From funny animal videos and viral dances to creative visual tricks and mimes to popular songs, there’s something for everyone on TikTok.
Like YouTube and Instagram, TikTok is being used by people to generate an income and build a career as an influencer. But where do you begin?
Read our detailed guide on how to get paid on TikTok, including how to get more video views and how to make money from sponsored posts.
How to make money on TikTok
TikTok has grown rapidly in recent years. It was the most downloaded app in 2024, with an estimated 1.6 billion global users.
But how can you monetise TikTok and its fast growing audience?
There are three main ways to make money from TikTok. These include earning money through the TikTok Creator Rewards Program, partnering with brands to post sponsored content, and even selling your own merchandise through the platform.
To get in a position where you can start making money, you’ll need to follow these key steps:
- build your following – you can start attracting the attention of brands with around 50,000 followers
- identify a niche – if you have a smaller number of followers, developing a niche such as history or fishing can help you to get noticed
- post regularly – make sure you’re consistent and don’t lose momentum by taking long breaks between posts
- jump on trends – TikTok is known for its viral dances and music videos – can you incorporate the latest trend into your content?
- engage with your followers – the more interaction you have with your followers, the better your sponsored posts will perform
Just looking to use TikTok as a way to advertise your existing business? Check out our guide to advertising on TikTok instead.
How many followers do you need on TikTok to get paid?
As with all social media platforms, the more followers you have the more money you can make.
However, when it comes to TikTok, you don’t need millions of followers to make money. If you have between 50,000 and 150,000 followers, you’ll be considered a ‘micro influencer’, while creators with less than 50,000 followers are known as ‘nano influencers’.
To get paid through the TikTok Creator Program, you’ll need to have at least 10,000 followers and have received at least 100,000 video views in the last 30 days.
You can begin livestreaming on TikTok from 1,000 followers. Here you can receive gifts from those watching, which have a monetary value. This can be particularly helpful if you’re using TikTok as an online shopping platform – as livesteams can be a great way to show off products and answer questions in real time.
How to generate TikTok income with fewer followers
If you can build an engaged following that focuses on a particular activity or topic, you can start making money with around 10,000 followers.
Building trust with your audience is key to them engaging with your sponsored content. As a result, brands are more likely to contact you to promote their products.
If you’re creating sponsored content on TikTok, make sure you follow government guidelines on advertising.
As well as building your number of followers, you’ll also need to focus on:
- building your video views
- creating a personal brand
- building engagement with followers
- maintaining your audience over time
TikTok money calculator – how much does TikTok pay?
The amount of money you can make from TikTok is unlimited, but it varies.
Some of the world’s best-known creators earn millions of pounds through the platform each year. The highest paid TikTokker is thought to be Charli D’Amelio, who made an estimated $17.5 million in earnings from the app.
It’s also been reported that TikTokers are paid a matter of cents per 1,000 views. But with one of the top TikToks of all time getting over 2.3 billion views, there’s plenty of money to be made.
The most popular creators typically make up to £10,000 per post, according to reports. However, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to generate significant income directly from TikTok unless all your videos are getting lots of engagement.
That’s why it’s important to explore a range of revenue streams, including partnerships and merchandise.
You can calculate your estimated income using a TikTok money calculator.
TikTok analytics – how is your content performing?
If you want to start earning money on TikTok, it’s important to track the performance of your content.
Analysing data can help you to see what’s working and whether your audience is engaging with your posts. This information could be valuable if you want to show brands why they should partner with you.
To view your analytics on TikTok, visit your profile, tap the three dots in the top right-hand corner, select ‘Creator Tools’ and then select ‘Analytics’.
Your analytics will be split into three sections:
- Overview – here you can check follower growth, profile views, video views, and engagements over different time periods
- Content – this allows you to analyse the performance of each video you post, but data is only available for the last seven days
- Followers – from this tab you can see where you’re audience is from and at what times they’re most engaged
Here you can see the analytics of one of our own TikTok videos. Understanding which content performs well (and which doesn’t) is key to planning future content.
How to get followers on TikTok
The key to building a following on TikTok is to understand your target market and create content they want to see.
You’ll also need to post regularly and engage with your audience if you want to attract more followers.
Here are five quick tips that can help you to build your audience and get more views on TikTok:
- use trending hashtags and recommended or trending songs – using tags and popular songs in your posts increases your chances of being seen on more people’s ‘For You Page’
- jump on the latest trends – putting an interesting spin on a popular trend can increase your exposure. TikTok trends move quickly though, so make sure you’re up to date
- build relationships with other creators – cross-sharing content with other influencers can get your posts in front of a wider audience
- get involved in TikTok challenges – starting your own TikTok challenge or creating a memorable version of an existing one can increase your reach
- create quality, shareable content – good lighting and clear sound increase the appeal of your videos so people are more likely to share them
Expert tips for building followers on TikTok
Lucy Hitchcock, owner of Partner in Wine, has experience in creating viral videos on TikTok for her insulated wine bottle brand. She spoke at an Empowering Women in Business event at Simply Business – watch the video below – or read her tips on boosting your brand on social media.
