How to Make Money on TikTok: 9 Ways for 2024

TikTok is a wildly successful social media platform that now has more than a billion users worldwide. People love its short-form video content, which works great for everything from funny sketches to educational content. 

Because of its overwhelming popularity, TikTok is also becoming a place where you can earn a decent income. 

In this post, we look at how to make money on TikTok. Those successful enough might even be able to replace their day job. How great does that sound?

How Do You Make Money on TikTok?

Most creators and advertisers use a combination of the following for a viable TikTok cash flow:

Sponsorships

If your TikTok account deals with a particular subject, such as clothes, computing, or travel, you may be able to get sponsorship from firms operating in your niche. Companies will pay you to showcase their products and services, or run their advertisements. 

Brands will often reach out to you proactively if you are highly successful. Failing that, you can advertise yourself on influencer marketplaces, such as Intellifluence, Afluencer, Heepsy, or HypeAuditor. Here, companies can browse your profile, find out how much you cost, and make offers to work with you.

The TikTok Creator Fund

TikTok uses its Creator Fund to incentivize people to upload content to its platform. Users who are at least 18 years old, with more than 10,000 followers, and over 100,000 video views in the last 30 days can apply for cash payments through the scheme.

The amount of money you receive depends on the size of your account and the niche you operate in. TikTok is a little shady about how much exactly it pays out, but it probably isn’t a sufficient passive income to maintain a decent lifestyle. For most accounts, we’re talking a few dollars or cents per day, more like coffee money or an allowance than a real paycheck.

Affiliate Links

While TikTok itself might not be willing to pay much, brand affiliate programs often are. Once you get an offer for a personal affiliate link, just display those links in your post descriptions or personal bio pages and use your videos to promote those products.

Market Your Business And Attract Clients

Being a highly popular platform, TikTok is also a great place to pick up clients and attract new customers. Entrepreneurs regularly post content on the site to build their reputation, showcase their results, or describe the services they offer. 

Marketing your business on TikTok is surprisingly easy to do as well. All you really need is something you can sell, and you’re ready to go. Try selling what you already know, such as SEO, website design, healthy living, and so on.

Merchandise

Selling merchandise to your audience, such as beanies, pens, t-shirts, and artwork is another great way to generate cash. You can make real money as a Tik Tok influencer just through merch sales alone.

To be successful, you’ll need an account with a strong identity. Once people fall in love with your brand, your merch sales will rise quickly, and if you don’t already have merch of your own, requests to make it from viewers are a pretty good indicator you should get some.

TikTok Ads

You can also make money on TikTok via ads. Set up a TikTok for Business account and capture ad revenues from branded hashtags, brand takeovers, and in-feed video ads.

Start Accepting Virtual Gifts

TikTok allows users to purchase gifts and send them to you if they find your content valuable. Influencers and creators can then cash out these coins and virtual payments for real money.

Manage Influencer Campaigns

Another popular way people are making money on TikTok is by managing influencer campaigns. Instead of setting up your own account, you can help connect businesses with top influencers in their niche, charging a fee for every successful partnership. It works sort of like a matchmaking service.

Promote A Brand

Lastly, you might consider becoming a brand ambassador -- someone who persistently praises a particular company and encourages users to buy its products or services.

In this role, you’ll spread positive news about the brand, make product recommendations, and boost their presence on TikTok and other social media channels. Companies will often pay you for this work on a freelance basis, offering flexible rates and performance-related pay.

Tips for Making Money on TikTok

The amount of money TikTokers make varies considerably between creators. Most influencers approach the platform in an amateurish way, without the desire to make money. Their authentic and genuinely creative ends up attracting enough attention that it becomes a money-making opportunity.

Funnily enough, that approach can be summarized in some tips on how to make money on TikTok. Check out our ideas below:

Have Fun

TikTok didn’t become the world’s fastest-growing social media platform by taking life seriously. Instead, it prioritized people having fun. Many of the most successful accounts on the social sharing site are just people larking around.

If your only intent for starting on TikTok is to make money, you’re in for a disappointment. People will see through it, and you won’t get the following you’ll need.

Your best bet is to relax into it and be authentic. Audiences will appreciate this and naturally gravitate towards your channel. Don’t pressure yourself to make a certain number of sales per week or generate a specific number of dollars per month. Just experiment with the platform and see what happens when you enjoy yourself.

Be Genuine

Users can spot an inauthentic TikTok account from a mile off. Something just doesn’t feel right. 

Don’t do stuff just to get more likes. Do something original that people haven't seen before. And if you’re just being yourself on the platform as the unique human being you are, chances are someone will like what you have to offer.

Also, avoid promoting products too much. Again, audiences don’t appreciate it when they’re clearly just a way to make money.

Find A Niche

Many users start out on TikTok with a scattergun approach, posting on any and all topics. However, that approach rarely works. If you don’t pick a niche, users won’t know what sort of content to go to you for.

Before you start, research your niche to determine if there is a demand for it. See whether any other players are already operating in your area and if they’ve had any success.

Next, look for relevant topics in your niche and watch videos on them to see what role you could fill. TikTok’s algorithms will adjust to show you more relevant content over time.

Build A Community First

Don’t immediately start selling on TikTok before you’ve built a community. If you try to flog merchandise or promote a brand from the outset, you’ll come across as corporate, not what the TikTok community wants. Selling to a cold audience rarely works. Offer free value first and be patient.

Post Regularly

Lastly, many TikTok users post videos daily (or even more than once per day) to keep their audiences entertained. Posting regularly helps engage users and keeps the TikTok algorithm happy (it promotes the most active and recent accounts).

How To Get Paid on TikTok

Getting paid on TikTok takes a variety of forms. These include:

• Getting paid directly by third-party companies to promote their products, services, and brands, or via affiliate links
• Selling merchandise and other products
• Promoting products and services that your business sells
• Receiving payment from TikTok for ads you display on your channel
• Receiving money from TikTok’s Creator Fund

In Conclusion

Learning how to make money on TikTok is surprisingly easy. Most influencers make money through multiple channels, so even if one method seems like it provides minimal income, you can always add others. Just remember - be genuine and patient, and the cash will come pouring in good time.