How Do TikTok Influencers Monetize Their Content

TikTok is breaking records time and time again. In fact, it is the most downloaded app, with 3 billion total downloads and 120m monthly active users as of 2022. Undeniably, the major users of this social media platform are young people with good mindsets, ranging in age from 19 to 29. But what exactly is TikTok, and how did it rise to fame as it has now?

The social media platform TikTok is a video-sharing application developed by a Beijing- based company. Although it did hit off as soon as it was launched in 2017, TikTok gained tremendous popularity in 2019. One of the main secrets to success is that many internet users spent a lot of time on their mobile devices using mobile applications during the COVID-19 lockdown.

It also helped a lot that people were forced to work from home and quarantine because of the ongoing pandemic. And since everyone didn't get a chance to socialize, TikTok has become a platform where people or users can share their experiences with everyone that uses the same platform as well. 

It doesn't matter if you were following each other or if one was following the other. Because of how TikTok was developed, its algorithm follows a decision-making process that allows people with the same interests to see each other's TikTok content. Because of this, TikTok has become a huge tool for digital marketing. 

And two years later, after it boomed, many brands and companies are investing their time, effort, and money into Tiktok advertising and partnerships. But how do TikTok influencers specifically monetize the content? In this article, we are about to find out.

How Is TikTok Content Monetized?

TikTok doesn't automatically allow creators to get their content monetized. In short, you are not getting paid for the content you produce. As a small content creator or starting influencer, it is important for you to know that you can monetize your TikTok content in various ways, if you want to hear a few useful tips, consider contacting TikTok Influencers that already have monetized their content.

While there are a few requirements for the things you need to prepare and the documents you need to send before you can start earning on TikTok, here are a few monetary streams that you can opt for.

1. Creator’s Fund

While TikTok does not directly pay you to create content on their platform, they do offer a form of funding for creators. This funding is called the TikTok Creator Fund.

The TikTok creator fund is one that a content creator or an influencer should sign up for. It has its own requirements; for example, you have to be 18 years old or older,  get at least 100,000 views in the last 30 days, and have at least 10,000 followers as well.

However, it is important to note that even though you are approved to sign up for the Tiktok Creators Fund, the payout that you will get will depend greatly on the number of views or followers you have. The number of engagements your videos receive and the authenticity of the users who engage with your post will also determine how much you will get from them.

While the TikTok creator fund is a good start to monetizing your content, it is not as stable as you want it to be if you want to be a full-time content creator. Thus, you can still do other forms of monetization.

Note: The TikTok Creator’s Fund is not available in all countries.

2. Gifting

Gifting is another way of earning from your TikTok content. You can receive gifts from your viewers while doing a live broadcast on your channel. Many celebrities have used the live feature on TikTok, including Megan Thee Stallion and Meghan Trainor. Thus, if you search “Megan Thee Stallion net worth” or “meghan trainor net worth” on Google, a part of it was given by their TikTok live viewers.

While both celebrities may not need the small amount they get from gifts, many small creators would be appreciative of the accumulation they will get from it.

3. Product Commissions

In some countries, TikTok does not only serve as a social media platform where you can share your videos. It also serves as a platform for online shopping, where users can check out their purchases and have them delivered to their doorstep.

Many creators who review products from Shopee or Amazon took advantage of this feature. They produce a video about the product and leave a link in the yellow basket at the bottom left corner of the screen.

This yellow basket, when clicked, will take the users to the TikTok Shop, where they can buy the specific product included in the video. And with every purchase the platform gets from your link, you will get a commission. This type of monetization works best if your content focuses on recommending products to your audience. 

However, the TikTok Shop feature is not available in every country. Thus, if TikTok in your country does not carry this feature, it is best to find other monetization streams.

4. Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing has long been here before TikTok ever rose to fame. Before, we were influenced to buy certain products through posts on Instagram. Does anybody remember the overly-advertised gummies for your hair? That is a good example of influencer marketing.

While Instagram marketing is still recommended, it can't be denied that TikTok is the best way to reach a wider audience and people interested in a specific niche. That is why, with the rise of TikTok, micro-influence has increased as well.

Instead of focusing their funds on a huge celebrity or influencer, many brands touch micro-influencers that are tapping audiences beyond their reach. These micro-influencers are more relatable, which makes many viewers patronize a product they are recommending.

5. Brand Deals and Paid Partnerships

Brand deals and paid partnerships are like influencer marketing but a notch higher. Instead of pure and organic recommendations, the influencers are paid to do a video or other content about the brand or the newly launched product that they want the market to be aware of.

Unlike influencer marketing, which is very raw and soft-selling, brand deals and paid partnerships are more of a hard-selling strategy to the audience. Most of the time, people are kind of skeptical that paid partnership content is really trustworthy and reliable; after all, an influencer was paid to do that video and did not get the product by using their own money to buy it. 

6. Merchandising

Another method by which TikTok influencers can monetize their content is if they launch a brand of their own. They can make a TikTok video or post content about the product they're selling or the services they're offering.

For example, Addison Rae, one of the most followed TikTok influencers, has launched her own beauty line called ITEM Beauty. She also released a music video that went TikTok viral. It is safe to say that she used her platform wisely.

Conclusion

How the world works is continuously changing. The ways we earned money in the 1990s are far from how people are earning money today. Instead of studying hard and going to college to find a decent job, children at the very young age of 5 could already be multi-millionaires, thanks to social media platforms like TikTok.