MAQUOKETA, Iowa — Some Iowa small business owners are crediting the social media app TikTok for helping them find success.
On Wednesday, Oct. 30, several business owners gathered in Maquoketa to share the impact that the app has had on them. According to a study by Oxford Economics conducted in collaboration with TikTok, 40,000 businesses in Iowa use the app. Additionally, the app has helped support 2,100 jobs and contributed $200 million to Iowa's GDP. One business owner said that the app has helped her double her sales in the past year.
"My business wouldn't exist if I didn't have TikTok as a marketing tool," Maddix Stovie, owner of Simply Things by Mattix said. "It provides the very unique opportunity where you don't have to invest thousands of dollars to reach thousand of people."
While some such as Stovie tout the app's benefits, TikTok has seen its share of controversies. The app is currently at risk of being banned in the United States by as early as 2025.
RELATED: TikTok and the U.S. face off in court over law that could lead to a ban on the popular platform
More Numbers from TikTok and Oxford Economics
- 1.2 million Iowans are active TikTok users.
- 40% of small-to-mid-sized business owners say TikTok is critical to their business.
- 84% of business owners in Iowa said their sales increased after promoting goods or services on TikTok.
- 77% reported having a product sell out following the promotion.
- 63% of businesses said they've hired an employee that they connected with through TikTok.
- 76% of businesses said they've recruited a new investor through the app.
