How to Make Money on TikTok?
Introduction
While researching the topic, I read about Charli D'Amelio, a teenager who turned a simple TikTok dance video into a global phenomenon.
What started as a fun way to showcase her dance moves quickly grew into a massive following, making her one of the highest-earning TikTok creators. With over 150 million followers, Charli has dominated TikTok and secured brand partnerships with major companies.
She has launched her own merch and even made her way into the music industry. Forbes even reported that D'Amelio was the highest-paid female TikTok personality in 2019 and the highest-paid personality on the app in 2022.
Amazing stuff, right?
TikTok is a great platform for monetizing your talent. It has 1.582 billion active users worldwide each month. When used correctly, TikTok can bring you a steady income flow. I’m adding more insights on strategies and tips to help you turn your TikTok passion into a profitable venture! Join me.
Why Make Money on TikTok
During the first quarter of 2023, over 700 million people worldwide downloaded TikTok; on average, a TikTok user spends 1.5 Hours daily on the app. The U.S. has the most users, with 150 million active users monthly as of February 2023.
Establishing a strong TikTok presence enhances visibility and engagement among this huge target audience. It helps you reach users directly through engaging videos and enhances your networking and collaboration.
Apart from all that, you can make money through quality TikTok content. The concept of monetization in TikTok is simple: Users watch videos, and you earn. But how much money will you actually make?
The good news is that you can earn money through TikTok ads and influencer marketing even with zero followers. However, to earn money directly from TikTok, you will need a minimum of 10,000 views for your videos in the last 30 days and should have 10,000 followers.
The following table will give you an idea of your earning potential through the TikTok’s offerings:
How to Make Money on TikTok?
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. TikTok offers several exciting aspects that can help you monetize from the platform either full-time or as a side hustle.
1. Join the TikTok Creator Fund
Long story short, TikTok introduced the “creator fund” in 2020 to help its users monetize through their engaging content. This program allows content creators to start generating money based on the views and interactions with their short-form content.
To answer the most common question, “How to make money on TikTok?” the creator fund initiative supports the "best and brightest talent" on its platform, encouraging them to continue creating content and sharing videos for their fans.
a. What is the eligibility for the TikTok creator fund?
Apart from the basic criteria of having 10,000 followers and a minimum of 10,000 views for your videos in the last 30 days, you should meet the below criteria to join this program:
- You need to be at least 18 years old.
- The content you create and post should be original.
- Your TikTok account must follow the platform's community guidelines and best practices to remain in good standing.
As of December 16th, 2023, TikTok has discontinued this program in the US, UK, France, and Germany. So, creators from these countries can utilize the TikTok creativity program.
Note: To apply for this program, you should already have a “pro account.” Pairing this incentive with other monetization choices like the TikTok creator marketplace, brand sales, or different strategies is advisable. Also, in case of application rejection, no worries! You can re-apply after 30 days.
b. TikTok Creativity Program beta
TikTok announced that the creativity program helped increase creators’ revenue by 250% within six months of its launch. Make money on TikTok using the TikTok creativity program beta for your original, high-quality content. This program will pay creators for videos that are more than a minute long.
Who can be a part of this program?
This program is limited to the United States, France, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Korea, and the United Kingdom. If you are in any of these countries, consider yourself lucky, as you can earn 20 times more with this creativity program than with the creator fund. That means the creator fund payout is $0.02 to $0.04 / 1000 views. On the other hand, the creativity program will pay you $8.00 / 1000 views.
The creativity program was renamed the Creator Rewards Program. It will continue rewarding original content over a minute using an optimal rewards algorithm targeted at four main areas: originality, play duration, search value, and audience involvement.
For example, if you are a yoga instructor, you can start posting engaging content on TikTok while utilizing your skills. The platform will pay you if the content is original, has a good follower base, and meets the duration criteria.
It is important to note that you cannot switch back to the creator fund if you switch from it to the creator rewards program.
Protip: To best use the TikTok creativity program, use landscape mode. The normal practice is to use the vertical mode for better mobile usage. The landscape view changes the TikTok algorithm, increasing your content’s views. TikTok has also announced that it will boost landscape videos for 72 hours from posting for better reach and financial incentives.
2. Make Money Through Brand Sponsorship
Brand-sponsored posts are a popular choice to earn money through TikTok. 66.9% of content creators claim they earn most of their income through sponsored content. The concept of brand sponsorship is straightforward.
As a content creator, you will advertise a company's product or service to drive sales, and they will pay you for it. Consider using creative ways to promote products and tell your followers how they stand out from other brands.
a. How to apply for the TikTok sponsorship?
You can avail yourself of the TikTok sponsorship in several ways. Including:
- Apply for TikTok’s creator marketplace - TikTok will help you match the brand that fits your niche in the creator marketplace. To be eligible for this program, you need to have 100,000 followers, post a minimum of 3 videos in the last 28 days, and have a pro account.
- Letting brands locate you -Optimizing your profile and content videos will help drive traffic and increase your discoverability for companies. Though it could take some time, ultimately, this will help you develop the power required to draw brands.
