What are TikTok Gifts and can it make creators money?

Everyone loves to receive recognition for their hard work and social media creators are no exception. TikTok has developed several ways for users to send and receive virtual gifts for videos seen on the For You Feed as well as on LIVE videos. This exciting feature is not unique to TikTok as other platforms such as Instagram also allows for a similar show of virtual appreciation on content.

In this article, we will give you the 4-1-1 on TikTok Gifts as well as some expert tips on how creators can better monetize their social media content.

Buying TikTok Coins

First, in order to send a TikTok Gift you are going to need to buy Coins on the app. Users should check the Coins policy for their country as there are some variations in different regions. Using money, users purchase Coins and hold them in a TikTok account, tapping into their balance with each Gift they send. Users who receive the Gifts made with Coins from another user can exchange them for virtual gifts once they have enough coins to redeem. Coins are used to purchase emoji-style gifts for as little as five coins for a “thumbs up.” Afterall, if you really like a video and want to say, “thanks, that made my day,” to the creator, why just give a love tap when you can add Coins to their account and help reward them?

‍Sending TikTok Gifts

There are two ways to send Gifts to TikTok Users - as a comment on a previously recorded video or during a LIVE video. To send Gifts on LIVE videos, you need to be viewing the LIVE video and the creator must have Gifts enabled. Next, tap the Gift button and select which virtual gift you want to send and it’s done. You can also send Gifts on other videos where the creator has enabled them. Gifts given on those videos will appear in the video comments.

‍Earning TikTok Diamonds

TikTok also has another reward system referred to as Diamonds. TikTok awards Diamonds to creators who meet certain criteria and publish popular videos. Creators can also earn Diamonds from TikTock by getting a lot of Gifts. Once a creator has enough Diamonds, they can be redeemed for actual money. Cha Ching!

Monetizing TikTok Content

When it comes to monetizing your content on TikTok, there are other opportunities as well. In this article, we described the three ways to make money on TikTok. Choosing the right one depends on your goals and structure (i.e. are you a brand selling widgets or are you a creator making kitchen hack videos?).

Takeaways

One of the monetization options we discussed in that article is the Creator Fund. The TikTok Creator Fund was created in 2020 and was an ad revenue sharing opportunity for creators who meet certain criteria. In December 2023, TikTok ended the Creator Fund and replaced it with the Creativity Program Beta. We’ll talk more about this in another article soon!

It seems like monetization for social media content is here to stay, at least for a while. With so many ways to monetize social media content on several platforms, it can be both attractive and overwhelming for creators. Having a strategic content plan in place is the first step to getting organized. To help avoid burnout and creativity freezes, Planoly has numerous tools to help keep your content fresh and consistent. Check out some of the new tools from Planoly here.

Whatever you create and whatever you earn doing it, make sure to have fun! Keep the value of your content front and center and your viewers will reward you!