'I make a living by uploading videos on TikTok - here's how you can too'

Elle May Rice
·3-min read
Woman doing her makeup while filming it
-Credit: (Image: Getty)


A TikTok star has divulged the secrets behind his journey to becoming a successful content creator online, including the timeline of his ascent. Social media content creation is becoming an increasingly sought-after profession, whether it's documenting globetrotting adventures or broadcasting personal views from your own space.

Despite the booming industry projected to be worth a colossal $480 billion by 2027, Goldman Sachs reports that a mere 4% of creators are pulling in over £79,000 annually, as per the Mirror's findings. Wondering how to carve out a lucrative career in this field?

'Bran Flakes', a US-based social media influencer, has shared his experience of turning his online presence into a viable source of income, achieving this feat in just over twelve months.

On his TikTok account @bran__flakezz, he explained to his 652k followers: "I started posting on TikTok in January 2021. These videos are still up to this day, they have a thousand views now because they've been up for three-and-a-half years. But when I would post these I was stuck in 200 views jail.

"I think where I messed up in the beginning is I only really used trending sounds, I rarely talked to the camera. Once I started making videos where I talked to the camera, my s*** started to take off."

Within six months, his content was attracting between 100,000 and 300,000 views per video. By June 2021, Bran had garnered 25,000 followers and secured his first brand partnership, earning him $100 (£79).

He further explained: "During this time I was also working a 9-to-5 job, so it was a stressful time trying to make content on top of already commuting to work, working all day and then coming home and making videos... I kept going.

"Then November 2021 rolled around, which was 10 months after I started posting in January. I landed a brand deal with Amazon that paid me over $1,000 - I was ecstatic."

By April 2022, the income from these deals surpassed Bran's weekly paycheck, prompting him to take the leap and create TikTok content full-time throughout the summer. He hasn't looked back since.

Bran shared: "The one thing that worked in my favour was [that] I was consistent. I did not quit, I continuously posted every single day. The more you post, the more you have a chance of reaching a bigger audience."

Aside from brand deals, there are several ways for content creators to earn money, including the TikTok Creator Fund. To qualify, you must be at least 18 years old, reside in the US, UK, France, Germany, Spain or Italy, and have a minimum of 10,000 followers and 100,000 monthly video views.

Funds are determined using a 'combination of factors', but there is no cap on how much you can earn through the fund. In 2021, TikTok even pledged £231million to this initiative.

A spokesperson for TikTok expressed: "We want to show our appreciation to our brilliant creator community by rewarding them for their incredible TikTok videos and creativity. We want all creators to have the opportunity to earn money doing what they love and turn their passion into a livelihood."

Bran also stated: "I think it was significantly easier back then than it [is] now because it wasn't as saturated as it [is] today... If this is something you want to do, if you dream about making money by posting on social media, just rip the band aid off. Just start posting."

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