How to make money on TikTok!

In addition to Instagram and Facebook, one social media platform in particular has come into the spotlight in recent years, offering not only innovative content for users, but also lucrative earning opportunities for creators. TikTok, the new giant from China, has grown steadily since its initial release in 2016 and is now in the process of overtaking Instagram as the world's largest social media platform. Reason enough, then, for busy influencers to also move onto TikTok and earn money there. But what about this up-and-coming platform and how can you make money with TikTok? In this comprehensive article, we have collected and summarized all the facts on this topic for you. Have fun!

1 How much money can you make with TikTok?

You have already learned that you can earn money with TikTok. But what sums are we actually talking about here? How much money can you actually earn with TikTok? Well, this question is not easy to answer with the best will in the world, because a number of factors play an important role here, of course. Basically, the earnings on TikTok range from single-digit euros to several thousand euros. It always depends on how well known you are, how many followers you have and how often your posts are shared. In addition, there is of course the possibility to earn money through advertising cooperations. However, you will not be paid directly by TikTok, but by the respective organization or company. As you can see, there are many ways to earn money on TikTok and the margins can vary greatly. In the following chapter, we would like to introduce you to the different methods and ways that you can use to earn money on TikTok.

2 Earn money on TikTok - The methods

A versatile platform like TikTok also comes with different methods and ways of monetization, as per our introduction. So it's hard to make a blanket statement about the best way to monetize your posts. At OWN3D, we'll show you which methods are best.

2.1 Earn money through affiliate marketing

When it comes to making money online, there's one topic you can hardly avoid these days: affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing is a marketing strategy that allows you to direct viewers and followers to this URL by posting or depositing store links. If users finally decide to buy the advertised product, you will share in the profit at a percentage rate set by the store owner. So, the money you earn with the affiliate strategy is a kind of sales commission that the merchant gives you because you provide the product with an advertising space. So, on TikTok you have the opportunity to post affiliate links to products or put them in your profile and thus have the chance to earn money with them.

This variant of monetization is often used and enjoys great popularity in the world of influencers and creators. However, it is important that the products you feature also match your content and that you are personally convinced by them. When you present certain products in your posts, the whole thing should not look like a pure advertising video, but like a personal recommendation on your part. You receive the links from the manufacturer itself and can then add them to your profile.

Earn money through affiliate marketing - requirements

• Verified TikTok account

• At least 18 years old

• Resident in Germany, USA, UK, France, Spain or Italy

• At least 1000 followers or business account

2.2 Earn money with donations in livestream

The fact that livestreaming on various platforms can be a lucrative business is certainly no longer a secret to most people. But besides Twitch, YouTube & Co. there are also other portals where you can earn money with a livestream. One of them is TikTok. The service, which is primarily used on smartphones, also has an integrated LIVE function that works similarly to that of the big role models Instagram or Twitch. Similar to the aforementioned platforms, you go live and can entertain your viewers and followers in real time. The content you use to keep your followers happy on TikTok is entirely up to you. You can either go live directly on your phone with the integrated camera or on your PC with a so-called streaming tool.

But how does monetization work with live streaming on TikTok? Well, through donations from your live viewers. They have the opportunity to support you monetarily by sending you virtual gifts redeemed with TikTok Coins. The TikTok Coins can be purchased with real money and invested individually. If you want to support your favorite creator on TikTok, you can stock up on Coins as a precaution and then spend them accordingly during livestreams. 100 TikTok Coins currently cost about 1 euro. After the livestream, you can cash out the virtual gifts that have been converted into real money using your PayPal account.

Earn money by donating in livestream - Requirements

• Verified TikTok account

• At least 18 years old

• Resident in Germany, USA, UK, France, Spain or Italy

• At least 1000 followers or business account

2.3 Earn money through donations on video postings

Videos, of course, make up a lot of the content on TikTok. As you may know, there are videos on TikTok on all kinds of topics and in all kinds of presentations. You can let your creativity run free on TikTok and entertain your followers. But how can you earn money directly with videos? Exactly the same way as with live streaming on TikTok - by donations from your viewers. If you have a business account or over 1000 followers, your followers will also have the option under your videos to send you gifts for TikTok Coins. This way, even if you're not running a livestream at the moment, the odd euro or two may still end up in your account every now and then. 