- Doing brand marketing on your own: TikTok sponsorships don't always land in your lap. You might have to inquire about sponsorships from companies you know. Send prospective sponsors a personal message, including your media package, campaign ideas, and performance data on TikTok. You can request a free product(s) as a sample to review and promote.
b. TikTok ads
Once you grab a sponsorship, you can publish sponsored posts and TikTok ads to promote companies' products, helping you earn more money. Though regional variations exist in ad formats, they all let you customize your targeting based on age, interest, location, and other criteria. You can choose one or more formats that are most suitable for your brand.
The most often used forms of TikTok advertising include:
- In-feed video: This appears on the “For You” page for TikTok users who fit your target range.
- Brand takeover: This type of TikTok ad enables your advertisement to span a few seconds across the complete screen. It then turns into an in-feed video commercial.
As a classic example, In 2020, Dunkin Donuts collaborated with her, introduced a drink called “The Charli,” and launched the “Charli x Dunkin’” contest.
In this contest, participants submitted images or videos retelling famous Charli and Dunkin' moments. This initiative helped Dunkin Donuts increase its app download by 57%. On the day Dunkin' launched the drink, total sales of cold brews increased by 20%, and the next day, sales rose by 45%.
Pro tip: Always use the #hashtag “sponsored” or “ad” for your branded content to stay transparent to your followers. Do not settle for the first sponsorship that slides into your DM. Always check whether the product is appropriate for your niche and target audience. Also, check whether your content aligns with the company’s expectations whenever you receive a brand sponsorship.
c. Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is another form of brand sponsorship that involves making videos to advertise companies' products or services. As per the agreement, creators earn commissions for clicks or purchases via an affiliate link shared through their business accounts. The more followers and high-quality content the creators have, the greater the affiliate marketing success.
You can promote the sales through affiliate marketing by mentioning the link in your bio or by promoting it in your TikTok videos.
i. What should be your focus?
To become a successful affiliate marketer, you need to create sales online. Focus on sales of goods most suited for your niche. Make interesting videos displaying affiliate items, highlighting their worth and why you advise buying them. Share affiliate links or codes to monitor purchases influenced by your account, boosting brands you value and trust.
ii. How much can you make through affiliate marketing?
It depends. The brands will pay you a commission depending on the brand deals and the number of followers who buy the product using the link or code you provide. Personal TikTok accounts cannot post clickable links inside video descriptions. You can ask followers to input unique codes at checkout or copy and paste links into their browsers.
3. Earn Through Live Gifting
Viewers of your live broadcasts on TikTok can send you virtual gifts, which you can convert into actual money later. It is a great way to make money on TikTok from your content and expand your reach.
TikTok users will purchase the coins (which are basically a virtual TikTok currency and use them to gift you in your live streaming if you are among their favorite creators). Different emojis represent different coin values.
a. What is the eligibility to collect gifts?
To be eligible to collect gifts in your live videos, you should first activate live-gift access when you host a live TikTok video. After that, your TikTok audience can send you coins through digital stickers during the live stream. These coins allow you to gather diamonds, which you may use for actual cash.
Here’s how the process works:
- Viewers pay actual money for coins.
- Coins let them send virtual gifts to you during the live
- You will next convert these coins into diamonds. After that,
- You can redeem diamonds to earn money.
b. How to activate TikTok live gifts?
You must first set up live gifts on TikTok. This requires you to be at least 18 years old (in most areas). Then, apply these steps:
Step 1: Tap Profile at your screen's bottom right corner.
Step 2: Click the 3-line (hamburger) icon in the upper right for Settings.
Step 3: Visit Creator Tools, tap live gifts, and follow directions.
Following the same procedures and choosing turn-on video gifts in Step 3 will help you get gifts on your videos other than live streaming.
Protip: Promote your live broadcasts on your other social media platforms and in your TikTok bio to let your followers know when you're going live. Remember that the more frequently you go live, the more likely you are to develop a loyal following and make money directly from your live streams. Do not forget to send viewers a shoutout or a gratitude message for their gift.
c. Collect tips and donations
You can also utilize tipping platforms to collect tips from your viewers once you activate your account's “TikTok tips” option. It is possible to collect tips anytime, whereas you can receive virtual gifts only when you host videos.
TikTok has a great potential to enable companies to increase awareness and get donations. The availability of donate buttons in videos by TikTok makes the money-making process simpler for nonprofit organizations. Companies can post videos to educate viewers about their cause and inspire them to donate straight from the app.
4. Earn Through TikTok Series
TikTok launched the TikTok series in June 2023. TikTok series is a great tool for earning money by consistently creating engaging videos that capture your viewer’s interest. Instead of providing free content in your account, the TikTok series lets you post payable premium content collections. You can post up to 80 videos in a single TikTok series, each with a maximum 20-minute running length.
Your fans and viewers must pay to watch your exclusive content through the series, and you can decide the pricing. Yay! The pricing can be between $0.99 and $189.99. Also, TikTok has announced that it will not have a cutoff in the TikTok series for a “limited time,” which lets you earn 100% of what you earn through the series after deducting the processing and platform fee.
a. What is the eligibility to apply for the TikTok series?
