TikTok’s business model depends on commercial partnerships. It knows that if it wants its platform to be a success, it needs to connect brands with influencers and their audiences.
Here’s what happens:
- Brands search TikTok for promising creators in their niche with audiences similar to theirs
- Brands pay TikTok influencers (or provide some sort of financial incentive) for them to promote their brand
- Audiences get relevant content to help them make better commercial decisions
The question for a TikToker like you is: “How much do TikTok sponsors pay?”
Fortunately, we have some answers. However, it isn’t as straightforward as saying, “$1,000!” It depends on what they pay you for and the vehicle they use (more on that later).
So, let’s explore the question of how much TikTok sponsors pay.
Does TikTok Have A Sponsor Program?
Unlike some platforms, TikTok does not have an official sponsor program. However, it does have its Creator Academy, a service that aims to make you a better creator so you attract commercial interest. Here, you can get all the information required to succeed and start attracting business.
So, How Much Do TikTok Sponsors Pay?
So, even if TikTok doesn’t have an in-house system to connect sponsors with creators, how much do they pay? The amount they fork out depends on various factors including:
- Your content niche (whether it’s valuable to businesses)
- Your engagement rate (how many people like, share, and follow your content)
- Your follower count (how many users subscribe to your account)
For example, if your content niche is cars, dozens of enormous multinational companies might potentially want to work with you. And since they have massive budgets, they can afford to pay significant sums of money. By contrast, if you cover astrology, the number of companies wanting to advertise through you is far smaller.
Size also matters. If you have 100 followers, you won’t get paid as much as someone with 100,000 or 1 million. Smaller audiences are less valuable.
Micro-influencers have between 10,000 and 100,000 followers (by most definitions). These creators usually earn between $200/£150 and $2,000/£1,500 per post on TikTok (depending on other factors). Meanwhile, macro influencers with between 100,000 and 1 million followers can earn from $1,000/£750 to $10,000/£7,500 per post on TikTok. However, their pay doesn’t usually scale exactly (because of falling engagement among larger audiences).
Finally, mega influencers with over 1 million followers can earn from $10,000/£7,500 to over $100,000/£75,000 per post. Sponsors are willing to pay more because the value of the collaboration is so much higher.
If you want to earn more than these standard rates, the best approach is to increase engagement. If you can show sponsors that your followers love liking, commenting and sharing your content, then you can charge a premium for your ability to draw their attention. Brands feel more convinced that you will draw their attention and focus them on your content.
You can also earn more if you operate in a highly competitive niche, like fitness, fashion, or beauty. Companies often have to pay extra to get you to recommend their products over those of their rivals.
Furthermore, you can sometimes get paid more for content if you operate in a specialised niche or you are the only creator in an area. For example, if you are the only person on TikTok talking to space companies, then B2B component manufacturers may want to get in touch with you and offer you a higher fee (since there’s less competition).
Niche TikTok Sponsorship Breakdown
That’s the theory. Now, let’s look at some concrete numbers for niches on TikTok and how much sponsors typically pay:
TikTok sponsorship payment by size and niche (per post)
| Niche | Micro-influencers (<100,000 followers) | Macro influencers (100,000 to 1 million followers) | Mega influencers (>1 million followers) |
| Fitness | $200 – $2,200 / £150 – £1,680 | $1,100 – $6,800 / £840 – £5,200 | $10,000+ / £7,500+ |
| Gaming | $250 – $2,500 / £190 – £1,900 | $1,600 – $7,800 / £1,220 – £6,000 | $10,000+ / £7,500+ |
| Parenting | $100 – $1,000 / £75 – £760 | $800 – $4,800 / £600 – £3,670 | $5,000+ / £3,800+ |
| Fashion | $200 – $2,200 / £150 – £,1680 | $1,100 – $7,800 / £840 – £5,200 | $10,000+ / £7,500+ |
| Beauty | $250 – $2,500 / £190 – £1,900 | $1,500 – $8,800 / £1,150 – £6,700 | $12,000+ / £9,000+ |
| Food | $150 – $1,500 / £115 – £1,150 | $1,000 – $6,000 / £760 – £4,580 | $8,000+ / £6,000+ |
| Lifestyle | $200 – $2,200 / £150 – £1,680 | $1,100 – $6,800 / £840 – £5,200 | $10,000+ / £7,500+ |
| Technology | $250 – $2,500 / £190 – £1,900 | $1,500 – $7,800 / £1,150 – £6,000 | $10,000+ / £7,500+ |
| Health | $250 – $2,500 / £190 – £1,900 | $1,100 – $6,800 / £840 – £5,200 | $8,000+ / £6,000+ |
| Travel | $300 – $3,000 / £230 – £2,300 | $2,000 – $10,000 / £1,500 – £7,600 | $15,000+ / £11,500+ |
The amount sponsors pay at the top end is usually negotiable. You can often ask for considerably more money if you have over 10 million followers, although pay may not scale quite as fast as engagement tends to tail off.
Don’t take the numbers above as gospel, though. While they are indicative, the amount you get paid can vary considerably. See them as guideposts and then factor in other metrics, like engagement and follower count to determine where in the band you should aim.
How To Get TikTok Sponsors
Getting TikTok sponsors seems challenging. However, it usually happens naturally if you can grow authentically.
The first step is to build a profile with a commercial identity. You want your niche to be obvious to any brand looking to work with an influencer (such as focusing on food, travel, or fitness).
