How to Make Money on TikTok: 5 Unique Ways to Monetize Your Creativity

TikTok is a creative platform with huge business potential, but there’s very little real-world guidance on how to make money from your creativity. With some top creators pulling in six figures, everyone is looking for the best way to turn their content into a money-making tool. In this post, we’ll cover a range of ways you can make money on TikTok, including a detailed breakdown of all the platform’s unique monetization options.

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The basics of making money on TikTok

A little disclaimer before we get started—if you're looking for an instant way to make big bucks, you may be disappointed. TikTok definitely isn’t easy money, and you won’t see results overnight. For that reason, this guide is targeted towards creators who are already making content with plenty of views and would like to monetize this traffic in new ways.

The first and most important thing you need is a solid following of fans who love and engage with your videos. You can't just post your videos once and expect the money to roll in—you need to build a strong audience that will come back for more every day. This means posting regularly—at least once a day—and making sure to engage your audience every time. Reply to comments and DMs from fans, ask prompting questions (e.g., "What would you do if you had three wishes?") to encourage comments, and respond with creative ideas of your own.

Still trying to build up your following? Check out our other blog post on how to get more views and followers on TikTok.

Now, let's dive in!

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Earn money from the TikTok Creator Fund

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Creators who are supported through the Creator Fund earn money based on a combination of factors, including the number of authentic views and the level of engagement on their content. TikTok has committed over $300 million over the next three years to the Creator Fund.

That means creators can make money directly from TikTok by creating content about anything they like—from music to comedy to crafting—as long as it doesn't violate TikTok's policies.

You must satisfy the following requirements to apply to the Creator Fund:

• Are based in the US, UK, France, Germany, Spain, or Italy.
• Are 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 fits with TikTok Community Guidelines and terms of service

While joining the Creator Fund may be easy to do, getting paid consistently might be a little harder. Thankfully, the other ideas below are more scalable and repeatable!

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Get sponsored by a company

There are hundreds of companies looking to advertise on social media, and many of them have identified TikTok as a platform to connect with their target audience.

Sponsored posts allow you to create videos in exchange for money, usually anywhere from $100 to $5,000 per post. You can negotiate either a flat fee per video or a variable rate depending on a certain metric (usually views). Some creators ask for both, negotiating a lower flat fee with a much higher potential reward if the video goes viral.

The best way to make this income more consistent is by offering a discount if the company commits to multiple videos at a time.

While the videos can usually be about anything you like, they will be linked with the brand or business and may need to be approved by them.

Need help finding a company to get sponsored by? Creators Connect can help match you with companies looking for creators!

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Sell your own product

Another way to make money on TikTok is by creating a product that you can sell. This could be a physical product or a digital product. If your audience likes your content, they’re more likely to purchase something from you.

There are plenty of ways to create physical products like shirts with slogans or even homemade snacks that people can buy from your store.

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Physical products

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If your brand is popular enough, you can sell merchandise like T-shirts, hats, and other everyday items to your fans. If you are in a very specific niche, consider selling products that are more closely related to your video topics. For example, if you are a chef, try selling your favorite knives and other kitchenware.

If you don’t have the time or resources to create and ship items on your own, you can use a print-on-demand service or start your own dropshipping store via Pietra or similar apps. While your margins won't be as high, it won't take as much time or up-front capital to get started.

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Digital products

Selling digital products online is an easy way to earn money from your creativity. Imagine how many people are willing to pay for a book or an e-course that will help them succeed.

You can sell access to knowledge with Notion templates or even Airtable databases. If you have the time and resources, you can even create your own ebook or online video course via Teachable.

Digital products have high margins, very few logistics (no shipping and handling or returns), and can be offered at much more affordable prices. These products are great for information-focused niches where you are teaching viewers something valuable!

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Collect virtual gifts by going live

You can also make money on TikTok by collecting virtual gifts (redeemable for cash) while live-streaming on the app. As your popularity increases, so will the number of fans who follow you. Fans can choose to send you virtual gifts for shoutouts or other engagement from you.

Before streaming, think about when it's most convenient for your audience. Find a time that works best for your followers by checking out the analytics dashboard to see when they are most active on the app.

Another great time to go live is right as one of your videos is going viral. Your video will naturally appear in more people's feeds, and they will be able to see that you are currently live.

The longer you stay live and the more people who watch your broadcast, the more cash you will make. While you are live, engage in conversation with your fans and have fun!

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Get paid to promote a product (without an explicit sponsorship)

Many products and businesses have an affiliate program, which is when you get paid if someone buys a product from your personal affiliate link.

Do you showcase a lot of Amazon products? Join Amazon Associates, Amazon's affiliate program.

If you showcase and share software tools, you may find an affiliate link in the footer of their page. If you have an audience, never be afraid to ask to become an affiliate. After all, every business wants more sales!

To drive traffic to a particular product, you need to share your affiliate link with your viewers. While you can't link a website directly in the video, you can build your own website using Beacons.ai and place that link in your bio.

When people see a product they want, they can find it easily in your bio and make the purchase.

Being an affiliate doesn't even require you to interact with the business or brand, making it very easy to get started.

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Sell a subscription

One of the best ways to make money on TikTok is by selling subscriptions. When everyone else is trying to make money on social media by posting ads and sponsored content, why not flip things around?

You can use Patreon to let your fans support you with a monthly subscription—in exchange, they’ll get exclusive behind-the-scenes access to you and your content.

Even better, you can create your own vibrant community with Circle and sell a monthly subscription to become a member. With Circle, you can even make parts of your community available for free and only charge for the premium aspects.

Starting a membership and growing a community isn't easy. However, selling a subscription is one of the best ways to create a sustainable income stream, and it can also be quite resilient. If you get banned from TikTok, your community will likely survive on a different platform.

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Get creative

If you're a creative person, then you've probably been dreaming of using your talent to make legitimate income. TikTok not only allows you to share your talent with the world but also lets you use your skills and creativity to support your career and livelihood. These methods are not all equally effective, but they will hopefully inspire you to think outside of the box.

There are endless possibilities for creativity and innovation on this platform—your journey to success can be both rewarding and fun.