How Much Do TikTokers Make?
Almost everyone has heard of TikTok. This is because the short video-sharing platform probably has the planet’s largest community of users. TikTok users are in the millions, with over 38 million accounts in the United States alone. The popularity is unsurprising, seeing as social media began dominating the scene in the twenty-first century. At the moment, anyone who is not conversant with social media platforms or familiar with popular ones such as TikTok is in the minority.
The previous US administration wanted to ban TikTok. This was because of data privacy concerns. However, TikTok is willing to sell its portion to any company in the country. Companies in the running for this enviable offer include Walmart, Oracle, and Microsoft. However, since the start of the new administration, there haven’t been talks of any ban.
Apart from using TikTok to share videos and have fun, some smart individuals make money from their TikTok accounts. These individuals, known as TikTok stars, rake in as much as several million in a year.
TikTok directly affects young people. Hence, it is a ripe field for anyone looking to make money using non-traditional paths. The great thing is that, though difficult, anyone can become a TikTok sensation.
Now you may be wondering, how much do TikTokers make? This guide will dive into the world of TikTok and tell you what TikTokers earn in addition to revealing how you can join the league of top earners. Ready? Let’s get started!
How Much Do Tiktokers Make: a Survey of Some Tiktok Creators
If you are a regular TikTok user, then you indeed must have found yourself asking at some point: how much money do Tiktokers make? This question becomes even more imperative when you consider that there are top TikTok stars at the moment whose lifestyle suggests that they are cashing out big time on the platform.
Well, first, understand that several factors influence how much a person makes on any platform. Whether it’s TikTok, Twitch, or any other streaming service there are aspects that factor into earnings. A TikTok money calculator factors in your TikTok audience, your locality, how frequent your posts are, and so on. TikTok money calculators calculate TikTok estimated earnings of the top players in the field. But sometimes, they are inaccurate.
However, generally, TikTok estimated earnings range from between $200 and $5000 per month. The possibility of being on the high end increases with the more followers you have. With half a million followers, you could be earning up to six figures per annum.
According to Forbes, the highest-earning TikTok star is Addison Rae Easterling. She started by posting short dance clips on her TikTok channel. Within a year, she attained celebrity status and had to leave school for Los Angeles, where she is now pursuing a celebrity lifestyle full time. She has made $5 million from her deals with various companies, including shoe brand Reebok and Watch company Daniel Wellington. Others on the list include Charli D’Amelio and her sister Dixie, who incidentally launched her music career by piggybacking off their fame from TikTok. They made upwards of $2 million in 2020 alone.
How To Make Money on TikTok
There are several ways to make money using your TikTok account. We will discuss a few of them below. Note that you have to be 16 at least to begin to make money directly from TikTok. Additionally, you have to be 18 to take up any influencer engagement. However, if you hit these two criteria, you are good to go.
Gifting
Gifting is the first and the easiest way to make money from TikTok. Unlike YouTube, you can make money directly from your TikTok followers without depending on ad revenue. This is because TikTok allows users to have coins. They gift these coins to their favorite TikTok stars by liking any live-streamed events on their TikTok channel. How much money you make depends on the number of coins you can gather from your followers. Thus, a viral TikTok video could see you earning thousands of dollars. The highest-earning TikTok accounts are typically those who go live often and receive a lot of coins from followers.
Followers can also buy emojis that they can use while chatting with you. This also translates to more money for the TikToker. Followers can purchase both the special emoji and the coins with actual cash. On the other hand, when the coins have accumulated to an appreciable number, you can switch them for money.
Sponsored Content
You can also earn money by making sponsored videos for companies. Some companies, especially those in the beauty and cosmetic spheres, have TikTok accounts they need experienced people to manage. You will have to create TikTok videos and distinct video clips that would drive attention to the company. For example, Loren Gray, a TikTok star, makes a lot of money creating content for Revlon.
Another idea is to become a full-time TikTok consultant. If you have amassed experience in the field, you can have people pay you to teach them how best to use the platform. TikTok is relatively new. Furthermore, it has many young people, but many others are not currently on the platform and may not know how to begin. With a few tutorial videos, you can be on your way to making money. Of course, how much money TikTokers make using this route depends on the number of people willing to pay for their services.
