How to Actually Make Money on TikTok (Even With a Small Audience)

Let's talk about the elephant in the room: making money.

For most creators, it's the ultimate goal. You love creating content, but you also want it to become something more than just a hobby. But the path to monetization feels foggy and out of reach.

Most people think of the TikTok Creator Fund or massive brand deals. The problem? The creator fund pays pennies, and brand deals are usually reserved for accounts with huge followings. For the average creator, these aren't realistic starting points.

The good news? They aren't the best ways to make money, anyway.

The most successful creators build their own income streams, independent of brand deals or platform payouts. And you can too, even with a small, engaged audience. But first, a crucial step.

You Can't Sell Without Trust

Before you try to sell anything—a product, an affiliate link, a coaching session—you have to provide immense value and build trust. No one will buy from an account that feels like a walking advertisement.

Think of it like a bank account. You have to make deposits (valuable, free content) before you can make a withdrawal (asking for a sale). For every one "salesy" post you make, you should have at least 10-15 posts that are pure value, helping your audience with no strings attached.

Your content is the foundation. If you're not consistently helping people, no monetization strategy will work.

Now, let's explore three of the most effective methods.

1. The Low-Cost Digital Product

This is the holy grail for faceless or slideshow-based accounts. A digital product is something you create once and can sell an infinite number of times. It could be:

• An eBook or guide
• A template (for Notion, Canva, spreadsheets, etc.)
• A short video course
• A checklist or planner

The key is to create a "no-brainer" offer that's a natural next step for your most engaged followers. Don't try to create a massive, all-encompassing course. Start small. A $15 guide that solves one specific, painful problem is often more effective than a $200 course that tries to solve everything.

2. Affiliate Marketing (The Right Way)

Most people do affiliate marketing wrong. They just drop random Amazon links and hope for the best.

The right way is to only promote products or services that you genuinely use and that are a perfect fit for your audience. Your slideshows can be structured as mini-reviews or tutorials for these products.

For example, if you have a faceless account about personal finance, you could become an affiliate for a budgeting app you love. Your content can teach people how to budget, and then you can offer the app as a tool that makes it easier. You're providing value first, and the affiliate link is a natural extension of that value.

The key to ethical affiliate marketing is transparency. Always disclose that it's an affiliate link. More importantly, your recommendation must be genuine. Your audience trusts you. If you promote a low-quality product just to make a commission, you'll break that trust and lose them forever. Your long-term reputation is always worth more than a short-term payout.

3. Coaching or Consulting

If you've built an audience around a specific skill (like marketing, fitness, coding, etc.), you have a built-in pool of potential clients. People are following you because they see you as an expert.

Offer one-on-one coaching calls. You can start small, with just a few sessions a month. Your content acts as your marketing—it demonstrates your expertise and builds trust. The people who want to go deeper and get personalized advice will be happy to pay for your time.

The easiest way to start is by putting a simple link in your bio to a Calendly or similar booking page. You can even offer a free 15-minute "discovery call" to make it a lower-risk decision for potential clients. This is often the most lucrative path, but it also requires the most time. It's a direct trade of your expertise for money.

Which Path is Right for You?

Think about your personality and your niche.

• If you love creating systems and resources, digital products are a perfect fit.
• If you love testing and reviewing things in your niche, affiliate marketing is a natural extension.
• If you love working directly with people and giving personalized advice, coaching is your path.

You don't need a million followers to build a business. You just need a thousand true fans who trust the value you provide. Focus on solving their problems, and the monetization will follow.