TikTok has solidified its position as one of the most powerful traffic sources for affiliate marketers. In the United States alone, the platform has 113 million active users – roughly a third of the country’s population.

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TikTok’s appeal lies not only in its massive audience but also in its effectiveness as an advertising platform, as it has been projected to generate up to $4 billion annually for advertisers by 2025, making it a cornerstone of many affiliate strategies. However, the platform’s future in the US hangs in the balance due to ongoing political uncertainty, forcing affiliates to reconsider their reliance on it and explore alternative traffic sources to safeguard their profits.

As of March 7, 2025, TikTok’s status in the US remains unclear. The platform has faced intermittent bans, with the most recent one on January 19th lasting just two days before being lifted. Yet, the US presidential administration has not committed to fully unblocking it, and TikTok’s fate hinges on whether it agrees to cooperate with the demands of the US government. This lack of clarity means that another ban could occur at any moment, potentially disrupting the strategies of affiliates who depend on its vast audience.

The consequences of such a ban could be profound: users may rush to other platforms, concerns about internet censorship could grow, and advertisers might face more challenges in targeting their ideal audiences. For affiliates, the message is clear—preparing for a shift to new traffic sources is no longer optional but essential to avoid losing a large portion of their market.

In this article, the YeezyPay team, a service that provides access to Google Ads trusted agency accounts, will analyze the ripple effects of a potential TikTok ban and share actionable insights on how affiliates can adapt to maintain high returns on investment and stay profitable when this situation happens.

The users will move to other short video platforms​

If TikTok gets banned in the U.S., most users probably won’t use VPNs to get around the restrictions. Recent statistics show that 58% of Americans think VPNs are unnecessary, and this viewpoint hasn’t changed in the last two years. Instead of trying to find ways to access TikTok, many users are likely to switch to other platforms, particularly YouTube Shorts.

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With around 250 million users in the U.S. and its growing popularity, YouTube Shorts is well-positioned to attract a large number of TikTok users.

This shift creates both opportunities and challenges for affiliates who rely on these platforms for marketing and advertising. YouTube Shorts operates differently than TikTok. It has its own algorithms and stricter content moderation rules. To run a successful advertising campaign on YouTube, affiliates need to put in more effort. They must create engaging video content, choose the right hashtags, write attention-grabbing titles, and go through a detailed approval process. Additionally, affiliates are recommended to have a bunch of backup ad accounts ready, especially those who promote offers in grayhat verticals like gambling or betting, which are often banned.

To take advantage of this situation, affiliates should start moving their TikTok audience to YouTube before any ban happens. For instance, in your ads, you should mention that more information about your offer is available on your YouTube channel.

To make things easier, experienced affiliates recommend using trusted Google Ads agency accounts like those provided by YeezyPay. These accounts help affiliates run campaigns on YouTube at scale and with less risk of being banned, thanks to their higher trust ratings. Even though YouTube has strict moderation and not all ads get approved, trusted agency accounts increase the likelihood of campaign approval, extend campaign lifespans, and increase ROI.

The audience will change priorities​

A TikTok ban wouldn’t just push users to other video platforms, it would also change how they spend their time online. In 2024, the average TikTok user in the US spent 1 hour and 58 minutes on the app daily, a number that has steadily risen. If TikTok disappears, those nearly two hours will be redistributed across other digital spaces, including social networks, search engines, and mobile apps. This shift creates a broader window of opportunity for affiliates to engage users who were previously glued to TikTok.

Google Ads becomes a particularly powerful tool in this scenario.

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Advertising through Google’s search engine and YouTube attracts high-value, intent-driven audiences, while Google Universal App Campaigns (UAC) offer broader reach via mobile apps. With TikTok out of the picture, the pool of available users grows, amplifying the effectiveness of these channels.

However, this increased audience size comes with a catch: stricter algorithms and increased moderation of ads, especially in grayhat verticals like gambling or adult content. Complaints about intrusive advertising could further complicate traffic strategies.

Trusted Google Ads agency accounts offer a solution. Their high trust scores minimize the risk of bans, allowing affiliates to target these expanding audiences with greater confidence and profitability.

The average age of the audience will change on other platforms​

TikTok’s core users are young people aged 18 to 34, a group with a unique way of thinking compared to older generations. Older generations tend to chase money, status, and a stable life, but this younger crowd cares more about feeling good inside. They’re not swayed by promises of fast cash. Instead, they’re drawn to things that stir their emotions, like colorful, thrilling videos that grab their attention. Traditional ads don’t impress them much – they’d rather follow the latest trends and hear what their friends think. They dig into product reviews and stories from other users before trusting anything an ad says.

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Getting this group to notice you isn’t easy. Research shows that marketers have just 1.3 seconds to hook Generation Z before they swipe away. With TikTok’s future in the US looking shaky due to political ups and downs, many of these young users are already jumping ship to platforms like YouTube. There, affiliates can reach them using Google Ads—but it takes some smart adjustments to make it work.

To connect with this audience beyond TikTok, affiliates need to rethink their ads. The content should pop with bright, lively visuals and move fast to keep them watching. It’s not just about selling, it’s about making them feel safe and comfortable while tugging at their emotions. Showing real experiences from other users is key, too. This approach is especially important for verticals like betting, gambling, and adult content. For example, affiliates could use clips from gambling streams on Twitch or YouTube to show big wins or snippets of 18+ video games with slick, modern graphics to pull in viewers. These kinds of visuals match what this crowd loves.

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However, Google Ads doesn’t approve such ad creatives. Its strict algorithms often reject ads like these, and affiliates running them can get their accounts suspended fast. But there are two ways around this. One is to slowly build trust in your own account over time, warming it up so it’s less likely to get flagged. The other option, which is way faster, is to use Google Ads agency accounts. These come ready-made with high trust from Google, meaning your ads are more likely to get approved and less likely to get banned due to the reputation of your ad accounts. It’s a smoother path to running high-risk ad campaigns without facing challenges like ad rejections and account suspensions.

Conclusion​

TikTok ban in the US would turn affiliate marketing upside down. One of the biggest traffic sources would disappear, and all those young users would spread out to other apps and websites. For affiliates, this shake-up shows why Google Ads is so important. It’s a flexible and strong way to reach audiences. Whether you’re aiming at YouTube Shorts viewers, search engine users, or mobile app fans, Google Ads can help you grab back the audience TikTok once delivered.

Using trusted Google Ads agency accounts from YeezyPay can give affiliates a major advantage. These accounts come packed with extra privileges, no limits on daily spending, and a level of trust that makes your campaigns safer, more profitable, and easier to rely on.