Key takeaways:

• TikTok is a growing platform that presents a variety of opportunities for those well-trained in audio and video production to spread their content to a wide audience.
• Becoming an influencer takes, in part, a strategy based on producing professional-level content and focusing on a unique niche.
• Influencers can monetize their content in a variety of ways, including producing sponsored content for brands or applying for payment directly from TikTok.

TikTok offers opportunities for those looking to market and influence the platform. Taking advantage of these opportunities will take real talent and skill. Without the necessary video and audio production skills, it will be difficult to establish your presence and grow your influence.

How Do You Become an Influencer on TikTok?

Becoming an influencer on TikTok takes effort. It’s not a matter of simply throwing the proverbial dart over and over again until something hits. You need to have a determined spirit that enables continued effort, but you will need to do so strategically. 

Produce Creative Content 

You won’t gain a foothold in the TikTok universe by sticking with the same, staid videos you’ve seen produced elsewhere. This social media platform is known for the creative content it contains. So, it’s essential to produce videos that engage. Be wild. Be bold. Be adventurous. 

Another way to think of this step is to produce content that’s disruptive. You can take advantage of emerging hashtags and trends instead of leaning into the same type of videos already gaining views, veer in the other direction. 

Know Your Niche 

As you begin to produce content, it’s best to bore in deeply on a specific niche than try a little bit of everything. Think about your most authentic, most demonstrable skill and hone in on it with every video you produce.  

Are you a stellar singer? That’s a great start, and every video you produce should show off your voice. Are you a stellar singer who focuses on operatic songs? That’s even better and helps differentiate your content from other talented vocal artists. Are you a stellar opera singer who loves making old TV theme songs sound like they were specifically created for the Three Tenors or Renee Fleming? Then it looks like you’ve found your niche. 

Influence the Influencers 

If you’re looking to become an influencer yourself, it can help to receive the support of someone already established on TikTok. In this step, it’s important to find an influencer who appeals to your target market. This doesn’t have to be the person with the most followers or who has left the largest footprint in your chosen space. You should check out their content across social media platforms to ensure they’re the right type of influencer for your interests. 

Whenever possible, try to build a personal bond with that influencer. Ideally, this bond should stem from your preferred niche, so it makes sense for them to eventually engage with your content and promote it on their feeds. You don’t necessarily need an explicit endorsement from the influencer, but any engagement can help drive their audience to you and potentially create a long-lasting creative relationship. 

Invest in Yourself 

The final step in becoming an influencer is to pay for advertising. This isn’t always ideal, especially if you’re operating without a source of funds to pay for it, but it can help put your content in front of people who are willing and wanting to engage with it.  

It’s best not to view this as the sole pathway to influencer-dom. Instead, it should be viewed as a way to turbocharge your already occurring growth in followers and engagement.  

Additionally, the trick is not to make your advertising content seem like advertising. This tends to turn people off to your content. Keep your content looking like content, with excellent video and audio production highlighting your niche. 

How Many Followers Do You Need to Be an Influencer on TikTok? 

There’s no set number that defines an “influencer” on TikTok. In fact, many people focus on becoming a micro-influencer, where their reach is narrow but deep with a very targeted audience. So, there’s no specific metric you need to hit at which you can finally slap on a badge that reads “Certified Influencer.” 

However, at certain follower levels, you gain access to additional benefits that can help you along your influencer journey. For instance, you need to have at least 1000 followers before you are allowed to live stream on the platform. Livestreaming is an essential part of being an influencer, as it helps you promote more intimate engagement with your followers.  

Once you reach 1000 followers, you can certainly say you’re on the right path to becoming an influencer. For many people, though, a true TikTok influencer is one who gets paid for their posts. 

Do Influencers Get Paid on TikTok?  

The simple answer here is “yes.” There are a variety of paths to monetize your TikTok videos on the platform. Perhaps most excitingly is the TikTok Creator Fund. This fund is expected to grow to over $1 billion over the next three years and is designed to support content creators who treat the platform as a professional media channel through the quality of their work and level of engagement. 

Other than this direct payment from TikTok, there are also five general ways to monetize your TikTok content: 

• Branded merchandise: If you reach a level of TikTok fame where your followers will passionately purchase anything you recommend, you can start your own line of branded products. 
• Consulting: Your level of influence is likely due to your expertise in using the platform. You can turn that expertise into money by consulting other up-and-coming influencers. 
• Influencer marketing: This is perhaps the most well-known way to turn your TikTok feed into a living. Companies will pay you to promote their products to your followers. 
• Launching your own media career: You can turn your TikTok stardom into a career in the arts, such as acting, directing, or singing. 
• Sponsored content: This is similar to influencer marketing, but it involves creating content for a specific company on their TikTok account. 

What Are the Requirements to Get Paid on TikTok? 

There is no defined requirement to get paid on TikTok through any of the five monetizing strategies listed above. However, to apply for TikTok’s creator fund, your feed must meet some basic requirements, such as having at least 10,000 followers and receiving at least 10,000 views over the past 30 days. 

Where Can You Learn the Video and Audio Skills Needed to Become an Influencer? 

To become an influencer, you’ll need an in-depth knowledge of audio and video production to create high-quality content that speaks to tens of thousands of people. The Media Schools of Colorado, Ohio, Illinois, and Miami, offer classes and training that can put you on the right path to becoming an influencer. 

Want to learn more about our programs? Check them out here! You can also fill out our online form to receive more information.