How to Make Money on TikTok

If you're looking to make money on TikTok, your best bets are brand partnerships, the Creator Fund and Creator Rewards Program, TikTok Shop, and the Affiliate Program. These are proven strategies creators are using right now to turn views into real income.

1. Brand Partnerships

Brand partnerships are still the holy grail of TikTok monetization. They pay significantly more than any other method, and they’re based on your ability to influence—not just your follower count. Brands want authentic creators who connect with their audience, so consistency and trust matter more than you might think.

Once your content starts gaining traction, brands may come to you, but you don’t have to wait around. You can pitch yourself too. The more you show up, the more viable this path becomes.

Here’s how you can get started with brand partnerships:

Step 1: Build a cohesive personal brand

Your brand should instantly tell someone what you’re about. Stick to a clear niche, stay consistent in your tone, visuals, and themes, and create a recognizable style across all your videos. This helps brands immediately see how you fit into their campaigns.

Step 2: Track your metrics and optimize engagement

It’s not just about views. Brands care deeply about how engaged your audience is. Reply to comments, duet fan content, start conversations. Keep an eye on which videos perform best and why, and use that to double down on what’s working. Save screenshots of your top stats—you’ll need them for pitching later.

Step 3: Create a media kit

Think of your media kit like your resume for brand deals. Include your bio, audience breakdown (age, location, interests), engagement rate, best content, and past collabs if you’ve done any. Keep it clean and visually appealing, and update it regularly with new stats.

Step 4: Use creator platforms to find deals

The TikTok Creator Marketplace is made for finding deals; it’s where verified brands look for creators to hire. You can also explore platforms like AspireIQ, #paid, Upfluence, or FamePick. These sites match you with brands and even handle contracts and payments in many cases.

Step 5: Pitch brands directly with custom outreach

Skip the generic messages. If you’re reaching out, show the brand you’ve done your homework. Mention how your audience overlaps with theirs, what kind of content you’d create, and lead with the value you bring. A short, clear pitch with a link to your media kit is all you need to start the convo.

2. TikTok Creator Fund & Creator Rewards Programs

TikTok’s official programs—Creator Fund and Creator Rewards—pay you based on how your videos perform. The original Creator Fund pays around $0.02–$0.04 per 1,000 views, while the newer Rewards Program can go as high as $4–$8 per 1,000 views if your content gets longer watch times and more engagement.

It’s not life-changing money at first, but thanks to TikTok’s viral potential, it’s more attainable than platforms like YouTube.

Here’s how you can qualify and how you can maximize your earnings from TikTok’s Creator Programs:

Step 1: Meet the eligibility requirements

To join the Creator Fund, you need at least 10,000 followers, 100,000 video views in the last 30 days, and to be 18 or older with a U.S.-based account. The Creator Rewards Program has similar requirements, but only accepts content over one minute and rewards deeper engagement. Currently, it’s only available in the U.S., UK, Germany, France, Japan, and Brazil.

Step 2: Focus on long-form, high-retention content

TikTok isn’t just counting views; it’s tracking how long people stay. To earn more, create 1–3 minute videos that hold attention from beginning to end. The longer and more complete the watch, the better your payout.

Step 3: Build content around value, not just trends

Trendy dances are fun, but TikTok ends up paying more for engaging content that teaches something, solves a problem, or deeply entertains. The more comments, shares, and saves you get, the better your chances of earning.

Step 4: Post consistently, not just when you feel like it

Showing up regularly tells the algorithm you’re serious. Aim for 3–5 posts per week. That consistency will help you stand out and qualify you for more opportunities within both programs.

3. TikTok Shop

TikTok Shop is one of the platform’s most powerful built-in monetization tools. It lets you sell products directly within your videos, which means your followers don’t have to leave the app to buy—and that massively boosts your conversion rate.

Here’s how you can set up your TikTok shop so you can start earning:

Step 1: Register your TikTok Shop account

Go to the TikTok Seller Center and sign up as either an individual (18+ with a valid U.S. ID) or a business (you’ll need official documents and a U.S. address). It typically takes 1–3 business days for approval.

