How to Make Money on TikTok

There are a number of ways to make money from TikTok, the video-sharing social network site, some of them accidental and others quite sophisticated.

And, you don’t have to dance, though the highest-paid TikTokers are doing just that.

Tabitha Brown doesn’t dance (unless she’s in the gym) but she does cook vegan food while she offers inspiration in the most soothing voice.

Her 4.5 million followers on TikTok (and more than 3 million on Instagram) can attest to that. Her net worth is over $2 million. TikTok (@iamtabithabrown) is part of her media strategy. Can you say McCormick Spice partnership?

The big moneymakers can inspire you but you aren’t likely going to start at the top. This post outlines what you need to do to build a following then how to capitalize on your numbers by selling merchandise, getting sponsors, offering consulting services and more.

Companies can pay from $200 to $20,000 for a branded video and that depends a lot on how many followers the producer has. When you get more than 100,000 views per video, you can join TikTok’s Creator Fund and start earning pennies per 1,000 views. It can add up, but you need the numbers.

How to Get Started as a TikTok Content Creator

First, you need to download the app on your phone and create a TikTok account. Then, with your TikTok profile set, you can start producing, customizing and sharing your videos.

Remember, you don’t need a million followers to start making money from your videos. There are content creators who earn money from as little as 10,000 followers.

There are two types of TikTok accounts: the pro account and the standard TikTok account. With the pro account, you get access to analytic tools to give you insights into your videos and followers. For example, you can see the sources of your traffic, profile visits and views.

The regular TikTok account, on the other hand, doesn’t have the analytics dashboard. You don’t have to worry, though, because you can switch to an account of your choice within the app.

How to Get Followers and Become TikTok Famous

1. Focus on a Niche

Before you start posting on TikTok, it is best to identify content you are passionate about. For instance, do you like fashion and design? Are you a graphic designer, photographer, or even an accountant? Perhaps a comedian?

Because there are so many people dancing and offering food and cooking tips, you might do better finding other topics. This will help you stand out from the crowd.

The best idea is to focus on a niche that your audience appreciates. Having a content strategy is a great way to be consistent and create videos consistently. No. 2 should be part of your strategy.

2. Create Quality TikTok Videos Consistently

Invest in quality videos which means you need excellent video editing skills. According to Jonathan Skogmo, CEO of Jukin Media, UGC (user-generated content) is best because it resonates well with the audience and often attracts attention. Jukin Media works with amateur videographers to place their viral videos in advertising, film, TV and online platforms.

3. Use Trending Sounds

Your videos will have music with them that is selected randomly by TikTok. You can sit back and go for the generic sounds, or select “trending sounds,” which will be from a playlist of hot songs at the time you make the video. If you do this, you might get “Banana” by Shaggy or “Cyber Sex” by Doja Cat.

Trending sounds is one way to get your TikTok Videos on the user’s For You Page, which means more organic viewers and followers. In addition, if your content makes it to FYP, it means new TikTok users will see your content.

4. Use Trending Hashtags

Just like trending sounds, trending hashtags will get your videos to FYP on TikTok. Also, hashtags make your content more discoverable, says Skogmo. Influencer Marketing Hub updates its list of trending Tiktok hashtags regularly.

5. Share Videos to Other Social  Media Platforms

Another way to gain followers is to share your videos on other platforms.

Skogmo says video owners should share their videos to audiences that are most likely to appreciate the content and share it forward, like Facebook groups, Reddit communities, and of course, your accounts that have the most followers.

6. ‘Duet’ Other TikTok Creators

When you jump into a new social platform, the words used to describe actions and features can be unfamiliar. Like “duet” on TikTok. Dueting is when you film yourself next to another person’s video and either mimic what they do or add your own flavors with a reaction. Here are some examples of singing TikTok duets,

The goal is to produce an engaging video but also to leverage the other person’s followers. Also, collaborating with other TikTok influencers is a great way to get eyeballs to your TikTok profile.

7. Follow Other TikTok Users

Keep in mind it’s not all about you. Following other users on the app is also an excellent way to gain new followers unless you are only following super famous people. Look for people like you who are just starting out or even those with a few thousand followers.

Take some time everyday to build your following by helping others build theirs.

How Many Followers Do You Need to Make Money?

If you are a TikTok user, chances are you are wondering how people make money on this platform. TikTok is a video app that enables content creators to create short videos— and these 60-seconds videos can go viral in a blink of an eye.

