TikTok is a popular short-form video app that has exploded in popularity in recent years. It allows users to create and share 15-60 second videos, often set to music or featuring creative effects. As of 2022, TikTok has over 1 billion monthly active users globally (source).
With such a massive user base, many content creators are now able to earn money directly through TikTok and other social platforms. This includes advertisements, sponsorships, paid partnerships, tipping, and more. Social media has essentially allowed regular people to become influencers and profit from their online content and follower base.
There are several apps similar to TikTok that allow users to earn money from their short-form videos and content. In this article, we will explore the top TikTok alternatives for making money through social media.
YouTube
YouTube is the largest video sharing platform in the world and has become a popular way for creators to earn money. There are several ways YouTubers can monetize their channels and videos:
Ad Revenue: This is the primary way most YouTubers make money. YouTube places ads before, during, and after videos. Creators earn a percentage of the ad revenue depending on factors like video length, viewer demographics, etc. According to Influencer Market Hub, the average YouTuber earns $0.018 per ad view or $18 per 1,000 views (source).
Channel Memberships: Fans can pay a monthly fee (usually $4.99 – $24.99 per month) to get special perks like custom emojis, exclusive videos, shoutouts, etc. This gives fans a way to directly support their favorite creators.
Super Chats: Viewers can pay to have their comment highlighted during a live stream. Prices range from $1-$500. Super Chats have become a lucrative revenue stream, especially for live streamers.
YouTube also shares ad revenue from Shorts videos and offers other monetization options like merchandising, affiliate marketing, sponsorships, etc. Overall, YouTube offers substantial earning potential but creators need to build a large, loyal audience to earn a full-time income.
Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms for influencers and celebrities to earn money. With over 1 billion monthly active users, Instagram provides a massive audience for sponsored content and partnerships.
The highest-paid Instagram celebrities can earn up to $2-2.5 million per sponsored post. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, the top Instagram earners in 2023 are:
- Cristiano Ronaldo – $2.3 million per sponsored post
- Lionel Messi – $2.5 million per sponsored post
- Kylie Jenner – $2.5 million per sponsored post
These celebrities have cultivated enormous followings on Instagram and can command very high rates for a single sponsored post or story. Brands partner with mega influencers for the exposure to their tens of millions of engaged followers.
Beyond sponsored posts, influencers on Instagram also make money through:
- Affiliate marketing and links in bio
- Selling their own branded merchandise
- Promoting their own businesses or side projects
- Long-term brand ambassador deals and endorsements
Instagram provides multiple avenues for influencers to monetize their audience and transform their accounts into lucrative personal brands.
Twitch
Twitch is a popular live streaming platform focused primarily on gaming content. It was launched in 2011 and acquired by Amazon in 2014. Twitch allows streamers to broadcast themselves playing games while providing commentary and interacting with viewers in real-time.
There are several ways Twitch streamers can earn money on the platform:
- Subscriptions – Viewers can subscribe to a channel for $4.99/month. The streamer gets 50% of the share.
- Bits – Viewers can purchase Bits (Twitch’s virtual currency) and use them to “Cheer” in chat. Streamers get $0.01 per Bit used to Cheer for them.
- Advertisements – Twitch partners can run video or display ads during breaks and earn money based on ad impressions.
- Sponsorships – Popular streamers often get sponsored by brands to promote products/services on their streams.
- Donations – Viewers can send direct donations to streamers using PayPal, etc.
- Merchandise – Streamers can create and sell branded merchandise on their channels.
The top Twitch streamers can earn millions per year from these monetization methods. According to DoteSports, the highest paid Twitch streamer is xQcOW who earned over $8 million in 2020.
Snapchat
Snapchat is a popular social media app known for its disappearing photos and videos called “Snaps” that users can send to friends. The app launched in 2011 and now has over 265 million daily active users. Snapchat does not have a traditional feed like other platforms. Instead, users mainly communicate back and forth using the “Stories” feature where they can post content that disappears after 24 hours.
Snapchat provides a few ways creators can monetize their presence on the platform:
- Snapchat Offered Ads – Brands can pay to have short video ads appear between users’ stories. If creators have a large enough following, Snapchat will allow them to make money by including these ads in their own stories.
- Sponsored Lenses and Filters – Sponsored lenses and filters work similarly to ads. Brands pay to have their custom lens/filter promoted to users. Influencers can negotiate getting a cut when their followers use a sponsored lens or filter.
