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TikTok recently announced that it’s passed over one billion monthly users, a number so big I get dizzy when I try to conceptualize it. It took just four years for the app to reach the milestone—half the time it took Instagram to do the same. For anyone not yet convinced that TikTok is the future of social media, this is your sign to stop digging in your heels and embrace it.
But what does a TikTok world mean for creators, especially when it comes to making money? TikTok has the creator fund, something Instagram is now trying to play catchup with its own version. Even so, creators should only expect to make a few dollars here and there per video, rather than a living.
So that brings us to brand deals, something generally accepted on YouTube and Instagram, but that still feel clunky on TikTok’s much more chaotic feed. To wit, a study found that Instagram Reels was actually a better place for brands instead of TikTok.
According to Influencer Marketing Hub, someone with 100,000 followers on TikTok can expect to make between $160-240 per post, whereas on Instagram, someone with the same amount could expect anywhere from $700-$900 per photo—a startling difference, considering TikTok is entirely video content.
However, as anyone who uses both platforms can tell you, the value of a follower on TikTok is very different than on Instagram. It’s not uncommon for people with hundreds of thousands—if not over a million—followers on TikTok to still have Instagram followings in the double digits, which is why many influencers I’ve interviewed have told me that despite changing platforms, brands are still mostly interested in working with Instagram. While TikTok followings may appear larger, they’re less valuable, likely because they’re always moving to the next video on their For You Page. In terms of sponsored content, Instagram is familiar, it’s reliable, and followers know how to shop there.
This is all to say, while TikTok is likely the future of social media, and one billion people agree, influencers shouldn’t worry about having to change their content any time soon. But it wouldn’t hurt to start practicing your dance moves.