In this article, we discuss two ways to monetize TikTok: through the TikTok Creator Rewards Program and the TikTok Shop Creator Pilot Program.
Both the Creator Rewards and Creator Pilot programs were designed to help digital creators fast-track their growth on the platform, but they differ in eligibility, goals, and monetization methods.
We will describe, analyze, and provide practical qualification steps and resources for both programs.
TikTok Creator Rewards Program
This program was designed to reward digital content creators for posting original, high-quality video content. It encourages creating longer videos, typically longer than 1 minute.
Creators can earn based on performance metrics like views, likes, comments, watch time, and content quality.
TikTok calculates your earnings using the Revenue Per Mille (RPM) model, and payouts may vary depending on your location and account.
The payouts are between $0.40 and $1.00 per thousand qualified views. Your videos must pass TikTok’s requirements for originality and compliance.
How To Qualify for the Creator Rewards Program
Here are the bare minimum, basic requirements to qualify for this program:
- You have to be at least 18 years old.
- Your account should be public.
- Your follower count should be no less than 10,000.
- Your videos should have at least 100,000 views in the last 30 days.
- All your videos must follow TikTok’s Community Guidelines and Terms of Service.
- You must reside in one of the qualifying countries: the US, UK, Germany, France, Japan, South Korea, or Brazil.
How to Apply for the TikTok Creator Rewards Program
Step 1: Ensure your account is set to Personal
- Go to your profile.
- Click on the hamburger menu in the top right corner.
- Click on Settings and Privacy.
- Click on Account.
- Look for the option that says Switch to Personal Account. (If your account is already personal, your option will say Switch to Business Account, and no further actions are required.)
Step 2: Application process
- Go to your profile.
- Click on the hamburger menu in the top right corner.
- Click on TikTok Studio.
- Find the bar that says Inspiration and Monetization. Ensure Monetization is selected.
- Scroll down to Monetization Programs and click View all.
- You will see a page with programs, broken down into 2 sections: Eligible and Ineligible to apply, which will give you an indication of what you are and aren’t eligible to apply for.
- Find the Creator Rewards Program. If it’s under the Eligible section, you can proceed by clicking on it and applying through the big red button at the bottom of the screen. Once you’ve completed the application process, expect a decision response from TikTok within 3 days.
- If you are not eligible, click on it anyway. You will see a page with the basic requirements for you to meet. The ones that are met will have a checkmark next to them, and the ones that aren’t met will have an x and a progress bar next to them.
Tip: Click the “Notify me when I’m eligible” button at the bottom of the screen to get notified when your account becomes eligible.
Practical Tips To Qualify If You Are Ineligible
For this part, we will base our recommendations on a hypothetical TikTok account in the marketing niche.
Tip 1: Optimize Your Profile for FYP Discovery
Include your niche keywords or keyphrases in your bio, pin your best long-form videos to the top of your profile, and use a consistent video and thumbnail style for better profile recognition.
Tip 2: Shift to Longer-Form Content
The Creator Rewards Program only counts videos longer than 60 seconds. Hook the viewers first, offer some value, and add a CTA at the end. Use split-screen videos and screen recordings to provide actionable value and examples. End the video by inviting viewers to check out part two of the video to encourage return views.
Tip 3: Create a Series Around High-In-Demand Topics
Series content tends to retain viewer attention and performs well in the algorithm. To build playlists and be more discoverable, use a unique and consistent hashtag.
Here are some ideas for a short series of marketing content: “AI Marketing Tool Review,” “Copywriting Tricks I Use Daily To Increase the Response Rate,” and “Daily Marketing Tips From Me.”
Tip 4: Leverage Trends
Use the latest format and audio trends to gain more exposure and engagement for your content, without violating the originality requirements of the Creator Rewards Program. Of course, adjust them according to your niche.
Tip 5: Maximize Qualified Views
A view is considered “qualified” when viewers watch for longer than 5 seconds, they’re not repeat viewers, and when your content shows up on the FYP.
To improve your qualified view rate, use hashtags and captions with keywords and keyphrases, keep your viewers’ attention by making them curious, and use pattern interruptions in your videos, like text overlay, fast transitions, and camera zooms.
