OHIO — From viral dances to viral paychecks, TikTok is reshaping the way younger generations work.
What started as an app for quick entertainment has become a platform where creators turn likes into a living. From brand partnerships and product promotions to creator programs and even views on videos, more users are finding ways to monetize their content.
Mitchell Bienvenue, an Ohio resident, began his TikTok journey in 2019. Along the way, he even met his now-fiancé, Taylor, on the app.
Mitchell Bienvenue, content creator. (Spectrum News 1/Taylor Bruck)
“TikTok is my favorite social media app,” Bienvenue said. “People laugh on TikTok. People have an escape. People can fall in love on TikTok, people can cry on TikTok. I think it’s just the endless possibilities that TikTok provides is what makes it so special.”
Bienvenue, 28, first gained traction by posting videos working on yachts in Florida. After moving back to Ohio, he carved out a new niche: highlighting things to do around Columbus and the state as a whole.
With each post and follower gained, he realized content creation could become a career. He started out receiving free products and meals in exchange for posts, but after landing his first paid brand deal, he knew consistency could turn it into full-time income.
Six years later, Bienvenue has worked with hundreds of brands, amassed hundreds of thousands of followers, and said he now makes more money per month than ever before.
“Over 50% of what I do comes from TikTok directly,” Bienvenue said. “The potential is kind of unlimited. I think most people know that, like, there’s creators who are making seven figures a month. But no, for me, like branding-wise and viewership like I’ve done north of $10,000 in a month off of just social media.”
How to monetize social media
TikTok offers multiple ways for creators to earn money at any stage and at any following size.
Users can make money in various ways including through TikTok’s creator rewards program, by promoting products on TikTok Shop, receiving gifts during livestreams, building subscriber bases, collaborating with brands or selling their own products. While the creator rewards program requires 10,000 followers, TikTok Shop is open to anyone — even those starting with zero followers.
“I think you have to ask yourself, like, what do you want? If you’re somebody who can like, you know, just put the phone to your face, camera to your face and just rant or talk about something that you’re very passionate about, and it drives a lot of views,” Bienvenue said. “You can make substantial money with just viewership, and then you don’t have to do brand deals.”
“The Pickle Lady”
For another Ohio creator, Gloria Angelou, the story is similar. Known online as “The Pickle Lady,” she built a following of more than a million with her unfiltered personality and pickle reviews.
“They found their people when they found me,” Angelou said. “Shout out to the pickle posse.”
At times, she said she’s made six figures from TikTok, but still doesn’t rely on it completely.
“I did not put all my eggs in one basket,” Angelou said. “I’m the pickle lady on social media, but everywhere else I am mom, I am counselor, I am advocate, I am friend, you know, I wear a lot of hats.”
Gloria Angelou. (Facebook)
This kind of success is fueling a growing trend: more young people want to become influencers. A Morning Consult poll found that 57% of Gen Z adults — and 41% of U.S. adults overall — say they’d like to pursue content creation as a career.
“You could have any career, and you could document your career on TikTok and then monetize it just in another way,” Bienvenue said.
How to get started
Angelou admits she didn’t always post authentically. At first, she chased viral trends and pranks. But when she shifted to creating content she genuinely enjoyed — like reviewing pickles — her platform took off.
“I’m grateful for TikTok,” Angelou said. “I’m grateful for the community. Grateful for, you know, just being able to have a platform to speak and be myself and relate to other people and have other people relate to me.”
For Bienvenue, it took about six months to reach his first 100,000 followers. For Angelou, it took closer to two years to pass one million.
“TikTok, is such a great platform to, like, start at zero and have something, you know, pop off and go viral, and all of a sudden you have a little community for yourself,” Bienvenue said.
Still, the future of TikTok has been uncertain, with the app facing scrutiny and potential restrictions. That unpredictability is one reason Angelou doesn’t fully rely on it, while Bienvenue has adapted by expanding his presence to Snapchat Spotlight, YouTube Shorts, Instagram and Facebook.
“Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it,” Bienvenue said. “I can’t just, like, not show up to work tomorrow. And my work is like, you know, posting content. So I was like, I just have to do it somewhere else.”
No matter what apps are here to say, the creators said they’re aiming to build brands that regardless will find a way.
“Keep it moving,” Angelou said. “As long as you are true to yourself and true to what you’re doing, your people will come. Your people will find you.”
Growing a following
Angelou believes authenticity and relatability are the keys to building an audience. It might take time to find a niche, she said, but the most important thing is to start — even if it means stepping out of your comfort zone.
“Just authentically be yourself and do it consistently,” Angelou said. “Anything that you do and you do it consistently, you do it authentically, you do it, not necessarily to get the views or get the money, is going to draw people in, no matter how, no matter how strange you think your thing is, you know, there’s a community for it.”
For more information on TikTok’s monetization programs, visit here.