The next step is to grow your following. While some brands may work with you if you have less than 10,000 followers, there likely won’t be much money in it.
As you grow, showcase your value. Report your engagement statistics and audience demographics so marketing professionals can determine if they should work with you. Provide unpaid examples of product promotion and the engagement you get from your audience to earn more interest.
If brands don’t come to you, reach out to them. Pitch your audience cold and see if they take the bait. Highlight why they should promote products through you and what you can offer them.
You could also network with them at virtual events or on social media. Building a closer relationship and rapport can help you thrive in the future.
Lastly, stay professional. While showing some personality is okay, most brands are looking for reliable, non-sketchy influencers they can trust their brands with. The majority of companies want to avoid vloggers with controversial content.
What Is The TikTok Creator Rewards Program?
The TikTok Creator Reward Program is for creators who want to create top-notch content. The idea is to reward you for sharing longer, high-quality video content sponsored by TikTok.
Why would TikTok pay you for this when people generate videos for free? Mainly because it wants to become the dominant video platform. It knows that YouTube currently beats it for videos longer than 2 minutes and wants to change that.
TikTok will tell you whether your videos are eligible via a dashboard when you sign up for the Creator Reward Program. It also provides helpful data points on how much you can expect to earn, and how well your videos perform.
Just remember to follow the platform’s community guidelines. Don’t break the rules or you could miss out on payment.
How To Become Eligible For TikTok’s Creator Reward Program
TikTok has various requirements for anyone wanting to become eligible for its creator reward program.
First, you have to be a creator in one of the following countries:
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- Japan
- France
- Brazil
- South Korea
You will also need to:
- Register your account in a qualifying country for the Creator Reward Program
- Have an account in good standing with TikTok (meaning you haven’t broken the Community Guidelines or violated the company’s Terms of Service)
- Be over 18 years old
- Have at least 10,000 followers and 100,000 video views in the last 30 days
- Be using a Personal account (you can’t apply with a Business or government account)
- Behave well and avoid engaging in any fraudulent activities
You can apply to join the Creator Reward Program by clicking the TikTok menu button in the mobile app and selecting TikTok Studio then Creator Reward Program. Fill out the application form and wait for three days for a response from TikTok. If you are unsuccessful, the platform will tell you why and what you need to change.
What Is The TikTok Affiliate Program?
While TikTok doesn’t have a dedicated sponsor program, it does have an affiliate program (just like Amazon). It provides opportunities to earn money by promoting products and services that allow TikTok affiliates to link in your content. When your viewers click these links and buy, you earn a commission (calculated by TikTok).
How much you get paid varies. Officially, TikTok says “the affiliate rate commission rate is agreed upon by both parties.” However, most participants earn anywhere from 5% to 20% of the sale price.
Affiliate commissions are calculated at a rate based on the item price net of seller discounts and other costs.
The formula for the commission fee is:
Affiliate Commission Fee = Affiliate Commission Rate (Subtotal before Discount – TikTok Shop Discount – Seller Discount)
For example, suppose your commission is 10%, the subtotal before the discount is $1,600, and the TikTok shop discount is $250. Your commission would be:
Affiliate Commission Fee=10%($1,600-$250)=$135
The rate of pay depends on the niche. Here’s roughly what you can expect:
Fashion – 5 to 20%
Fashion bloggers can expect to earn from 5 to 20% of the product’s value, making it one of the most generous niches. Volumes are also likely significant, given that clothing remains a popular and valuable industry.
Beauty – 5 to 20%
Beauty influencers can enjoy similar commission rates. Most get paid 5 to 20% of the price after deductions.
Beauty products tend to be more “snackable,” meaning consumers can often afford to purchase them for a while (say for instance, they want to buy mascara priced at $10/£7.50). The lower price can make commissions smoother (eliminating massive outlier payments).
Fitness – 5 to 15%
Commission rates on fitness products are between 5 and 15%. Margins are often slightly slimmer because there is less brand presence in this segment. However, audiences tend to be highly engaged, encouraging them to part with their hard-earned money whenever an influencer they trust makes a recommendation.
Tech – 2 to 10%
You won’t get quite the same commission rates for technology and gadgets. However, the unit prices are often higher, so the absolute amount you can earn is usually quite respectable.
Travel – 3 to 10%
Margins on travel tend to be lower because of the extreme level of competition in the industry. Many companies are already running on paper-thin margins. As such, you will usually earn between 3 and 10% commission. Some high-ticket items, like yacht cruises, can pay more, but the number of people able to afford these is few and far between.
Food – 4 to 12%
Food influencer commission is between 4 and 12% on most products. Again, margins are quite thin, and the brand needs to also make money on the sale.
Other commission rates for popular categories include:
- Lifestyle – 3 to 10%
- Parenting – 3 to 10%
- Gaming – 2 to 8%
- Health – 5 to 15%
Some niches, like SaaS, can pay more (up to 30%). However, your content must be relevant to these services to earn higher margins.
How Do You Join The TikTok Affiliate Program?
Becoming a TikTok Ads Affiliate is relatively straightforward and provides a simple way to monetise your TikTok presence almost immediately.
Start by visiting the TikTok for Business affiliate page and click the link to “Join as an affiliate.” Then agree to the terms and conditions and fill out the application form.
Once you click submit, TikTok will review your application. If successful, you will receive your affiliate credentials, allowing you to promote products and providing you with various tracking tools. The platform will also send you various promotional materials, including banners and links. Then, it’s your job to start creating content and track your performance over time to see what works, and what doesn’t.
