If you think you need a million followers to make money on social media, you're wrong. TikTok offers numerous ways to monetize your content and turn creativity into cash, and they're practically throwing money at creators. The various methods aren't always easy to understand or even find. Looking at you "Creative Challenge," which has no official UI linked from TikTok. It's been around for years and still can only be accessed through old notifications in your inbox. But I digress.
The real ones don't gatekeep. Here's your no-BS guide to cashing in:
TikTok Creative Challenge
Think of TikTok's Creative Challenge like a job board for UGC ads. Brands submit a creative brief to TikTok, soliciting content creators can apply for.
So, why is it called a "challenge?"
Brands offer a limited number of spots for each ad, so creators need to be quick to snag what they're interested in (brands usually have between 10 and 50 spots).
There is only so much budget available, so creators compete to "win" the biggest share of the pot.
Creators are only given a certain number of "spots" they can claim weekly. I have 10, meaning I can create up to 10 weekly ads.
You can earn up to $25k per video, or you can earn a cent. You create videos in hopes of the brand liking them and promoting them. The most I've earned on a single video is approximately $7k, with my average earnings sitting around $350 per ad. Some OGs have up to 30+ spots per week, so you can really see how those earnings can scale.
Requirements for the program are simple - have over 50k followers on TikTok.
TikTok Creator Marketplace
The TikTok Creator Marketplace is a hub for brands to discover and collaborate with TikTok creators for sponsored content. By joining the marketplace, creators can connect with brands that align with their niche and audience, opening up opportunities for paid partnerships, sponsorships, and product placements. Brands filter by engagement, audience, etc., and DM you directly. No middleman.
The marketplace acts as an influencer agency, letting both sides indicate interest in working together and negotiate a rate.
TikTok One: The Unified Montization Platform for Brand Collaborations
Coming in 2025, TikTok One combines the best of Creative Challenge and Creator Marketplace into one platform.
Previously, the Creative Challenge allowed creators to join branded campaigns, creating videos tailored to specific brand goals and earning rewards based on ad spend. The Creator Marketplace served as a hub where brands could connect with creators for sponsored content, filtering by engagement rates, audience demographics and other factors.
With the merger into TikTok One, both opportunities are available in a single, unified platform. TikTok One offers creators more access to brand deals, simplifies finding and joining campaigns, and provides a centralized location for tracking earnings from brand collaborations.
TikTok Creative Challenge and TikTok Marketplace will sunset with the formal launch of TikTok One.
Affiliate Marketing and Product Links
Creators can also monetize by promoting affiliate products through TikTok videos. By including affiliate links in their profiles or videos, creators earn a commission on any sales generated. This method works well for creators sharing product reviews, tutorials, or recommendations regularly. Whether it's LTK or Amazon, this is old-school influencer marketing.
Think...." Click the link in bio for 10% off with code Erin!" Here is my page of links if you're curious.
TikTok Shop
Affiliate links walked so that TikTok Shop could run. TikTok Shop is a virtual mall where videos become shoppable without having to leave the TikTok platform - TikTok's dream. It reduces friction for the viewer by enabling creators to sell products directly through their content. Using TikTok's native shopping features, you can showcase and sell products seamlessly through videos. TikTok Shop is particularly effective for creators with a strong niche audience, as they can offer curated product recommendations and drive sales through authentic content.
If done well, with a clear idea of product virality, there is a lot of money to be made on TikTok Shop. For example, one video showing off my new crisscross chair garnered $43k in TikTok shop revenue in 2023, equating to $4,400 in profit to me. The video has over 2.6 million views, growing my audience while earning money - a win/win. Also, I've since bought another of these chairs - they're amazing.
TikTok Shop has one of the lowest bars for entry, requiring only 1k followers on TikTok to participate.
TikTok Creator Rewards Program
The TikTok Creator Rewards Program allows creators to earn directly from the platform based on their content's performance. This program rewards creators for achieving certain milestones, such as reaching a specific number of views or engagement on their videos. Rewards are distributed as cash payments, giving creators an additional revenue stream beyond brand partnerships.
