TikTok's popularity continues to grow with each passing day. But do you know you can make money on the platform as an active user? That's right! If you're wondering how to make money on TikTok, this piece has all your answers.
TikTok users spend around 52 minutes each day on the platform. Now, that's quite a lot compared to the 40+ minutes spent on Youtube and the 53 minutes spent on Instagram.
I know what you're thinking: this makes TikTok another legit platform to make extra money. Well, if you've been through the annual figures that Tiktok influencers like Jacob Sartorious, Charli D'Amelio, or The Stokes Twins make, you certainly want to learn how to make money on TikTok yourself.
The truth is people are making impressive amounts of money on the platform. Although, reaching that high-paying level isn't a walk in the park. It requires some intense work ad dedication.
But, this shouldn't derail your dream of becoming a big influencer here. In fact, I have just compiled the right information on this article to help you reach there.
So, do you want to know how to make money on TikTok?
Let's dive in!
Table of Contents
How TikTok Works
Before you even think about how to make money on TikTok, you'll need to know how the app works. You'll want to know what it takes to be an influencer on TikTok.
Well, first things first!
The app was created back in 2017, and after it merged with Musical.ly, it gained immense popularity. Today, TikTok has over 1 billion users globally and is the most downloaded app on the Google Play Store.
The reason for its crazy fame is apparent. The platform allows you to become a content creator by posting videos of your art, be it singing, dancing, comedy, or even acting. TikTokers can put their talent out for the world to see.
And it's easy to get started. All you need is to download the app and create watch-worthy content. To be honest, there's no other shortcut if you want to get paid on TikTok. You must be able to impress your audience to attract a good following.
If your content is right, you can bag sponsorships and paid partnerships with known brands and retailers or even monetize your content.
Still, seems confusing? Before I start with the step-by-step guide, here are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions related to TikTok.
Does TikTok Pay Money for Videos?
Yes, TikTok will pay for the videos you make. Although not in the way you might think.
Unlike in the past, when TikTokers couldn't monetize their videos, the platform now has that options. This way, you can earn money with your videos just as you do on Youtube.
So, how does this work? How do you make money from creating content on TikTok?
Here are the rules:
- You must be 18 years or above to start making money on the platform
- You need at least 10,000 followers on your account
- You must have at least 100,000 accumulated video views in the last month (30) days.
After fulfilling these “easy” conditions, you are now ready to go. Now, all you need to do is create and post videos that people love to watch, and your following will continue to grow.
Note: If you upload content that people love and become a legit influencer, you can get offers from brands and advertising agencies for paid sponsorships. They are more ways to earn on TikTok, although indirectly.
How Much Initial Investment Do I Need to Put In?
Getting started on TikTok requires no investment initially. All you have to do is download the app and begin posting videos in your favorite genre.
You can't help but wonder how TikTok stars like Riyaz Ali and Loren Gray manage to create high-quality, professional videos. The answer lies in the high-tech TikTok gadgets they use to make their short videos flawless.
As you begin having followers on the app, you can buy certain products that increase your videos' quality and make them attractive. Such products include proper selfie lights to improve picture quality, and tripod stands to stabilize your device while you're shooting.
Not only do these gadgets help you enhance the versatility of your content, they make shooting easier for you as well. It’s a win-win situation.
How Many Likes on TikTok Do I Need to Start Making Money?
While likes are important on your TikTok videos, they are not the only determinant of your earnings. You have to balance different metrics to enable you to make money.
As mentioned earlier, your account should have at least reached the 10,000 followers mark and achieved 100,000 views within 30 days. And as for the likes, you just need at least 50,000 of them.
But do you earn automatically after hitting these requirements? Absolutely not!
As we said earlier, TikTok earns differently from other platforms like YouTube. Here, if you want to earn from TikTok directly, you must first join the TikTok creator fund. The creator fund is a new feature that the platform recently introduced to enable content creators to earn from their videos.
There's no defined figure regarding how many likes you need to start making money on TikTok. To earn a considerable amount from brand sponsorships, you might need at least a million likes on your videos.
This fund started quite low at just $200 million, although it's currently over $2 billion. The amount of money you can earn on the creator funds depends on multiple factors and varies daily. Fortunately, anyone can join the fund as long as they have met the requirements, and there is no limit on how much you can earn.
How Much Do Influencers Make on TikTok?
