TikTok initially launched in 2017, and it quickly became a global phenomenon. Currently, it has an estimated 755 million active users, making it an easy way to connect with a large audience. While many companies use it for marketing, individual users often wonder how they can make money on TikTok. If you want to generate income from your account, here are some simple ways to get started.
Utilize Affiliate Marketing
If you want to make money on TikTok but don’t operate a company with products or services to sell, affiliate marketing could be your answer. With affiliate marketing programs, you can advertise goods sold at other companies. By directing shoppers to the companies’ websites using your affiliate marketing link, you receive a small percentage of any resulting sales.
While TikTok doesn’t have as many places available on posts for clickable links, it’s an avenue worth exploring. For example, you can place an affiliate link in your profile or in your video descriptions. However, with the latter option, users do have to copy and paste the links into a browser.
In some cases, TikTok accounts redirect users to other social media sites that have better link positioning. For example, you could send viewers to Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest posts that offer more link options, allowing other TikTok users to click the link from your other social media posts.
Set Up a Shop on TikTok
Social media platforms are popular shopping tools, allowing users to explore products and services before making purchase decisions. One challenge is that many companies rely on directing users to another website to buy their offerings, a move that can potentially cause some shoppers to change their minds about a purchase.
Fortunately, in 2021, TikTok launched TikTok Shopping, a feature that allows businesses to capture sales directly through the platform. By setting up a shop on TikTok, you can help users buy your wares without having to redirect them to another website. Considering that shopping on social media platforms is expected to hit $1.2 trillion by 2025, it’s an option worth exploring if you have products to sell.
Take Donations or Collect Tips
If you livestream on TikTok, any followers viewing the stream can send donations. You generally need at least 1,000 followers before you can go live. Once you have that, you can receive coins from viewers during the stream, and you can turn in those coins for cash.
Just be aware that asking for donations or tips isn’t allowed per the community guidelines. Instead, the transaction must happen voluntarily, organically, and without solicitation.
Find Sponsorships
Another popular option for monetizing your TikTok account is obtaining sponsorships. With these, companies or brands pay you to create posts that highlight their products or services. In some cases, you’re compensated a set amount. Other sponsorships may be at least partially sales-based, giving you a percentage of the revenue generated through a personalized link or when a specific code is entered during checkout.
Connecting with companies and brands isn’t necessarily challenging, but it is usually easier if your content targets a specific niche related to an audience they want to reach. Additionally, higher follower counts and high engagement are often necessary, though the exact numbers required do vary.