The program's payouts are based on TikTok's proprietary metrics, meaning you don't get much clarity behind why or how you're paid. Pay is shown as Reward per mille (RPM), which changes every day you look at it. Here's what little TikTok shares about how the RPM is calculated:
Video performance, including average watch time and video completion rate
Search performance of your videos
Regional distribution of qualified views (different countries pay different rates)
Percentage of highly engaged followers
Advertising values (how much the brand paid for placement by your video)
To sign up for creator rewards, you'll need 10k followers on TikTok and 100k authentic views within the past 30 days.
Once in the program, each video you create has to independently qualify. Video views are considered qualified and eligible for rewards if they meet the following criteria:
Views from a watch time of at least 5s
Views for videos that aren't disliked
Views are not from advertising traffic, paid promotions, or sponsored activities
Views from the For You Feed
Only one view from each user is considered
This program favors longer-form content that keeps viewers on the platform rather than quick hit, 7-second videos. As you can see from my earnings (screenshot) in the last 12 months, that isn't usually my type of content, having earned only $436.22.
Gifts and Tips
TikTok offers a Gifts feature that lets followers send virtual gifts to creators during live streams. You can exchange gifts for diamonds, which can be converted into real money. This feature allows creators to earn directly from their fan base, incentivizing them to regularly engage and connect with their audience. Additionally, TikTok's Tips feature will enable followers to send monetary tips to their favorite creators to support their content. Gifts and Tips show up most in Live feeds, with creators offering to speak directly to their fans in exchange. There are also many associated gimmicks like "I'll guess your age based on your profile photo" for one gift. No shade intended, but gifts have a very carnival game feel to me, and I've never prioritized their usage, though I'm sure I'm leaving money on the table.
TikTok Pulse - Ad Revenue Sharing Program
TikTok has recently introduced an Ad Revenue Sharing Program, allowing eligible creators to earn a share of the ad revenue generated from in-feed ads alongside their content. This program is similar to monetization programs on other platforms and provides an additional income stream for creators, unlike fixed ad revenue sharing models like YouTube's.
Pulse is the hardest program to qualify for because you must have at least 100,000 followers on TikTok and have posted at least five videos in the last 30 days.
Work with Artists
The "Working with Artists" program on TikTok is designed to encourage creators to use specific songs in their videos, offering them a chance to earn rewards based on the video's performance. This program benefits creators and supports artists by increasing the visibility of their music on the platform. When creators incorporate a designated track into their content, they effectively promote the song, drive more plays, and potentially increase its popularity on the app.
For creators, the earnings from this program are determined by a combination of metrics, including the number of views, likes, and shares that the video garners. However, each song in the program comes with a maximum spend, meaning there's a cap on the total amount of money that can be distributed among all creators using that song. The platform provides transparency by displaying how much of the total budget for a particular song has already been claimed, helping creators gauge the potential earnings before investing time in a video.
Despite its creative appeal, this opportunity tends to be less lucrative compared to other monetization options on TikTok. Given that a large number of creators might be competing for a share of this limited pool, individual earnings can be quite modest. While the "Working with Artists" program can be a fun way to engage with trending music and support artists, it may not be the most financially rewarding avenue for creators looking to maximize their income on the platform.
TikTok Series
TikTok Series is a feature that allows creators to monetize their content by offering exclusive video collections behind a paywall. Creators can set their pricing, ranging from $0.99 to $189.99 per Series. Viewers can purchase access directly through in-video links or the creator's profile. To participate in TikTok Series, creators must have an account at least 30 days old and maintain a follower count of at least 10,000. Additionally, creators must have accumulated at least 1,000 views in the last 30 days.
Monetization Opportunity Doesn't Equal Easy
It's critical to understand that just because there are MANY ways to earn money, it doesn't mean the money just flies into your pocket. It truly is a hustle culture—I work ALL of the time. I have a full-time corporate job, so I only have the capacity to build my influencer brand after hours and on weekends. Did someone say 12-hour workdays plus weekends?!
Monetizing on TikTok involves leveraging multiple streams of income to maximize earnings. The key is to stay authentic, engage with your audience, and consistently create high-quality content that resonates with your followers.
If you work for it, the money will come.
Comments