How to make money on TikTok
Three of Australia’s most successful creators open up about how they make a living.
Three of Australia’s most successful creators open up about how they make a living.
Taste-testing chicken. Dancing to Savage Love by Jason Derulo. Knitting a cardigan. Documenting your glow-up. Posting a daily GRWM (IYKYK). Bumping into the corner of a bed and making a weird sound. Dyeing your hair. Praising your short king! Getting your cute dog to do cute things. Getting your ugly dog to do cute things. The list goes on.
In case you haven’t cottoned on, this is an abridged list of weird and wonderful content that successful Aussie TikTok creators have executed in order to cultivate a niche, build their following and, most importantly, make bank. If you clicked on this story, we’re going to assume you’re interested in doing the same, or you’re genuinely curious about the business of TikTok (these two things aren’t mutually exclusive, by the way).
But in a space as saturated as TikTok (According to a February annual report, TikTok now has 7.38 million Australian users over the age of 18), standing out isn’t as simple as posting something hilarious (although in some cases, it is). So, what does it take to get noticed, and how can you turn your shtick into a profitable enterprise? To help answer these questions and more, we spoke to three of TikTok’s most exemplary Australian creators, who were wonderfully candid and only too happy to dish on their deals.
Vincent Yeow Lim @dimsimlim
Niche: High octane cooking videos that hero Lim’s Chinese delicacies
Follower count: 1.3M
When did you join TikTok?
A video about KFC chicken rice was my first ever video, I posted it about one and a half years ago. That started it all. It got 23.9M views. Back then I wasn’t confident speaking to a camera and I wasn’t even in the video. But it gained me over 160K followers and started my creator career.
What makes your profile unique?
When I first downloaded TikTok, I noticed everyone was cooking steaks and pasta. I own a Chinese restaurant and I wanted to show another style of cooking. I think what attracts viewers to my content is a unique style of cooking that not everyone is able to do at home.
How were you able to monetise your content?
I monetise my videos a few different ways — by driving traffic into my restaurant, through brand sponsorships as well as through YouTube Adsense. I can’t say exactly how much I make from collaborations, but I have built a six figure income stream from TikTok and I spend about three days a week working on it.
How much money do you earn for a post?
These days I’m making upwards of 5 figures per post depending on the campaign.
What advice would you give to a creator hoping to make money on the platform?
Don’t aim to “make money”. Instead, aim to inspire others. Money is not a goal for me. I started this platform because I wanted to show my [version] of “Kungfu” to people from different cultures, like Bruce Lee.
If you provide your audience with value, the money will come automatically.
I’ve had so many people come up to shake my hand, telling me that I inspire them to cook and be confident doing what they do.
Tatenda Elizabeth @tatendaluna
Niche: Playful fashion and beauty content that taps into the zeitgeist
Follower count: 1.1M
When did you join TikTok?
I joined TikTok at the end of 2020. My first video was an e-girl hair dye transformation.
What makes your profile unique?
I think that having POC representation among the cottage-core [fashion and interiors] aesthetic trend is what has attracted followers to my page.
How were you able to monetise your content?
I was able to begin monetisation through getting picked up by an agency. Having management that pitched me to brands and negotiated my rates has made the biggest difference.
How much money do you earn for a post?
At the moment I can earn anywhere between $1,000 to $5,000 for a post.
What advice would you give to a fashion or beauty creator hoping to make money on the platform?
Start promoting brands that you genuinely love with quality content and tag them in your posts. This is how I was able to create a great relationship with one of my favourite skincare brands, and now I’m fortunate enough to work with them on a paid basis. Sometimes you have to invest a little before you see a return.
Ella Watkins @ella.whatkins
Niche: Comedy skits that will leave you chortling with laughter
Follower count: 2.5M followers
When did you join TikTok?
In 2019. At the time I had a YouTube channel, so I would post little excerpts of my YouTube videos on TikTok. I got bored of doing that because I was just recycling content, so I totally abandoned TikTok for about a year and a half. I opened TikTok again on May 26th, 2021, and decided I wanted to start creating content specifically for the app (rather than just reposting clips from YouTube).
My first video was of me talking to camera, after my parents had sent security camera footage of a Tasmanian devil entering the front door of their house (which I had left open) when I was supposed to be house sitting for the weekend. I tell people May 26th, 2021 is my TikTok birthday.
What attracts viewers to your content?
I create lots of different kinds of content. Some TikToks take half an hour for me to make, some take days or even weeks. I enjoy every aspect of bringing a video to life, from the writing through to the filming, performing, and editing. I think my audience can feel the enjoyment and love I get out of it when they watch my videos, and I hope it’s contagious. I think that feeling of excitement is what draws people in.
How were you able to monetise your content?
A brand first reached out to me in August last year. At the time I had around 180k-200k followers. I couldn’t believe it was really happening until I had a meeting with the brand over Zoom. After that, more and more brands started popping up in my inbox as my following grew. When I realised that working with brands and making a living through TikTok was a real thing, I started reaching out to brands directly. A lot of management companies reached out to me too, but I held off signing with anyone for a few months because I wanted to get a sense of the business side of TikTok before I started building my team.
Management can help you advance your career if you find the right people, but there’s a lot you can do on your own. The reason I signed with a manager is because I was lucky enough to cross paths with my current manager, who is incredible and a perfect fit for me. Had I not met him, I’d definitely still be doing my business solo to this day.
How much money do you earn for a post?
Negotiating deals with brands is a huge part of the job. In the beginning I did it all myself but now I have an incredible manager who does the heavy lifting for me. I think the months I spent negotiating my own deals were very valuable as a creator. I learnt a lot and developed a lot of business skills in the process which I know will come in handy as my career continues to grow.
There are so many variables that go into a brand deal, so it's difficult to give an exact figure per-post. It depends on the deliverables, the brand’s alignment with my channel, the brand’s campaign budget... My manager and I will turn down brands I feel don’t align, and budgets can vary quite drastically from campaign to campaign.
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