Instagram went from an app for millennials sharing photographs of their morning coffee and lovely dogs to one of the most recognizable and monetized social platforms. TikTok is beginning to adapt similarly, and marketers who aren’t jumping on the TikTok bandwagon are leaving money on the table.
When you’re ready to start learning how to make money on TikTok, there are a few different paths you can follow to get there. If you’re new to the platform, see our What is TikTok guide.
We’ve reduced the possibilities to six basic alternatives, but even within each one exists a universe of innovative monetization ideas. You’ll want to construct a website or landing page for all choices to give companies, artists, and followers more information than your bio can hold. Read on for more suggestions on how to make money on TikTok.
How to generate money on TikTok in 6 ways
Link to your website
The easiest way to monetize your TikTok account is to construct a website and send traffic to it via a link in your bio. Whether you drive followers to affiliate links, a media kit, or a portfolio demonstrating your abilities is up to you.
Promote collaborations
As a creative, you want to identify companies that connect with your content, and that’ll attract your audience. Brands employ influencer marketing on TikTok similarly to on platforms like Instagram or YouTube. Since TikTok is primarily video-based, businesses look for authentic individuals with good video content and a following who trusts them.
To start, create a few non-sponsored films showcasing your favorite products. It provides brands confirmation of the value you bring to product marketing.
After Lil Nas X’s breaking success with his song Old Town Road courtesy to TikTok, other creators have worked with budding musicians to promote new songs. These are audio sponsorships, or when an artist pays a TikTok maker to utilize their song in one of their clips. The clip might not openly advertise their song but show dance or a video in the creator’s distinctive style with the music in the background.
Get compensated by TikTok
In July 2020, TikTok introduced its $200 million Creator Fund encouraging people to promote their voices on the site. The business forecasts the fund will rise to $1 billion by 2023.
To apply for the Creator Fund, users need to complete the following requirements:
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Be a TikTok Pro user
- Be based in the US, UK, Germany, Spain, France, or Italy
- Have a minimum of 10,000 followers on TikTok
- Have a minimum of 100,000 unique video views in the 30 days before applying
- Comply with the TikTok community standards and terms of service
TikTok pays according to real views and engagement levels, meaning that the more original and engaging content you submit, the more you’re compensated.
Aside from joining the Creator Fund, you can also use its ad platform to display native advertisements on a user’s feed. Before choosing this choice, research your target market to check if your clients use the platform.
Sell items on TikTok
If you sell via an online store, showing your products on TikTok can introduce your business to new consumers and demonstrate your brand’s individuality. To captivate an audience, try employing attractive audio snippets or indulging in TikTok trends while showing off your merchandise. Here’s how apparel brand, Guess, shows off their latest fall fashion on TikTok:
After achieving success through the platform, some TikTok creators profited from their popularity and launched items. For example, after Tika the Iggy established a near-cult following in 2020, the dog’s owners released a line of goods that followers may buy via a link in their TikTok bio. Check out our guide for more ways to use TikTok for business.
Offer your services
TikTok is no longer just for fashionable dances but may be exploited as a social media marketing tool. Many consultants have turned to social media to generate fresh prospects. Here’s how Elise Darma, a marketing expert, gives essential social media marketing suggestions for businesses on TikTok.
Some highly-creative TikTok users find themselves with massive followings virtually overnight, but they lack the know-how to control and monetize their newfound popularity. If you know how to establish content strategies, liaise with brands, and optimize content, then become a TikTok account manager to monetize that talent.
Grow accounts and sell them
Many brands desire access to new audiences without putting in the time or effort that developing a following from the beginning entails. Often, they’ll purchase accounts from folks who have posted regular, engaging, and viral content around a given niche.
If this is a route you wish to take, identify a niche—the more specific, the better. Then develop material that will engage that community. Once you have a large enough audience, you may approach businesses or creators to acquire your account.
How much does TikTok pay?
Before creating a TikTok account, you might want to know how much you can anticipate making on the network. Here are some of today’s highest earners on TikTok:
Addison Rae Easterling reportedly gets $5 million a year from TikTok. She gained notoriety by sharing videos of her dance moves and eventually cooperated with huge brands like Fashion Nova, Reebok, and American Eagle, and even developed her own branded items.
Sisters Charlie and Dixie D’Amelio’s dance routines also went viral. Due to brand collaborations and retail sales, Charlie earns $4 million a year, while her younger sister brings in $2.9 million.
Zach King is known for his YouTube and Vine videos, but the online sensation capitalized on TikTok’s video format and now earns roughly $41,000 every post. His slick video editing skills have secured him gigs with businesses like PlayStation and Credit Karma.
Your financial success on the site depends on your monetization plan and your postings and following. TikTok influencers with 100,000 followers can expect to earn an estimated $500 to $2,000 for a sponsored product placement in a video.
Growing and selling an account with the same number of followers might profit you roughly $1,000 to $2,000. Many other producers earn a living from TikTok but don’t expect to pocket millions immediately.
How many followers do you need on TikTok to get paid?
There isn’t a certain quantity of TikTok followers you need to get compensated. If your audience actively watches, comments on, and even recreates your films; you can likely leverage this by utilizing the above-mentioned tactics.
For TikTok’s creator fund, 10,000 followers are your actual number. However, if you’re hoping for profitable partnership and influencer marketing, you’ll want more than 100,000 followers.