TikTok Affiliate Marketing: What It Is and How to Get Started

We’re walking you through affiliate marketing, what it means to do TikTok affiliate marketing, and our best approaches to getting started.

Posted last year

Written by

Mackenzie Taylor

Posted last year

If you’re just getting started on making it bigger and bigger in TikTok, you might be curious about how you can start making an income—especially a passive income that you don’t have to put too much effort into each month. Who doesn’t love a little extra money? One of the best ways to do that is through affiliate marketing. It’s a great way for you to promote a product or service you already love while also making a little portion of each sale you initiate along the way (win-win!). If you’re wondering how you can do that on TikTok, we’ve got you. In today’s article, we’re walking you through affiliate marketing, what it means to do TikTok affiliate marketing, and our best approaches to getting started.

Jump to a section ✨

What is affiliate marketing?
What is TikTok affiliate marketing?
Why you should do TikTok affiliate marketing
How does affiliate marketing work on TikTok?
How to make money affiliate marketing on TikTok

What is affiliate marketing?

Okay, let’s first break down what the heck affiliate marketing is in the first place.

If you’re a content creator, you can promote a product or service and make money from each sale that you help facilitate. Sounds pretty great, right? How much you make fully depends on the brand you’re working with, where some people are making 10% and others are making up to 30% (it can seriously add up if you have an engaged audience who trusts you!).

Affiliate marketing has become increasingly popular over the years because it not only is a great way for content creators to make somewhat of a passive income, but it helps brands out a lot by having someone else promote and market their product and service.

What is TikTok affiliate marketing?

When it comes to TikTok affiliate marketing, it’s exactly what it sounds like. It’s when a content creator posts a video on TikTok to show off a product or service in the hopes that people will click the link to purchase said product or service.

Why you should do TikTok affiliate marketing

The real question should be “why WOULDN’T you?” because TikTok is one of the best platforms to do affiliate marketing on the market right now.

You have so many endless possibilities on TikTok to show off your creativity through short-form videos, and what better way to show off that creativity and personality than by showing off one of your favorite products and services? Especially when you get a kickback from each sale you helped initiate. 😎

One of the best reasons to do affiliate marketing on TikTok is because of the algorithm. With the right type of hashtags and keywords, you can reach a massive audience that fits in your niche and wants what you’re selling (literally).

And yes, while TikTok is one of the biggest platforms on the planet, there is still a lot of untapped potential on the platform when it comes to affiliate marketing. And one of the best parts? Unlike Instagram, you can place the link into the caption for your audience to find and click easily—which can make them purchase immediately and not have to jump through hoops to find the link to maybe purchase.

@nikkietutorials the power of this POWDER! WOW! @Maybelline New York #foryou #fyp #maybellinepartner ♬ original sound – nikkietutorials

How does affiliate marketing work on TikTok?

Affiliate marketing on TikTok works exactly how it works on almost every other social media platform, but just a heavier focus on short-form video content (so if you’re already doing Reels or Shorts, you’re already a step ahead!). Here are the basic steps to get started:

Find a product or service to promote

When it comes to selling a product or service, you kind of want to love the thing you’re selling. Because if you don’t, well … chances are people are going to know that you don’t love it quite as much as you claim you do (see: Kardashians and some of the things they’ve promoted in the past!). As an affiliate marketer, your goal is to promote a product or service and earn a commission for each sale made through your unique referral link. Reach out to brands that you already know and love and see if they would be willing to work with you. Explain why you think you’d be the perfect affiliate partner for them and go from there.

Create engaging TikTok content

This might be a “duh” but once you have a product to promote, you need to create engaging TikTok content that showcases the product in a creative and compelling way! Some of the best ways you can do that are by demonstrating how the product works, giving reviews or testimonials, or simply incorporating the product into your regular content.

Include your unique affiliate link

I mean, you want to make money, right? To earn a commission for each sale made through your promotion, you need to include your unique affiliate link in your TikTok video description or caption! Not only does this help you figure out how many people have clicked your link and are interested in the product, but it allows the brand or affiliate network to track the sales made through your promotion and attribute them to you.

Earn a commission

When someone clicks on your affiliate link and makes a purchase, you earn a commission on the sale. Which is what you want (duh!). The amount of commission varies depending on the product or service and the affiliate program you are working with, so be sure to ask the company for all the details of the commission and when you get paid out.

💡 Flick’s tip: It’s important to note that TikTok has guidelines around sponsored content and advertising, so if you are promoting a product as an affiliate, you should disclose this in your content. This can be done by including a statement such as “This video includes affiliate links” or using TikTok’s built-in “Promotional content” tag.

@hellotefi come with me to see @luarworld with my friends at @bumbleandbumble I LOVE U ♥️ HAIR GODS ♥️ #Bbpartner #nyfw #fashion ♬ original sound – hellotefi

How to make money affiliate marketing on TikTok

Making money through affiliate marketing on TikTok requires a combination of creating engaging content (!!) and strategically promoting products (it really helps if you already like and use the product). If you’re unsure on how to start making money, here are some tips to help you get started:

Build a following

This is the biggest one and one of the reasons why a business or brand would want to work with you—because you have a following! To be successful with affiliate marketing on TikTok, you need to have a following of people who are interested in your content. Focus on creating videos that are entertaining, informative, or helpful, and use relevant hashtags to increase your visibility.

Choose the right products

Like we mentioned above, choose products you actually like and already use! Be sure to consider your niche and your audience’s interests because no one is going to buy from you if it’s something they’re not interested in. Look for products that align with your content and that your audience is likely to be interested in purchasing.

Include your affiliate link

To earn a commission on sales, make sure to include your affiliate link in your video description or caption. Be transparent with your audience about the fact that you are using affiliate links, and include a clear call-to-action encouraging them to make a purchase.

Track your results

How the heck is your campaign doing? Are you making any money off your link? Keep track of how your affiliate promotions are performing, including how many clicks and sales you are generating. This can help you to refine your strategy and focus on products and content that are resonating with your audience—which means bigger commission checks for you!

Remember that success with affiliate marketing on TikTok takes time and effort. It’s important to build trust with your audience and only promote products that you believe in and that align with your values. With dedication and persistence, however, affiliate marketing on TikTok can be a lucrative way to monetize your content.

Now it’s time to get started on approaching potential brands and making that little bit of extra income! Want to be part of our own affiliate marketing program? Click here to see if you qualify!