How Are People Making Money On Tiktok? At money-central.com, we know earning money on TikTok involves a blend of creative content, strategic partnerships, and leveraging monetization features to create multiple income streams. This article provides in-depth insights on how TikTok creators monetize their presence, from affiliate marketing to virtual gifts and personalized merch, ensuring you understand diverse money-making avenues. Discover all the best methods to boost your income, financial planning, and achieve financial success.
Table of Contents
- Join the Creator Rewards Program
- Sell Merch
- Go Live For Virtual Gifts
- Partner with Affiliates on Creator Marketplace
- Open a TikTok Shop
- Create In-Feed Ads
- Crowdfund Projects
- Collect Tips
- Offer On- and Off-Platform Subscriptions
- Provide Exclusive Content with TikTok Series
- Grow and Sell TikTok Accounts
- Give Personalized Shout-Outs
- Refer New TikTok Users
- Who is your TikTok audience?
- Always put content first
- Join the creator economy
- How to make money on TikTok FAQ
1. Join the Creator Rewards Program
Do you want to make money with TikTok’s Creator Rewards Program? The Creator Rewards Program can be your golden ticket if you produce engaging and original videos. This program rewards creators who post original videos that are over one minute long, as TikTok has observed higher engagement rates with longer content.
When you’re accepted into the program, your rewards increase based on the originality and popularity of your videos. According to Reddit discussions, creators can potentially earn between 2¢ and 15¢ for every 1,000 views. In addition, you’ll gain access to a comprehensive analytics dashboard that helps you monitor your videos’ performance, allowing you to fine-tune your content strategy.
To be eligible, you need to meet a few requirements. First, you should have at least 10,000 followers and have accumulated 100,000 video views in the last 30 days. Your content must be original and longer than one minute. You also need to be at least 18 years old and reside in a country where the program is available.
To apply, navigate to your profile and select TikTok Studio, then choose the Creator Rewards Program.
2. Sell Merch
Are you a TikTok creator looking to expand your income streams by selling merchandise? Whether you create dance videos, share beauty tips, or offer reading recommendations, selling merchandise can turn your passion into profit.
With the rise of print-on-demand services, it’s easier than ever to design and sell a variety of products. Consider offering t-shirts, tote bags, pillowcases, hats, coffee mugs, stickers, or notebooks, all customized to reflect your channel’s unique brand and aesthetic.
A person takes a photo of a sneaker with a mobile phone, ideal for selling merch on TikTok
Selling print-on-demand products offers multiple benefits beyond direct revenue. Merch can strengthen the connection between your fans and your personal brand, and each follower who proudly wears or uses your merchandise helps spread the word about your channel. It’s a win-win situation: fans get to support you and represent your brand, while you increase your visibility and revenue.
3. Go Live For Virtual Gifts
Do you want to monetize your TikTok content through livestreaming? TikTok’s livestreaming feature allows your followers to send virtual gifts in real-time as a token of their appreciation. These gifts can then be redeemed for payment, making LIVE Gifting a key monetization tool for creators.
Engaging with your audience live is an excellent way to build strong, valuable relationships. When viewers feel connected to you, they are more likely to invest in your success. This deeper connection can boost other monetization streams, as engaged fans are more likely to support your various endeavors.
If you create or sell products online, livestreaming provides a perfect opportunity to showcase your items. Many ecommerce retailers find that TikTok LIVE generates more interest from shoppers than livestreaming on other social media platforms.
Dasha Derkach, the founder of Enchanted Scrunch, a hair scrunchie business, experienced a remarkable increase in sales after shifting her social media marketing efforts from Instagram to TikTok.
She noted, “It has significantly boosted our sales. Before TikTok, we got around two orders a week, then once we started, around 100 a week. Now we also do TikTok LIVEs nearly every day and get almost 500 orders a week!”
TikTok consistently adds new features to help creators create engaging streams with monetized elements. One exciting feature is the airdrop, which enables viewers to send you supplies during your LIVE streams.
4. Partner with Affiliates on Creator Marketplace
Are you a TikTok creator looking to collaborate with brands? One innovative way TikTok enables creators to earn is through its Creator Marketplace. This platform connects brands with creators for sponsored content opportunities.
Two influencers create TikTok content for the Creator Marketplace
The Creator Marketplace allows brands to find creators for affiliate marketing campaigns. Brands can browse the marketplace to find creators open to collaboration, streamlining the partnership process.
This marketplace functions similarly to an influencer agency, simplifying the process of establishing partnerships between brands and influencers.
Shopify Collabs is another platform that connects creators with brands seeking to increase awareness. By using both tools, you can discover sponsorship opportunities for your TikTok content from relevant companies, boosting your income and expanding your reach.
5. Open a TikTok Shop
Are you looking to sell products directly to your audience on TikTok? Opening a TikTok Shop provides a seamless way to do so. This in-app shopping tool enables users with business accounts to create shoppable videos and livestreams.
The primary advantage of TikTok Shop is the reduced friction for your audience. Customers can explore and purchase your products without ever leaving the TikTok app, streamlining the shopping experience.
