Can You Make Money from TikTok?

While many people may have thought TikTok was a fad to get us through the earliest part of the pandemic, the platform has proven itself worthy, and more creators are joining and creating original content for the platform by the day. If you’re a TikTok creator dedicating a ton of time to the app mainly for fun, you’re probably asking yourself, “can you make money from TikTok?”. The short answer is yes, but in this article, we’ll go more in-depth regarding everything you need to know about how to get paid on TikTok.

Monetizing Through the TikTok Creator Next Program

With the creator economy booming and interest in content creation as a profession on the rise, many platforms, including TikTok, are finding ways to help creators monetize their content while encouraging them to post regularly. YouTube has the Creator Fund for Youtube Shorts (which you can read about in this in-depth article) while TikTok has the Creator Next program that gives creators access to various monetization options, including:

• Creator Fund—a U.S.-based fund that’s estimated to pay TikTok creators upward of $1B within three years of inception (August 2020)
• Creator Marketplace—an in-app platform for brand and creator collaborations
• Video Gifts—a way for creators to collect Diamonds for viewer reactions that can be exchanged for money
• Live Gifts—similar to video gifts but specifically for Live streams
• Tips—Allows your audience to send monetary tips through your TikTok profile (you’ll receive 100% of the money minus Stripe processing fees)

What are the requirements for the TikTok Creator Next Program?

To join Creator Next, your account must be in good standing and meet the following criteria:

• Have at least 1000 followers on TikTok
• Have at least 1000 video views in the last 30 days
• Post at least three videos in the previous 30 days
• Meet the age requirement (18 years or older)

Gifts and Tips

As mentioned above, gifts and tips are just one of the ways to monetize your content on TikTok. The critical difference is that tips are paid directly to you by viewers, while gifts are used to collect diamonds to be exchanged for money (roughly $0.05 per diamond). While to be eligible for either your first need to meet the requirements of the Creator Next program, each has some special requirements to note.

You must have at least 100,000 followers to receive video gifts or tips. For video gifts specifically, this feature must be available in your location and doesn’t apply to duets, stitch, ads, sponsored or promoted videos, or any content that may violate TikTok’s community guidelines.

Sponsored Content

Though platforms such as Instagram and YouTube have historically led the “spon-con” movement on social media, brands are privy to the power of TikTok and aren’t strangers to collaborating with creators on the platform. Whether you have 1000 followers or 100,000, get comfortable with the idea of pitching to brands for sponsored TikTok content opportunities. As always, you must disclose any sponsored content on TikTok (or any social media platform) in accordance with the FCC.

Affiliate Marketing

If there’s one thing that TikTok users love for sure, it’s shopping recommendations. Whether showcasing your latest fashion finds or showing followers the BTS of your streaming setup, directing viewers to the “link in bio” is a great way to begin generating commissionable sales on TikTok. All you need to do is create authentic content featuring the products you’d like to promote, sign up for the affiliate programs of your choice and create a convenient way for your audience to visit your links. We recommend a tool such as Willow that lets you put all your links in one place.

To add a link on your TikTok profile page, you have to either set your profile up as a business account or reach 1000 followers on the platform. Please bear in mind that when you switch your account to a business profile, you will lose access to certain features like trending sounds which may make or break your decision to switch over. Conversely, the 1000 follower requirement has not been confirmed or denied by TikTok. However, many creators report that they were granted the option after achieving this milestone without switching to a business profile.

There’s no set amount to how much you can get paid as a TikToker, but for the most part, it’s a direct reflection of how consistent you are posting and making engaging content on the app.  Though creating content to some is a reward in itself, it requires you to dedicate a ton of time and resources along the way. That said, monetizing your content should be at the top of your goal list because you deserve it after all your hard work.