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How to Make Money on TikTok: 13 Expert Hacks

how to make money on TikTok - cover

TikTok isn’t just a platform for entertainment anymore; it’s a place where creators can turn their passion into profit. With over 1 billion monthly active users, the chances of earning money from your content are great. All you need is to learn how to make money on TikTok.

In this guide, we’ll break down 13 proven ways to make money on TikTok, from brand partnerships and product sales to newer features. Whether you are a beginner or a professional, these methods work for everyone. So, get ready to make some money on TikTok.

Top Strategies to Make Money on TikTok

If you want to make money on TikTok, you need more than just creativity; you need strategy. The key to success is knowing which method works for you now and staying consistent.

Now, it’s time to talk about 13 proven methods to earn from TikTok, for all of which you will need the trending TikTok hashtags to grow your account.

how to make money on TikTok - infographic of 13 strategies

#1 Join the TikTok Creator Rewards Program 

One of the best methods to make money on TikTok is joining the TikTok Creator Rewards Program. But what is it?

The TikTok Creator Rewards Program is a monetization program that pays eligible creators for posting original, high-quality videos longer than 1 minute.

To start the journey you must:

  • Be at least 18 years old.
  • Have a personal or creator account. (This program is not available for business or political accounts. )
  • Have at least 10,000 followers and 100,000 views in the last 30 days.
  • Be in eligible countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, South Korea, France, Mexico, and Brazil. Check the TikTok creator academy to see if your location is eligible.

The TikTok Creator Rewards Program is one of the best ways for you to start earning money from your videos. However, you should focus on creating quality content to be able to make money with this method.

How Rewards Are Calculated

TikTok pays based on qualified views, which depend on:

  • Watch time
  • Engagement (likes, comments, shares)
  • Video quality and originality
  • You can earn additional payouts through the “Additional Reward” feature for videos that perform exceptionally well.

You might be curious about how much TikTok pays. Although there is no fixed amount for earning money on the TikTok Creator Rewards Program, the average income is usually between $0.40 and $2.00+ per 1,000 views, depending on video quality, engagement, and niche.

#2 Open Your Own TikTok Shop

One of the easiest ways to turn your content into real income is to open your own TikTok Shop. 

By having your TikTok shop, you can:

  • Tag your products directly in your videos.
  • Sell your products through livestreams.
  • Create a storefront on your profile so your audience can browse and purchase. 

This means your audience buys from you without ever leaving the app.

TikTok Shop

In this method, you can easily sell your own products or promote affiliate items and make money. All you need to do is to talk about the product and tag them in your videos, and add a “Buy” button.

Plus, if you have a Shopify store, you can connect it to your TikTok Shop to boost your sales. However, this feature might not be available for all creators. Check out TikTok seller requirements

#3 Create Sponsored Brand Content 

Another way you should try is creating sponsored brand content on TikTok. It’s a smart method even if you don’t have a lot of followers. Many brands look for nano influencers with authentic engagement to partner with, and that could be you.

All you need to do is create natural videos and talk about the brand’s product or service, and then post them on your profile. If your video performs well, brands might ask you for more posts or an ongoing partnership.

It’s one of the easiest ways to make money on TikTok with a small count of followers, because people would rather work with micro-influencers who have the right audience.  

You may wonder how brands can find you for collaboration? You should consider joining an influencer marketing platform, such as Ainfluencer, to increase your visibility to brands and businesses seeking content creators like you.

#4 Earn Through Affiliate Marketing 

Affiliate marketing on TikTok can be one of the most low-effort but profitable ways to earn money, even if you’re just starting out. The great thing about this method is that you don’t need to have your own products.

An Affiliate Marketer on TikTok

Instead, you promote other brands’ items and earn a commission whenever someone buys through your link. The important part is that you have to choose products that feel natural to your content and your audience.

Here’s how to get started:

  • Find products you genuinely like: You have to find products you are interested in, so it would be easier for you to promote.
  • Create short & engaging videos: You should share real videos about the product and talk about the benefits it has or even use them on camera if you can, so people don’t feel you are just advertising.
  • Add your affiliate link in your bio, or share a discount code in your caption or comments.
  • Track your performance: At the end of the day, you have to know which products are selling better and your followers love the most.

The more authentic your content feels, the better your sales will be. Remember, even with a small but loyal following, you can earn money on TikTok with this method. You can also use affiliate marketing to make money on YouTube, as well.

