Does TikTok Pay for Followers? What Metrics Help You Earn?

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Carolyn Howell

Last Updated: Oct 01, 2024

TikTok 101

Want More Real Tiktok Followers?

Like many other social media platforms, TikTok offers several monetization options for users. However, there are strict requirements regarding followers and engagement. Since audience size is important, there are many questions about earning from your followers. But does TikTok pay for followers?

Although this social media app does not directly pay users due to their follower count, it is an important prerequisite. Whether applying for the creator fund or joining affiliate marketing programs, you must have a sizable audience. 

Read this post to understand the role of your follower size!

A mounted mobile phone displays the TikTok logo on its screen.

Do You Need Followers To Earn From TikTok?

As a content creator, you’ll need many followers to earn money from TikTok. Whether you’re joining the platform’s monetization options, you’ll have better chances of making money with a large audience.

While there is no specified number of followers to have before monetizing your content, an engaged audience helps. For instance, to join the TikTok creator fund or creativity program, you must have a minimum of 10,000 followers.

On the other hand, affiliate marketing programs and brand deals do not typically require specific numbers of followers. But besides those, you can earn from tips and live gifting once you can go live on TikTok.

Several other factors are important in your ability to make a living from the app. These include your niche, engagement rate, number of video views, consistency, and content quality. 

Your follower count certainty contributes largely to whether or how much you’ll earn from your TikTok account. However, since it does not entirely call the shots, accounts with fewer followers can join the party.

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How Much Does TikTok Pay for Followers?

TikTok does not pay specific amounts of money to users based on the number of followers it has. Instead, users with different follower counts can monetize their accounts differently. Hence, they can earn directly from the app or other activities on the platform.

Still, there are questions about how much users earn based on their audience sizes. Let’s cover a few.

How Much Does TikTok Pay for 1 Million Followers?

While TikTok does not pay users for a million followers, you can earn from the platform with that number. How much you earn depends on your views, engagement rate, niche, and monetization method. 

Many users are still unsure how earning on the platform works. Thus, how much does TikTok pay for 1 million followers? The app’s native monetization method, the creator fund or creativity program, pays creators based on the number of views.

The app also considers the authenticity of these video views when paying creators. From rough estimates, creators typically earn between $20 and $40 for a million views from the creator fund. 

On the other hand, other TikTok monetization options pay a bit more than TikTok’s native creativity program. For instance, with a million followers, you can earn an average of $1,500 per post for branded content. 

One million followers is a big deal if you run affiliate marketing campaigns or sell your merch. You will have a significant earning potential, especially with authentic and highly engaged followers.

Overall, having a million followers means no fixed amount to earn. Instead, you can profit from their activity and how they view and engage with your content.

How Much Does TikTok Pay for 1000 Followers?

TikTok does not pay specific amounts of money to users with a thousand followers. In fact, users with this number of followers do not qualify to earn directly from the platform’s creativity program. However, they can still earn from their activity.

For example, you can go live with a thousand followers on TikTok. You can also earn from live gifts and tips during your sessions. With this follower count, you can earn from branded posts, promotions, and affiliate marketing.

While there are still questions like “How much does TikTok pay for 1000 followers?” having followers alone does not count. It depends on how active and loyal they are and whether you can attract brands to work with you.

Although getting 1000 followers is a good way to start, there is no guarantee that you’ll earn from them. The more followers you get, the higher your earning potential on the social media app.

Still, avoid buying followers if you’re targeting monetization on TikTok. Since most of the followers you buy are fake accounts or bots, they do not convert to views and engagement. Instead, build a loyal community of engaged followers.

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5 Factors Affecting How You Earn on TikTok

In addition to your number of followers, several factors determine how much you’ll earn on TikTok. Your overall earning potential and your qualifications depend on how many people view your posts and how they engage with them.

Here are five factors that affect how you make money on TikTok.

1. Your Follower Count

A higher follower count increases your chances of earning and how much you earn on TikTok. While the number is also important, the quality of your followers plays an even bigger role. These include followers who are genuinely interested in and engage with your content.

For instance, users must have at least 10,000 followers before joining the platform’s native monetization program. But subsequently, how much you earn depends on how many authentic views you can get. 

In the same way, brands and affiliate programs consider your follower count before hiring you for promotional gigs. Still, if you do not have an engaging audience, you may be unable to make good money. 

2. Your Reach and Number of Views

On average, TikTok users with more followers often get more views on their video posts. However, your reach does not always depend on your follower count. Instead, it depends on how active your followers are and how much they interact with your posts.

Therefore, your view count often determines how much you’ll earn from the app. For example, the TikTok creator fund pays users based on how many views and engagements they get. Branded posts and affiliate marketing also rely heavily on how many people you reach.

3. Your Engagement Rate

Your engagement rate is the proportion of viewers who engage with your content. Your engagement rate increases if more viewers like, share, and drop comments on your videos. This indicates that people are interested in your content.

