One thing about me is that I refuse to gatekeep. If there is something I am benefiting from, I am absolutely going to share it with the masses. So, let me enlighten you about TikTok's latest monetization program and how it is changing the game for content creators.
Since 2021, my personal content creation and consumption have shifted almost solely to TikTok. (Do as the social media manager says, not as she does. Okay?) I have been fully invested in how TikTok has changed consumer behavior, content creation, and the world of social media in general.
More than anything, though, it has been my favorite creative outlet. Well, until I hit 50,000 followers in 2022 and decided it was time for me to actually start making money from my TikTok content instead of just doing it for "fun-sies." I started getting involved in brand collaborations and discovered that creating forced content just to make money and get some free products was really taking away from my enjoyment of being on the app.
What Is the Creativity Program?
In June of this year, I got invited to be part of TikTok's Creativity Program. Yes, I said, “invited.” It’s currently in the beta stage and available by invitation only to creators who meet specific requirements.
This new monetization program for creators is a chess move. A way for TikTok to not only stay competitive with YouTube's monetization efforts but also to reward creators for unique, high-quality content — that, hopefully, will keep people coming back to their app for more. Now, this isn't groundbreaking news for a social media platform. What IS groundbreaking is that the Creativity Program gives creators a higher revenue potential. And let me just say, TikTok came to play.
I'll Take Money With a Side of Freedom
In the last two and a half months, I have earned a total of $4,406.54 from the Creativity Program. (Keep in mind, these numbers are based on me posting an average of 2-3 times per week.) You know what’s even better than that? I made that money from content I wanted to make. The fun stuff. The stuff that not only brings me joy but also builds trust and loyalty with my audience because they know I’m just…being me.
TikTok is putting the power back into the hands of the creator. Now, we don’t have to rely on big-name brands to reward us for the hard work we’ve put into building an audience. (Honestly, TikTok owes us for that. All social media platforms do.) We also don’t have to lose our creative edge to meet the requirements of a brand collaboration. We have FREEDOM. Freedom to create what we want and keep the platform unique.
At the end of the day, TikTok has an ulterior motive to bring more people onto their app and keep them there. But, at least they are rewarding us for being the ones to make that happen for them. It’s a step in the right direction for the dancing app if you ask me.
What do you think?