If you're a regular TikTok user and follow trending accounts that engage a vast audience from all around the world, you can't help but wonder how much TikTokers make.
Well, as traffic increases each passing day, advertising agencies have their eyes on the millions of viewers glued to the TikTok app. Therefore, besides TikTok's creator fund, you can make more money by posting sponsored content, brand deals, and sponsorships. In fact, there's no limit on how much money you can make on TikTok.
Here's a list of popular TikTok influencers and their estimated annual earnings to give you a little insight.
- Charli D’ Amelio – $48,000/Post
- Loren Gray – $42,000/Post
- Zach King – $41,000/Post
- Riyal Ali – $35,000/Post
- Baby Ariel – $32,000/Post
And the list goes on. But, this doesn't mean you'll start earning big bucks right away. But if you follow the right track, the app does have the potential to help you earn good money.
Now that you have the answers to all your basic questions about earning on TikTok, you're probably ready to step on the bandwagon yourself.
Here's our complete guide on how to make money on TikTok to get you started right away.
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Making Money on TikTok: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide
Making money on TikTok is not exactly child's play. You have to work on your content and genuinely aim to entertain people before you can get paid on TikTok.
I've derived the following steps from the TikTok strategies of popular influencers to help you map out your plan.
Step 1 – Create Your Profile
Make sure your TikTok profile is unique and stands out against the masses. Remember, you're becoming a part of an over 1 billion user base.
That's why creating an identity for yourself can be a challenge.
Focus on the content you're going to upload and be creative. Search for topics trending on the app and balance out your options to create a catchy profile.
Step 2 – Conduct Thorough Social Media Research
If you're aiming to earn from your TikTok account, make sure you're on the right track from the beginning. Once you've chosen your niche, keep up with what's trending.
For example, if you're uploading dancing or singing videos on TikTok, use songs that are trending and popular amongst users. Include other social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram in your research loop to target your audience effectively.
Also, don’t copy other TikTok users, and make sure your content has a sense of individuality.
Step 3 – Link Your YouTube and Instagram Account
Once you've established your TikTok account and built your personal identity on the platform, it's time to reach out to other platforms. You can do this by linking your TikTok account to YouTube and Instagram.
You can easily do this by editing your profile on TikTok. It will allow you to extend your reach to people who're not yet familiar with TikTok and increase your viewer base.
Step 4 – Boost Your Content to Increase Viewer Engagement
The formula is simple; the more traffic your content gets, the higher your chances of earning through the creator fund, as well as attracting paid sponsorships and partnerships. That's why your primary focus should be to increase the organic traffic on your page.
First of all, don't compromise on quality. Consistent quality content is the key to keeping your audience coming back.
Similarly, use proper hashtags to make your posts visible to interested audiences.
Besides that, picture and audio quality are important as well. Let’s face it; no one wants to watch blurry videos with inaudible sound.
Invest in a high-quality camera lens for your phone, along with an efficient mic system to record the videos you upload.
This way, people will concentrate on your content rather than getting distracted by recording errors.
Step 5 – Start Making Money
If you've been working intently on the steps mentioned above, you'll achieve a decent number of followers in months. At this point, you'll start getting approached by brands and companies to showcase their product. And you'll also have the chance to earn money directly from the TikTok creator fund.
The best way forward is to build exciting content around the product that doesn't compromise user engagement. If your content is not impressive and is full of unnecessary promotions, the audience will not be interested in your videos.
Make sure to create balanced content so you can generate a steady income on the app.
And that's it. Once you've reached this point, you can easily extend your earning options on the platform and increase your popularity.
Here are some ideas top TikTok influencers are using to earn money today.
Check out the details to figure out which of these fits your career goals.
TikTok Side Hustle Ideas to Make Extra Money
You have to create valuable content and combine it with useful strategies to generate income through your posts.
While none of these options come with a 100% effectiveness guarantee, they're likely to work for you if you concentrate on creating value for your viewers. Keep the trends in mind and think outside the box to create unique yet engaging content.
Here are some suggestions you can try out to start earning on TikTok:
Become an Influencer
Just like Facebook and YouTube, the more viewership you get on TikTok, the more attention you'll get from brands and sponsors.
The trick is to figure out what the audience wants to watch and build your content strategy accordingly. Once you've figured out this mantra, you'll get tons of likes and comments on your posts.