TikTok Influencer Marketing Activations and Brand Partnerships
Brand partnerships and influencer marketing are common on social media. Companies will typically reach out to successful users on various platforms and have them promote their products and services. The individual will then advertise the product on their YouTube account or, as in this case, their TikTok channel. A successful brand partnership arises when the company makes sales from the arrangement. Thus, the highest-paid TikTok stars are often the ones with the juiciest brand deals.
To venture into influencer marketing or brand promotion, you should pay careful attention to your audience. How much money TikTokers make here often depends on the strength of the followers they have. You will only catch a company’s attention when you get popular. Hence, always make sure to post awesome video content on your TikTok accounts.
You should always aim to retain your authenticity, even when going about influencer marketing. Your followers love you for your voice. Hence, make sure that you do not get stifled while promoting whatever brand that approaches you. This also means that you should only be looking to work with companies that target your audience. If the bulk of your followers are not captured by the company you wish to promote, turn down the deal.
Selling Merchandise
Apart from brand partnerships, selling your merchandise is one way to sell goods on TikTok and make some cool money along the way. There are several ways to do this. You can turn your TikTok imagery into a brand and create goods that you can sell along that line. You can also make a branded video about the merchandise you are selling. Followers will be incentivized to patronize you because of the air of exclusivity and community that it breeds. They can wear the shirts or buy your mugs to identify with you. They could even post videos of their purchases, and you can promote that too.
The easy way to achieve this is by setting up an online eCommerce store to connect to your TikTok account. Platforms like eBay and Etsy make it possible.
You can also decide not to sell any product yourself and engage in affiliate marketing. A lot of popular creators and TikTok stars do this. You would have to collaborate with a manufacturer for this to work. Hence, you can make videos promoting and recommending the product. Afterward, you can insert a link to the online store where users can buy the product. Whenever anyone uses the link to purchase the product, you get a percentage. This is a regular practice with popular creators, especially on YouTube. It is typical to find YouTube videos promoting one merchandise or the other.
Cross Promoting
Popular TikTok stars typically have successful accounts on other social media platforms. Thus, it is typical to find that content on one account is posted on different accounts. This is known as cross-promoting and is one of the ways to earn money from TikTok.
Since both TikTok and YouTube are video-based, you can open a YouTube channel. You can then begin creating video content and sharing it across the two platforms. You can also develop teasers and highlights, directing YouTube followers to your TikTok account and vice versa. You will, this way, be able to direct followers from one account to the other.
Cross-promoting is also an excellent way to get ahead of a TikTok competitor. Even if your TikTok account activity fails to meet the standards of such a competitor, combining the strength of your other social media accounts could help you pull ahead.
Making Money from Tiktok Videos: Tips
Some creators have suggested that anyone who spends over eight hours on TikTok can make some cool money from the social media platform. As mentioned above, TikTok has gained immense popularity, and many are making anything from a few hundred dollars to a six-figure income. However, on the other hand, some people find it challenging to break even on the platform. So what is the cause of the difference? More so, how can you better position yourself to earn money from TikTok?
Find Your Audience
Know who your specific audience is. This is like owning your own YouTube channel. Hence, you need to find your people so you can curate content specifically for them.
Start Posting Videos
TikTok essentially thrives on short video clips. There are thousands of them at any one time. Hence, to earn money, you have to keep your short videos interesting. However, creating interesting videos can take some work. Thus, you should take some time to brainstorm. Understand that how engaging your videos are could impact how many followers you get. Also, it could either improve or reduce your chances of getting a brand deal or being paid for sponsored videos.
Post Videos Frequently
One thing you must have noticed about the most popular TikTok stars is that they post consistently. This is quite critical to influencer engagement. Make sure there is something fresh on your page at all times. If there is a challenge going on, jump on it. Ensure your page is the go-to site for anything related to your niche.
Engage
Engaging with your TikTok users will keep them interested in you and your brand. Engaging means replying to likes and comments, keeping things interactive with your audience, and so on. Building rapport with your TikTok audience takes time. However, it is the only guaranteed way to earn money on the platform. The more followers you have, the better your chances of snagging a deal promoting brands.