Making money without having traditional employment or a business is no longer a distant dream, but the sad part is that only some people are aware of this opportunity!

Are you one of those who thought TikTok was only a platform for children to share lip-syncs and dance videos? I hope not!

But even if you are, this blog will change your perception and help you see the platform in a new light.

While I won’t make any bold claims stating that TikTok was always a place for marketers, it has evolved to become one of the most influential business platforms. Fortunately, TikTok affiliate marketing is now one of the prominent elements of the platform, making it a top pick for brands and influencers. With that being said, let’s dive into TikTok affiliate marketing to get a better understanding.

But hey! Before I tell you everything you need to know about affiliate marketing on TikTok, I would like to share my little secret of success on the platform. A TikTok scheduler works like magic if you struggle with consistency and automation. You can plan all your posts several months ahead and then schedule them to post one at a time.

Now, let’s get started!

What is TikTok Affiliate Marketing?

To clarify, TikTok affiliate marketing is just like any other social media platform. You upload a video, add an affiliate link, and encourage your audience to purchase the product. If you’re familiar with affiliate marketing, you’ll realize the process is the same as that of sharing a link to your blog, website,  or post.

So, you may ask how affiliate marketing on TikTok is any different.

Well, TikTok is still a new platform. Since its release in 2016, it has significantly evolved, but that doesn’t change the fact that it is a platform for Gen Zs. Facebook has been in the market for almost 20 years now. Even Snapchat is over 12 years old; in simple words, these platforms are considered boomers by the oh-so-cool Gen Z.

TikTok is still a platform that Gen X and Y have yet to use, making the current generation use it even more. That’s pretty much the only reason for its popularity— making it a solid candidate for affiliate marketing. So, if you are wondering, can you do affiliate marketing in TikTok? The answer is YES!

Why Should You Consider Affiliate Marketing on TikTok?

‘TikTok is just for the kids!’ While this is not a complete lie, it’s not the complete truth either. Let’s talk about some stats here as we are on the topic.

TikTok has been downloaded over 2 billion times so far— having 1.7 billion users from across the globe. Approximately 150 million active TikTok users are from the United States and around 40% of the TikTok audience is between the ages of 16 to 24. Now, do you still think TikTok is a platform only for kids? I don’t feel so!

These stats show that an affiliate marketer has an average of 300 million people to work with on the platform! According to affiliate marketing statistics, 29.6% of affiliate marketers drive traffic through TikTok, so why don’t you jump on the bandwagon?

All you need to do is come up with something that would appeal to the younger generation, such as fashion, lifestyle, gadgets, cars, or anything else that might interest them, and you are ready to ace this TikTok affiliate game.

Related Article: Best Affiliate Marketing Programs for Beginners in 2024

How Does Affiliate Marketing on TikTok Work?

1. The Product Creator

   The entity or individual opting to market their products through affiliate marketing may be a merchant or retailer seeking to promote and sell their inventory through this marketing approach.

2. The Affiliate Network

   This part is like an extra choice. Instead of working directly with individual affiliate marketers, the seller uses an affiliate network to sell their stuff. They can connect with different content creators, and these creators can pick and promote the products they like from that network.

3. The Affiliate Marketer

   An influencer or content creator connects directly with the seller or the affiliate network to promote products to their audience. They have the ability to sell these products to online readers, viewers, or their contacts. On TikTok, affiliate marketers showcase and promote products in their videos.

4. The Consumer

   The consumer is the individual who takes the final call and purchases the products. In this scenario, the consumer will likely be the TikTok audience that watches affiliate marketing videos on the platform.

If you are still confused about these roles, here’s an example:

@rachel_meaders is a well-known content creator who often leverages affiliate marketing on her TikTok account. Check out this video of hers!

@rachel_meaders ⚡️Link is in my bio to shop!💕 #amazonfinds #founditonamazon #amazonmusthaves #amazonhome #homehacks #organizingtiktok ♬ original sound – Rachel Meaders

In this video, she is promoting battery converters from Amazon. In this case, she’s the affiliate marketer, while Amazon is the affiliate network she has used to find the product she likes. She created a video promoting it, and BOOM! The TikTok audience (consumers) find it extremely helpful. I hope it all makes sense now!

How to Make Money With TikTok Affiliate Marketing?

Most people don’t know this, but you don’t need to be an influencer to be an affiliate marketer on TikTok.

Are you interested in having a side hustle that would give you a little extra weight in the pockets? Here are some things you can do to make money with affiliate marketing with TikTok.

• Use organic traffic to get better reach. Add the website’s URL and upgrade your account to a business account; you’re all set to roll with it!
• Link your social media profiles to the TikTok account.
• Use promo codes given to you by the product creators or affiliate network.
• Add that URL to your description.
• Leverage TikTok’s paid advertisements.
• Build your audience by being consistent and accurate to the viewers.

How Can You Get Started With Affiliate Marketing on TikTok (As a Seller)?

Out of all the ways you can market your product, affiliate marketing is a winner in terms of financial risk. Sure, you have to spend a certain amount to establish an affiliate program and hire some influencers to promote your products, but there’s not much risk. Even if the deals don’t bring good results, you won’t lose anything. Here’s how you can start with TikTok affiliate marketing as a seller.

1. Develop Affiliate Offers

   The initial step is to create affiliate offers. Recognize the affiliate products you wish marketers to endorse and provide them with commissions based on your profit margin. You have the flexibility to set varying commissions for different products, and it’s not necessary to establish an affiliate program for your entire store; it can also be designed for specific products.

2. Set Up Your Program

   There are two ways to do this, and if you ask us, both have their fair share of benefits.

