How I made a full time income with <1000 followers
I started making money form TikTok with my first 200 followers.
I started making full time money just before I hit 1000 followers on TikTok.
Looking at my account, with my unpolished videos, sitting on the floor of my apartment, literally filmed on my Android, most people probably wouldn’t believe it.
Quality over quantity
You might see big creators and think they’re probably raking in sales.
I often see creators on TikTok with thousands, even millions, of followers who complain about not being able to monetize their account.
Because my business is super niche, I totally understood that I was trying to reach an extremely specific group of people.
So I probably wasn’t going to gain a massive platform, and I think that really helped with my mindset going into it.
And oh my god, it worked! (the FYP is a little too accurate sometimes, amiright?)
Even though I only had a few hundred followers, they were all my ideal client.
How did I know I was hitting the right people?
Far too many people on the app focus on the wrong numbers: Follower count and views
But they should be focused on: Engagement rate
I would rather have a video get low views but a ton of likes and comments from people who need what I’m offering rather than a viral video that isn’t targeting the right audience.
Get followers OFF the platform ASAP
The best way to get clients and customers from TikTok is to get your audience off of TikTok.
Yes, I’m basically telling you that you shouldn’t be trying to get clients directly from TikTok.
TikTok is the top of your “marketing funnel”, meaning it’s the place where potential clients and customers are. They might come across your content, think OMG this is great, hit follow.
But then they never see you again.
How many times have you followed someone, only to realize that you NEVER see their content?
That’s why I don’t rely on the algorithm.
When people come across my content, I want to move them to another place where I can continue to nurture them.
How to get people off the platform
So, what’s the best way to get people off the platform?
Email. Email. EMAIL!
Email is without a doubt the BEST way to convert your audience to clients and customers.
The reason email is so great is because you have FULL control over your email list.
I don’t care if TikTok gets banned.
I don’t care if Instagram is down for the day.
I don’t care if I get shadow banned on LinkedIn.
I don’t care if the Youtube algortithm changes.
My email list is MINE. And as long as I’m not spammy or shady I won’t end up in people’s junk mail.
Okay, well how do I actually get people on my email list?
To get people on your email list you have to give them something valuable.
You need to help them with the problem you have the solution to. For free.
These are called lead magnets (or freebies)
This might look like a quiz, webinar, checklist, template, or PDF.
They’ll give you their email in exchange for the freebie. Then you can CONTINUE to help them (for free) by sending out emails that help them with their problem.
I don’t gatekeep anything. I give them everything they’re looking for.
I show them how I can help them.
And then I mention “oh btw if you need more help with this check out my services here”
I don’t hard sell. I’m not salesy. I let people come to me.
And it’s soooo much more fun this way!
10-15% of my followers end up on my email list because of the , and I have a 70% open rate! (20% is considered excellent). That means people CONTINUE to get a ton of value out of emails after signing up.
And because of that they sign up to work with me!
Posting consistently
Okay, back to TikTok. “I thought this was a post about TikTok”
True, but to get clients from TikTok optimising your email strategy is KEY.
Anyways, there’s a ton that could be said about what to actually post on TikTok, how to grow, what to say, what to avoid, strategies etc. etc. Maybe I’ll write another article on that.
But the most important thing is consistency.
You need to be consistent on the app:
In the amount you post (personally I post one video Mon-Fri)
In format (you’ll notice I’m almost always sitting in the same spot)
And in content (don’t create posts that have nothing to do with your niche)
If you’re planning to post on TikTok make sure that you can be consistent in a way that’s sustainable for you.
Handling low views on TikTok
Finally, I often see people “stuck” and “only” getting 200 views per video.
But if you had the opportunity to get into a room full of 200 people who were you’ll ideal client, you’d jump at the opportunity!
Only it would be a buttload more work than filming a TikTok from the comfort of your home.
Instead of getting down on myself when views are “low” I remember how lucky I am to get in front of hundreds of people every day, without leaving my house, for free!
If you’re struggling to monetize your TikTok check out this checklist on why you’re not getting leads in your business. (Oh look, here’s a lead magnet! Grab your copy and get on my email list to learn how I do it!!)
-Michelle
