How Much Can You Earn on TikTok? A Deep Dive into Earnings from a Viral Video
TikTok has become a powerful platform for content creators, offering various monetization opportunities. One such opportunity is the Creativity Program, which significantly improves the earning potential compared to TikTok’s previous Creator Fund. In this post, we’ll explore how much one creator made from a viral video, breaking down the factors involved in TikTok earnings.
The Viral Video: A Case Study in Earnings
The video in question focused on mouth tape and garnered an impressive 6.4 million views. This video was eligible for TikTok’s Creativity Program, allowing the creator to monetize those views more effectively. Over the span of about two months, the video continued to bring in revenue, highlighting the platform’s unique algorithm that can keep videos relevant long after they’re posted.
How Does TikTok’s Creativity Program Work?
TikTok’s Creativity Program assigns creators an RPM (Revenue Per Mille), or how much you earn per thousand views. Unlike YouTube, where RPMs are relatively stable, TikTok’s RPM fluctuates daily or weekly. For this creator, their RPM over the past 30 days averaged 70 cents, with peaks reaching up to $1.05 per thousand views. However, a year ago, the RPM was as high as $1.20 per thousand views, showing how unpredictable earnings can be.
The Breakdown: Qualified vs. Ineligible Views
Not all views are equal on TikTok. The platform categorizes views into qualified, boosted, and ineligible. Qualified views are the ones that count toward your earnings, while ineligible views don’t contribute. Ineligible views include those from users who watched for less than five seconds, revisited the video, or viewed it outside the “For You” page. For this mouth tape video, out of 6.4 million total views, only 4.6 million were considered qualified, leaving 2 million views that didn’t generate revenue.
The Earnings: How Much Did the Video Make?
In just over three and a half weeks, this one-minute video earned $4,112.17. The creator expressed surprise at how much money was generated from a short video with minimal production effort. Interestingly, even after nearly two months, the video continues to earn money. In the last seven days alone, the video brought in an additional $654.99. This highlights one of TikTok’s strengths: the potential for ongoing passive income as the algorithm continues to push older videos to new audiences.
TikTok’s Algorithm and the Longevity of Videos
One of the unique aspects of TikTok is its algorithm, which can unexpectedly revive old content. Videos that have been sitting quietly for months can suddenly gain traction and start earning again. This makes TikTok a platform where it’s worthwhile to consistently post content, even if you don’t see immediate results.
Key Takeaway: Post Your Drafts
The creator’s main point in sharing these insights is to encourage others to post their content, even if they have doubts. You never know which video might take off, and worrying about what others think shouldn’t hold you back. The earnings potential is there, but so is the responsibility—don’t forget that taxes apply to this income, so setting some money aside is crucial.
In summary, TikTok’s Creativity Program offers creators a viable way to earn money from viral content, but it comes with its own set of variables, including fluctuating RPMs and varying view eligibility. Even a simple video can generate substantial income if it hits the right notes with TikTok’s algorithm.
