What is the New Social Media Ban?
In June, the UK government announced a ban on social media for children under 16. The ban is planned to use the same model Australia implemented, banning platforms including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, X and YouTube (messaging services including WhatsApp will not be included in the ban). Aiming to protect children from platforms and online features that create the most harm, this ban is expected to come into effect in Spring 2027. In addition, while 16 and 17 years olds will still be able to access social media, the government is planning to introduce additional protective measures, including restrictions on certain features and default safety settings.
What Does the Social Media Ban Mean for Marketing?
This ban will without a doubt affect business marketing, with experts estimating that brands will cut more than £1 billion of their digital advertising spending. Of course, the ban will impact some businesses much more than others, with companies whose main target audience is under 16 years olds feeling the greatest impact. If your audience is mainly made up of this demographic, once the ban comes into place you will notice your audience shrink. B2B companies will notice the effects the least, however they may still notice a dip in overall views and reach, as less platform users means less eyes on your content (though this will be much less significant than B2C businesses).
Another thing businesses should be aware of is that ad costs on socials could potentially rise due to the overall platform cost per click increasing. Fewer users on social media platforms may drive prices up, as with fewer users there will be more competition for ads. Even businesses who aren’t targeting their ads to the under 16 demographics could still see the knock-on effect of reduced ad inventory pushing advertising costs higher across the board. So, to sum up, even if you have never marketed to a teenager, you may still in fact feel the impact.
How to Prepare for The Social Media Ban
There’s no point in ignoring what’s to come, and if you think this is going to impact your business, the best thing to do is certainly not to hide your head in the sand. Spring 2027 may feel like a long way away, but it’ll come quicker than you think and those who will feel the effects of the ban less will be those who are prepared. To best understand your risk and look for the best way forward, the first step is to review your audience demographics across all your social media platforms. Most platforms will not provide you with an exact percentage of under 16 followers, but if you look at the youngest available age bracket it can give you an indication of how much of your audience may be affected. Once you understand your risk, you can start planning your new marketing strategy. If, up until now, a large portion of your audience is made up of younger people, you’ll need to consider how you will grow an older audience once the ban comes into effect. This ban has created an interesting moment in social media marketing, as it requires businesses to really think about who they are reaching and why.
Ways to Adapt Your Marketing When the Social Media Ban Comes into Effect
Businesses whose products or services are for a younger audience will need to adapt and change their strategy, otherwise their sales could take a hit. Whilst under 16s may be banned from platforms, the demand for products will not go away and social media marketing will not cease to exist either. While under 16s may no longer be able to access these platforms, demand for products aimed at younger audiences won’t simply disappear. Brands may instead need to focus more of their marketing on the people who influence purchasing decisions, such as parents, guardians and older family members. For example, instead of businesses targeting the target audience themselves, they could instead market their products to their parents, guardians or siblings.
Exploring alternative marketing channels could be especially useful, for example email marketing could become more valuable in addition to offline marketing such as outdoor advertising. Even B2B businesses could benefit into looking into other platforms. For example, if their social media ads become more expensive, they could lean more heavily on email marketing. Also, whether this new ban brings about a new platform for younger users remains to be seen, so it’s worth keeping an eye out for any emerging platforms.
The Social Media Ban – The Key Takeaway for Marketing
The most important thing you should take from reading this blog is that you should not wait until the ban comes into place to start adapting your marketing plan. If this ban has you concerned and you’re not quite sure how best to handle things, then getting a marketing agency involved (if you don’t already have one) could make your life a lot easier. Here at Crunchy Carrots, we can audit your accounts for you and make a plan that ensures your business feels the least effects as possible from this ban.
Interested in our services? Get in touch today to see how we can help your business. Email us at hello@crunchycarrots.co.uk or give us a call on 01324 613288.