   You have the option to establish your own affiliate program, which can be cost-effective, but it’s important to note that managing such a program can be time-intensive, requiring you to handle all aspects independently. Alternatively, you can opt for a simpler approach by joining an existing affiliate network. This allows you to promote your products on their platform without needing personal management, although it may come at a higher cost.

   Consider what holds greater importance for you: the time required to create your own affiliate program or the financial investment.

   Do you have the answer?

   There you go! It’s not so difficult anymore!

3. Recruit Affiliate Partners

   Setting up your affiliate program brings you a lot of legwork at every step of the way. You will need to do your own research to find the right affiliate partners for your products.

   On the other hand, with affiliate networks, you can find partners through their platforms. Look for content creators who work in the same niche as your products and have credibility. High-quality content is a must-have, so make sure you pay attention to that as well!

4. Manage Your Affiliates

   Once you onboard affiliates, familiarize them with your brand and products. They should know everything that would showcase the best features of your products. Give them sample products to test in their content (if you can). Encourage them to create high-quality content and look over their content to keep a check on how they are promoting your products.

How Can You Get Started With Affiliate Marketing on TikTok (As a Content Creator)?

We have talked so much about affiliate marketing on TikTok for sellers already; you must be curious about how the creators do it.

In this section, we’ll cover how you can leverage affiliate marketing on TikTok as a content creator!

1. Define Your Niche

   Defining your niche might be the first step, but your success depends on it. If you already have an audience on TikTok, you will have a niche you are catering to. However, if you are just starting, you first need to select a niche. This will help you determine what type of content you want to create and what section of the audience will benefit from your affiliate marketing videos.

   For example, if you want to build an audience who’s into gadgets, you can go through Amazon, Shopify, and even TikTok shop to find something that will be useful for your audience and start making content around it

   Here’s an example of affiliate content on TikTok.

    

   @graceakalittlemama OMG!! Love these hand warmers for cold mornings, afternoons, and nights! 🥶🥶You can also use them on your face! Get two so you have one for each hand. FLASH SALE IS ON NOW so get it CHEAP while you can! 🎉🎉🎉💲💲💲 #tiktokshop #tiktokshopdeals #ttshophome #tiktokshopaffiliate #ttshopdeals #tiktokflashsale #handwarmers ♬ Trap Mafia – Lastra

2. Create a Business Account

   You can learn “how to add affiliate links on TikTok,” but it won’t work unless you have a business account. If you have a personal TikTok account, you first need to switch it to a business TikTok account. Here’s how to do this!

   • Open the app and go to your profile.
     
   • Select menu, then setting & privacy.
     
   • Click on account.
     
   • Select ‘Switch to a business account’ and complete the process.
     

3. Join Affiliate Marketing Programs

   Once you have set up your account, the next step is to find an affiliate program. You can check out Social Champ’s affiliate program, Amazon Associates, and Shopify to find products or services you like. You can also reach out to brands directly and get an affiliate link to market their products. After you get the URLs, you can start embedding the URLs in your content and bio. Go to edit profile and add your URL there so the viewers can see it.

4. Create Good Content

   Lastly, you need to create quality content to reach the right audience. If your content is inefficient, users might not be convinced to buy the products. You can use relevant hashtags to find the right audience, so do proper research before starting this last step.

Featured Article: How to Become a YouTuber in 2024?

Tips to Boost Affiliate Sales on TikTok

We get it if you still wonder how to use TikTok for affiliate marketing! It’s difficult.

Here are some tips to boost your affiliate sales on TikTok, and we bet they will prove to be game-changers.

1. Use Relevant Hashtags

   Hashtags are NOT DEAD!

   No matter how smart an algorithm gets, hashtags will remain as relevant as ever. They are one of the most important parts of reaching your audience. You can learn how to add affiliate links to TikTok, but it will be useless if you are not using the right hashtags in your content.

   Knowing which hashtag is appropriate for your audience is crucial so your content can find itself on their For You Page. So, before you listen to the born-yesterday influencers telling you that hashtags are not working anymore, try to add hashtags in your videos, and you will see their magic yourself. And if you are worried about finding the right hashtags, don’t worry! A free hashtag generator is all you need.

2. Use Appealing Visuals and Trending Sounds

   TikTok is a platform of visuals and sounds— period!

   You can’t convince me that without any sound or visuals, a video can go viral on THIS platform. You need to be aware of the ongoing audio trends and integrate them into your videos. This will help your content appear when a user searches for videos using that particular audio. Additionally, when you use trending sounds in your content, it automatically gets better reach.

   Similarly, you should also hop on visual trends to stay relevant. And who doesn’t like to see appealing visuals on their screens?

3. Be Real With Your Audience

   Because of the majority of Gen Zs on the platform, TikTok can be pretty brutal. Creators are easily called out for their nonsense, and if you are not transparent with your audience, it won’t sit well with them. So try to be as real as possible and share honest reviews about products. If your audience finds you reliable, they will trust your recommendations more.

4. Monitor Results

   Lastly, you can implement all the wise strategies in your content, but you will never know how well they are working without monitoring the results. TikTok analytics allow you to monitor your content’s performance, so make sure you leverage this feature to get the most out of affiliate marketing with TikTok.

In Conclusion

Having multiple side hustles is appealing because everyone desires to see their bank accounts flourish. TikTok affiliate marketing stands out as an effective method for boosting your earnings, and the most attractive aspect is its low risk.

Using a TikTok scheduler can help you stay up-to-date with your posts, and you won’t have to spend thousands of dollars to get started with it; just follow this guide, and you won’t have to worry about finances again.

Frequently Asked Questions