To be eligible to apply for the TikTok series option, you need to have the following requirements:
- You must be 18+
- Your TikTok account should be at least 30 days old
- You should have a minimum of 10,000 followers
- You should have posted at least 3+ public videos in the last 30 days
- Your TikTok account should have a minimum of 1000 views in the past 30 days.
You do not cover these requirements? It’s okay! You are still eligible to apply if you can show a link to premium content that you have successfully sold on any other platforms.
b. Patreon account
Similar to the TikTok series, you can create an exclusive Patreon account. A Patreon account allows you to collect income from fans through memberships that grant access to your exclusive content. Advertise membership sign-ups on TikTok.
To encourage more members, keep your subscription expenses low. Also, consider awarding new members. For your most dedicated supporters, for instance, distribute goods or give them special access to materials. To let followers easily subscribe whenever they are ready, add the link to your Patreon page to your videos or bio.
5. Market and Sell Your Products and Merchandise
Market and sell your brand's creative artwork, niche product, or logo on TikTok. Showcase your current products alongside a trend or feature them in tutorials.
If you have a plan in mind but need a product to sell, pay attention to your audience. Conduct surveys or ask them straightforward questions to determine what people might purchase.
If you have a personal account, design an e-commerce website to handle sales transactions and highlight it on your TikTok. Add the store to your videos, then encourage your fans to visit your offerings. For example, you can sell products like customized t-shirts or mugs, and your followers will spend money on them if they find them interesting and unique.
a. TikTok shop
You can also use the “TikTok shop” to list the products or brands sponsored, and the viewers can purchase from it. From a business perspective, the company can use the seller center option to manage its e-commerce activity on TikTok, which includes data analytics and reporting.
You can also use this option to purchase sample products from companies and creatively promote those products to your followers.
6. Team Up with a Creator
TikTok's vibrant community of content creators makes it a great platform for working with influencers having highly engaged communities. The secret is having creator collaborations with those who can present your brand to their audience.
The Creator Marketplace allows you to connect with other creators on the network. In a few steps, you will locate influencers with whom to execute ads. For data-driven decision-making, you can locate creators according to business goals, budget, and industry and find thorough performance and audience information.
7. Offer Digital Products for Sale
Consider selling your digital products on TikTok. Making a sale is simple when you open a shop on TikTok and link your digital products from there. Show your products in your videos and add the URL of your shop to your profile so visitors may quickly access it.
a. Use FreshLearn as your lead magnet tool
To maximize your sales potential on TikTok, leverage FreshLearn as your platform for digital products distribution. FreshLearn offers essential features tailored for creators to transform content into digital downloads. Be it ebooks or any content material in the form of PDFs, links, or documents; you can send customized digital downloads with FreshLearn.
You can even design a persuasive landing page for your digital downloads. FreshLearn lets you fix the download price—one-time or free—with no commission. Check what our creators are saying about the platform:
Final Thoughts
Though you have several opportunities when you think about how to make money on TikTok, it is good to use a combination of monetization strategies across various platforms. If you feel that your talent needs a wide-scope target audience, you can create, market, and sell your courses on FreshLearn.
FreshLearn can be a great platform for converting knowledge into a consistent income source. It lets you easily design and market digital products like ebooks or software. FreshLearn lets creators quickly create, market, and sell live seminars and online courses. Our exclusive features, including the 0% commission on purchases, integrated payment methods, and a drag-and-drop course builder, enable our platform to help creators effectively transform their knowledge into money.
Ready to turn your hobby into a source of income? Leverage the FreshLearn resources Today!
FAQ
1. Can you make money on TikTok?
Yes. It is possible to make money on TikTok through various revenue streams, including brand sponsorships, virtual creativity programs, and accepting virtual gifts. You can combine a few different ways of these financial incentives to make your money-making process easier. Making money is also possible for users by promoting the company’s products using affiliate links on their TikTok accounts.
2. How much does TikTok pay per 1000 views?
Ideally, you earn from $0.02 to $0.04 per 1000 views using the TikTok creator fund. Making money on TikTok will vary depending on the revenue stream. For example, for brand sponsorships, you can earn around $500 - $1000 for a single sponsored content based on your follower count, niche, and engagement rate.
3. How many followers do you need to earn money on TikTok?
TikTok has set up a creativity program to encourage creators to keep making content videos for over a minute. The TikTok creativity program lets you earn money on the platform when you have at least 10,000 video views and 100,000 followers in the past 30 days.
4. Does TikTok pay for likes?
TikTok does not pay content creators for the likes they get on their videos. However, if your videos get a million likes and drive traffic, companies and sponsors will pay attention to them, helping you make money. Companies always look forward to new clients showing potential. Also, if more viewers like your videos, they might be interested in providing virtual gifts, which could be your other means of making money.
5. How do you become viral on TikTok?
Making a viral TikTok video requires knowing trends, frequent posting, following interactions, creating brief and interesting material, and cross-platform promotion. Watch the "Discover" page and try to follow trends as soon as they acquire appeal. This will help your videos reach more widely and raise your chances of going viral.
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