Hitting 100,000 followers on TikTok is an impressive accomplishment that only a small percentage of users ever achieve. According to TikTok marketing agency Tailwind, only about 2.5% of TikTok creators have over 100k followers. With over 1 billion monthly active users on the platform, reaching this milestone means joining an elite group at the top.
Gaining a large TikTok following takes time, effort and skill. The average time to reach 100k followers is 1-2 years of consistent, quality content creation. But for those who make it to 100k, there are exciting opportunities and benefits that come with having such a massive audience.
Verification Badge
Once you reach 100,000 followers on TikTok, you become eligible to receive a verification badge on your profile. This blue checkmark badge signifies that TikTok has confirmed you are the authentic creator behind your account (TikTok Support). To get verified, you need to apply through TikTok’s in-app verification program, where they will assess if you meet the eligibility criteria. These criteria include having an authentic, complete profile, abiding by community guidelines, and having at least 100,000 followers and 100,000 video views (TikTok Creators). The verification badge gives your audience assurance that you are a legitimate creator. It also unlocks certain features like longer video lengths. However, the badge itself does not have monetary value or change how the TikTok algorithm recommends your videos (Hootsuite). It simply confirms your identity and signals that you have an established following.
Monetization Opportunities
One of the biggest benefits of reaching 100,000 followers on TikTok is that you unlock more opportunities to monetize your content and turn your account into a source of income. The main ways TikTok creators start earning money after hitting this milestone include:
- Sponsored content – Brand sponsorships become much more accessible. Rates typically range from $500 to $3,000+ per sponsored post or campaign for creators with 100K+ followers.
- Creator Fund – TikTok’s program shares ad revenue with creators. Accounts with 100K+ followers and 10K video views in the last 30 days qualify.
- Affiliate links – Add affiliate links to your profile bio or videos. For accounts with over 100K followers, affiliate marketing can become quite lucrative.
- Merchandise – Selling custom branded merchandise like t-shirts, water bottles, phone cases, etc. Having a large, engaged following makes merch a viable source of revenue.
- Tips – Once you hit 100K followers, TikTok will enable tipping so fans can send you direct payments.
- Licensing – You may be able to license your popular videos to publishers or compile them into books/courses once you have an established following.
In general, TikTok creators with 100K to 1 million followers have the opportunity to make anywhere from $200 to $5,000+ per month from monetization, especially if they consistently create high-quality branded content and leverage multiple income streams. The potential to turn TikTok fame into real income emerges right around the 100K mark for most creators.
Increased Reach
Crossing the 100k follower threshold on TikTok opens up creators to a much wider audience and increased engagement. As one’s follower count grows into the hundreds of thousands, their videos have the potential to be shown to millions of viewers across the app through recommendations on the For You page and viral effects.
According to one Reddit user who rapidly gained followers, once they hit 100k fans, the rate of new followers and views accelerated even faster. They attributed this to “hitting a critical mass” where the algorithm starts actively pushing your content out more (source).
In short, reaching 100,000+ followers signifies you’ve built a sizable audience on TikTok. This unlocks increased visibility and the potential for content to gain traction across the platform.
Partnerships
Once creators hit 100k followers on TikTok, they become eligible for exclusive brand partnership opportunities. Brands seek out influencers with large, engaged followings to promote their products and campaigns. According to job listings from TikTok, Brand Partnership Managers earn between $100k-$200k to broker these deals.
Popular creators can earn significant income through sponsored content, affiliate links, and other partnerships. For example, TikTok creator Kenny McNish (@keenyakelly) shared that she earned over $100k solely from brand deals in 2021.
Landing a major brand partnership represents a huge milestone for any influencer. With over 100k followers, creators gain leverage to negotiate deals with their pick of brands. The most successful partnerships align creators authentically with brands they genuinely enjoy. This results in branded content that entertains and engages their loyal fans.
