his potential cabinet is split between “Burn it down!” and “But first, let me take a selfie.”

Why should eCommerce owners care: At first glance, these moves look like apples and kangaroos. One protects kids from social media’s dark side; the other protects a nation’s data. But both show governments are done letting platforms run wild. If you sell online, pay attention.

Here’s why:

• Platform Diversification: Forget about relying on one social giant. Manage your ad tools to seamlessly switch from TikTok to youth-friendly havens like Roblox, Minecraft, Twitch, and lesser-known online communities where teens still hang out. Even consider IRL hotspots to engage a younger audience offline.

• Leveling the Playing Field: If TikTok is hobbled, the ad ecosystem may fragment. More competition on smaller platforms could give you a shot to stand out without competing against giants that burn cash like scented candles.

The long game: Governments now see digital giants as accountable gatekeepers of data and culture. For eCommerce owners, it’s a call to stay nimble. These global moves nudge you to diversify, adapt, and watch the fine print.

Just like Google learned in antitrust battles: when governments step in, the sandbox shrinks fast. Better find a new shovel before the kids, teens, and everyone else vanish.

Sources: aljazeera.com, nbcnews.com, cnn.com, vox.com, businessinsider.com

2) Again?? Another Alibaba AI beep-beep-boop

If you’ve ever wrestled with bland product images, spiraling marketing budgets, or the agonizing search for the perfect model, Alibaba just dropped a secret weapon: Pic Copilot.

An AI makeover artist: It comes packed with 12 AI tools to do the heavy lifting: swapping out backgrounds, retouching images and videos, generating ads in seconds, and even letting customers virtually try on products. This tool’s got a 160+ model roster spanning four major skin tones and multiple body types, so you can skip the casting calls and click straight to style.

Costs down, conversions up: During a Black Friday trial, merchants saved around $200 a pop, generating over 80,000 model images without booking a single photographer. You don’t need to be a design wizard to harness Pic Copilot. If you’re familiar with Canva, it’s kinda similar.

Early feedback: During its Black Friday test run, 35,000 users globally cranked out over 200,000 pieces of marketing content. More than 60% renewed their subscriptions. It’s a not-so-subtle hint that when the AI is good, sellers stick around.

Why this matters: This new beep-beep boop tool from Alibaba is a signal that the era of big-budget shoots and endless design revisions is wobbling on its heels. Consider this tool your secret play. Decent visuals, better localization, and better returns on your marketing investment… depending on the use case, it’s worth giving it a spin.

Sources: piccopilot.com

Want to get the most out of ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is a superpower if you know how to use it correctly.

Discover how HubSpot's guide to AI can elevate both your productivity and creativity to get more things done.

Learn to automate tasks, enhance decision-making, and foster innovation with the power of AI.

Download the free guide with actionable prompts and tips to make your work more productive.

3) New payment method unlocked: Buy Now, Pay with Junk 💳

The founder of Postmates delivered Tiptop, a different spin on paying online. Instead of simply typing in your credit card digits or clicking that “PayPal” button, you can rummage through your junk drawer (we know you have one) and transform that old smartphone, coffee machine, or even a baby stroller into instant credit. Fancy eh?

Here’s the magic trick: You pick your item to trade in, Tiptop’s machine learning models do their valuation sorcery, and voilà: you get an instant discount. Think of it as the lovechild of Buy Now, Pay Later and your local thrift store. It’s a win-win: no awkward Craigslist meetups or lowball Facebook Marketplace offers. And yes, they do profit by reselling your stuff, but hey, that’s how free markets roll.

Why it matters: The numbers are jaw-dropping: U.S. households are sitting on $1,800 worth of unused goods, and Tiptop’s average discount of $300 per transaction could tap into a $280 billion treasure trove. Sure, some critics say we’re just greasing the wheels of overconsumption, but at least we’re doing it with a green twist: extending product life cycles instead of just piling up landfills.

You can add it to your store now: Backed by heavyweights like Andreessen Horowitz and Sam Altman, Tiptop is on track to become the next must-have payment option for online stores everywhere. You can add it on Shopify, soon Adobe Commerce, BigCommerce, and beyond—Tiptop is gearing up to reshape e-commerce as we know it. Let the trade-ins begin.

Sources: wired.com, techcrunch.com

Learn AI in 5 minutes a day

What’s the secret to staying ahead of the curve in the world of AI? Information. Luckily, you can join 1,000,000+ early adopters reading The Rundown AI — the free newsletter that makes you smarter on AI with just a 5-minute read per day.

Sign up to start learning.

* Executive Cheat Sheet

• Platform Diversification: Expanding your marketing and sales efforts across multiple platforms to reduce reliance on any single one, ensuring stability if one platform faces disruption.

• AI-Driven Creative Tools: Tools powered by artificial intelligence that help automate tasks like generating product images, editing videos, and creating ads, saving time and costs while boosting creativity.

• Sustainability Through Trade-In Programs: Payment models allowing customers to exchange old, unused items for credit, promoting recycling while driving sales.

• Contextual Advertising: Ads integrated seamlessly into user experiences, providing personalized recommendations that feel helpful rather than intrusive, often powered by AI systems.