Use TikTok Shop to tag products as they appear in your videos, which naturally draws your viewers’ attention to items you want to promote. This integration makes it easier for your audience to make a purchase while they’re already engaged with your content.
With TikTok Shop, you have the flexibility to sell your own products or promote products from affiliate partners. By adding product information and “Buy” buttons to your content, you can drive traffic directly to your partner brand and earn commissions on sales.
If you manage your products through a Shopify store, you can integrate with TikTok Shop to allow users to scroll through your items directly within the TikTok app.
The streamlined shopping experience is crucial to the viral success of many brands on TikTok.
Take Peace Out Skincare, for example. Founder Enrico Frezza created the brand to solve his own skin issues. By partnering with TikTok influencers, Peace Out Skincare quickly gained traction and increased sales.
The creators involved in these collaborations also monetized their accounts through paid content. Enrico shared how Peace Out Skincare found success on TikTok through influencer marketing on an episode of the Shopify Masters podcast.
Once you’ve successfully set up your TikTok Shop, consider sourcing relevant items from a dropshipping supplier to expand your product offerings. Dropshipping allows you to fulfill orders as you receive them, without the need to manage inventory.
6. Create In-Feed Ads
Do you want to amplify the reach of your TikTok content with paid advertising? While TikTok offers numerous organic marketing opportunities, investing in in-feed ads can significantly expand your content’s visibility. Use the TikTok Ads Manager to create targeted campaigns.
TikTok ads appear in users’ For You feeds and autoplay just like regular videos. Paid ads ensure your videos reach the audience segments most likely to be interested in your products or services, maximizing the impact of your marketing efforts.
TikTok’s Ad Manager integrates with Shopify, allowing you to create TikTok ads, select target audiences, and track ad performance directly from your Shopify store. This streamlined integration simplifies ad management and provides comprehensive insights into your campaign’s effectiveness.
7. Crowdfund Projects
Are you looking for ways to fund a project using your TikTok following? Your followers are often willing to support creators whose content they enjoy and value. Offering straightforward ways for them to donate can be highly effective.
Crowdfunding is an accessible method that can take different forms, depending on your funding needs. If you need startup funds for a particular project, use TikTok to rally your followers by setting a funding goal and hosting live fundraising events.
8. Collect Tips
Do you want a quick and easy way to accept donations on TikTok? Consider using a tipping platform. Tipping platforms function similarly to a tip jar, allowing viewers who enjoy your videos to show their appreciation with small donations. The donation option is available but not mandatory, and viewers can donate any amount they choose, at any time.
A woman shoots a makeup demo using a mobile phone, ideal for collecting tips on TikTok
Depending on your follower count, you may be eligible to receive tips directly through TikTok. If not, several well-known tipping platforms can be linked to your channel.
9. Offer On- and Off-Platform Subscriptions
Crowdfunding is effective for specific projects, and tipping offers a quick way to collect funds. But what if you’re aiming to establish a more consistent passive income stream?
Subscriptions can transform your one-time viewers into long-term supporters. On TikTok, the Subscription feature allows fans to pay a monthly fee for perks such as badges, subscriber-only livestreams, and exclusive access to videos.
Whether you’re sharing behind-the-scenes content or giving early access to your best videos, a subscription model makes your most dedicated fans feel like VIPs.
Keep subscription costs low to attract a larger number of subscribers. A $1 subscription is an easy sell to a dedicated fan, and those dollars can add up quickly.
You can also promote subscriptions on external platforms, such as Patreon, to your TikTok followers. Patreon allows creators and influencers to generate revenue through paid memberships, offering different membership tiers with exclusive perks for your biggest supporters.
10. Provide Exclusive Content with TikTok Series
Do you want to monetize exclusive content on TikTok? With TikTok Series, you can place up to 80 videos behind a paywall, allowing viewers to directly compensate you for access.
Series videos can be as long as 20 minutes, allowing you to delve deeply into your channel’s subject matter. You can create a package of related content, such as a 30-day workout challenge, an episodic narrative, or a set of cooking classes.
To qualify for TikTok Series, you need at least 10,000 followers and 1,000 views in the past 30 days from at least three original posts.
To set up your series, go to TikTok Studio, find the Series option, and follow the steps.
11. Grow and Sell TikTok Accounts
Are you interested in a unique approach to making money on TikTok? A creative strategy is to grow TikTok accounts and then sell them. If you have a talent for building engaging profiles and a solid understanding of what drives audience growth, consider starting a business as a channel seller.
Here’s how it works: Start a TikTok account, choose a popular niche where you can consistently create content, and focus on building your following and engagement. Once the account has a substantial follower base and good engagement, sell it to businesses or influencers looking for a head start.
There are several marketplaces where you can sell TikTok accounts.
When selling an account, highlight its value with metrics such as follower count, engagement rates, and data that demonstrates the quality of the channel’s audience.
12. Give Personalized Shout-Outs
Are you looking for a fun and engaging way to connect with your TikTok audience while also making money? Shout-outs offer a unique opportunity to monetize personalized interactions. Whether it’s birthday wishes, milestone congratulations, or personalized greetings, these shout-outs make your followers feel special, and many are willing to pay for this personal touch.