If you are lucky and that happens to you, hooray! However, followers and hits mean money and you’ll need to work on getting both.

How to Make Money on TikTok

With viral videos and TikTok creators gaining followers at a terrific speed comes the question, “how do I make money on TikTok?”

You can monetize your account at any stage and with any number of followers, depending on the monetization strategy you choose. For example, you can earn money by selling products to how ever many followers you have.

1. Sell Merchandise

Are you a TikTok user and have products to sell? One way to make money on TikTok is to sell your products. Tiktok has a feature where TikTok creators can add a link to their profiles. You can add a link to your eCommerce site and create content around your products.

For instance, you can show the behind-the-scenes of you making or packaging your products. For example, @Goalys uses TikTok to promote her custom-made phone cases.

If you can get a good amount of traffic to your store, you can make good sales.

2. Post Sponsored Content

Another way to earn income on TikTok is through influencer marketing. You can approach brands, or in some cases, brands can approach you to do a sponsored video.

That means they will pay you to post a branded video. A good example was top Tiktok influencer Victoria Bachelet when she did a TikTok video promoting b.tan rocks self-tanning products.

One way to get started as a TikTok influencer is to use an influencer agency. The influencer agencies connect TikTok content creators to brands and give access to influencer campaigns.

You can also check out other TikTok influencers to get tips on how to land sponsorship deals.

How much money can you make from sponsored posts on TikTok?

According to Influencer Marketing, you can earn anything from $200 to $20,000 per branded content.

3. Offer Consulting Services

Are you a consultant or perhaps a coach? Then, you can use TikTok to offer your services. For instance, if you are a pro when using Instagram for business or are a personal finance expert, you use this social media platform to attract your clients.

That Coach Mike is one example of a professional TikTok consultant and a social media coach who uses his profile to promote his coaching business.

4. Tiktok Ads Management Service

Just like any other social media site, TikTok has an ads manager for businesses. And often, it can be an uphill task for many companies — who wish to market on TikTok — to run paid ads. So, if you are an ads guru, you can help businesses manage campaigns successfully on TikTok.

You can learn more about TikTok for business and post videos on how you manage ads to get more clients.

5. Earn Gifts from TikTok Live Streams

TikTok has virtual items in coins and gifts, which you can use within the platform.

You can earn these digital gifts through TikTok live broadcasts. Live streams on TikTok are when you have a one-on-one moment with your followers. However, to go live, you need 1,000 or more followers.

When you are on live broadcast, your followers can reward you with gifts to exchange for “diamonds.” Your followers buy these virtual gifts with real money, and they can send them to their favorite creators during live broadcasts. You can cash out your diamonds through a PayPal account once you hit the minimum of $100

6. Manage Top TikTok Creators

As TikTok gained traction, many people, including well-known celebrities, joined the craze. However, some are a novice who became TikTok famous and amassed millions of followers overnight. And since they have a lot on their plate, some are willing to hire a manager to handle their TikTok account.

If you are excellent at helping celebrities and top creators on TikTok keep up with the trends, you can run your business as a TikTok manager. This gig is like any other social media management job.

According to Vox, Sean Young rakes in $10,000+ per month managing creators and as a TikTok consultant.

7. Join TikTok Creator Fund

Do you have a minimum number of 100,000 TikTok followers? Then, you can qualify to monetize your account through the Creator Fund and start making money-just like how creators earn money with a YouTube channel. TikTok pays creators as a way of appreciating them for creating content on the platform.

With the TikTok Creator Fund, you can earn per video views, and that means if you have a considerable number of followers and get a high number of viewers, then the chance of making more money.

This strategy, if making money on TikTok, can be lucrative once you are a TikTok star. And that means you need to have quality content that can hit at least a million views.

Also, you can use this strategy to make money alongside another income stream like influencer marketing.

How to Copyright TikTok Videos

While creating video content and posting on social media platforms can be a fun way to earn money, it sure comes with its share of challenges.

And one of them is copyright infringement. This means there is a risk that someone will use your content without permission.

So how do you handle the licensing of your videos?

Skogmo of Jukin Media recommends working with a company to protect content and set licensing agreements with the right contacts since it can be tough to navigate this space.

“When you’re looking for a company to work with, make sure they will claim copies of your videos on social platforms. This helps you maintain ownership of your content and ensure no one is using it without a licensing fee,”  Skogmo says.

Contributor Charity Jerop is a freelance writer focusing on personal finance topics. Her work has been featured on The Penny Hoarder, Autonomous and Freelance FAQs. 

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