The realistic way to make money on TikTok is to use the app as a marketing platform for your own products. If a user has launched a business of their own, TikTok can be used very well to advertise it. Anyone who can bring their products to the customer within 15 seconds has found the right tool in TikTok. Through the link feature on your own user profile, users are taken directly to the website and thereby straight to the products. If a seller has a carpentry shop, for example, they can also post short how-to videos here in which they create various pieces of furniture. Making money on TikTok works by presenting your products nicely. They can also use a logo in the clip. The user points to the link in their profile in the caption and you are ready to go.

Users can also explore the incredible reach they can achieve through cleverly chosen hashtags. That way they reach the broad mass of interested people in a very short time and, in the best case, customers too. Creative and above all memorable videos that appeal to users are most effective here. It is also especially good that advertising on TikTok is free.

Making Money on TikTok: History and Market Data

The app was acquired as early as November 2017 by the company ByteDance, headquartered in Beijing, and then renamed TikTok in August 2018. ByteDance is one of the most valuable startups in the world and, with a total valuation of 75 billion dollars, ranks ahead of SpaceX and Airbnb. TikTok is called Douyin in China and runs a number of additional platforms there compared to the West. A news portal is integrated there, for instance. ByteDance is currently working on many projects, mostly in the field of artificial intelligence.

Making money on TikTok


How many people make money on TikTok, including in Germany, is not officially known. TikTok does not provide any information on this and points out that in 2018 it was the fourth most downloaded app in the world. A figure of 4.1 million users in Germany is also circulating online.

Making Money on TikTok: Stars Use the App Too

There are a number of TikTok stars in Germany as well. Some time ago the app also invited people to a so-called Creator Day in Berlin, and for the first time in Europe journalists were also able to take part. Several TikTok creators were there, part of the TikTok team from Germany and also colleagues from Shanghai or London. Some TikTok users showed how they are successful on this app, and got the chance to exchange ideas with other users and influencers.