Your guide to becoming a TikTok affiliate

To thrive in the business scene, entrepreneurs must know how to innovate. Business owners must look for different tactics to make their businesses grow. One of the ways in which brands can flourish is through affiliate marketing—and did you know that you can use this business approach on TikTok?

Is this your first time hearing about the term ‘affiliate marketing‘? Read on to find out more about this continuously growing business strategy. 

 

What is affiliate marketing?

 

Affiliate marketing is an online sales tactic that allows product owners or merchants to increase their sales by permitting individuals or ”affiliates” to target the same audience and encourage them to buy their products or services. Affiliates earn a commission by recommending the product or service to their readers, viewers, or friends through blogs, social media platforms, and websites. 

The affiliates can also earn money on product sales without creating products of their own. In other words, affiliate marketing basically involves promoting, referring, and selling another company’s products or services for a commission. Each affiliate marketer is given a unique link where the product creators can determine who sends buying consumers through to their site. By clicking on the unique link associated with their recommendation, the affiliate earns a percentage of the sales each time someone creates a purchase.

Affiliate marketing gives both the merchant and the affiliate an opportunity to earn money online from selling products or services. This tactic appeals to businesses because it enables them to meet their marketing goals at a low cost. On the other hand, affiliates benefit from this marketing strategy because it gives them the opportunity to earn passive income while building an online audience and developing their own platform. 

 

What is the TikTok Affiliate program?

 

TikTok is a free-to-use social media platform that allows users to watch, create, and share short-form videos. These videos may range from DIY content to fashion and beauty hacks. Because of TikTok’s increasing popularity, the platform has also released features that made it more than just an avenue for entertainment. One of which is the TikTok Affiliate program.

Through the TikTok Affiliate program, creators and sellers are able to connect and work together. The program is an avenue for sellers to market their products and services through the help of the creators. The creators, on the other hand, are given a medium for income generation through the TikTok Affiliate program. The TikTok Affiliate program serves as both a new marketing channel for brands and a monetization platform for creators. 

 

How does the TikTok Affiliate program work?

 

TikTok Affiliate marketing uses TikTok as a platform to promote the products and services of several sellers and merchants in return for a commission or a fee. It works by monetizing a TikTok publisher or content creator’s large following base to either advertise a product or service or to create brand awareness. Affiliate marketing on TikTok can be done through organic unpaid content or paid advertising. 

For sellers:

The TikTok Affiliate program allows them to link up with creators. Sellers are automatically paid with a commission depending on how successful their sales were. Sellers are also able to monitor how well creators or “affiliates” are selling their products and services.

Based on their sales needs, sellers can choose from three commission plans: Shop Plan, Open Plan, and Targeted Plan. The Shop Plan sets a basic flat commission rate for all products. Open Plan, on the other hand, allows a brand to create a special plan for particular products. This plan is open to all creators, unlike the Targeted Plan which can only invite specific creators to promote selected products.

 

For creators:

Creators, meanwhile, can easily find brands, products, or services to sell through the said program. They may recommend the products or services through videos and live streams. And the best part is that they can accumulate paid commissions for their sales.

Like sellers, creators can also select from three different affiliate plans based on their needs. They can either find products that are relevant to their audience, contact sellers to request sample products or services, or sell products to their followers.

Take note that before choosing TikTok as the avenue for your affiliate marketing efforts, you need to think about TikTok’s audience. Most TikTok users are under the younger demographic. You need to consider this before releasing content. Using TikTok for affiliate marketing can be a smart way to amp up brand awareness, gain new customers, and build loyalty. Just don’t forget that most Gen-Zers and Millennials love fun, fresh, and engaging content.

How can you become a TikTok Affiliate?

 

Sellers can become TikTok affiliates in three easy steps. You need to log in first to the TikTok Shop Seller Center. Then, click the “Affiliate Marketing” button at the top. Finally, create an affiliate or commission plan based on your needs.

For creators, you need to follow four steps to become a TikTok affiliate. First, you need to ask permission from a particular brand or seller to market their products. Then, you are asked for your contact information. Third, you are required to add products to your showcase. And finally, you can receive samples and sell the products.

 

The journey to becoming a TikTok Affiliate is fairly easy. However, generating revenue from being one is not as easy as it seems to be. You need to build and maintain a digital platform that consumers can trust for you to get an audience who can also put their trust in you for a long time. Done well, this opportunity can go from a side hustle to an income-generating business.