The rise of social media has brought with it many earning opportunities. From YouTube to Instagram and now TikTok, these platforms are goldmines - but only for those with the creative intuition and work ethic needed to succeed. 

Monetising TikTok is a relatively new practice, but many creators are already cashing in on the short-form video platform. There are a few different ways you can earn money from TikTok, both directly from the platform and through using the platform as part of a broader strategy. 

Whether you’re the next big beauty guru or cooking up a storm, you’ll need to read this guide to learn everything there is to know about monetising TikTok in the UK. We’ll cover all income sources, eligibility criteria and best practices.

Already making money on TikTok? Stay ahead of tax obligations by using Crunch to track earnings, manage your finances and submit your returns. 

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Ready to learn more about TikTok monetisation?

Let’s get started exploring the various ways to earn money on TikTok.

How does monetisation on TikTok work?

TikTok has gone from underdog to chief earner for many creators. The platform offers its own payment opportunities, but there are also third-party monetisation practices you can explore. 

The most common ways of earning on TikTok are:

TikTok Creator Fund

This is the platform’s way of rewarding creators for their content creation. Where some platforms pay creators using a percentage of ad revenue generated by their content, TikTok clearly states that the Creator Fund isn’t an “ad revenue sharing programme.” 

The platform is vague about how the Creator Fund is calculated, instead stating that the creators’ earnings are likely to ebb and flow with the number of views you receive on your content, alongside other contributing factors. 

It is not easy to accurately calculate the earning potential of a qualifying account under the TikTok Creator Fund, but creators have stated they have earned between $0.02 and $0.04 per 1,000 views. There is no minimum or maximum earning per creator with the Creator Fund, however, you must have at least $50 in your account before you can withdraw funds.

TikTok Creator Fund eligibility criteria

To be eligible for the TikTok Creator Fund, you must:

• Be based in the US, UK, France, Germany, Spain or Italy.
• Be over the age of 18 years old.
• Have at least 10,000 followers.
• Have at least 100,000 video views in the last 30 days.
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LIVE Gifts

Separate from the Creator Fund fund, you can also earn directly from your audience with LIVE Gifts. When live streaming, your viewers can show their gratitude by purchasing and sending virtual Gifts bought using virtual Coins. 

The more popular your content becomes and the more Gifts you receive, TikTok will then reward you with Diamonds. Both Gifts and Diamonds can be withdrawn from your account dashboard.

The value of both Gifts and Diamonds varies considerably, and no official source lists a definitive figure. Rough estimates suggest one diamond is worth half the value of a TikTok Coin, or $0.005. 

LIVE Gifts Eligibility

To be eligible for LIVE Gifts, creators must:

• Be 18 or older (or 19 in South Korea).
• Have an account eligible to go LIVE.
• Have an account that is in “good standing and adheres to our Community Guidelines and Terms of Service.”

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Series on TikTok

In recent years, many creators have started to earn directly from their most loyal followers. Patreon, YouTube Subscriptions and Ko-Fi are all ways to do this - TikTok’s answer to this structure is called Series.

Series on TikTok allows creators to place certain content behind a paywall. Videos can range from 30 seconds to 20 minutes, and viewers can unlock this content by purchasing through the link in your profile to Series.

Series on TikTok Eligibility 

To be eligible for Series on TikTok, you must:

•  Be over the age of 18 years old.

•  Have an account older than 30 days.

•  Have a public Personal or Business Account - political and private accounts are not eligible.

•  Post three or more public posts in the last 30 days.

•  Have 10,000 or more followers.

•  Reach 1,000 or more views in the last 30 days.

•  Post original content.

•  Have an account “in good standing with no repeated violations of our Community Guidelines.”
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TikTok Rewards

Unlike the other TikTok monetisation programmes, you don’t need to be a creator to earn from TikTok Rewards. This is a referral programme whereby users can earn Coins by referring new users to TikTok via their unique referral link.

TikTok Rewards Eligibility

To be eligible for TikTok Rewards, you must:

• Be over the age of 18 years old.
• Have an active TikTok account (but you don’t need to be a creator).
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Affiliate links

The most successful creators don’t rely too heavily on one platform. Huge changes to the social media landscape over the last few years have demonstrated the value of keeping some earning opportunities outside any specific platform.

One of the most common ways for TikTok-ers to earn money outside of the Creator Fund and gifts is through affiliate marketing. You might be familiar with this approach if you watch or create content for YouTube or Instagram. 

An affiliate link is a unique hyperlink that allows viewers to buy a product or service from a brand, and through link tracking, the brand will typically give the creator a kickback as a percentage of the sales they have generated. You might also see affiliate links with discount codes, so creators can give their audience a small discount to use on their favourite products while earning commission from the sales.

