For the last 5-6 months the TikTok shop has taken over the affiliate e-commerce industry. Giving brands easy access to content creators and their audience, specifically Gen-Z consumers.

Which has paid off tremendously generating around $20 billion in revenue for brands (Sellers) in 2023. 

Apart from brands reaping the rewards, creators have used affiliate and sponsorship deals to monetize their audience.

But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows…

Unfortunately for TikTok they actually saw a $500 million loss in 2023 with the shop, but that is to be expected with their incentives and deals to build trust in the initiative.

Another group that the shop is hurting is actually creators who have become affiliates.

But how are they losing out in a situation where it is easier than ever to monetize their audience? 

They’re losing their audience. 

This is because their content is becoming so salesy their account essentially becomes a series of advertisements for their Sellers.

Attention is at a premium, no one wants to watch ads all day.

“YOU HAVE to try this new app”

“OMG this fragrance will change your life” 

“YOU NEED TO BUY THIS DESK”

If you haven’t built an audience by posting advertising content like that then your views will suffer.

Sure it’s okay to create this content once in a while, but if you stray too far away from your original successful niche/style your audience becomes uninterested.

And that’s what is happening today.

Creators AND brands who have not had access to these opportunities overindulge - leading to a loss of audience and brands lose their brand voice with the wrong creator partnerships.

We’ve talked to a few creators who have made $25-75K in affiliate commission after posting consistently for brands through the TikTok shop.

But now their organic content is tanking - views and engagement are at all time lows.

Still a couple thousand dollars richer (not a bad payday) but their account with a real audience has a lifetime value worth much more than a quick $75K in the long run.


So what can creators do to have the perfect balance of brand deals and original content to make money and not cut ties with their audience?

Easy answer is there is no formula - it will depend on the creator’s niche, audience, and original content.

The best thing to do is to create authentic content similar to your original posts that features brands in it.

The McFarlands do it really well here with their Home Depot ad :

If you go through their page they also have a really good  ratio of authentic content to promotional posts.

The ratio we suggest is 5:1 authentic/original content : advertisements. It does vary but this is a safe ratio even if the promotional post is bland.

As a creator it’s important to only work with brands that your audience will benefit from the introduction and actually appreciate you sharing it with them.

General rule of thumb: If you can pick a random follower and feel comfortable recommending the brand’s product then it’s a good deal.

The same goes for brands: Only work with creators who you would feel comfortable being the sole face of your brand.