Some TikTok creators are earning thousands of dollars from user-generated videos.
The platform introduced early last year the TikTok Creative Challenge, a program for creators to submit UGC-style ads for brands.
Although it was initially invite-only, the program became available in May to eligible creators. Users need to be at least 18 years old, based in the US, and have at least 50,000 followers.
However, many creators are still learning about the program. Several who Business Insider spoke with said a TikTok mentor or other creator told them about the TikTok Creative Challenge; they didn’t find it on their own.
“It’s not very discoverable yet. Even now, I have trouble pulling up the dashboard on TikTok,” said 23-year-old UGC coach Caitlin Jenco, who earned $2,309 within her first three months with the TikTok Creative Challenge. “I think that’s why not many people know about it yet.”
She heard about the program from another creator, Sydney McDonald, an official TikTok mentor who sent her a referral link (open on a mobile device) to the dashboard, where users can join, manage their submissions, and track their earnings.
Once users join the TikTok Creative Challenge, they’re initially given 10 “slots,” which they can use to submit videos to brands looking for UGC ads. Jenco said users can see how many submissions a particular brand has already gotten, and decide if they want to participate.
If the brand accepts a creator’s submission, the video will go through a few rounds of revisions before being posted on the brand’s account. The back-and-forth is handled through TikTok, so the brand and the creator never communicate directly.
The creator earns a share of the revenue generated from the video, which the brand determines.
The TikTok Creative Challenge also offers bonuses, ranging from $300 to $1,000, to motivate users to continue creating UGC content. Jenco said she received them when she hit a particular milestone on the app, as shown in screenshots below of her October earnings, or whenever she referred another creator to the program. Another creator, Muaaz Shakeel, said he noticed bonuses pop up whenever he didn’t submit a video for a few days, so it could be a way to persuade creators to use the program more regularly.
Caitlin Jenco
Caitlin Jenco.
Gaming creators are thriving in the program
Jenco, who now helps many other creators get started on the TikTok Creative Challenge, said the most in-demand content by brands on the platform is currently gaming.
“It’s an industry where ads thrive because whenever you play a game, you’re used to watching ads,” she said.”Some of the [UGC] ads that come up on my page are very entertaining and interactive, so because of that, I think brands are willing to put more budget behind it.”
Gaming creators Cristina Johnson and Joey Barton have earned thousands of dollars a month from the TikTok Creative Challenge.
Within one month, Johnson earned $4,500, which persuaded Barton, her partner, to start the program too. Today, it’s one of their main income streams. In January 2024, Johnson earned $20,529, while Barton earned $17,533. BI verified their earnings with documentation they provided.
“Gaming is just what we’re used to, so it didn’t take us long to figure out the UGC side,” 34-year-old Johnson said. “You just need to think like a brand.”