Now you may wonder how to find products for affiliate marketing. Don’t worry. There are many affiliate marketing platforms, like Ainfluencer, that can connect you with brands for affiliate marketing, especially on Amazon. 

Joining these platforms are free for creators, so you won’t lose anything if you join several platforms at once. 

#5 Go Live and Collect Virtual Gifts 

Going live on TikTok is another great TikTok monetization method that helps you connect with your audience in real time. When you host a live stream, your followers can send you virtual gifts and small digital items that you can turn into real money.

TikTok Creator Going Live

Obviously, the more interesting and entertaining your livestream is, the more likely your viewers are to send gifts to support you. Additionally, to get the most out of your live session, you need to know when to go live on TikTok that most of your audience are online. 

Like other features, you need some requirements to be able to collect gifts on TikTok Live. 

  • You need to be at least 18 years old.
  • You should live in one of the countries where TikTok pays creators, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, or Germany.
  • You should have at least 1000 followers. 

If you are already selling something, going live is a great way to show them, answer questions, and build a loyal community. Additionally, this is one of the best money making tricks for beginners as they only need to have 1K followers, which you can easily gain in a few days.

#6 Offer Premium Videos with TikTok Series 

Now, let’s talk about a new method that you can earn money by offering exclusive videos behind a paywall. This method is called TikTok Series, which gives you an opportunity to create a collection of premium videos that fans pay to watch. This works well for educational content, tutorials, fitness programs, or any other topic your audience needs.

Key features of TikTok Series:

  • Up to 80 videos per series
  • Each video is up to 20 minutes long
  • Pricing between $0.99 and $189.99

To start, you must:

  • Be at least 18 years old, 
  • Have over 10,000 followers, 
  • and meet activity requirements. 

This method is perfect if you want to make money with your talent. 

#7 Accept Tips and Fan Donations 

You can always make some extra income by letting your fans give you tips and donations. This can work like a digital tip jar; your followers who enjoy your content can tip you through it.

Ways to accept tips on TikTok:

  • TikTok Gifts: Fans can send virtual gifts during livestreams, like we talked about.
  • Tipping platforms: Or you can link to external platforms so fans can tip anytime. To do that, you can use these options:  
PlatformHow It Works
TipeeeSimple page where fans tip any amount, anytime.
Buy Me a CoffeeFans purchase “coffees” ($1 each) as a form of support.
Ko-fiLets fans tip, subscribe, or commission custom content.

#8 Grow and Sell Niche TikTok Accounts 

If you wonder how to earn money on TikTok without being an influencer or an active content creator, selling your TikTok account is an option. 

To do this, you should make a TikTok profile about a specific topic, like travel, cooking, or art, and try to get followers who are actually interested in that niche

Once your account has a strong following and engagement, it’s time to sell it to someone who wants a ready audience. 

Steps to grow and sell niche TikTok accounts:

  • Choose a niche
  • Post consistent, high-quality content
  • Grow the account
  • List the account for sale on platforms like Fameswap or Accfarm.

If you have talent and passion to work on TikTok, this approach can be very profitable for you. 

However, to be successful in this method, you should know how to gain followers on TikTok to easily create that fan base and make money by selling the account. 

Are you curious how much your TikTok account is worth?

Although this amount changes based on niche or number of followers, the average income from selling a TikTok account ranges from $100 to $50,000+, depending on niche, engagement, and follower count.

To make it clearer to understand how you can gain money from this method, here is the list based on follower count.

Followers CountEstimated Price (USD)
10K–50K$100 – $500
50K–250K$500 – $3,000
250K–500K$3,000 – $10,000
500K+$10,000 – $50,000+

However, these numbers are just estimations; there is no rule that you can sell your account exactly at this amount. But knowing the range can help you get the point.

#9 Sell Merch or Custom Products

Selling merchandise or custom products is one of the TikTok money making methods that most creators love to do. You can design and sell items based on your content and niche. It can work for any type of creator, too, whether you post comedy skits, share tips, or create art.

TikTok Account Selling Merch

Plus, like other creators, you can use print-on-demand services, which means you don’t need to handle inventory or shipping. You can also use this method to make money on Instagram. Here are some ideas for your custom products: 

  • T-shirts and hoodies
  • Hats and tote bags
  • Mugs and phone cases
  • Stickers and notebooks

#10 Earn with Subscriptions

On TikTok, you can create a subscription plan that can make you good money. This way you let fans pay regularly for special perks, like exclusive videos, behind-the-scenes access, or subscriber-only livestreams. 

