It is true that TikTok has introduced a new era of digital celebrities. However, many creators find it impossible to make a living solely from TikTok.
But the good news is that you don't need to have millions of followers before you can make money on the social media platform!
TikTokers can, in fact, earn money in a variety of ways, from using built-in monetization options to participating in promotional campaigns for companies and music marketers.
So, how about we go over them one by one?
Make Money Using the Creator Fund and Other In-App Monetization Features
According to Business Insider TikTok requires that creators have a certain number of followers and views to access the built-in monetization tools for influencers.
- A creator must be 18 years old or older and have at least 1,000 followers to get virtual "gifts" during a livestream.
- A creator must be at least 18 years old and have 100,000 followers to get "tips."
- A creator must be at least 18 years old and have more than 100,000 followers to get "gifts" on other videos.
The amount of money an influencer can make from each feature is unknown.
Meanwhile, the social media platform considers a variety of criteria for calculating payouts from its creator fund, including video views, video engagement, the location where a video was viewed, and overall program participants.
Here are the requirements to be eligible to the TikTok's creator fund:
- A creator must be 18 years old or older
- S/he should have at least 10,000 followers
- The TikTok user must have at least 100,000 video views in a 30-day period
Make Money From Brand Sponsorships
You don't have to be discouraged if you only have a few thousand followers because brands and marketers' interests are quickly shifting to "micro" influencers, or to those with less than 100,000 followers.
Well, in some cases, creators rely on business partnerships and song promotions more than the Creator Fund to supplement their income.
How much can a TikToker charge per brand deal? Well, it really depends on the creator.
But to give you an idea, Symphony Clarke (@thethriftguru) told Insider that for a sponsored post, she charged between $350 and $600. She has more than 200,000 followers at the time of writing.
Make Money From Song Promotions
In another Business Insider report, it was noted that promoting music in videos is one of the most popular ways for TikTokers to get money. Music marketers and record labels frequently pay TikTok users to promote new songs by uploading them on the app.
The report mentioned that Nicole, Natalie, and Nika Taylor, who have over 10 million followers on TikTok, charge $750 for a single video, $1,400 for two videos, and $2,000 for three videos to promote a song.
Meanwhile, Austin Georgas, a former senior account manager focused on music marketing at the Gen-Z media startup Flighthouse, said that fees for micro influencers with fewer followers are more variable, ranging from $20 to $150.