Usually, brands prefer collaborating with content creators who have high engagement rates. This metric shows that the creator has built a loyal and engaged community. Therefore, they can create genuine connections and get to a good pool of potential customers. 

Also, a good engagement rate on TikTok proves that the creator has real and authentic followers. Since people often buy followers, brands and third-party monetization services use other metrics to get the right prospects.

4. Your Niche

Focusing on a specific niche allows you to target specific audiences and build a solid community on TikTok. Whether creating content about fitness, fashion, comedy, food, health, or beauty, it is best to focus on one.

This is also a big factor in monetization because brands mostly work with creators in their industry. For instance, fitness brands would more often hire fitness influencers to promote their products with branded posts.

But that’s not the full story. Niches also play an important role in affiliate marketing. Your efficiency is higher when you promote products that align with your niche. Still, go for a high-demand niche with greater marketing potential.

5. Your Content Quality

By consistently creating high-quality content, you can boost your reach and garner more views on TikTok. People will more likely repost content they consider interesting, funny, or educational, increasing your reach.

This boosts your earning capacity on the platform due to the following ripple effect. You’ll reach more people, gain more followers, get more engagement, and earn more from any monetization option.

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How To Make Money on TikTok Without Millions of Followers

Most social media platforms have now allowed users to earn from their content. TikTok is not behind in this aspect since it allows several monetization options for its users. Unlike most people imagine, you do not always need millions of followers to earn from the platform.

So, how can you make money on the app with fewer followers?

1. Join the TikTok Creator Fund or Creativity Program

TikTok’s creator fund or creativity program, launched in 2020, allows users to earn within the social media community. This feature allows users to earn from their videos, provided they are one minute long or more.

You must have at least 10,000 followers to join the program. To participate in this monetization option, you must also have at least 100,000 video views within the past 30 days. Earnings depend on your number of views and other TikTok engagement metrics

To participate, TikTok users must also be in good standing on the app. This means you must adhere to the platform’s community guidelines and avoid violations if you want to monetize your profile.

2. Earn From Affiliate Marketing Campaigns

By joining affiliate marketing programs, you can promote products on TikTok and earn commissions. In this case, the goal is to make sales from the platform. Hence, only promote products that align with your niche and type of audience.

Then, create good videos that showcase these affiliate programs, their value, and why you’d recommend them. Go for brands you trust and share affiliate links to track purchases from your TikTok profile.

Since TikTok does not let personal accounts share clickable links, it asks viewers to copy and open them in their browsers. You can also ask them to use your referral codes when buying the product. However, you can add links to your bio using a business account.

You can get TikTok affiliate marketing gigs on the platform’s creator marketplace. Brands often look for creators in the marketplace to find those that best fit their needs. You do not always need massive audiences to earn this way. If you have active and loyal followers, you can earn.

3. Earn Virtual Gifts From Live Streams

Many social media apps, including TikTok, have live-streaming features allowing users to broadcast real-time videos. In addition to this feature, TikTok lets viewers send virtual gifts to their favorite creators during live streams. You only need a thousand followers to go live.

Live gifting has become one of the most useful features for creators looking to earn money from their live content. You can build solid relationships and lasting communities by engaging with your audience in real-time. 

Live streams also come in handy if you’re looking for avenues to showcase your products or services. While you can increase sales, you’ll also receive virtual gifts that you can redeem for diamonds. In return, you can trade them for real money.

4. Sell Merch on TikTok

Merch sales are a flexible way to earn from TikTok, even if you aren’t a mega influencer. Whether you’re a dancer, skit maker, fitness influencer, or food content creator, you can sell merch to your loyal followers.

Since several print-on-demand providers are available, you can sell different types of merch. For example, fans can buy your branded tote bags, T-shirts, pillowcases, notebooks, mugs, and hats.

Although having a significant number of followers may increase your chances of making sales, even smaller accounts sell merch. Overall, it depends on how much your followers connect with your brand.

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FAQ

Now that we’ve covered everything about earning from your TikTok followers, let’s answer some common questions about the topic!

Does TikTok pay for views or followers?

Through the creativity program, TikTok pays users for video views rather than follower counts. While the follower count heavily influences the number of views you’ll get, your engagement rate and quality also play important roles.

How many followers do you need to get paid on TikTok?

To earn from TikTok’s creativity program, you must have at least 10,000 followers. However, there are no minimum follower requirements if you’re going for other monetization options. Still, having more followers is an added advantage.

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Grow Your TikTok Followers With High Social

Growing your followers organically on TikTok can be daunting, especially if you’re a newbie to the app. This is why working with a professional growth agency is often necessary to attract real and organic followers.

At High Social, a TikTok growth agency, we help users build a follower community with AI-targeted growth. To work with us, visit our website and sign in. Then, describe the kind of followers you need concerning age, location, and gender.

High Social will then promote your content to your target audience. Those who find your content interesting will follow you and keep up with your posts. Now that we’ve answered your question, “Does TikTok pay for followers?” start your TikTok growth now!

TikTok 101