For more tips, read our guide to social media advertising costs and channels.
What is the best time to post on TikTok?
TikTok allows you to see when your audience is active, so try to base your posts around these times.
As with other social media platforms, some of the most effective times for posting content include mornings, evenings, and Sundays. Think about what times your audience are most likely to be on their phone and build your strategy around them.
How else can you monetise TikTok?
If you’re looking to become an influencer and make money from affiliate marketing, it pays to have a multi-channel marketing strategy. This means building your following across different platforms such as Instagram and YouTube, as well as TikTok.
Developing your online brand across several platforms can help you to get in front of a wider audience, build trust with your followers, and ultimately create more opportunities to make money.
That said, here are some other ways you can create a TikTok business:
- song promotions – record labels and music promoters often pay influencers to promote their artists’ songs
- collect virtual gifts and tips – you can earn extra revenue by creating content that your followers enjoy. TikTok has some useful tools (see above) to help you collect gifts and tips
- create in-feed ads – use TikTok Ads Manager to promote your merchandise or any services you offer
- become a consultant – if you’re already making money from TikTok, new creators could hire you to offer tips and advice on how to get started
- sell your own products – small businesses can use TikTok Shop to sell directly on the platform through a mix of live streams, videos, and small business photography
- promote products – you can also use TikTok Shop to earn commission by promoting other company’s products with affiliate marketing
- promote your own podcast – if you’ve started a company podcast either as part of your wider business or as a side hustle that’s starting to make you money, then you could grow your audience on TikTok
How TikTok ambassadors can work with brands
Another way to make money on TikTok is to partner with brands and post sponsored content on your channel.
As an example, here’s how Simply Business worked with a number of TikTok ambassadors to help people find out more about our Business Boost competition.
One video by Partner in Wine describes how financial investment would have helped her develop new products more quickly to grow her business.
Or how Full Foods goes over the costs associated with starting a business and how a business grant would have helped.
Both of these videos featured small business owners who were also established content creators – which meant both the audience of Simply Business and the creators could enjoy the content.
TikTok Creator Rewards Program
The TikTok Creator Rewards Program is the current programme helping users gain TikTok monetisation. Previously known as the TikTok Creator Fund and the TikTok Creativity Program Beta, the TikTok Creator Rewards Program lets you earn money through your videos.
To be eligible, your video needs to:
- be over one minute in length
- gain over 1,000 views from the For You Page
- be viewed for at least five seconds
- not be a paid video, ad, or sponsored post
- not be a duet or stitch with another creator
You can find out more about the full content eligibility requirements for the TikTok Creator Rewards Program here.
How does the TikTok Creator Rewards Program work?
The TikTok Creator Rewards Program will pay you based on video views and engagement. Once you start getting paid, the money will appear in the Creator Rewards Program dashboard. From here, you can withdraw money to PayPal.
If you choose to register for VAT, there’s some extra admin to be aware of and you’ll need to issue a VAT invoice to TikTok.
How to qualify for the TikTok Creator Rewards Program
To be eligible for TikTok Creator Rewards Program in the UK, you need to meet the following criteria:
- be at least 18 years old
- have at least 10,000 followers
- have at least 100,000 video views in the last 30 days
- post original content
- create videos at least one minute long
- make sure your account meets TikTok’s Community Guidelines
What is TikTok Pulse?
Launched in 2022, TikTok Pulse is a model that puts brands’ sponsored posts next to the most successful creator content.
TikTok Pulse creators can be paid 50 per cent of the revenue made from the sponsored posts placed next to their content.
For your content to be used as part of TikTok Pulse, posts will need to be in the top four per cent of all TikTok content.
To be accepted, you’ll also need to:
- be part of the TikTok Creator Marketplace
- have at least 100,000 followers
- have posted at least five videos in the last 30 days
How to monetise TikTok – FAQs
What is the best time to post on TikTok?
TikTok allows you to see when your audience is active, so try to base your posts around these times.
As with other social media platforms, some of the most effective times for posting content include mornings, evenings, and Sundays. Think about what times your audience are most likely to be on their phone and build your strategy around them.
How many followers do you need to make money on TikTok?
How many followers you need to make money on TikTok depends on the type of monetisation you hope to make. You’ll need at least 10,000 followers to access the TikTok Creator Rewards Program and 1,000 followers to receive gifts from viewers on TikTok Live. You can also earn money from sponsored posts and brand deals by showing businesses you have a highly engaged audience.
How many views do you need to get paid on TikTok?
To earn money through the TikTok Creator Rewards Program, you’ll need to have at least 100,000 video views in the last 30 days. Each individual eligible video will then need to have seen over 1,000 views from the TikTok For You Page.
More business guides for TikTokers
- How to promote your business
- How to make money on YouTube
- A guide to passive income
- How to sell on Instagram
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