By Dominique A. Harroch and Richard D. Harroch
TikTok has rapidly become one of the most influential social media platforms in the world. Known for its short-form videos, TikTok allows users to create and share entertaining, informative, or inspiring content, ranging from dance challenges and comedy sketches to educational explainers and product reviews. With over 1.5 billion active users globally, TikTok provides creators with a massive and highly engaged audience.
People post on TikTok for a variety of reasons—some are drawn to the creative expression it allows, others use it to build a personal brand or promote a business. As TikTok’s algorithm prioritizes content discovery and can quickly catapult videos to viral status, the platform offers a level playing field for creators of all sizes. This makes it a powerful tool not just for fun, but also for monetization. Whether you’re a hobbyist or an entrepreneur, TikTok offers multiple avenues to earn real money.
In this article, along with help from ChatGPT, we will explore five practical methods for making money from TikTok videos, complete with ChatGPT prompts you can use to generate content ideas and boost your earning potential.
How to Make Money on TikTok
1. Join the TikTok Creator Fund or Creativity Program
The TikTok Creator Fund—and its updated version in some regions, the TikTok Creativity Program Beta—allows content creators to earn money directly from TikTok based on video performance. These programs aim to reward creators for engaging, original content.
How TikTok Pays:
TikTok used to pay between $0.02 and $0.04 per 1,000 views through the Creator Fund. However, many creators found this payout to be low, especially given the virality of some videos. In response, TikTok introduced the Creativity Program Beta, which reportedly pays significantly more—up to $1 or more per 1,000 views—but only for videos longer than one minute. To be eligible, creators must:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Have at least 10,000 followers
- Have 100,000 video views in the last 30 days
- Adhere to TikTok’s community guidelines and post original content
How It Makes You Money:
Once enrolled, you earn money based on video views, engagement, and other factors like watch time. The more engaging and longer your content, the higher your potential payout.
Strategy:
Focus on high-retention videos (ones people watch all the way through), trending sounds, and viral challenges. Post consistently, and monitor your analytics to understand what resonates with your audience.
ChatGPT Prompt to Use to Get Video Ideas:
“Generate 10 TikTok video ideas that are likely to go viral in the [insert niche: e.g., personal finance, cooking, fitness] space. Include hooks for the first 3 seconds of each idea.”
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2. Promote Products with Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing involves promoting products and earning a commission for every sale made through your unique referral link. You can include these links in your TikTok bio or through a Linktree-style hub.
How It Makes You Money:
Each time someone clicks on your link and makes a purchase, you earn a percentage—typically between 5% and 30%, depending on the company and product. Some high-ticket affiliate programs can pay out hundreds of dollars per sale.
Strategy:
Create authentic product reviews, unboxings, or “top 5 must-haves” in a specific niche. Consider doing “Amazon Favorites” or “Gadget of the Day” content that is easily repeatable and scalable.
ChatGPT Prompt to Use to Get Video Ideas:
“List 10 trending products in the [insert category: e.g., home gadgets, tech, skincare] niche that would be engaging to promote on TikTok with affiliate links. Include content ideas for each.”
3. Offer Sponsored Content for Brands
As your TikTok following grows, you’ll attract attention from brands who want to tap into your audience. Sponsored content typically involves creating videos that promote a product, service, or campaign in exchange for a flat fee.
How It Makes You Money:
Sponsored posts can earn creators anywhere from $100 to $10,000+ per video, depending on your follower count, engagement rate, niche, and geographic market. Micro-influencers (10k–50k followers) can earn $100–$500 per post, while macro-influencers and niche experts can command much higher fees.
Strategy:
Establish a clear niche and demonstrate consistent engagement. Use TikTok’s Creator Marketplace or influencer platforms like Aspire, Collabstr, or Influencity to connect with brands.
ChatGPT Prompt to Use:
“Write a professional pitch email to a brand in the [insert industry] space, proposing a sponsored TikTok collaboration. Include stats like engagement rate, niche, and previous successful posts.”
4. Sell Your Own Products or Services
TikTok can be a powerful tool for entrepreneurs. Whether you’re selling physical products, digital downloads, courses, or freelance services, short-form video is a great way to demonstrate value and drive conversions.
How It Makes You Money:
You earn directly from each sale. For example, you might sell a $30 eBook, $50 coaching call, or $100 course. If a single video brings in 10,000 views and just 1% of those viewers convert, that’s 100 sales.
Strategy:
Use storytelling and demonstration-style videos to explain what your product or service does and why it’s worth buying. Include a call to action in your captions and link to your shop or website in your bio.
ChatGPT Prompt to Use:
“Create a 7-day TikTok content calendar for promoting my [insert product/service], including video scripts and CTAs designed to drive traffic to my online store.”
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5. Teach a Skill or Build a Subscription Community
Educational content is highly valued on TikTok. If you have expertise in a field—whether it’s cooking, coding, investing, or art—you can monetize it by directing viewers to platforms like Patreon, Gumroad, Substack, or your own paid courses.
How It Makes You Money:
You can earn through course sales, paid eBooks, private coaching sessions, or ongoing memberships. Many creators charge $10 to $50/month for exclusive access to content, AMAs, or small group sessions.
Strategy:
Use TikTok videos to demonstrate quick lessons, tips, or frameworks, and then invite viewers to subscribe or buy if they want more in-depth material.
ChatGPT Prompt to Use:
“Write 5 TikTok scripts that teach a quick, valuable lesson in [insert field: e.g., photography, Excel, language learning], and end with a soft call-to-action to subscribe to a paid course or community.”
Final Thoughts on TikTok
TikTok isn’t just a platform for viral dances and comedy—it’s a legitimate business tool that creators and entrepreneurs can use to earn real income. With the right strategies and tools—including smart content ideation using ChatGPT—you can build a presence that turns views into revenue.
Success on TikTok doesn’t happen overnight. It requires consistency, creativity, and a clear understanding of what your audience wants. But with persistence and the right approach, anyone can carve out a profitable niche on the platform.
Start by choosing one of the five strategies above, use the corresponding ChatGPT prompt to fuel your creativity, and begin your journey to monetizing TikTok today.
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About the Authors
Dominique A. Harroch is the Chief of Staff at AllBusiness.com. She has been the Chief of Staff or Operations Leader for multiple companies where she leveraged her extensive experience in operations management, strategic planning, and team leadership to drive organizational success. With a background that spans over two decades in operations leadership, event planning at her own start-up and marketing at various financial and retail companies. Dominique is known for her ability to optimize processes, manage complex projects and lead high-performing teams. She holds a BA in English and Psychology from U.C. Berkeley and an MBA from the University of San Francisco. She can be reached via LinkedIn.
Richard D. Harroch is a Senior Advisor to CEOs, management teams, and Boards of Directors. He is an expert on M&A, venture capital, startups, and business contracts. He was the Managing Director and Global Head of M&A at VantagePoint Capital Partners, a venture capital fund in the San Francisco area. His focus is on internet, digital media, AI and technology companies. He was the founder of several Internet companies. His articles have appeared online in Forbes, Fortune, TIME, MSN, Yahoo, Fox Business and AllBusiness.com. Richard is the author of several books on startups and entrepreneurship as well as the co-author of Poker for Dummies and a Wall Street Journal-bestselling book on small business. He is the co-author of a 1,500-page book published by Bloomberg on mergers and acquisitions of privately held companies. He was also a corporate and M&A partner at the international law firm of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. He has been involved in over 200 M&A transactions and 250 startup financings. He can be reached through LinkedIn.
Copyright © by Richard D. Harroch. All rights reserved.