Tip 6: Post More but Don’t Compromise Quality
Posting consistently is key to reaching 100,000 views in 30 days.
TikTok Shop Creator Pilot Program
This program was designed for smaller creators (1000+ followers) to earn commissions while promoting e-commerce products from the TikTok shop.
It gives creators access to all of the TikTok Shop and Creator tools, and you can earn money by reviewing and selling products through your content.
This program is a great way to start earning before you reach the 5000 follower count. However, TikTok may or may not limit you to how many shoppable videos you can post weekly. The limitations are typically lifted after you surpass 5000 followers.
Once accepted into the program, creators can access the product marketplace, request product samples from brands to create content with, create shoppable content, host shoppable live streams, and earn commissions.
How To Qualify for the TikTok Creator Pilot Program
Here are the basic requirements to qualify for this program:
- You must be at least 18 years old.
- Your follower count should be at least 1000.
- You must have a clean account with no big TikTok rule violations.
How to Apply for the TikTok Creator Pilot Program
There are two ways to join the TikTok Shop Pilot program. For some, TikTok’s system will automatically select qualifying accounts and invite them.
If your account was not automatically selected, you can apply manually by following these steps:
- Go to your TikTok’s search bar, and type in “Creator Search Insights”.
- Click on the top option. It should be a colorful blue and yellow lightbulb with a red View button next to it.
- Once you click View, a page with analytics, insights, favorites, and other options will open.
- Find the bar that automatically interchanges between options – there are three separate tabs. Scroll down until you see a light blue bar that says, “Explore opportunities to earn with shopping insights.” Click on it.
- It will open up a TikTok Shop page that looks like this:
- If you have met all of the basic requirements, you should see a green checkmark next to each one. The big red Apply button should be available. Click on it, and follow the prompts.
- If you do not see the green checkmarks and the Apply button is greyed out, you need to work on meeting the basic requirements before you are eligible to apply.
Tip: If you are ineligible, save the Creator Search Insights page on your Home Screen so that you don’t have to search for it every time. Click on the option and follow the prompts to add it to your phone’s home screen.
Actionable Tips to Boost Your Eligibility
Tip 1: Engage
To receive engagement, you have to engage with others first. Engage with people’s content by liking, commenting, sharing, and, most importantly, watching the entire video from start to finish.
The content you interact with should include not only what you see on your FYP but also the content you search for. According to numerous creators on the platform, searching for content about the TikTok Shop Pilot program and engaging with it helps signal to the algorithm that you are interested in joining.
Tip 2: Post Regularly
Your content should revolve around qualifying for the program and reviewing products. Do various product videos and mention and tag the brands in them. You can post reviews, demos, and unboxings.
Tip: On the Creator Search Insights page, you can find topics that creators are currently using to reach a larger audience and boost engagement. Incorporate those topics in your content, descriptions, and hashtags to boost your views and fast-forward your eligibility for the program.
The suggestions might be different for everybody, so if your screen doesn’t match the screenshot, don’t worry. The platform personalizes them for every account.
Step 3: Go Live
If TikTok granted you the ability to go live, do it! Go live with your favorite products – review, promote, and tag them. Creators who livestream often get selected by the system faster.
Step 4: Track the Explore Opportunities to Earn Page
While you are doing all the necessary things to qualify for the program, remember to check that page. You might see all green checkmarks sooner than you expect, so it doesn’t hurt to check it regularly.
Step 5: Stay Consistent and Persistent
Continue posting and engaging with others. Even if you do not see results right away, note that your efforts aren’t going unnoticed.
Step 6: Submit a Support Ticket for TikTok Shop Creators
If you’ve done everything you can to get accepted but are still getting rejected, contact support for more insights on what you can do better. TikTok creators and Reddit users have reported that doing so helps.
Closing Remarks
Business and content creation go hand in hand, and there is no reason why you shouldn’t monetize both. TikTok is a platform that allows creators of all sizes to reach their monetization potential.
Today, we analyzed and provided actionable guides on how to get started with TikTok’s two primary monetization opportunities: the TikTok Creator Rewards Program and the TikTok Shop Creator Pilot Program.
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– Steph
