According to a study, TikTok is the fifth-largest social media platform, with around 1.84 billion active monthly users. If you have ever used TikTok, you might have noticed that things started with a simple scroll. After a few scrolls, a product video from a creator popped up that seemed good to buy.
Well, this is what TikTok affiliate marketing is. Using their audience creators, promote, sell products, and earn a handsome commission. As the audience size on the platform is increasing daily, the potential of getting more sales and earning commission is also on the rise.
In this guide, you will learn what TikTok affiliate marketing is and how to start in 2025.
What is TikTok Affiliate Marketing?
TikTok affiliate marketing is the process by which creators get affiliated with a brand or product owner. They create content (videos) around these products or services and promote them among their followers/viewers.
Along with their content, they share specialized affiliate links for their audience to make an instant purchase. Whenever a purchase is made via these links, the creator gets a decided commission from the sale amount.
What makes TikTok affiliate marketing different from traditional affiliate marketing is the type of content. In traditional affiliate marketing, long-form blog posts and YouTube videos generate sales.
However, in TikTok affiliate marketing, the content is usually short-form like reels and sounds like UGC (user-generated content).
How Does TikTok Affiliate Marketing Work?
The TikTok affiliate marketing is like traditional affiliate marketing. In it:
- You first transform your simple account into a creator or business account.
- Sign up for the TikTok affiliate program. (You can also sign up for external programs as well. Many of the brands now offer their own individually.)
- Choose the brands you want to work with.
- Get your specialized affiliate links.
- Add them to your profile.
Here, we would like to clarify that you cannot add affiliate links directly into videos on TikTok. Instead, creators paste these links in their profile bios and guide users in their videos to make purchases via them.
However, there is another way that many creators are adapting nowadays. Yet you can not add links to your videos, but you can add QR codes with your affiliate links. Scanning these codes, users can make a purchase, and you can earn a commission.
Read more: 9 Powerful TikTok Story Viewer Tools You Need to Try Today
How to Get Started with TikTok Affiliate Marketing?
Follow the steps below to get started with TikTok affiliate marketing.
1. Set Up a Creator/Business Account
First, set up a creator or business account to earn money through TikTok affiliate marketing. If you create content individually, go for a creator’s account. However, choose a business account if you own an agency or provide marketing services.
For more on setting up a TikTok business account, watch this tutorial on YouTube.
2. Join an Affiliate Program
After setting up your account, the next step is to get yourself linked with an affiliate program. This is necessary to get the affiliate links to earn the commission by selling products through your videos.
Below are some of the recommended affiliate programs for 2025 that you can consider joining.
- Amazon Associates
- ClickBank
- Impact
- ShareASale
- TikTok Shop Affiliate
Whatever program you join, choose the products wisely. Only select those that align with your niche and audience interest. Plus, do not overlook the commission rate at all. It varies from product to product.
3. Start Creating Content
Once you have decided on the niche and product, start creating videos. Those that can drive sales. Below, we have shared the content formats that work well in 2025.
Product Reviews and Demos
Show how the product works, its benefits, and what makes it worth buying. Keep it honest and visually transparent.
“TikTok Made Me Buy It” Trends
Show products that you purchased due to TikTok hype. These go viral often and create social proof.
Unboxing & First Impressions
Record the unboxing process and share your initial thoughts. It excites the audience and translates into more engagement and trust.
Tutorials and How-To Guides
Show the product in action and how to use it. This way, viewers see the value and imagine themselves using it.
Storytelling & Emotional Hooks
Tell a personal story or problem you had and how the product helped. This human angle builds connection and makes your content memorable.
4. Placing Affiliate Links on TikTok
You might not know that TikTok doesn’t allow clickable links in the captions. However, there are other innovative ways that creators opt to generate commission. Here are some commonly used ones among them:
Using TikTok Bio Link
You only get one clickable link in your bio. However, you can create a landing page with multiple affiliate links using external tools such as Linktree.
You can paste the link to this landing page with various links in your TikTok bio. This way, the audience can explore more products, likely increase the chance of sales, and ultimately earn more commission.
Using QR Codes
Another beneficial way is making QR codes with your affiliate links. You can do this easily using an online QR code generator. The good thing about this method is that you can add these codes inside your videos and ask the audience to scan these codes and make an instant purchase. Tracking scans and conversions also helps you measure your QR code ROI, giving insights into how effectively your affiliate marketing campaigns are performing.
5. Optimizing Your Content
Even great content can get invisible if not optimized properly. Regarding TikTok, the best strategy is to use relevant and trending hashtags (avoid overusing them). Along with hashtags, consider adding catchy CTAs that can hook the audience and make them click on the link to the product.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
While starting with affiliate marketing, many make some common mistakes. You must avoid them to be a successful TikTok affiliate marketer. Here are the common ones we are talking about.
Choosing the Wrong Niche
Some people choose the wrong niches only because they have a high commission rate. Don’t do that at any cost. Only select those that align with your audience. Otherwise, you will get no benefit.
Joining Multiple Programs
Another mistake that many make is joining multiple affiliate programs at once. Why? To earn more profit. But in reality, they get the worst. Never bombard your audience with similar products from different vendors.
Start with 1-2 quality products from a reputable brand. You can increase the quantity over time.
Not Disclosing Affiliation
Hiding that your content has affiliate links from which you earn commission is another mistake people make. This is a complete violation of TikTok community guidelines and can lead to the suspension of your account.
Final Talk
TikTok affiliate marketing in 2025 offers a powerful way to earn online. You can turn the views into commissions with the right niche and innovative content strategy. Remember to stay consistent, be transparent with your audience, and always aim to add value, not just make a sale.