2.4 Earn money through advertising and sponsorship

This is by far the most lucrative way for creators and influencers to make money on TikTok. However, it is also one of the methods that require the most work and time. It's all about sponsored posts, of course! Here, a company commissions a post from you, whereupon you receive a predetermined fee for promoting certain things like products in your posts. How you get such deals is actually quite different, but in most cases it is so that the companies approach the creator and propose a cooperation. However, it can take a long time for such situations to happen, because only influencers with a certain reach can enjoy this earning opportunity on TikTok. The company's main goal is, of course, that the advertisement for the product is seen by as many people as possible. Therefore, a large reach (many followers) is very important if you want to earn money with sponsored posts. The fees also vary a lot with this method. While smaller companies pay the creator a few hundred euros, it can also be that world-famous companies approach you and offer you several thousand euros for a cooperation.

Earn money through advertising and sponsorship - Requirements

• Verified TikTok account

• Many followers

• At least 18 years otherwise parental consent (depending on the company's contract).

2.5 Earn money with merchandise

Merchandise is also a very relevant topic in the field of social networks. Especially if you have already been able to generate some fans and followers and have built your own brand, selling merchandise could be a nice and convenient passive source of income. Since 2020, TikTok has offered the directly integrated option of selling merch. So, together with the well-known shirt manufacturer Teespring, you can promote and sell your own fan merchandise through TikTok. The product options here are broad and range from normal shirts to caps to backpacks. So if you already have your own logo, have been able to manifest your own insider phrases or other irrevocably associated features in your career as a TikToker, selling merchandise through TikTok could be an interesting way to make money on this platform.

Earn money with merchandise requirements

• Verified TikTok account

• At least 18 years old

• Resident in Germany, USA, UK, France, Spain or Italy

• At least 10,000 followers

• Your videos have received at least 100,000 clicks in the last 30 days

3 These are the things you should consider if you want to earn money on TikTok

So you're ready to go! You are now ready to start making money on TikTok and have learned almost everything there is to know about the subject. But there are still a few little things that we would like to give you along the way and that you should definitely consider when it comes to earning money with TikTok.

3.1 Taxes

One point that many people don't consider is that once you earn your first euro on TikTok, you are required to pay tax on it correctly. How this works and why it is important, of course, always depends on which country you live in. So make sure you pay attention to this issue right from the start, so that you don't get a rude awakening after long periods of earning.

3.2 Always be yourself

Authenticity is more in demand than ever in social media. The days of creators playing up an embellished reality for their followers and behaving differently than in real life are largely over. Of course, there are also TikTokers here and there who deliberately take on a certain role and thus entertain their viewers, which is perfectly fine. Basically, however, it remains to be said that you should always remain yourself. If possible, do not pretend for your posts and show yourself as you are. That way, you can always assume that people appreciate you for your style and not for your acting skills.

3.3 Don't beg for donations or collaborations

During a livestream, you should not ask your viewers for donations. This looks unprofessional and can backfire very quickly. If you really want to make money with TikTok, you should focus on honesty and not harass your followers in a dubious way. If your content is well received, it will be quite automatic that here and there a donation flutters into the house. You should not stress yourself or your viewers. You will not be able to force cooperations in the long run. As already mentioned, most companies will approach you and not the other way around. However, if you feel that you would be a good fit with a particular company that suits you, you can contact the company without any obligation, leave your social media channels and wait and see. Compose your message to the company in a factual, professional and credible manner.

3.4 Be patient

"No TikTok star has ever fallen from the sky"- who said that again? Well, it doesn't matter, it's absolutely true. Only very few creators on TikTok become celebrated heroes overnight, overwhelmed by donations and offers of cooperation the next day. In most cases, there is a lot of work, diligence and patience behind a successful TikTok account. However, with good posts, entertaining content, a pinch of luck and a lot of patience, the breakthrough could work out!

4 Conclusion

Earning money with TikTok is definitely possible in 2022. How much, in what way and with what content, however, depends entirely on you. Next to livestreaming, merchandise and affiliate marketing, sponsored posts statistically bring in the biggest profit margin, but are accordingly also among the hardest milestones to reach as a TikTok creator. With our tips on this topic and the content of this article, you are definitely one step ahead. We wish you a lot of fun on TikTok!

5 Make money with TikTok – FAQ