- Affiliate Links – While Snapchat does not allow clickable links within the app, influencers often promote discount codes and products through the text of their snaps and then provide affiliate links on other social media profiles.
Overall, Snapchat provides an intimate way for creators to engage their followers through disappearing photos and videos. While monetization options were initially limited, the platform is now opening up more opportunities for influencers to earn money through partnerships with brands.
Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms for people to earn money by monetizing their content. Pages on Facebook can make money in several ways, including through advertising, influencer marketing campaigns, and Facebook Live.
Facebook offers various monetization tools creators can utilize to earn money from their content. This includes in-stream ads that play before or during videos, sponsored posts that promote a brand or product, and the Facebook Stars tipping feature for Facebook Live videos. Creators can also leverage their large followings on Facebook to land influencer marketing deals and brand partnerships.
To be eligible to monetize on Facebook, pages typically need at least 10,000 total followers and to follow all Facebook’s monetization policies and guidelines. But once approved, there are many money-making opportunities for creators on the platform.
Triller
Triller is a popular short-form video app that allows creators to create and share videos while also providing monetization opportunities. The app has features like TikTok that allow users to create short music videos by adding effects and filters. Since its launch in 2015, Triller has grown to over 250 million downloads worldwide.
Triller offers creators several ways to monetize their content and earn money directly from the app (Source):
- In-app tipping – Fans can send creators tips and gifts during live streams.
- Brand partnerships – Creators can get brand sponsorships and promotions.
- Sell merchandise – Creators can sell branded merchandise to fans.
- Paid subscriptions – Fans can pay a monthly fee for exclusive creator content.
Triller also provides tools to help creators grow their audience and get discovered, like promotional campaigns and the ability to be featured. With a large and engaged user base, Triller offers significant monetization potential for creators building their brand and business on the platform (Source).
Byte
Overview of Byte: Byte is a short-form video app that was created by Dom Hofmann, the co-founder of the popular video app Vine, which was shut down by Twitter in 2016. Byte launched in early 2020 as a successor to Vine, allowing users to create and share 6-second looping videos.
Monetization features: Byte recognizes the need to reward its most successful creators by offering a monetization program right from the early days of the platform https://influencermarketinghub.com/what-is-byte-app/. Creators can make money on Byte through tips, sponsorships, and promotions. Users can send direct payments to creators as tips to show appreciation for their content. Brands can also sponsor popular creators by paying them to promote products or services in their videos. Additionally, Byte launched a pilot version of its partner program in 2021, allowing some creators to earn revenue from ads displayed against their content.
Kuaishou
Kuaishou is a popular short video app in China that allows users to create and share fun videos. With over 300 million daily active users, Kuaishou has emerged as a leading platform for video creation and live streaming in China (Kuaishou Seeks to Expand Monetization Model to Mitigate …).
The app provides various ways for creators to monetize their content. Users can earn money through advertising revenue share from the videos they post. Popular users with large followings can also generate income through virtual gifts they receive during live streams. Kuaishou takes a cut of this gift revenue. Additionally, creators can sign up for the Kuaishou Creator Plan to gain more monetization options like exclusive content, paid tips, and brand promotions.
Overall, Kuaishou offers an engaging platform for users to create fun short videos, while providing monetization opportunities for top creators. With a large built-in audience, it serves as a promising emerging TikTok-like app for those seeking to earn money by posting great short form video content.
Conclusion
In summary, there are several popular platforms similar to TikTok that allow users to earn money from creating and sharing videos. YouTube is the largest video platform where creators can monetize through ads, channel memberships, merchandise, and more. Instagram also provides monetization features like creator badges and shopping. Live streaming apps like Twitch and Facebook Gaming let streamers earn revenue from subscriptions, tips, sponsorships and ads. Newer short-form video apps like Triller, Byte and Kuaishou offer creators ways to get paid too.
When choosing the right platform, consider your target audience and the type of content you want to produce. YouTube and Twitch are great for longer videos and live streams. Instagram and TikTok work well for short entertaining clips. Pick a platform that aligns with your goals and creative interests. Focus on building an engaged audience that truly enjoys your content.
With patience and consistency, it’s possible to turn your passion for creating videos into a money-making endeavor on sites like YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. Do your research to fully understand each platform’s monetization options. Then get out there, start creating, and have fun connecting with fans!
