However you got here, welcome. Here’s how to make money on TikTok.
Maybe it’s your entrepreneurial spirit. Maybe you heard about 21-year-old Addison Rae’s Tesla Model X. Maybe you got that “screen time” notification (the one where your phone passively tells you that you’re addicted to the Internet) and said, “Hey, you might as well monetize this.”
TikTok ranks as the sixth most used social media platform worldwide, with over 1 billion active users as of January 2022. That’s a huge market.
Many people have already figured out how to make money on TikTok and some consider it a full time job. Read on for the best strategies to make money with the app (or watch the video below!)
Can you make money on TikTok?
The short answer is yes.
To earn money on TikTok directly, you must be 18 years or older, have more than 10,000 followers, and have at least 100,000 views in the last 30 days. Then you can apply to the TikTok Creator Fund in the app.
But just like painting a picture or determining the relationship status of your ex’s ex, making money on TikTok requires a bit of creativity. While there are official, app-funded methods of earning cash, there are plenty of other ways you can make money on the platform, even if you don’t have a large following.
Like social media creators active on other platforms, many TikTok users have already achieved financial success through the app. And while TikTok may seem like a new frontier, the strategies you can use to make money are probably familiar to you (check out our guides to making money on Instagram and YouTube).
There are many ways to make money on TikTok (see below), and how you monetize your account will determine your earnings.
4 ways to earn money on TikTok
1. Partner with a brand you trust
Sponsored content on TikTok is defined as content for which you receive something of value. That’s the goal, right? For example, a brand could pay you to make a TikTok video talking about how great their soy candles smell, or you could receive a free skydiving trip in exchange for posting it. (Though we don’t recommend taking any free skydiving offers.)
Source: eMarketer
According to the same eMarketer study, companies want to partner with people who have a following who know and trust them, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and current social justice movements.
2. Associate with an influencer
This is the reverse of the first strategy. If you’re an established business looking to grow its presence (and make money) on TikTok, reach out to an influencer whose content aligns with your brand.
Singer José Andrés Castro recently teamed up with beer company Sol on this TikTok, and comedian Paco de Miguel teamed up with FedEx on this one:
3. Use Tiktok to advertise your products
If you’ve already established your merchandise, this is the most obvious route to making money: create TikToks that showcase your products, including all the details that make them unique. Be sure to include a link to your store in your bio.
4. Get Paid Creator Fund by TikTok
This is the app-approved money-making method we talked about earlier. On July 22, 2020, TikTok announced its new Creator Fund, pledging to donate $200 million to “encourage those who dream of using their voices and creativity to fuel inspiring careers.”
The internet, and the world, went nuts, and just a week later, they announced that the fund would grow to a billion dollars by 2023. So how do you get that sweet creator cash? The application has a few boxes that you need to check before you can apply:
- Be located in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, or Italy
- Be at least 18 years old
- Have at least 10,000 followers.
- Have at least 100,000 video views in the last 30 days
- Have an account that complies with the TikTok Community Guidelines and terms of service
You can apply for the Creator Fund through the app, as long as you have TikTok Pro (the best things in life aren’t free).