Step 2: Set up your payment method

Once approved, link your bank or PayPal Business account. Make sure everything is verified before you start listing products.

Step 3: Upload and list your products

Use clean photos, clear descriptions, and accurate pricing. Focus on clarity and simplicity—don’t overload your product page with too much info.

Step 4: Link your shop to your TikTok profile

Turn on the Shopping tab and enable product tagging. This makes your videos shoppable and keeps everything seamless for the viewer.

Step 5: Choose the right products to sell

Go with items that look good on camera and are easy to understand; beauty products, kitchen gadgets, fashion accessories, and affordable home items work especially well.

Step 6: Make content that actually sells

Stick to proven formats like before-and-afters, problem-solvers, and real-life demos. Speak clearly, show the product in action, and don’t be shy about telling people to tap and buy or to check out your shop.

TikTok Shop livestreams are huge. Going live lets you build trust in real time and gives people a chance to ask questions before they buy. Consistent live selling can seriously boost your earnings.

4. Tiktok Affiliate Program

The TikTok Affiliate Program lets you earn commission by promoting other people’s products, even if you don’t sell anything yourself. You just pick items from the Affiliate Marketplace, tag them in your content, and get paid when someone buys.

You’re not paid per view, you’re paid per sale, so you control your earnings by choosing what to promote and how you present it. Commissions often range from 10% to 30% depending on the product and seller.

Here’s how to join and actually earn through TikTok’s Affiliate Program:

Step 1: Set up your affiliate access

All you need is a Business or Creator account and at least 1,000 followers. Register through the TikTok Shop Affiliate Portal (via Seller Center), and once approved, you can browse the product catalog and start promoting right away.

Step 2: Choose high-converting products to promote

Pick items that align with your content and speak to your audience’s needs. Look for sellers offering free samples and high commissions; beauty, gadgets, and fashion are great starting points. You can apply to receive products to feature in videos.

Step 3: Create content that sells without screaming ‘buy this!’

Avoid hard sells. Focus on natural product placement—unboxings, routines, tutorials, or reviews. Show the product solving a problem or making life better.

Step 4: Tag your products and monitor performance

Use TikTok’s product tag feature to make your videos shoppable. You can track clicks, conversions, and commissions in real time from the Creator Center.

Step 5: Scale what works, drop what doesn’t

Pay attention to what videos and products perform best. Keep testing call-to-actions (CTAs) like “Check my shop!” or “Tap here to get yours!” to boost conversions.

Other Ways to Monetize Your TikTok Presence

While the core methods take time to scale, TikTok offers other ways to make quick wins or support your main strategy.

Live gifts and tips

During livestreams, your audience can send digital gifts—roses, lions, universes—that convert into real money. You accumulate "Diamonds" and can cash out once you hit the minimum (usually $100). The more engaging your stream, the more likely you are to get gifts.

Cross-platform monetization

Use TikTok to drive traffic to platforms with better monetization. YouTube, for example, pays far more in ad revenue—about $2–$5 per 1,000 views compared to TikTok’s $0.02–$0.04. Create teaser-style TikToks and link them to full-length YouTube videos.

You can also direct fans to email lists, Patreon, or digital products.

Building a client pipeline

If you’re a freelancer, consultant, or coach, TikTok can be your best lead generation tool. Use your videos to teach, give tips, or highlight success stories. Instead of pitching directly, focus on educating your audience about their problems and occasionally mentioning how you help clients solve these issues professionally. Let potential clients come to you.

Can Beginners Earn on TikTok?

Absolutely—but manage your expectations. If you’re just starting out with 1,000–5,000 followers, you might make $50–$200 a month.

Focus on growing your audience and posting consistently. Once you hit 10,000+ followers with solid engagement, that number can climb to $500–$2,000 a month through affiliate links, brand deals, and Creator Fund earnings.

The key is staying consistent for at least 6–12 months. Most creators who quit early (within 2–4 months) never reach the point where income starts to snowball.

And don’t stress about fancy gear—your phone, a ring light, a tripod, and a lapel mic are all you need. In fact, raw, honest videos often outperform overly polished content.

Looking to supplement your early TikTok earnings? Here are some other beginner-friendly ways to earn money online.