Platforms such as Cameo have popularized this concept, allowing influencers to offer personalized messages for a fee. Promote a Cameo account on your TikTok profile or offer shout-outs directly during your livestreams in return for virtual gifts. Encourage viewers to submit requests for shout-outs with a recommended reward per message.
13. Refer New TikTok Users
Do you want to earn rewards by inviting new users to TikTok? Active TikTok users who meet the minimum age requirements can refer new users to the app in exchange for TikTok Rewards—virtual points earned by encouraging people to join TikTok, interact with videos, and create content.
Banner featuring piles of gold coins and gifts representing the TikTok Rewards program
Rewards can be converted into small amounts of cash at a rate determined by your location. Once you’ve accumulated enough earnings, you can withdraw them to your bank account or PayPal account. In some countries, rewards can also be redeemed for coupons and mobile top-ups.
Check the Task Rules page on your app to see the TikTok Rewards points you can earn and the tasks referred users can complete for extra points for themselves and you.
To generate a referral code for a new user, go to Profile, then either Discover or For You. Tap the TikTok Rewards banner, then the coin icon in the upper left corner of the screen. You should see a referral link and invitation code.
Your friend must enter the referral code within 24 hours to earn invitation rewards points. When new users watch videos via the Activity page, both they and you will earn extra points.
New users can also earn points by posting videos and interacting with content as time goes on.
14. Who is your TikTok audience?
Do you want to maximize your earnings on TikTok by understanding your audience? To monetize effectively, knowing your audience is essential. TikTok users tend to be younger; most are under 34, with around a third under 24.
A phone captures a video of three people hanging out by a brick wall, representing a younger TikTok audience
However, a survey indicates that a growing number of millennials are joining the platform. Social networks typically attract teens initially, so catering to TikTok’s older users now could provide a significant advantage in the future.
While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to TikTok, having a solid understanding of your audience, combined with awareness of platform-wide trends, will enable you to sustainably monetize your following.
15. Always put content first
When using social media to sell products, avoiding excessive promotional content is crucial.
Your fans understand that you need funding to continue creating content they enjoy. However, no one wants to follow an account that feels like a constant advertisement.
This is especially true on TikTok, a platform known for fostering personal connections with the audience.
Prioritize good content, and take a content-first approach. Instead of starting with your sales pitch and building content around it, create the content first and let it inspire the best ways to monetize your account.
Parade, a sustainable underwear company, succeeded by advertising to millennial and Gen Z customers on TikTok. Darya Dziadzenka, Parade’s growth marketing manager, discovered that the most effective TikTok marketing content is authentic, prioritizing relevance and humor over direct sales.
She stated, “The key thing to success on TikTok is making the content as organic to the platform as it can be.”
Your TikTok posts should offer value to your audience—not just sell to them. Partly Sunny Projects, an online plant brand shipping California greenery across the country, is another excellent example.
Founder Sonja Detrinidad started the business to relieve stress and used TikTok to capture her process. TikTok audiences quickly fell in love with Sonja’s captivating personality. Her authentic TikTok videos align with her audience’s interests.
Sonja’s use of TikTok for her business is successful because she focuses on creating content that her viewers enjoy. Sonja covers topics related to gardening, capturing the attention of the exact type of follower that can be turned into a customer, and occasionally going viral.
16. Join the creator economy
Creators are now more than just artists; they are entrepreneurs, marketers, salespeople, accountants, founders, and CEOs. In the creator economy, stars are self-made through their creativity, passion, and desire to build something unique.
Time is money for artists, and earning more money from your art allows you more time to create. If the money itself isn’t rewarding enough, the extra time it buys will be. TikTok is one of many platforms offering creators the ability to make money online. Do what you already do best and get paid for it.
Remember to explore tips on how to make money on YouTube and how to make money on Instagram.
17. How to make money on TikTok FAQ
Can I make money on TikTok?
Yes, anyone can make money on TikTok with the right tools and an effective strategy. Review the tips in this article to start considering which strategies will work best for you.
How do creators make money on TikTok?
Successful TikTok users monetize through various revenue streams, including sponsorships, fundraising drives, product sales, and tips. They can also promote products through affiliate links to get paid directly from brands.
Do you get paid for uploading videos on TikTok?
TikTok does not directly pay creators for uploading videos. However, TikTok offers funding through the TikTok Creator Rewards Program. Payment varies based on video views, engagement rates, and the authenticity of users engaging with the post.
In some cases, brands might pay influencers to create videos, but most high-earning users monetize their accounts through multiple income streams for greater financial security.
How do I get paid on my TikTok account?
Your payment method depends on how you monetize your TikTok content. Typically, you’ll be paid through the platform you use for monetization, such as a tipping platform, TikTok’s Creator Rewards Program, a crowdfunding site, or your online store for selling merchandise or products.
How many TikTok followers do you need to get paid?
The number of followers needed to earn money varies by monetization method. To join the Creator Rewards Program, you need at least 10,000 followers, while only 1,000 followers are required to receive gifts on TikTok LIVE. There is no set follower count for posting sponsored content or selling merchandise in a TikTok shop.
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