Alexis Kestler
TikTok has exploded in popularity over the last few years, becoming one of the most influential social media platforms in the world. With over 1 billion monthly active users, it‘s also ripe with money-making opportunities for creators.
But how exactly can you start earning an income from TikTok in 2023? What tried and true monetization strategies work in translating an engaged following into dollars in your pocket?
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll explore 4 proven methods for making money on TikTok, along with actionable tips to help you succeed with each one:
1. Build An Engaged Following
The foundation for almost all TikTok monetization begins with a loyal, engaged following. Without an audience that actively interacts with your content, sponsorships and other income opportunities will be hard to come by.
So before anything else, focus on cultivating an audience that genuinely connects with the videos you produce. Here are a few key tips:
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Optimize for Watch Time: TikTok‘s algorithm rewards accounts that keep viewers watching. Edit clips for conciseness, utilize captions/sounds creatively, and sequence videos to maximize watch time.
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Encourage Engagement: Ask followers questions, run polls, have them vote on content ideas. This two-way interaction builds loyalty and keeps people coming back.
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Post Consistently: Upload videos at least a few times a week to stay top of mind in followers‘ feeds. Consistency plus quality is key.
Once you‘ve built an audience in the tens or hundreds of thousands, you‘ll be viewed as an influencer on the platform, opening doors for income diversification.
2. Monetize With Sponsored Content
Sponsored content represents one of the most lucrative ways top TikTok creators make money from their influencing activities.
As an influencer, you can strike deals to produce branded videos promoting products, apps, or services on your channel. Rates run the gamut, from a few hundred to several thousand dollars per sponsored TikTok.
Jessica Wang (@jesssw4ng), for instance – with 1.2 million TikTok followers at the time – reportedly earned $3,000 for a single sponsored video for the company FabFitFun.
To land your first (or next) paid sponsorship:
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Clearly Communicate Your Value: Have detailed analytics on your audience demographics and engagement rates prepared. This quantifies your influence for brands.
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Set Fair Rates: Research competitive pricing for accounts similar to yours. Influencers often calculate cost per 1,000 followers or views.
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Ensure Brand Alignment: Vet potential sponsors thoroughly and only partner with ones that authentically fit your niche and brand identity. This preserves audience trust.
With enough followers and consistent pitching, you could easily secure multiple five-figure sponsorship deals annually.
3. Profit Through Affiliate Links
Another more passive, yet still lucrative, approach to monetizing TikTok is through affiliate marketing.
As an affiliate, you earn commission when you refer followers to certain products or services via special tracking links – receiving a cut of any resulting sales or leads.
Common programs TikTok influencers join include:
- Amazon Associates
- ShopStyle Collective
- RewardStyle
- CJ Affiliate
- Rakuten
- And more
The key to success is strategically working affiliate links into video descriptions and profiles in a natural way aligned to your niche.
Levi Hildebrand, a 237K follower fitness influencer, masterfully weaves related products into his tutorials – linking to items his followers would logically need to follow the workout:
[@[Levi Hildebrand] Check out these resistance bands I use – they‘re great for mobility training and very affordable (affiliate link)]Affiliate marketing done right can earn you anywhere from 5-15% commission per sale, which really starts compounding at scale.
4. Sell Your Own Goods and Services
Why earn small commissions when you can directly sell your own products and services to your engaged TikTok audience?
More and more influencers are embracing social commerce and the platform‘s native shopping capabilities to move their own merchandise.
You can easily set up a TikTok Shop profile connected to an ecommerce provider like Shopify and have a built-in customer base ready to buy whatever goods you offer.
Products commonly sold include clothing, accessories, beauty items, online courses, and consultations leveraging the seller‘s expertise.
And you needn‘t be purely product-focused either. Many popular TikTok creators monetize through offering Cameos, life coaching sessions, or other premium services fans are willing to pay for.
So get creative! Identify something your most loyal followers would exchange money for and sell it directly to exponentially increase your earnings.
Final Tips for Making Money on TikTok
While this covers the major, proven tactics for monetizing TikTok in 2023, here are a few closing tips to accelerate your success:
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Diversify Your Monetization: Combine multiple income streams like sponsorships, affiliates, services, and products rather than relying solely on one. This maximizes overall earnings.
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Reinvest to Grow Your Influence: Allocate a portion of your TikTok income into production equipment, content creation tools, collaborations, and advertising to expand your reach. This magnifies future monetization potential.
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Analyze Metrics and Optimize: Track income metrics for each monetization channel, assessing what content and promotion approaches work best. Double down on the highest converters.
Stick to these TikTok money-making fundamentals and you could realistically generate 5 to 6 figures annually from intelligently leveraging the platform.
So don‘t wait any longer to start capitalizing on TikTok‘s money-making promise. Build that influential brand, partner with sponsors, promote affiliate links, launch your own store, and watch your bank account grow and grow!
