How to Make Money on TikTok: 13 Tried and Tested Ways

With every year, the number of well-paid TikTokkers is growing. So, making money through TikTok is not just a pipeline dream. 

Let’s talk about how to make money on TikTok as an influencer and other ways.

Disclaimer: Printful might earn a commission from signups or purchases completed via some of the links in this post.

Why TikTok is a money-making opportunity

TikTok hosts 1.89B monthly users, and people, on average, spend more time on TikTok than on other platforms. That means you can generate higher revenue potential through TikTok than other social channels. 

With loyal TikTok audiences, every viral TikTok post can explode into sales and sponsorships.

How to make money on TikTok in 13 ways

So, how do how do TikTokers make money? While the classic influencer route is a no-brainer, there are other ways how to get paid on TikTok for content creators. Grab your TikTok account, get ready to create engaging videos, and let’s dive right in!

1. Join the TikTok Creator Rewards Program

Earn money from high-quality, long-form content with the Creator Rewards Program. To qualify, you need to be 18+, have a personal account with 10K followers, 100K views in the past 30 days, and adhere to Community Guidelines and Terms of Service. 

The program evaluates factors like content originality, play duration, search value, and engagement to help you boost earnings and grow your TikTok presence.

Source: TikTok

2. Host live streams to collect tips

TikTok live streams let creators connect with their audience and earn money simultaneously. Your TikTok followers can purchase coins and send virtual gifts during your live video. Engage with your audience by hosting Q&As, sharing behind-the-scenes footage, or promoting brand partnerships. 

Note that TikTok takes 50% of the coin value.

Source: Tech Junkie

For example, The Weeknd’s virtual concert raised $350K for the Equal Justice Initiative through merchandise and virtual gifts, showing the potential of monetizing your live content.

3. Connect with brands on Creator Marketplace

TikTok’s Creator Marketplace lets creators connect with brands for paid collaborations. It’s easy—search, invite, and collaborate to find partnerships that fit your industry and goals.

By joining, you get exclusive access to insights and tools that make it simple for brands to discover you. Successful campaigns, like those from @milliet24 and @mama_mila_, show how these collaborations can drive engagement and revenue.

Source: TikTok

4. Become a brand ambassador

If you want a more stable income than one-off partnerships, become a brand ambassador. Brands pay content creators for long-term collaborations that promote products or the brand by: 

1. Posting sponsored content

2. Creating exclusive sneak peeks, like behind-the-scenes or product demos

3. Representing the brand at events or through other promotional activities

To succeed, choose brands you genuinely believe in. This authenticity builds trust, leading to better engagement. For example, after her viral “Tube Girl” moment, she secured deals with MAC Cosmetics, Boss, and Bentley, earning MAC Cosmetics around $100K in earned media from just two posts.

Source: TikTok

Requirements typically include:

• Adhering to TikTok’s Community Guidelines and Terms of Service

• Maintaining a strong and engaged following (typically 10K+ followers, with consistent engagement)

• Ensuring authenticity in your promotions, aligning with the brand’s values

• Transparency in advertising by clearly marking sponsored content

Be ready to show how your content fits a brand’s target audience and how it can boost their visibility. TikTok’s Creator Marketplace can be a great way to connect with brands for these long-term collaborations.

Read also:

• How to Make Money as an Influencer

• Influencer Marketing Trends You Need to Know

5. Sell merch on TikTok Shop

TikTok Shop launched in 2023 and opened new opportunities for creators to sell their own products directly on the platform, with Printful as their first print-on-demand supplier. This integration makes it easy to sell merch like custom t-shirts and custom hoodies, or diverse items like mugs and backpacks to your TikTok audience.

With print-on-demand, you create your designs, showcase them in your TikTok videos, and let Printful handle everything else.

For example, MrBeast sells branded merch, including hoodies, shorts, and pajama pants with his personal branding.

Read also:

• How to Sell Merch on TikTok with Print-on-Demand

• 50 Merch Ideas + Examples

• What to Sell on TikTok Shop: Surefire Bestsellers

Use Quick Stores to sell

Use Quick Stores to create your storefront in under 10 minutes. Customize your products, publish, and share the link to start selling. Quick Stores is a great tool for beginners looking to launch their first online store.

6. Offer subscriptions for exclusive content

TikTok’s expanded Subscription feature allows creators to offer their most dedicated followers exclusive perks for a monthly fee. Subscribers get access to private communication channels, exclusive content, and special perks like custom badges and stickers.

To qualify, you need to:

• Be 18+

• Adhere to TikTok’s Community Guidelines and Terms of Service

• Have 10K followers and 100K video views in the last 30 days

For added flexibility, consider using services like Patreon to offer more exclusive content and behind-the-scenes access to your loyal fans.

7. Make premium content with TikTok Series

You can also monetize your content through TikTok Series. This feature allows creators to put together collections of up to 80 videos, each up to 20 minutes long, behind a paywall. TikTok Series is perfect for offering premium content such as in-depth tutorials, fitness challenges, or serialized storytelling.

TikTok has many videos from other creators educating on creating series.

Source: TikTok

Some ideas for TikTok Series you could create:

1. Designing custom merch: Walk viewers through the design process, from brainstorming ideas to creating graphics for t-shirts, mugs, and more.

2. Marketing your print-on-demand store: Share strategies for promoting your store through social media, influencer partnerships, and paid ads.

3. Product photography tips: Teach how to capture high-quality product photos that make print-on-demand products stand out online.

4. Building a brand with print-on-demand: Provide insights into creating a strong brand identity, including logo design, messaging, and brand consistency.

