Ayomi Samaraweera had roughly 2,000 followers on TikTok when workplace-networking app Fishbowl agreed to pay her $450 for three videos—her first brand deal. If you’re a creator with hopes of landing a brand sponsorship like Ayomi’s, here’s everything you need to know to get sponsored on TikTok.
There are three ways TikTok creators get paid:
- Gifted sponsorships are when a brand sends a creator free product to promote, review, or feature in their content, with the product itself being the form of payment. It’s a common first deal.
- Affiliate sponsorships pay influencers through TikTok Shop links or promo codes, which can pay up to 30% commission on the sale, depending on the scale of the campaign and the brand’s margins on a product.
- Flat-fee sponsored videos are the classic TikTok brand deal, in which a company pays outright for a mention within a creator’s content. They might be one-off videos or packages, and they tend to offer the biggest payday in a lump sum.
Rates depend on a number of variables including follower count, engagement rate, content niche, and scale of the content being produced.
Whatever the deal type, TikTok requires sponsored videos to be posted with its branded content toggle on, which applies a “Paid partnership” label. This disclosure is nonnegotiable, as it enforces compliance with the FTC influencer guidelines.
1. Become the creator brands search for.
A TikTok influencer’s value lies in their audience and the relationship they’ve built with it. Follower count shows a brand the size of your reach, while engagement shows the strength of that bond. The latter has become increasingly important, which is a huge win for those just starting out. You don’t have to wait until you grow a massive follower base to start closing sponsorship deals; you need to nurture an engaged community through your content.
The niche you work in on TikTok will determine the type of audience you attract and therefore the brands you’ll be compatible with. Companies typically look for creators whose audience overlaps with their customer base or with a demographic they’re looking to push into. Usually, the more specific, the better: “Budget Korean skin care for college students” gives a marketer a clearer expectation of content and audience than a general beauty-content TikToker.
After homing in on your niche, start building your page like a storefront. Brands can be quick to judge since they frequently evaluate potential TikTokers to partner with. Once you’ve hooked them into taking a look at your page through a DM, mention, or viral video, it’s important to make a good first impression. Write a bio that clearly states what you create and for whom, add a contact email, and mention that you’re open to partnerships with a link to a portfolio or a media kit.
2. Prove you can sell before anyone pays you.
Brands work with creators who are trusted by their audiences. Once you’ve established your niche, focus on cultivating that trust by creating valuable organic content that people want to respond to. Whether you’re posting a tutorial, product review, video essay, or opinion piece, give your audience a reason to engage. If you naturally feature a brand in your organic content, tag or mention the company so the relationship can develop before you pitch.
Organize your highest-performing organic content by building a UGC portfolio. Then, to contextualize your best work, create an influencer media kit—essentially a concise document you can send to brands that answers the most important questions they’ll have when evaluating how well you fit with their goals.
3. Connect with brands.
Once you’ve grown your page with quality content, engaged your audience, and created a media kit, TikTok sponsors can come from three places: TikTok itself, your own outreach to brands, and creator marketplaces.
TikTok One is the platform’s hub to find “paid opportunities, collaborate with brands, and spark ideas.” It exists to make it easier for companies to search for and partner with creators who are the best match. Eligibility is a pretty low barrier: As long as you are at least 18 years old, in a region where TikTok One has launched, and in good standing with TikTok’s Community Guidelines and Branded Content Policy, you can enroll. In the app, tap Profile, then TikTok Studio, then Creator Marketplace. From there, you can list your rates, contact information, and niche.
Another way to connect with brands is to reach out to them directly. After looking into which companies are sponsoring other TikTok creators within your niche, create a tailored email pitch that introduces you as a creator, includes your media kit, and clearly defines a road to a partnership that benefits both parties.
Lastly, take advantage of resources beyond the app. Companies are actively looking for and hiring UGC creators to make TikTok-style videos to run on their own channels, which can be a great foot in the door for sponsorships. Use our comprehensive UGC casting call database to find paid creator gigs from brands with dedicated budgets.
