Can you make money on TikTok? The short answer is yes! Content creators and brands alike can use TikTok as a revenue stream, whether you’re marketing your own products or another brand, or just creating great content.
Some TikTokers have made millions of dollars from the platform. The top 50 creators have amassed a collective $720 million in 2024, with more than 2.75 billion combined followers. A platform this size offers ample opportunities for other creators to join the conversation and grab a slice of a massive multi-million-dollar pie.
Now that you know you can make money on TikTok, let’s explore your next objective: How do you make money on TikTok?
Contents:
Why TikTok Is a Powerful Platform for Making Money
How Much Does TikTok Pay Per 1000 Views?
How Many Followers Do You Need to Make Money on TikTok?
Top 4 Ways to Make Money on TikTok
Additional Tips to Make Money on TikTok
Growing Your TikTok Presence with Klear by Meltwater
Why TikTok Is a Powerful Platform for Making Money
TikTok is a goldmine for influencer marketing. It’s a place where viewers come to be inspired and entertained. Guards come down and viewers are more receptive to hearing from brands and companies. (Dare we say they even enjoy it?)
With more than a billion TikTok users and counting, TikTok is a place where your target audience already is. It’s where trends are born and content goes viral. And unlike other social media platforms that reward polished, professional content, TikTok praises authenticity.
Also consider its unique algorithm. You don’t need a huge audience, or even a single follower, to get views. The “For You” page can help you catapult your way to success just by putting you in front of viewers. There’s not much guesswork involved, and anyone can start posting content and earning views in minutes.
How Much Does TikTok Pay Per 1,000 Views?
Just how much money can you make on TikTok? It varies.
TikTok doesn’t have a set dollar amount based on the number of views. Creators have reported earning anywhere from $0.02 to $0.04 per 1,000 views, which isn’t much if you’re only getting 1,000 views.
But if you’re getting a million views, that comes out to about $2,000 to $4,000.
Also, it’s worth noting that TikTok considers a “view” at least one second of play time. That’s a huge difference compared to YouTube, where users have to watch at least 30 seconds to be counted as a view.
This means if someone stumbles upon your content, you’re basically getting a view even if the user doesn’t engage with you or doesn’t finish watching your content.
So, to answer the question, “How much money do you make on TikTok?”, it largely depends on you. If you can be authentic, creative, and consistent, you can usually make money on TikTok.
TIP: Want to learn how to get more views on your TikTok content? Check out our blog The Best TikTok Hashtags for More Views, complete with an AI chatbot that will generate strategic hashtags for your content in an instant!
How Many Followers Do You Need to Make Money on TikTok?
Want to know how to make money on TikTok without followers? Technically, you don’t need followers. Anyone can post content on behalf of a brand to collect affiliate sales or promote sponsored content.
However, follower size can help you get brand partnerships because it makes you look like a safer bet.
Also, if you want to join the TikTok Creator Fund, you’ll need at least 10,000 real followers. We’ll discuss more about the Creator Fund in a moment.
If you want to make money on TikTok, one of your goals should be to get more followers. The more followers you have, the better you’ll look to brand partners. You’ll also be likely to get in front of more viewers and keep them coming back to your content.
TIP: If you need more TikTok followers, don't miss our blog 37 Tips for How to Get More TikTok Followers!
Top 4 Ways to Make Money on TikTok
There’s more than one way to make money on TikTok. It’s best not to put all your eggs in one basket, especially since TikTok gives you multiple baskets on a silver platter. Let’s explore four of the best ways to make money on TikTok.
1. Use TikTok to make direct sales
The most straightforward way to make money on TikTok is to promote products you want to sell for a profit. If you’re a brand, these might be your own products; your content drives viewers to your website to make a purchase.
Or, if you’re an influencer, you can promote products for brand partners or affiliates. You might use an affiliate link to drive sales or a unique promo or discount code that will attribute the sale to you.
TikTok Live is another feature that’s prime for direct sales. Similar to going live on Facebook or Instagram, you can livestream yourself on TikTok as you promote a product or service.
Knowing how to make money on TikTok Live means having a “stage presence,” being able to interact with viewers (e.g., answer questions in the chat), and build instant trust so they will act on your offer.
Similar to Instagram, TikTok lets you post text alongside the video. You can include captions, hashtags to help people find your content, and links to encourage purchases.
TIP: Be sure to check out our article detailing how to grow your audience on TikTok Live!
2. Join the TikTok Creator Fund
TikTok wants creators to thrive on its platform and will gladly reward anyone who brings traffic and engagement. The TikTok Creator Fund essentially pays you for your content based on the number of views (measured per 1000 views).
You’ll have to apply to join the Creator Fund and meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Be an individual or entity in the United States
- Be 18 years or older
- Have an active TikTok account in good standing
- At least 10,000 followers
- At least 100K video views in the last 30 days
- At least one linked digital payment account
How do you make money on TikTok with the Creator Fund? It’s a numbers game. The more views you get, the more money you earn. You can increase your chances of getting views by creating great content, using appropriate hashtags, and encouraging people to share it.
3. Partner with brands on sponsored content
Anyone can post content to promote a brand on TikTok. But sponsored content is different.
Sponsored content is paid directly from a brand to a creator in exchange for content. Essentially, it’s user-generated content for the brand, but it’s also content for the creator’s channel, giving them a way to stay engaged with their audience. This content will be marked as sponsored content somewhere on the post.
Influencers on TikTok with lots of followers may have an easier path in securing sponsored content deals. More followers mean more potential viewers. It also indicates you’re creating high-quality content people want to see, so brands might feel more inclined to work with you.
4. Receive tips and gifts from viewers
Creators can earn additional revenue from viewers in the form of tips and gifts. This is a unique feature to the TikTok platform compared with other social media channels, such as Facebook or Twitter.
Tips and gifts can be hit or miss, so it’s not a reliable source of income. Again, you can increase your chances of earning revenue by increasing your follower count.
Additional Tips to Make Money on TikTok
TikTok has major earning potential, especially if you excel at creating authentic, honest content.
Now that you know how to make money on TikTok, use these tips to improve your revenue chances:
- Focus on a niche. Building content around a niche will help you attract more followers who care about those topics and will be likely to share your videos with others and come back for more content.
- Get verified. Verified TikTok accounts build trust, and you can if you meet certain eligibility criteria. (See our guide on how to get verified on TikTok.)
- Post consistently. You don’t have to post daily, but be consistent about producing new content so your audience will have something new to engage with.
- Collaborate with influencers.
Remember, the answer to the question “How many followers on TikTok to make money?” is zero, so don’t let a lack of followers hold you back. Use these revenue stream ideas and tips to start growing your TikTok account.
Growing Your TikTok Presence with Meltwater
Knowing how to get paid on TikTok can inspire your content strategy. Whether you’re promoting your own brand, working with influencers, or forming new brand partnerships, TikTok can become a revenue stream and help you earn an ROI from the content you’re creating.
Meltwater’s platform helps you create, schedule, and publish content to TikTok. Get content ideas based on what other users love and make your TikTok account work for you!
Learn more when you request a demo by filling out the form below!
