What Would Happen If Australia Implemented a TikTok Ban?

Over a 15-hour rollercoaster period, the world watched as TikTok was banned and then reinstated in the US.

On 18 January 2025, ByteDance (TikTok's parent company) shut down the app just hours before a Supreme Court-ordered federal ban, citing national security concerns.

With over 170 million US users' data in its hands, lawmakers in the Supreme Court feared that the Chinese government could demand access, sparking urgent calls for action.

But just as quickly as TikTok disappeared, it came back.

President Donald Trump issued an executive order to save TikTok which extended the ban's deadline by 75 days, buying the social media app more time.

However, TikTok is still not available on both IOS and Google's app stores in the US, making it impossible for new users to create an account.

Though the ban was only in place for less than 24 hours, it got us thinking about a world without TikTok — and what that would mean for Australian businesses.

More than 350,000 Australian businesses use TikTok as part of their digital marketing strategy, targeting over 8 million Australian users and those across the globe.

It's clear that TikTok is a popular marketing platform, boosting brand visibility and, as a result, sales.

So, what would happen if that were all to suddenly go away?

Impact of Banning TikTok on Australian Businesses

Approximately 8.5 million people in Australia are monthly active users of TikTok.

To capture the attention of these people, about 350,000 Australian businesses use TikTok as a social media marketing channel.

If TikTok is banned in Australia, these businesses will be severely impacted.

Here are a few crucial outcomes that can result from a TikTok ban:

Lower Brand Visibility

TikTok gives businesses massive organic reach by only using raw video content with minor editing.

Businesses that heavily rely on TikTok for the marketing of their products and services would experience much lower visibility.

With TikTok out of the picture, brands would be forced to focus on other marketing channels like Instagram and YouTube.

Since more businesses will focus their attention on these marketing channels, the competition will be fierce, affecting brand visibility.

Revenue And Sales Decrease

A nationwide ban on TikTok would mean a significant loss of revenue and sales for Australian businesses.

Many businesses collaborate with popular influencers to promote their products and services.

Most of those creators only have a wide reach in TikTok.

A ban will put this profitable partnership to a stop, forcing brands to look for new partnerships with creators from other platforms.

TikTok shopping features promote impulse buying and direct sales without having to leave the platform, generating massive sales and profits for the brands.

Change in Content Strategy

A particular type of raw video content works for TikTok specifically, which most likely won't work on other channels.

Video content on Instagram reels and YouTube Shorts are more polished and need to be created with a different strategy.

Developing a content strategy and repurposing TikTok videos for other marketing channels requires huge resources, which increases marketing costs.

Increase in Marketing Costs

Small businesses can organically reach millions of TikTok users with a low marketing budget.

Without TikTok, these small businesses will face challenges in growing on other platforms, competing with brands having massive marketing budgets.

TikTok provides businesses with advanced analytics, which provides valuable insights about user behaviour.

Losing access to this data source would make it challenging to predict customer preferences, requiring more budget for experimenting with different content types on other channels.

Tips for TikTok Doomsday Preppers

The future of TikTok is very uncertain.

As a business owner, it is best to make advanced preparations in case TikTok gets banned.

Here are some steps you can take to mitigate risks if TikTok is no longer operational in Australia:

Downloading All TikTok Assets

It is a good idea to keep a backup of every video uploaded on TikTok.

If a sudden ban is imposed on TikTok, it would be impossible to back up all the content you have there.

If you are actively marketing on TikTok, it is a good idea to create a backup of the new videos immediately after posting the video.

For additional safety, the videos can be uploaded to cloud storage.

Downloading your own TikTok videos can be done easily with the app.

After selecting the video you want to download, you just need to click the "save video" option from the menu and it will be saved on your device.

These TikTok videos are crucial marketing assets.

They just need to be slightly repurposed for posting them again on other social media channels.

Enhance Brand Presence on Other Platforms

Similar platforms like TikTok should be targeted immediately to diversify marketing efforts and minimise risks.

Instagram reels, Facebook short videos, and YouTube shorts are all examples of other platforms where short-form videos are popular.

Depending on the type of business you run, choose one platform first to diversify your content distribution network.

Expand to multiple platforms once reliable content creation processes are in place.

Directing Your Audience To Other Platforms

Once you have started posting on other social media channels, ask your audience to follow you on other social media handles.

Clear communication during the migration phase helps build trust and makes the users understand why it is important to follow you on different social media.

To make things super easy for your audience, the best thing to do is to update the link on your TikTok bio, redirecting them to your other social profiles.

Repurpose TikTok Content

To make full use of the existing videos on TikTok, repurpose them after downloading.

The content would be useless if you don't use them to gain engagement and followers on other platforms.

After identifying the top-performing videos on your profile, save them on your device and edit them to get more reach.

The very first thing you need to do is to remove the TikTok watermark which gives a lazy vibe right off the bat when your audience sees your content.

Optimise Your Website & SEO

Reallocating some of your marketing budget from TikTok to your website is an excellent way to prepare for a potential ban on TikTok.

Websites are often the most important digital asset that brings in both revenue and brand recognition.

Optimising your website's SEO will see you increase organic traffic to your site through search rankings.

While it's a process that takes time, when done correctly, your website will attract high-quality leads and audiences who are ready to purchase the goods or services you have to offer.

Run Paid Ads

Facebook and Instagram ads can be used for precise customer targeting based on demographics, interests, and buying patterns.

If the paid ad campaigns are run strategically and effectively, it is possible to generate a return on investment 5 times the marketing costs.

Optimising the ad campaigns to target potential customers effectively is crucial for paid ads to ensure the budget is not wasted.

Leverage Analytics

If TikTok goes down, your business will lose followers and access to crucial user data that provides deep insights into the preferences and content consumption patterns of your followers.

Using these insights, effective strategies can be developed for other social platforms, making marketing campaigns more likely to succeed.

Is a TikTok Ban on the Australian Horizon?

While the threat of an Australian TikTok ban hasn't explicitly been made clear, the question still looms over our heads in light of the recent US events.

Government officials in Australia have expressed concern regarding data privacy and the influence of the Chinese government on ByteDance.

However, there was no mention of a comprehensive ban on the app.

Australian officials have addressed the need for stronger data privacy laws and additional measures for mitigating security concerns.

Similarly, the UK government also acknowledges the popularity of TikTok but expressed concerns about the data usage policy and ownership structure that is linked to China.

Many experts believe that if TikTok gets banned in the US, allied nations might reevaluate their positions regarding the app.

However, they also believe that each country will conduct an independent analysis of the benefits and risks involved with the app before reaching a decision.

Omni-Channel Marketing With BFJ Digital

As a business owner, it's important to ensure you have an omni-channel digital marketing strategy.

Relying solely or too heavily on TikTok could leave you vulnerable, and preparing alternative strategies is the smartest move to reduce your reliance on TikTok.

But here’s the challenge: where do you go next?

Finding the right platform, crafting a growth strategy, and consistently engaging with your audience can be overwhelming.

Replicating the success you have on TikTok requires expertise and strategic execution.

So why not leave it to the experts?

At BFJ Digital, we take care of all your digital marketing needs—from identifying the best platform for your business to creating and executing a tailored marketing strategy that drives real results.

Our data-driven approach ensures your ads reach the right audience at the right time, maximising conversions while minimising costs.

Whether it’s Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, Meta Ads, Google Ads, or SEO, we’ll help you establish a powerful presence across multiple platforms.

Get in touch with our team today to discuss how we can together take your digital marketing game to new heights.