No matter what everyone says, if you're aiming to earn from TikTok, the number of likes and followers means a lot. Numbers make you visible to brands who can, in turn, pay you for your influence.
Besides that, brands that offer products related to your content or used by your followers are most likely to approach you. For instance, if your viewer base consists of teenage girls, brands with the same target audience will ask you to promote their products.
To create an effective marketing campaign, your voice as an influencer should align with the brand's identity.
You'll have to portray the product in a way that makes your viewers want to use it. That's the only way your marketing strategy will work.
Make sure you don't go for incompetent brands. That's because if the product fails, your reputation fails with it.
You can join the TikTok creator marketplace to connect and learn more from fellow creators. This platform even offers essential tools to take your content creation to the next level.
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Market Your Ventures
There is another route you can take to benefit from your TikTok popularity. You can sell your own products, merchandise, or services directly to your viewers.
You must've noticed how leading influencers create personalized merchandise for their fans. These include daily-use stuff like t-shirts, jewelry, caps, bands, and whatnot. TikTokers who have die-hard fans across the globe can earn good money through personalized promotional merchandise.
Furthermore, you can advertise your products and services. For example, if you're posting videos of calligraphy art, you can get paid to create artwork for your viewers.
Besides that, if you own an existing business, you can advertise it on TikTok. First, aim to create content that attracts your target audience. Then, include your products naturally in your content.
However, make sure your content doesn't look like an advertisement, or else you'll lose viewer interest.
As you gain popularity, you can give out discount coupons and organize giveaways to attract more people to your online store.
See Related: How to Make Money on Snapchat
Live Streaming
Live streaming is a great way for content creators to generate income on TikTok. This process is mainly beneficial for creators from the music and acting industry.
It works this way: TikTok lets viewers give out tips to the content creators they genuinely appreciate. The users buy coins on TikTok through its in-app purchasing options and pay content creators with these coins.
Once the payment is made, TikTok keeps about 20% for itself and hands out the other 80% to the creator. If you have a large number of viewers on your live stream, you can generate hard cash every time you go live.
You can market your live streaming session beforehand through your posts to reach out to your audience. The more viewership your live streaming sessions generate, the more attention you will get from brands and sponsors. See how much you can make on Twitch.
See Related: 20 Best Side Hustles
Cross Promotions on Other Social Media Platforms
As mentioned before, you can boost your TikTok content by reaching out to the audiences of other social media platforms. TikTok allows you to link your account to YouTube and Instagram.
This way, people who don’t use TikTok can watch your content as well.
However, to make sure you cross-promote your content effectively, you'll need to follow some guidelines. First of all, maintain consistency on all platforms. You should have the same handles on each network so that people can find you easily.
Besides that, keep your profiles updated on all your networks. Also, work on uploading exciting content on all platforms to keep your audience engaged.
You can also provide links to your social media platforms at the end of your TikTok videos so that your viewers can easily find your content.
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Develop Influential Accounts and Sell Them
Yes, there's a vast online market for established TikTok accounts. If you're a person who has cracked the code for user engagement on the app, you can use your skill to create, grow and sell TikTok accounts.
Start by choosing a niche for your account. Once you've created a considerable viewer base interested in the niche, you can sell the account to a brand from the same niche.
The brand will benefit by advertising their products on the account and paying you for the increase in their sales.
Become a TikTok Consultant
If you choose to become a TikTok consultant, you will advise brands and companies on how they can get followers and views on their videos.
Also, you can make recommendations to creators to boost their talent and become famous on the platform.
Consulting includes everything from boosting overall strategy, increasing the visibility of posts, and helping others understand viewer habits.
In return, you'll charge these aspiring creators and brands for your services.
Besides that, if these accounts land sponsorships or partnership deals, you can claim a cut from their earnings as their consultant.
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Conclusion
Coming to the end of our guide on how to make money on TikTok… If you were wondering whether you can make money on TikTok, know that you most certainly can. But, like any other money-making endeavor, earning money on TikTok requires dedication, hard work, consistency, and a little luck.
As a beginner, you can start by following our step-by-step guide to creating a TikTok fan following for yourself. After you've reached the required viewership to become an influencer, you can check out other earning options we mentioned to make money on TikTok.
Remember, if your content is worth watching, nothing can stop you from becoming the next TikTok sensation.