There are a few places where you can post these links, including in your profile bio, video descriptions, and first comment. TikTok creators can also partner with brands to promote products through the TikTok Shop. 
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TikTok Shop

Deserving of its own section, TikTok Shop has quickly become one of the world’s biggest ecommerce platforms, with viewers spending hundreds of millions of dollars on products recommended by their favourite creators.

There are a couple of ways creators can make money on TikTok Shop:

1. Through affiliate marketing, as mentioned above. They can partner with brands to promote items in their videos, link to the shop, and earn commission on sales sourced from their content.
2. By selling their own products - this may not be relevant to all creators, but merch has become a big earner even for the most unlikely of candidates as internet culture goes mainstream.

Run an ecommerce business and considering TikTok Shop? Read our dedicated guide to selling on TikTok Shop. 
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Brand collaborations

One of the most well-established ways to earn money is through sponsored content creation. TikTok creators play a huge role in this realm, with over 50% of people saying they have made a purchase after seeing a brand’s products on TikTok. 

As with any influencer marketing, brand deals are actively regulated by the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA), so it’s important to familiarise yourself with how to appropriately signpost advertisements and ensure your audience knows you are being paid to promote products. 

Growing creators may draw the attention of brands and their marketing agencies organically, but you can also reach out to companies to see if they want to promote their products on your page. 

Brand collaborations can take multiple different forms, from gifted products all the way through to fully paid campaigns. Once your TikTok grows to a significant size, you might benefit from appointing a talent agency to help manage your brand relationships.

Learn more about making money for your content in our guide to kickstarting your social media content creator career. 
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Best practices for earning on TikTok

Now you know the primary ways of earning on TikTok, let’s dive into how to ensure you get the most out of your content. 

Making money on TikTok is all about creating content that people love. You want to engage your existing audience while also attracting new eyes all of the time - this can be tricky but not impossible, and there are many creators who are making significant incomes from TikTok with their content. 

Here are some tips for maximising your earnings on TikTok:

1. Create engaging and consistent content

Your content is why your audience follows you. Whatever your niche, you’ve got to put the effort in - and Tiktok does require significant effort. In fact, the platform recommends you post 1-4 times per day, and each of your videos will need to have original content. 

2. Hop onto trends

TikTok works in trend cycles. The most successful creators are consuming content all of the time, and identify upcoming trends as soon as they start to appear, so they can maximise the potential of joining the discussion. Trending audio is a great way to tap into the zeitgeist and creator videos that will engage your audience and maximise your potential to go viral.

3. Study your analytics

TikTok provides in-depth analytics for creators, so you can see what is working and those insights can influence your future content. TikTok Insights will not only show you which videos are the most popular, but also who is watching them, where they are based and how they found you.

4. Collaborate with other creators

Creator collaboration isn’t new for TikTok, as many influencers have formed strong bonds and grown huge shared audiences on YouTube and Instagram historically. TikTok offers a new level of collaboration, as you can create ‘collab posts’ with other creators, allowing you to reach both audiences with your content. 

5. Don’t rely on TikTok’s own earning features

While TikTok offers significant earning potential, you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket. These digital platforms can change overnight, and we’ve seen this before with algorithm updates on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook. 

With that in mind, you should keep your income diverse, ensure you are active on multiple platforms, maintain strong brand relationships and keep an eye on any and all upcoming updates to TikTok that may impact your business. 

Discover monetisation opportunities on other channels with our guides to YouTube Shorts, Amazon Affiliates and Spotify.

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FAQs about TikTok monetisation

We’ve covered the ins and outs of TikTok monetisation in this guide, but if you still have questions, we’ve got answers. 

How do I monetise my TikTok?

There are a few different ways to monetise your TikTok, with the Creator Fund being the biggest earning potential. You’ll need an eligible account with over 100,000 views in 30 days and 10,000 followers to qualify for the Creator Fund. 

You can also monetise your TikTok with LIVE Gifts, TikTok Shop, the referral programme and through brand collaborations.

Who is eligible for TikTok monetisation?

Each type of monetisation has its own eligibility criteria. UK creators will need to be over 18 years of age to qualify. Check the TikTok website for the specific eligibility criteria for each type of monetisation.

What are the payment methods?

To receive money from TikTok, you will need to connect your bank account to the Creator Dashboard. If your earnings are equal to or exceeds $50 (or equivalent local currency), your payment will be sent to you automatically on the 15th of each month.

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Making it big on TikTok?

You’ll need an accountant who understands how the platform works. Crunch works with creators of all sizes to make accounting simple. With cloud software and access to expert accountants, we take the stress out of accounting for TikTik creators.

‍Sign up today. 

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