5. Exploring print-on-demand niches: Dive into specific niches like eco-friendly products, pet accessories, or fitness gear, and discuss how to find success in those areas.

8. Create in-feed ads

TikTok ads are a powerful tool for brands to connect with younger audiences. For instance, Supergoop, a skincare brand, leveraged TikTok campaigns with influencers to upload videos promoting sunscreen, gaining over 1.8M followers.

Source: TikTok 

While TikTok ads do require an upfront investment, they’re a long-term strategy for driving sales and brand presence. 

How to start advertising on TikTok:

• Create a TikTok Ads Account: Get a TikTok Business Account to advertise.

• Set Your Advertising Objective: Choose your goal (e.g., brand awareness, traffic).

• Create Your Campaign: Select your target audience and set your budget.

• Design Your Ad: Customize your ad content and format.

Ad Formats

• Brand Takeover: This large-format ad appears when TikTok users open the app. It can only show a single advertiser per day. 

• Hashtag Challenge: Here, you can create content trends by uploading a video with a challenge and encouraging your audience to participate. Promote your brand by creating a unique hashtag for the challenge.

• Branded Effects: This ad type allows you to create custom augmented reality filters to incorporate into your content. 

• Influencer package: When you choose this format, TikTok will set your brand up with a TikTok influencer related to your brand’s target audience, who will create sponsored content.

• In-feed ads: These ads look like regular TikTok videos and appear organically on the users’ For You page (FYP). They can be 5–60 seconds long (TikTok recommends up to 34 seconds) and include a CTA button to link to an external website.

Note that the minimum budget for self-service ads is $500, with ad groups starting at $20.

Read also: Advertising on TikTok: Why Brands Should Care About It

9. Gather donations for yourself or others

TikTok’s donation stickers let you link directly to a nonprofit or set up crowdfunding campaigns for personal or project-based goals. By setting a funding target and hosting live fundraising events, you can rally your audience, creating a sense of urgency and community around your cause. Adding a unique hashtag can further amplify your message and encourage followers to share it.

Examples of Successful Campaigns:

• Young Scot: A youth organization that uses TikTok for fundraising and reward programs

• British Red Cross: Shares first aid tips and public health messages while raising funds

• Malala Fund: Raise awareness for girls’ education

Due to their viral potential, nonprofits related to animal protection, social causes, and equality movements often perform well on TikTok. So, whether you’re raising money for charity or seeking funds for a creative project, TikTok’s features can help you mobilize and engage your audience.

10. Become a TikTok consultant

If you’re an expert on TikTok, why not monetize your knowledge? With the platform still evolving, many people and brands need help developing their TikTok strategies and growing their business accounts.

Once you’ve built a steady follower base and gained insight into how the TikTok algorithm works and what content performs well, you can offer your services as a TikTok consultant. Share your expertise directly from your account, helping others navigate the platform and optimize their content for success.

Source: TikTok

You can help your clients by explaining how to make money on TikTok and offer related services such as:

• Writing a captivating bio and video descriptions as a freelance writer

• Growing their follower base and engagement rate 

• Getting brand collaboration and sponsored posts

• Creating engaging content

11. Sell TikTok Shoutouts

TikTok allows fans to pay influencers for custom videos with personalized messages like birthday greetings, private songs, and more. Creators can set their own fees and accept payments in coins, which can later be converted into diamonds for cash withdrawal.

How it works:

• Set your rate: Add a request button to their profile and decide how much to charge for custom videos.

• Request and payment: Users in eligible regions can request a video and pay with coins.

• Video delivery: Creators accept the task via email within three days and send the custom video to the user within a week via TikTok direct messaging.

This feature is available in select markets, so users in non-applicable regions can’t request videos.

Source: BuzzFeed

Read also:

• How to Make Money from Home: 35 Viable Ways

• 12 Common Hobbies That Make Money

• How to Make Money on YouTube with a Small Channel

• How to Make Money on Twitch: 8 Ways to Get Paid Live Streaming

• How to Make Money on Instagram and Grow Your Following

12. Grow and sell TikTok accounts

If you’re skilled at building engaging TikTok profiles, you can turn that expertise into a profitable business by growing and selling accounts. This approach works well for those who enjoy creating content and attracting a dedicated audience.

Start by focusing on a trending or niche topic and producing consistent, high-quality content. As your account gains followers and engagement, you can sell it to businesses or influencers looking to establish a TikTok presence. Popular platforms to list your accounts include Flippa, Fameswap, and PlayerUp.

When selling, highlight metrics like follower count, engagement rate, and audience authenticity.

Source: Flippa

13. Join the TikTok Rewards program and refer friends

The TikTok Rewards Program lets you earn points by referring new users. 

Here’s how the program works:

1. Join: Open the TikTok app, go to your profile, and click the TikTok Rewards banner to find your referral link and code.

2. Earn: Get points when your friends download TikTok and enter your referral code. Complete tasks and challenges to earn even more points.

3. Convert points: Points can be exchanged for money, coupons, or mobile top-ups, depending on your country.

4. Withdraw Cash: Link your PayPal or bank account to withdraw your earnings. Regional limits may apply.

By joining the TikTok Creator Rewards Program, you can make money on TikTok simply by expanding your network and encouraging more users to join the platform. There isn’t a minimum follower count like with many influencer marketing programs, but a large following on other social media platforms can help.

Ready for a TikTok challenge?

You know more than a dozen ways how to make money on TikTok, it’s time to pick your monetization strategy, and get to work!

If you want to make money on TikTok by selling your products, Printful is here for your printing needs. We arrange printing, production, and distribution to keep your fans happy with your products.

Learn how you can partner with Printful to generate income from TikTok and start selling TikTok merch today!