TikTok has quickly emerged as a dominant platform in the social media landscape, offering unique opportunities for creativity, entertainment, and even income generation. For Ugandans looking to capitalize on the TikTok wave, there are several strategies to turn this fun app into a source of revenue. This article delves into various methods to make money on TikTok in Uganda, covering everything from building a following to leveraging brand partnerships and more.
TikTok currently ranks as the 6th most-used social media platform worldwide, with over 1 billion active users as of January 2022. That’s a big market.
Many people in Uganda have already started earning from TikTok while others have made Tikok Content creation full-time jobs.
Can you make money on TikTok in Uganda?
The short answer is: Yes.
To make money on TikTok directly you must be 18 years of age or older, have more than 10,000 followers, and have at least 100,000 views over the last 30 days.
You can then apply to the TikTok Creator Fund in the app.
Making money on TikTok however, requires a little creativity.
While there are official, app-funded methods of earning cash, there are plenty of other ways that you can make money on the platform—even if you don’t have a ton of followers.
Similar to social media creators active on other platforms, many TikTok users have already reached financial success through the app.
And while TikTok may seem like a new frontier, the strategies you can use to make money will probably look familiar to those of other social media apps like YouTube and Instagram.
So let us look at the ways how to make money in Uganda.
Ways to make money on TikTok in Uganda
Step 1. Partner with a brand
By partnering with a brand, you can publish sponsored content on TikTok.
Sponsored content on TikTok is defined as content for which you receive something of value. That’s the goal, right?
For example, a brand might pay you to make a TikTok video talking about how great their soap cleans clothes, or how tasty their new beer is.
Many brands here in Uganda are very much interested in entering such paid collaborations with TikTokers.
However, the quality of the brands to deal with you goes hand in hand with your influence on TikTok.
If you have a very big following, you will deal with big brands and also charge much money more than a tiktoker with few followers.
NOTE: Don’t seek to partner with companies whose views don’t align with your own.
Your followers like everything about you. Should you promote brands that don’t align with what your followers are used to, you are in danger of losing them.
Step 2. Partner with an established influencer
This is for Businesses who want to use TikTok to drive sales for their products and services.
If you are a business looking to grow your presence (and make money) on TikTok, reach out to an influencer whose content aligns with your brand.
Many companies have partnered with influencers to promote their products on TikTok. For Example (Buganda Kombucha partnered with MikeySeems2Funny)
According to this study by Tomoson, every dollar spent on influencer marketing yielded an average of $6.50 for the business, with the top 13% surveyed reporting a return of $20.
What’s more, half of the marketers say the customers gained through influencer marketing are higher quality than customers brought in through other channels, like email marketing or organic search.
Step 3. Use Tiktok to advertise your products
Do you have products already, then use TikTok to promote what you sell.
Create TikToks that show off your products, including all the details that make them unique. Make sure you include a link to your shop in your bio.
You will need a website to direct your customers to from TikTok.
How to make it on TikTok in Uganda
1. Be original
If the big book on social media had a moral, this would be it. And as hard as it is to believe that authenticity is important in our highly filtered world, internet users crave genuine content.
In this 2019 study, 90% of the 1,590 adults surveyed said that authenticity is important online, but 51% said that they believe less than half of brands create work that resonates as authentic.
So whether you’re showing your dance moves or showing off your cooking skills, stay true to yourself.
It’s the surest way to gain followers you’ll keep—and hopefully, earn some real money.
2. Be transparent
This goes hand in hand with authenticity. The rules around posting sponsored content and divulging when you get free stuff are pretty foggy, but it’s always better to err on the side of caution.
TikTok’s branded content toggle adds a disclosure for you (#Ad), so make sure you use it when appropriate.
3. Look to your favorite creators for ideas
If you’re not sure where to start, start scrolling.
Odds are, some of your favorite creators are making money from TikTok.
Check out what they are doing—brand deals, promoting T-shirts, spelling their Venmo in alphabet soup—and try to put those same strategies into action.
4. Don’t ditch your regular content
If every single one of your TikToks is sponsored content or promoting something, your followers will lose interest. You gotta play it cool.
Don’t over-popularize your TikTok space with sponsored content. Give your followers women of the videos that brought them to you in the first place.
5. Don’t give up
Making money on this social network isn’t easy.
If it was, we’d all be Khaby Lame.
If you get shut down by one brand or influencer, keep trying. Hard work pays off—literally.
How much money do TikTokers make?
As seen above, there are many ways to make money on TikTok and how you decide to monetize your content will determine your earnings.
Brand partnerships on TikTok can make you upwards of $80,000.
That’s right — if you’re a big enough creator (with a large and engaged audience and a track record of success on the platform), you can buy an expensive car with your earnings from one video.
So, the sky is the limit. A successful TikTok profile can set you up for life—but even if you don’t have millions of followers and billions of likes, you can still use it to make money.
Conclusion
Making money on TikTok in Uganda is an achievable goal with the right approach. By creating engaging content, growing your follower base, and leveraging various monetization strategies, you can turn your TikTok presence into a lucrative venture. Whether through brand partnerships, affiliate marketing, or selling your products, the key is to remain consistent, authentic, and proactive. Embrace the opportunities TikTok offers and watch your efforts translate into financial success.