Want to learn how to make money on TikTok and how creators get paid on the platform? Here’s how Tori grew from zero to 350,000 followers and earned $60,000 in just six weeks.
TikTok has become one of the fastest-growing social platforms in the world. With hundreds of millions of monthly active users, it’s a place where creators can build audiences quickly and monetize in multiple ways.
If you’re wondering whether you can make money on TikTok and how to grow there, this interview with Tori Dunlap offers practical lessons and proven tactics.
Tori Dunlap is a nationally recognized millennial money and career expert. After saving $100,000 by age 25, she left her corporate marketing job and founded Her First $100K to help women improve their financial lives. She’s helped hundreds of thousands of women negotiate salaries, pay off debt, build savings, and start investing.
I invited Tori to share how she achieved explosive growth on TikTok—growing to over 350,000 followers and earning $60,000 in six weeks. Below, you’ll find the highlights from our conversation and actionable advice you can apply to your own content strategy.
In this interview, you’ll learn:
- About Tori’s background and why she started on TikTok
- How she grew to over 350,000 followers in six weeks
- How she earned $60,000 from TikTok and the primary revenue channels she uses
- Tools and production tips for TikTok videos
- How long videos take to produce and how she batches content
- Whether there’s room for new creators on TikTok
- Her top tips for beginners
This interview is full of practical information for anyone wondering how to grow and monetize on TikTok.
You can find Tori on TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@herfirst100k/
Related content you may find interesting:
- How Sailing SV Delos Makes Money on YouTube
- How This 34 Year Old Owns 7 Rental Homes
- How Amanda Paid Off $133,763 in Debt in 43 Months
- How One Blogger Grew His Blog to Over 2 Million Visitors in a Year
- How Much Do Twitch Streamers Make?
- How Much Do YouTubers Make?
How to make money on TikTok
1. Tell me your story. Who are you and what do you do?
I’m a millennial money and career expert. After saving $100,000 at 25, I left my corporate marketing job and started Her First $100K to help close financial gaps by giving women practical tools to manage money better.
I’ve supported hundreds of thousands of women with salary negotiation, debt repayment, savings, and investing advice. My work has been featured across national media outlets, and I’ve worked in organic marketing strategy for Fortune 500 clients and financial technology startups.
Today I travel, write, speak, and coach about personal finance, online business, side hustles, and confidence for millennial women.
2. How long have you been on TikTok? Why did you start?
I began actively using TikTok for my business within the last six weeks. I joined because the platform allows accelerated growth—more people consume content than create it, which made it an ideal place to expand my brand and reach Gen Z with financial education.
Seeing fast follower growth confirmed that younger audiences are hungry for accessible personal finance content.
3. How did your TikTok account explode?
The growth surprised me. TikTok’s creator-friendly algorithm made it possible to achieve in days what took years on other platforms. A viral video—one that now has millions of views—triggered massive follower gains and drove a significant uptick in website traffic and sales.
My preparation mattered: prior credibility, consistent content, and a focus on serving the audience helped me convert views into followers and customers.
4. How do you make money on TikTok?
I monetize TikTok through product promotion, affiliate partnerships, and brand deals. I promote my own digital products—resume templates and side-hustle courses—and link to affiliate partners when I recommend financial products like high-yield savings accounts.
In my first six weeks of active TikTok growth I earned over $60,000. With a larger audience, I’ve added sponsored content and partnerships, showcasing products I genuinely support.
5. How do you come up with video ideas?
I focus on actionable, audience-driven content. Many video topics come directly from questions people ask me, ensuring there’s demand for the material. I also consumed TikTok extensively before creating, learning trends, filming styles, and sounds—this made it easier to create content that resonates.
Duets and trend adaptations are common on TikTok, so collaborating or responding to other creators often sparks ideas.
6. What tools do you need? Is a phone enough?
A smartphone is the primary tool. I also use a ring light and tripod to improve lighting and stabilize shots. For more advanced productions you might add editing software, a dedicated camera, or props, but you can start with just your phone.
There’s a learning curve to filming and editing, but it becomes second nature with practice.
7. How long does each TikTok video take to make?
Batching saves time—I typically film 5–7 videos in one session. Short, 15-second talking videos take about 10 minutes total (3 minutes to film, 7 minutes for text and caption). More complex videos with effects can take around 30 minutes.
I don’t change clothes for every clip and often shoot in casual settings, which helps keep production efficient and content authentic.
8. What do you like and dislike about making TikTok videos?
TikTok feels more creative and playful than platforms like Instagram. It suits my theater background, letting me perform and express personality while teaching finance. The platform also tends to encourage supportive interactions, although negative comments do exist.
Limitations: TikTok lacks an equivalent to Instagram Stories for informal updates, and captions are short—so any necessary explanation must be included on-screen in the video itself.
9. Is there room for new TikTok creators?
Yes—more than most platforms. TikTok’s algorithm surfaces new creators through the “For You” page, making discovery easier than on saturated platforms like Instagram. If your content connects, the algorithm can quickly amplify it to new, relevant audiences.
10. Tips for someone starting on TikTok
Successful content tends to be aspirational, educational, or entertaining. Find the intersection that fits your strengths—my niche blends aspirational storytelling about leaving a 9–5 with educational, actionable finance advice.
Consistency matters. You can post multiple times per day without penalty; I aim for 2–3 posts daily, mixing simple and more produced videos.
11. Additional advice
Only invest in TikTok if your audience is there. If your target customers aren’t on the platform—say, older demographics—your resources might be better spent elsewhere. Focus on platforms where your ideal audience already spends time.
How to make money on TikTok – summary
TikTok creators can monetize through the Creator Fund, sponsorships, affiliate marketing, product sales, brand partnerships, advertising, consulting, and more. Growing views and engagement increases monetization opportunities, and your bio link can drive traffic to a website, store, or course.
You don’t have to dance to succeed—TikTok rewards creative, useful, and entertaining content across many niches. Payments can come through direct platform payouts, brand checks, affiliate commissions, virtual gifts, donations, and other channels.
Common questions:
- How many views to make money on TikTok? – To join the TikTok Creator Fund you typically need significant views (for example, 100,000 views in the past 30 days is a commonly cited threshold), but you can earn money through other avenues without joining the fund.
- How many likes to get paid? – The Creator Fund is view-based rather than like-based. Monetization through brands or affiliates depends more on engagement and audience fit than raw likes.
- Do you need verification to make money? – No. Verification is not required to monetize on TikTok.
Ready to learn how to grow and monetize on TikTok?
Recommended reading: 15 Ways To Make Money With Your Phone