Are you good at thinking out of the box or have in-depth knowledge of any field like gadgets, beauty, fitness and more? Thanks to the digital world, there are a lot of ways to monetize your talent from the comfort of your couch. Today, let’s talk about one such option of making money from Tik Tok, which has crossed 1 billion downloads
as of 2019.
What is Tik Tok?
Tik Tok is a mobile app (iOS/Android) that allows you to create and upload short-form videos from 3 to 60 seconds. Mostly, people use the app to create lip-sync and comedy videos or to showcase their talents like music/dance. After its launch in September 2017, Tick Tok acquired Musical.ly, which was a popular social media platform among the teens of US.
Even though it is a Chinese based app, it is not available in China. However, it was the most downloaded app in US in 2018. (Source: Wikipedia)
If you haven’t used Tik Tok before, then you can check out the below posts from reputed websites:
- How to Use Tik Tik (MakeUseOf.com)
- A Beginner’s Guide to Tik Tok (Wired.com)
Now, let’s see how to make money from Tik Tok.
Can You Earn Money From Tik Tok?
At the time of writing, there is no direct method to make money from Tik Tok. Unlike YouTube or video-sharing platforms, Tik Tok doesn’t allow the creators to monetize their content using advertisements. Still, there are few options to use Tik Tok for making money.
Do remember that all the below-mentioned methods require a lot of hard work and patience, as it is not a get rich quick scheme.
1. Promote/Sell Your Own Products/Services
Do you own a business/store or provide any kind of service to consumers? Then, you can use Tik Tik to improve your business without spending a cent.
This is the easiest option as you can start right away. And, the good thing is you don’t need to wait for brands or businesses to contact you, as you are the boss. Plus, you don’t need to reach a magic figure of followers or likes. As long as it is legal, you can promote any product/service.
For example, if you are good at making Tattoos, you can create videos to show your best designs. Don’t forget to create an introductory video about yourself. Plus, do mention how to get in touch with you, if someone wants to use your service.
Now, in order to promote any product/service, you need a target audience, right? So, after you create and upload your videos, share those on your other networks like Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram etc.
In addition to promoting your services, do like or comment videos created by others so that people will get to know you.
2. Affiliate Marketing
If you already have an affiliate marketing blog/website, then it will be much easier to start promoting the same products on Tik Tok. For example, let’s imagine that you have an affiliate website that talks about Pet Care Products.
Do you have a pet at your home? Then, it is pretty straightforward. Start capturing some funny moments with your pet and upload them on Tik Tok. If you don’t have a pet, then the best option is to get the help of your friends, family or neighbours who have pets. Once you get a decent number of followers, you can begin to promote Pet Care products.
While creating videos, make sure to maintain a balance between your promotional and general videos. For example, if you are uploading a promotional video daily for seven days, then there is a good chance that your followers might lose interest in watching them.
3. Amazon Referral Links
When it comes to referral/affiliate commissions, the first company that comes to mind is Amazon. Till now, Amazon pays a referral commission of $3 for every new Amazon Prime Trial subscription you can bring. Now, the question is how to promote your Amazon referral links on Tik Tok? Like you can add links in blog posts, Twitter/Facebook posts, you cannot insert your referral link on Tik Tok, as you are dealing with videos, not texts. Also, Tik Tok doesn’t allow you to add any links on your bio page. Then, how is it possible to promote your Amazon referral links?
Well, there is a smart way to do that and it might work also. Just create a shortened URL to your Amazon referral link, add that as a text in your bio and ask your fans to use the same. Of course, your followers will not be happy to type a text instead of a link to buy something. So make it as much shorter as possible. If they can save some money in using your link, then they will be really motivated. To encourage them to make a purchase, you can offer some discounts.
4. Influencer Marketing
Definitely, no one can become an influencer overnight. Because it takes a lot of hard work and time to build a huge follower base. In order to be an influencer, you need to be an expert in that particular field and gain the trust of your followers. Only then, people will buy products/services you recommend and businesses/companies will pay you to promote their brands.
For example, if you are an expert in Technology, then you can upload tips, troubleshooting or how-to videos related to various devices like iPhone, iPad, Android, Smartwatches, Smart speakers and more. Apart from gadgets, you can also share tips and tricks for popular apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Snapchat and more.
How Much Money You Can Earn From Tik Tok?
Well, most of the users on Tik Tok make money by using one or more of the below-listed options:
1. Gifts
Tik Tok offers three types of virtual items (Coins, Gifts, Diamonds) through its Virtual Diamond Program which is available to all users. When a Tik Tok user has at least 1000 followers or more, he/she can do a live stream. As a token of appreciation, users can send the Tik Tok virtual item called Gifts to the content creator. In order to buy Gifts, users should first buy coins using a fiat payment method like credit/debit card. Once the gifts reach the content creators’ account, it will be converted to another virtual item called Diamonds.
Now, the content creators can redeem Diamonds to cash (USD) using a verified PayPal account. However, only 50% of the diamonds will be available to the content creator as Tik Tok and Apple/Google (depending on the platform you use) will keep the remaining amount. The conversion rate of Diamonds to USD will be displayed during the time of conversion.
To learn more information about the virtual items of Tik Tok, check out their website.
2. Selling Your Own Products
If you are already running a store in Shopify or selling items on Etsy, eBay, Amazon, etc, then you can try to convert your fans to prospective buyers. However, you can think of this step only after you have gained a decent number of followers. Always remember that you need to be creative enough to make realistic or authentic promotional videos so that your fans will be convinced to buy your products.
3. Affiliate Marketing Commissions
Affiliate marketing is one of the excellent options to make a steady extra income. Of course, you don’t need to own a business or store to become an affiliate marketer. Anyone can start affiliate marketing as long as they have the ability to make people buy their recommendations.
Mostly, people share detailed product reviews on their blogs/websites to promote the brand/company they are affiliated with. Even some people promote different types of products from beauty to gadgets by creating a separate blog/website for each category.
In addition to writing about the products on blogs, you can use the Tik Tok platform to create promotional videos for relevant niches. When your followers buy the product using your link, you will get a percentage of the sales as commission from the company. To encourage your followers to use your affiliate links, you can offer discount coupons or a flat discount percentage.
4. Partnerships with Brands
If you are popular and got a large number of followers on Tik Tok, then brands will ask you to partner with them to promote their products/services to your fans. For example, if your followers are mostly teens/college students, then it is better to promote products useful to them. Before partnering with brands, get to know about your followers. Only then you will able to influence your fans to buy the products/services you recommend.
5. Sponsored Events
If you are a popular Tik Tok influencer, brands may invite you to participate in events. In this scenario, you will be earning money or rewards outside the platform.
Final thoughts
Definitely, you cannot think of making money from Tik Tok immediately or soon after creating the account. In case you have already a huge follower base on other platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, etc, then it might be easier to bring your fans to Tik Tok. However, if you are a beginner, then you need to be creative and put a lot of hard work to build a follower base before dreaming to earn money from Tik Tok.
Do you have another suggestion to make money using Tik Tok? Or you are someone who is already earning from that platform? Please share your thoughts in comments.
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