Here’s how it works:

  • On TikTok: You can use TikTok’s subscription feature so followers can join for a monthly fee.
  • Off TikTok: Or you can try platforms like Patreon to offer membership tiers with extra benefits.

With low cost, your fans can consider a subscription easier, and if you attract enough people, you can make money on TikTok while building a loyal fan base.

TikTok Subscription Eligibility

You can use this feature if you:

  • Are over 18 years old.
  • Have more than 10K followers.
  • Have more than 100K views in the last 30 days. 

#11 Launch a Crowdfunding Campaign

Crowdfunding is when you collect money from a group of people, usually online, to fund a project or idea. Instead of getting money from just one investor, you ask many people (often your audience or fans) to give small amounts that add up to what you need.

In this method, you can set a clear goal and invite your audience to donate through live events or videos. This is a good way to fund projects like new products, creative works, or business ideas. You can use some platforms that help you with crowdfunding, like: 

PlatformBest For
KickstarterProjects with a clear goal and timeline
IndiegogoFlexible goals and funding options
PatreonOngoing support through memberships

#12 Create Paid Fan Shoutouts

Another fun way you can get paid on TikTok is by offering personalized shoutouts. You can charge your fans to give them a custom message from you. People might want to get these messages for themselves or as gifts for their loved ones. 

Here’s how it works:

  • Fans will pay a small fee to get a video or message just for them or someone they love. 
  • You should create a personalized shoutout mentioning their name and their request.
  • And then you deliver the video through TikTok or another platform.

Example:

Shoutout TypePrice Range
Short personalized message$10–$50
Longer or custom content$50–$200+

#12 Refer Friends and Earn Rewards 

And lastly, you can earn money on TikTok by referring friends and earning rewards. This method works great even if you don’t have many followers, so it’s perfect if you want to know how to make money on TikTok without followers.

Going into TikTok

You just have to invite people to join TikTok using your unique referral code. And when they sign up and start engaging with content, you earn some points  that can be converted into cash, gift cards, or other rewards.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

  • Get your referral code in the TikTok Rewards section.
  • Share it with friends or on social media.
  • Earn points when friends sign up and interact with videos.
  • Convert points to cash or rewards.

#13 Watch TikTok Video

Now let’s talk about a different approach. TikTok lets users earn money by watching videos through programs that reward engagement. This is not a direct feature of TikTok itself, but there are some third-party apps and certain TikTok events that offer ways to earn small amounts by watching content. These methods work like this: 

Watching Videos on TikTok
  • TikTok Creator Rewards: In some situations, creators run campaigns and give rewards to followers who engage with their videos. 
  • Third-party apps: There are certain apps like Swagbucks and JumpTask that pay users to watch TikTok videos or similar short content for points or cash.
  • Live events & challenges: Sometimes TikTok hosts events where viewers earn by watching livestreams.

Conclusion

Getting rich on TikTok will get easier for you if you learn how to make money on TikTok. By understanding your audience, creating engaging content, and leveraging different monetization strategies, such as brand partnerships, affiliate marketing, and your own unique products; you can turn your passion for TikTok into a profitable venture. 

However, you should not forget that you should be consistent because it might not happen overnight. Take your time, create great video, and try different methods.

FAQs

  1. 1. Which Pays More, TikTok or YouTube?

    In general, YouTube tends to pay more than TikTok. And that is because YouTube ad revenue is higher, so creators earn more based on how long people watch their videos. However, if you get popular on TikTok, you can earn even more money than YouTubers. 

  2. 2. Can You Make a Full-Time Income on TikTok?

    Yes, but you need a good strategy. Many creators mix a few methods to make money, like brand deals, affiliate marketing, live gifts, and the Creator Rewards Program. If your content is engaging and high-quality, your earnings will increase.

  3. 3. How to Make Money on TikTok with 1000 Followers?

    Most people think it’s not possible to earn money on TikTok with about 1,000 followers. But if you focus on creativity and engagement, you can be one of those nano-influencers that people love. You can earn by using methods like affiliate marketing, referring friends, or selling your own products. The key is to know your audience and understand their needs. 

  4. 4. Can You Make Money on TikTok in Canada?

    Yes, you can monetize your content in Canada, but some features like the Creator Rewards Program may be limited or unavailable, so Canadian creators often rely on alternative monetization strategies.