Ways to Make Money on TikTok

Creators are often passionate about their niche. They spend endless hours creating and polishing content, learning their craft, and engaging with their audience. As a result, many creators can monetize their content. On TikTok, creators have a variety of ways to generate income. If you’re wondering about ways to make money on TikTok, here’s a list of opportunities to explore:

TikTok’s Creativity Program Beta

Replacing the Creator Fund, TikTok’s Creativity Program Beta rewards creators for longer, high-quality videos. 

How much can a creator earn? Despite this program being a year old, that information is hard to come by. TikTok says influencers can earn up to 20x more with this program than they could through the now defunct Creator Fund, and they do tell users that payouts are based on qualified views and RPM (average gross revenue per 1,000), but that’s it. 

Eligibility requirements are in place to join this program. You must live in the U.S and 18 years old. You must have 10K followers and 100K video views in the last 30 days.  

TikTok Series

With Series, you can charge viewers to access premium content. You can produce and share up to 80 videos in a Series, each up to 20 minutes long. To view this content, followers are charged a set fee. The fee can be anywhere from $0.99 to $189, but TikTok says its research shows followers are most comfortable paying around $9 for long-form, exclusive content. 

Once the Series is published, you can rearrange its order and rename items, but you can’t add or delete any content from the Series. TikTok must approve the video bundle before it’s available for sale. 

There are eligibility requirements too. You must be 18 years old, have three public posts in the last 30 days, and reach 1,000 views or more in the last 30 days.

Series is only available to select creators right now.

TikTok Live Gifts

Your followers can send you Gifts during a live feed, which can be converted to Diamonds, and then into cash. Followers buy these digital gifts and transfer them to creators as a way to show their appreciation for awesome content. This monetization effort is ideal for smaller creators since eligibility isn’t hinged on a certain number of followers.

TikTok Tips

Just like you’d tip a waiter at a restaurant, you can tip creators on TikTok. Creators must set up their account to receive tips, but once that’s complete, you can earn tips in the amount of $5, $10, or $15. Followers decide who they tip and when.

TikTok Shop

TikTok Shop is an ecommerce platform within the social channel. It gives creators two ways to make money. They can promote and sell their own products in the shop, or they can earn commission from affiliate marketing by partnering with a brand and promoting its products.

TikTok Shop gives sellers and creators access to: 

• Live shopping during a live feed
• Product showcases with product pictures, descriptions, and reviews
• A Shop Tab that opens an online marketplace

TikTok can even store, pick, and pack your order, meaning fulfillment is done for you.

Partner with a brand to create sponsored content

While the monetization options above are all offered through TikTok, you can establish your own brand partnerships and make money from sponsored content too. Wondering how to pitch to brands? Here’s how:

• Identify a shortlist of brands that you’d like to work with
• Start engaging with these brands on social media
• Polish your media kit with fresh examples and recent metrics
• Update your social channels
• Send a pitch email to brands
• Follow up, if needed

Pitching to a brand

Wondering what your pitch should say? In your email, you should introduce yourself, explain why you’re a good fit for the brand, and suggest a collaboration for a specific product. Mention your engagement rates and the best way to respond to your message. If you don’t hear back in 3-5 days, send a follow up email.

Updating your media kit

You’ll likely be asked to supply a media kit, which is like a one-page resume. It has audience demographics, social media metrics like engagement rates, and examples of previous sponsored content. Before you send your pitch, make sure your media kit is updated and ready. 

Review your social 

Don’t forget to audit your social channels before you pitch a brand. Consider updating your bios or profile pictures, and scan your most recent posts to ensure they’re professional. 

Know what to charge

On average, TikTok influencers earn $2,741 per post, according to The State of Influencer Earnings. While your rate may be higher or lower than this, it provides a good benchmark to start from. 

Of all the social media platforms, TikTok influencers have some of the highest rates. A Facebook post, for example, typically costs about $642; an Instagram photo usually costs just over $1,300, according to IZEA’s earnings report.

Rates may vary based on your audience size, experience, and type of deliverable. 

With TikTok, as with all social channels, there’s no singular way to monetize your content. You have a handful of different monetization tools that you can leverage to supplement your income. While TikTok does offer a variety of options, making long-term partnerships with brands is an effective way to generate income.