Going Viral
Once an account hits 100k followers on TikTok, the chances of their videos going viral significantly increases. TikTok’s algorithm tends to favor accounts with a large following by promoting their content more widely in the For You feed and on user homepages. According to one Reddit user, they found that their videos regularly hit over 1 million views after reaching 100k followers – what they considered the threshold for a video going viral (Source). The more followers an account has, the higher the view count their videos will receive upon posting. TikTok seems to identify these popular accounts and gives their content a boost to be seen by more users. Going viral becomes almost an expected occurrence once you’ve built up a following of 100k or more.
Creator Fund
The TikTok Creator Fund rewards popular creators on the platform for creating engaging content. To be eligible for the fund, creators must meet certain requirements:
You must be based in an eligible country – currently the Creator Fund is available in the US, UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy as per TikTok’s newsroom.
Your account must have at least 10,000 authentic followers as mentioned on the Creator Fund Terms page.
Your account must have at least 100,000 authentic video views in the last 30 days prior to applying for the fund according to the terms.
You must be at least 18 years old to be eligible.
If you meet these requirements, you can apply to join the Creator Fund through the app. TikTok will review your application and let you know if you have been accepted. The fund provides creators with cash payments for views on their videos as a way to support them financially for creating engaging content.
Algorithm Boost
Reaching 100k followers on TikTok can give your account a significant boost in the platform’s recommendation algorithm, making it more likely for your content to be shown to new viewers. According to sources, once you hit certain follower milestones like 100k, TikTok’s algorithm starts pushing your videos out more aggressively, allowing you to grow your audience faster.
Essentially, TikTok rewards larger accounts that have shown the ability to build a substantial audience over time. The algorithm trusts that an account with 100k+ followers must be creating quality, engaging content if they were able to reach that many followers.
As explained in this analysis, “TikTok wants its platform to showcase popular creators who make content people want to watch. Accounts that gain 100k followers pass a threshold proving their content resonates with viewers.”
In addition, TikTok may test promoting your account more once you reach 100k followers to see if you continue building a larger audience. If you take advantage of the boost and keep growing, the algorithm will keep recommending your videos. This creates a flywheel effect allowing you to gain followers and viewership faster over time.
Sources:
TikTok algorithm theory from the creator with 40k followers
Fanbase Building
Once you hit 100k followers on TikTok, it’s important to keep building and engaging your loyal fanbase. Here are some tips:
Make consistent, high-quality content that your followers expect from you. Stick to your niche and style that helped you reach 100k in the first place. Use trending sounds and hashtags strategically but also put your unique spin on things.
Go live often and interact with your followers. Lives allow fans to get to know the real you. Read and respond to comments. Ask questions and get feedback. This makes followers feel valued.
Collaborate with other creators in your niche. This helps expose your content to new audiences organically. But only collaborate with those whose content aligns with your brand.
Give back to your followers through competitions, free gifts, shoutouts etc. This shows fans you appreciate them and helps incentivize engagement.
Analyze your analytics to see when your followers are most active. Post content at those high-traffic times when it’s most likely to be seen.
Stay consistent, relevant and engaged with your community. Continue providing value for your loyal fans even after hitting 100k.
Conclusion
Reaching 100k followers on TikTok is a major milestone for any creator. It opens up new opportunities like monetization, partnerships, and increased reach. Most importantly, it allows you to build a strong fanbase and community around your content.
While gaining followers takes consistency, quality content, and some luck, remember to stay true to your brand. Don’t chase trends or compromise your creativity. The right followers will come if you stay focused on your unique style and voice.
The TikTok algorithm makes it difficult to sustain growth long-term, so always be experimenting and optimizing your content. Consider diversifying onto other platforms so you don’t rely only on TikTok.
Overall, hitting 100k followers enables creators to take their channel to the next level. But remember that high follower counts alone don’t guarantee success. Focus on the value you provide to your audience, and the rest will follow.
