Here are some tips to help you manage the impact of the Federal Government’s new social media age restrictions if your customers or potential customers are under 16.
Effective 10 December 2025, the Federal Government’s social media restrictions for under 16s mean that small business owners who have connected with younger customers through social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube will no longer be able to reach them in these ways.
We asked Jordan Lomax, digital marketing expert and founder of The Social Lab, for her insights on these changes and what small business owners can do to navigate and minimise the impact.
If you’re under 16 and running your own business, make sure you also read Jordan’s tips in our guide for young business owners.
Don't panic
While it can feel like an enormous change for small businesses relying on social media to reach their younger customers, Jordan emphasises that this isn’t a ‘death sentence’ for your marketing.
“Social media is absolutely not the only way to reach an audience,” she says. “I think social platforms have been the default for so long that many businesses forgot how to build a brand without it. We need to create experiences and talk to humans rather than just chase followers.”
“Young people are not just online, they’re also at the shops, at events, in the city, in towns, at sporting events - they’re everywhere. It could be the perfect time to prioritise different metrics and try some marketing methods you haven’t considered before.”
Diversify your market
Even before these restrictions, Jordan encouraged businesses to diversify their marketing channels.
“You should never be reliant on only one marketing channel, in case of situations just like this. Things change, rules change - you don’t want one rule change to derail your entire business. One thing I always tell clients is to build out your owned channels such as email, SMS and your website because you make the rules there – and collect first party data wherever you can so you have access to your audience.”
Consider these quick steps before 10 December
Jordan offers these quick tips to take action now:
- Start funnelling customers to opt in to your owned channels, such as email and SMS updates. This is your top priority. You need to move people from platforms you don’t own to places you do own. E.g. “We won’t be able to chat with some of you here soon - here’s where to find us.
- Update your website so it’s a place young people want to visit and spend time. Without social content to tell your story consider how you can bring that storytelling to your website.
- Do an SEO audit to ensure young people can find you when searching on Google. You can explore SBDC workshops on SEO for support.
Rethink your success metrics
Jordan notes that while the restrictions have the biggest impact on businesses with customers under the age of 16, any business could see an impact in online engagement metrics.
“Under 16s make up a very large percentage of social platforms, especially TikTok, so you might see your metrics like reach, engagements, video views and followers decrease. Try not to focus on these metrics and keep focussed on your revenue and sales as the reflection of success where possible.”
Go back to basics
The restrictions remove the “easy” way to directly reach younger audiences, so Jordan recommends returning to foundational marketing tactics. “Consider options like email newsletters, opt-in SMS updates, community apps, game environments and, of course, your website. Young people can still use Google and still read articles. It’s really thinking about where under 16s are going to spend time online if not social media - and showing up there.”
Extend your reach
Jordan also suggests marketing to the people who influence young consumers, such as parents and teachers.
“It will definitely be a different style of content with different selling propositions, but if the people who generally buy the stuff can be marketed to, then you’ve still got a chance to get it in their hands. Depending on your business, you could also think about partnering with schools and events as a way to meet your audience where they are.”
“I think a lot of us have probably become quite reliant on social media as a really accessible tool that we’re all very used to using now, but now we need a bit more creativity and out of the box thinking. It’s time to either prioritise the marketing element or find the budget to outsource some of this work.”
Find out more
Read Jordan's tips for small business owners under the age of 16.
If you’d like to learn more about the social media ban for under 16s, you might like to explore these resources from the eSafety Commissioner:
