How to make money on TikTok?

Market your business and attract new clients

If you already have hobbies that generate income—like selling products online, offering consulting services, or creating content on YouTube—leveraging TikTok can significantly enhance your reach to potential buyers, clients, or viewers.Keira Jones (@thekeirajones), a TikTok creator based in Phoenix who advises brands, emphasizes that TikTok is a powerful tool for driving traffic to other platforms, such as your website or email list. "It’s an incredible way to drive traffic to other channels," she states.A prime example of this strategy in action is Connie Rietdyk (@conniegooglequeen) from Orlando. Initially working as a consultant in website design and search engine optimization, Rietdyk supplemented her income with TikTok by sharing valuable tips for small businesses. Since starting her TikTok journey with around 200 followers in May 2021, she has grown her audience to over 21,000, converting many followers into paying clients.This approach illustrates how TikTok can serve as a catalyst for business growth and client acquisition.

Score sponsorships

You might find it noteworthy that a significant 70% of TikTok users believe that engaging in e-commerce on the platform is straightforward, as revealed by a 2022 TikTok Marketing Science Global Shopping Ad Products Study. Additionally, the same report indicates that 57% of Gen Z users who use TikTok weekly reported that advertisements on the platform help them discover new products and brands. This reflects a readiness among consumers to spend on TikTok, while brands are increasingly willing to compensate content creators who can effectively reach these potential customers.If your TikTok content primarily focuses on a specific theme, such as dog care, brands specializing in dog food and toys may be eager to connect with your audience of dog enthusiasts.The collaboration process can take various forms. For instance, a brand might provide you with a complimentary product in exchange for a mention in one of your videos. You could either accept this offer or negotiate for additional payment alongside the product. Furthermore, you can proactively seek sponsorships from companies, especially if you already use and promote their products.TikTok facilitates these connections through the Creator Marketplace, which serves as a hub for creators and brands to establish paid or reward-based partnerships. 

If you're uncertain about how to navigate these deals, the Creator Marketplace offers instructional videos and highlights successful collaborations between creators and brands.For instance, Jones, who shares marketing insights on her personal TikTok account, generates most of her income through sponsorships. She began attracting brand interest after reaching approximately 15,000 followers.It's essential for creators to indicate branded content by enabling the content disclosure setting.

Tap TikTok’s Creator Rewards Program

TikTok has introduced a new monetization initiative known as the Creator Rewards Program, which enables users to earn rewards by creating longer videos (minimum one minute) that showcase high-quality content. This program replaces the previous Creativity Program Beta and aims to provide better financial incentives for creators.

Eligibility Criteria

To participate in the Creator Rewards Program, users must meet specific requirements:

Age: Must be at least 18 years old.

Followers: A minimum of 10,000 followers is required.

Video Views: Creators must have garnered at least 100,000 views on their videos within the past 30 days.

Account Type: Only personal accounts in good standing are eligible; business accounts are not accepted.

Location: The program is currently available in select countries, including the U.S., U.K., Germany, Japan, South Korea, France, and Brazil.

Earning Potential

Creators can start earning rewards once their videos reach 1,000 qualified views. The content must comply with TikTok's guidelines on originality and quality. The platform's support page suggests that the formula for calculating rewards has been updated to offer creators a higher average revenue for qualified views, potentially allowing them to earn significantly more than under the previous Creator Fund. Reports indicate that earnings can range from $4 to $8 per 1,000 views, with some creators even exceeding $1,000 per million views under optimal conditions.

Payment Structure

The payout structure is based on several metrics:

Originality: Content must reflect the creator's unique perspective.

Play Duration: Views are counted as qualified if they last at least five seconds.

Audience Engagement: Metrics such as likes and shares contribute to overall content value.

Search Value: Content should align with trending topics to enhance discoverability.

A minimum payout of $10 is established, and creators can track their performance and earnings through an updated dashboard within the app. Understanding TikTok's rules regarding what constitutes qualified views is crucial for maximizing earnings in this program.

User Generated Content

Many creators involved in sponsored or affiliate collaborations are often approached by brands to produce user-generated content (UGC). UGC refers to content that is typically created organically for the brand’s use across their social media, in-house marketing efforts, TikTok Shop, or paid advertisements.The appeal of UGC lies in its authenticity and diversity. Rather than hiring an entire production team to create content for new product launches or initiatives, brands can engage creators, which not only reduces the workload for the brand but can also lower costs.In many instances, creators work directly with their brand partners to negotiate a flat fee that includes usage rights for the content, allowing the brand to utilize this material in their marketing efforts.

Promote partnerships

Brands leverage influencer marketing on TikTok in much the same way they do on platforms like Instagram and YouTube. Given TikTok's focus on video content, companies seek out authentic creators who produce engaging videos and have a loyal audience. As a creator, it's crucial to select brands that resonate with your content and will appeal to your followers.To begin your influencer journey, consider producing a few non-sponsored videos featuring products you love. This approach helps demonstrate the value you can bring to brand partnerships.Following the success of Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road," which gained traction through TikTok, many creators have started collaborating with up-and-coming musicians to promote new tracks. This practice, known as audio sponsorships, involves artists compensating TikTok creators to feature their music in videos. While these clips may not overtly advertise the song, they often showcase dances or creative visuals that incorporate the music, enhancing both the creator's style and the artist's exposure.

Collect tips on TikTok

To quickly and easily accept donations, consider using a tipping platform. Tipping platforms operate similarly to a real-life tip jar, allowing viewers who enjoy your videos to express their gratitude with a small donation. This option is available to fans but is not mandatory; they can donate any amount they wish at any time.

Collecting tips on TikTok provides a means for creators to gain financial support from their audience. This feature allows followers to express appreciation for content, fostering a stronger connection between creators and their fans.To enable tipping on TikTok, creators must meet certain criteria: they need to have at least 100,000 followers and be 18 years or older. Once these requirements are satisfied, creators can activate the tipping feature by navigating to their profile, tapping the three dots in the upper right corner, selecting "Settings and Privacy," and then choosing "Tips." They can then toggle the tipping option to "On" .

When a follower decides to tip, they will be prompted to enter an amount ranging from $1 to $100. The tips are processed through Stripe, a payment processing platform that ensures the funds go directly into the creator's account without any deductions taken by TikTok .

For creators with a substantial following, tips can significantly supplement their income, potentially allowing them to pursue content creation as a full-time career. This feature not only helps creators monetize their efforts but also encourages fans to support them directly 

Go live for virtual gifts

Most social media platforms feature a livestreaming option, but TikTok stands out by enabling followers to express their appreciation instantly through virtual gifts, which can be converted into cash. This LIVE Gifting feature is particularly beneficial for creators aiming to monetize their livestreams.Interacting with viewers in real time fosters meaningful connections with fans. When audiences feel a strong bond with a creator, they often become invested in their success, which can enhance other revenue streams as well.For those who create or sell products online, livestreaming offers a prime opportunity to display their merchandise. Numerous e-commerce businesses have discovered that TikTok LIVE attracts more shopper interest compared to similar features on other social media platforms.Dasha Derkach, the founder of Enchanted Scrunch, a hair scrunchie brand, experienced a remarkable surge in sales after transitioning her marketing efforts from Instagram to TikTok. She noted, "It has significantly boosted our sales. Before TikTok, we received about two orders a week; now we get around 100 weekly. We also host TikTok LIVEs nearly every day and are now processing almost 500 orders each week!"