There are a few different ways to make money as a TikTok creator; one of the most profitable ways is to get sponsored by different brands. However, this is sometimes easier said than done. Big-name TikTokers like Charli D’amelio have companies clamoring for them to accept their sponsorship offers, because these creators are sure to boost the company’s sales. However, up-and-coming TikTok creators will have to work a bit harder to find sponsorships.
If you’ve been trying to make this happen, keep in mind that there isn’t any single strategy that will get you sponsorships. This has to happen after several other milestones have been accomplished, such as creating a brand or growing your following. Speaking of which, buying followers from sites like TikCeleb can actually contribute to organic growth if you play your cards right. It won’t necessarily work if you rely 100% on purchased followers, but this approach can encourage other TikTok users to follow what they see as a successful creator. By using this and other strategies, you should be able to connect with brands who are happy to sponsor you.
Having a robust following is essential
You’re probably already aware of this, but from the company’s perspective, the whole point of sponsoring a TikTok influencer is to get their product or service in front of more people. If they’re going to get a good return on investment for what they’re paying the influencer, the influencer should have several thousand followers. 10,000 is a healthy minimum to aim for, but brands have been known to sponsor creators with fewer fans than that.
Another aspect of this is that your following has to be loyal and engaged. It isn’t enough that a certain number of people have followed you; brands also want to see that they’re highly enthusiastic about you, your content, and your brand. The number of likes you get on each video is important, as well as the engagement in the comment sections. There should be plenty of genuine comments, demonstrating sincere interest. This tells companies that if you recommend something to your fans, they’ll trust you enough to try it out for themselves.
You need to create your own brand
If you want to get sponsored on TikTok, it would help immensely if you had your own brand. What does this mean? It’s all about creating an image. Since you’ll still be representing yourself as a person rather than a company, this is a somewhat elusive concept. Even so, there are a few distinct characteristics of TikTokers who have created their own brands:
- They use a consistent layout and font for most or all of their content.
- They only make content within their chosen niche.
- They develop their knowledge of the niche to the point where they can offer differing opinions and hot takes, which sets them apart from competing creators in the same niche.
- They use branded hashtags, which their followers may also use on their own videos.
- They use custom filters or color palettes.
Make your profile look professional
On TikTok, it’s rare to see a profile that looks overtly “professional”; that’s more of a LinkedIn thing. Even so, you should still make your profile look appealing to any company that’s considering you for a brand deal. For example, your profile picture should be a professional-quality headshot, which shows your face clearly. You should also include links to other social media accounts, or your website if applicable. The tagline should express your personality, but it should also summarize what you’re all about.
Design an amazing media kit
This is something that separates bona fide TikTok influencers from creators who are just doing it as a hobby. A media kit is a document describing why you’d be a good pick for a brand sponsorship – sort of like a blend between a resume and a job proposal. There’s plenty of flexibility in how a media kit is formatted, but it should always include at least the following:
- Contact information
- Links to other social media platforms
- Statistics on engagement rates and audience demographics
- Payment terms (how much you charge, when payments are due, how payments should be made, etc.)
- Types of promotions you’re willing to do (an entire sponsored video, a sponsored segment within a video, a mention, etc.)
In other words, your media kit should have enough information so that each brand will know exactly what to expect. A solid media kit also makes you look like you know what you’re doing, which will likely help your chances of being sponsored.
What comes next?
When calculating your odds of getting sponsored, you may wonder if having a much larger following would make it any easier. After all, isn’t that what the average brand is looking for? Not necessarily. Even though TikTokers with really huge followings pretty much guarantee a good return on investment, they also command equally huge prices. Also, the bigger the target fanbase, the fewer options there will be to choose from. However, if companies are looking for influencers with thousands of followers instead of millions of them, their options open up considerably.
Many companies actually look for smaller TikTok creators, because they’re often available to accept sponsorships. They’re also less likely to make demands or ask for changes to contracts, making them easier to work with. As long as you’ve done the work to build your following and your brand, clean up your profile, and make a great media kit, you could choose to wait for a company to get in touch.
A better idea, though, is to do that, plus reach out to brands who might want to sponsor you. Try researching companies that are related to your niche, and don’t be shy about sending messages describing what you offer for a sponsorship. This is the last step in getting brand deals on TikTok, and it’s well worth the effort. The more you go through the process, the easier it’ll become – and the more brands will decide to sponsor you!