How to make money on TikTok – a simple guide

There are three main ways to make money from TikTok:

• earning money directly from TikTok through its Creativity Program Beta
• partnering with brands to post sponsored content
• selling your own merchandise via 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

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’.

If you want to make money directly from TikTok, you’ll need to have at least 10,000 followers, plus at least 100,000 video views in the last 30 days. Read more about the TikTok Creativity Program Beta below.

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.

Build trust with your audience and they’re more likely to engage 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. For example, according to the Digital Marketing Institute, US creator Addison Rae has made around $5 million from her TikTok videos.

It’s also been reported that TikTokers are paid a matter of cents per 1,000 views. But with the UK’s top TikTok of 2022 receiving over 244.2 million 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

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

Build your following 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.

Using TikTok for business – how else can you make money?

If you’re looking to become an influencer and make money from affiliate marketing, it pays to have a multi-channel 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.

Perl Cosmetics shares how she turned £1,000 into a six figure business in this TikTok video:

And this TikTok video from Partner in Wine describes how financial investment would have helped her develop new products more quickly and grow her business.

What is the TikTok Creator Fund?

In the UK the TikTok Creator Fund is part of Creator Next, a TikTok initiative that helps creators take their content to the next level.

This scheme is no longer available for new users – instead you can sign up for TikTok’s new Creativity Program Beta.

Existing Creator Fund users can switch to the new programme in the app, before it’s removed on 16 December.

What is the Creativity Program Beta?

TikTok’s Creativity Program Beta is a replacement for the Creator Fund. It’s designed for people posting original videos to monetise their content.

This programme prioritises longer-form content – if over a minute can be considered long. Videos can include livestreams and high-quality original content. It can’t be sponsored content or promotional content of any kind.

As well as the Creativity Program Beta, members can get access to:

• TikTok Creator Marketplace – a platform where creators can connect with brands and agencies with the aim of making content together
• LIVE Gifts – creators who receive gifts from followers during live streams can redeem them for money (minimum of 1,000 followers required)
• Video Gifts – a way for creators to make money from their short videos. Any gifts they receive can be exchanged for cash (minimum of 10,000 followers required)
• Tips – creators using this feature can receive tips from followers who want to support them financially (minimum of 100,000 followers required)

How does the Creativity Program Beta work?

If you’re already using the TikTok Creator Fund then you can switch to the Creativity Program Beta through your TikTok profile on the app. New users can do the same, but will need to wait up to three days to find out if your application has been successful.

The Creativity Program Beta will pay you based on video views and engagement. You can only get paid for videos that achieve more than 1,000 views and meet TikTok’s Community Guidelines and Terms of Service.

Once you start getting paid, the money will appear in a Creativity Program Dashboard. From here, you can withdraw money to a payment platform like PayPal or your bank account.

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.

What is the Creativity Program Beta criteria?

To join Creativity Program Beta 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

Tips for building your self-employed business

If you want to make money from TikTok, you’ll need to make sure you’re paying enough tax and have the right insurance.

Read our guide to going self-employed to get started, plus find out more about the type of business insurance you might need to cover any risks associated with your work and protect your equipment

Here are some more useful guides that can help you build your influencer business:

• guide to second job tax if you have a side hustle
• guide to self-employed income tax rates
• guide to self-employed expenses

What are your ideas for making money on TikTok? Let us know in the comments below.

More business guides for influencers

• How to promote your business
• How to make money on YouTube
• A guide to passive income
• Do I need public liability insurance?