Unlike the fierce competition on domestic short video platforms, TK is still in the traffic dividend period. Its algorithm is extremely friendly to beginners. You don’t need to compete with others for background or budget. As long as you find the right method and insist on publishing content, you can "watch videos and earn pocket money", and even gradually achieve stable additional income. Today, I will break down 4 zero-cost, easy-to-start TK money-making paths for working from home. From beginner’s entry to practical details, I will explain everything at once – you can start right after reading.
I. Zero-Cost Entry Prerequisite: Complete 2 Basic Preparations (No Money Spent)
Before you start making money, don’t rush to shoot videos. First, complete these 2 basic preparations, which can help you avoid 80% of beginner pitfalls and make subsequent monetization smoother. It’s completely zero-cost, and beginners can follow suit directly.
1. Account Setup: Register a new TK account. You don’t need to bind complex information – a mobile phone number or email is enough to complete the registration (it’s recommended to use an overseas email to avoid restrictions on domestic mobile phone numbers). Your account nickname should be simple and easy to remember, and consistent with the content direction you plan to do later (such as "Home Goodies Sharing" or "Easy Game Tips"). Use a clear profile picture, and you can simply mark "Sharing Practical Tips/Goodies" in your bio – no need to pile up complex words, just be real and natural. Important Reminder: Beginners don’t need to "warm up" their accounts. Avoid frequently switching accounts or engaging in irregular operations. Just browse and publish content normally, and the algorithm will automatically identify your account positioning.
2. Tool Preparation: All you need is a mobile phone. For editing, use the built-in video editing function of your mobile phone or the free international version of JianYing (CapCut). It’s easy to operate with rich templates, and beginners can learn basic editing in half an hour. For shooting, no professional equipment is needed – your mobile phone’s original camera is sufficient. Just ensure adequate lighting and clear pictures; even shooting against a desktop or wall can meet the content requirements. No need to buy any additional tools or recharge any memberships – you can complete all preparations with zero cost.
II. 4 Zero-Cost TK Money-Making Paths for Working from Home (Beginners Prioritize the First 2)
None of these 4 paths require stocking up on goods, investing in traffic, or having a fan base (for some paths, more followers mean higher income, but you can start with zero followers). They fit the home scene and can be operated with fragmented time, making them suitable for students, stay-at-home moms, office workers looking for part-time jobs, and even people who want to work from home full-time and deepen their efforts in the long run.
Path 1: Monetize with Zero Followers – UGC Orders (Fastest to Earn Money, Beginners’ First Choice)
UGC is currently the most popular zero-threshold monetization method on TK. Simply put, it means "shooting short videos for brands" – brands use your videos for advertising, and you earn commissions. Even with zero followers and no need to show your face, you can take orders and make money. This method doesn’t require warming up your account or worrying about traffic; as long as you can shoot and edit videos according to the brand’s requirements, you can earn money quickly, making it very suitable for beginners to get started.
Practical Steps: ① Order Channels: Open free-to-register platforms such as Fiverr and Collabstr, or directly leave a comment saying "Available for UGC Cooperation" on the TK Shop recruitment page or brand official account comments. You can also send trial editing samples to niche brands to actively seek cooperation opportunities. ② Prepare Samples: Create 3-5 samples of different styles, such as unboxing videos or scenario-based usage (e.g., usage scenarios of home goodies, gameplay demonstrations of small games). They don’t need to be very professional – real and natural is enough. Samples are your "passport" to getting orders; marking "Customizable Scripts, Fast Delivery" can improve your order success rate. ③ Take Orders and Earn Money: After receiving an order, shoot a 15-60 second short video according to the brand’s requirements, such as the usage process of a home cleaning product or the clearance skills of a small game. After editing, deliver it to the brand and you will receive your commission.
Income Reference: The commission for a single video ranges from $50 to $500. Beginners can earn $50 to $100 per video at the initial stage. After familiarizing themselves with the process and accumulating cases, the commission per video can be increased to $150 to $300. Spending 1-2 hours a day, you can earn $1,000 to $3,000 a month, easily achieving pocket money freedom from home. Important Reminder: Prioritize cooperating with niche brands with high repurchase rates – the cooperation is stable, so you don’t need to look for orders frequently. There’s no need to show your face when shooting; just shoot the product and scenes throughout to reduce the difficulty of operation.
Path 2: Monetize with Zero Followers – Window Commission (Passive Income, Long-Term Effort)
Many people think that live streaming with goods requires stocking up on goods or opening a store, but TK window commission can be operated completely with zero cost. You can open it with zero followers – no need to ship goods yourself or be responsible for after-sales service. You just need to shoot videos and attach product links; you earn a commission when someone places an order. It’s a passive income model of "create once, earn multiple times", suitable for people who want to make money in the long run.
Practical Steps: ① Open the Window: After registering a TK account, directly bind TikTok Shop to unlock the product window function (it can be opened with zero followers in some regions, no thresholds required). ② Select Products: On platforms such as TK Select Alliance and Amazon Associates, choose zero-cost, high-commission, easy-to-display products. Prioritize small, lightweight products with high visual impact and high demand (such as stress-relief toys, home goodies, beauty tools, small game recharge links). The commission ratio is 5%-30%, and popular categories have higher commissions. No need to stock up on goods or bear any inventory risks. ③ Publish Product Promotion Videos: Use your mobile phone to shoot the product’s usage scenarios and core advantages. Use a "3-second hook" at the beginning to grab the audience’s attention (e.g., "OMG! This thing almost made my cat addicted" or "Must-see for beginners – clear the game in 10 seconds"). Attach the product link at the end of the video or in the comments, mark "Limited Time Discount, Free Shipping", and guide users to click and place orders.
Real Case: A beginner started with zero followers, attached pet toy links, and shot simple videos of pets playing with toys – earning $500 in the first month by "lying down". Another stay-at-home mom specialized in reviewing lazy sofas and promoted products through the Select Alliance, earning $800 a month. Even the sofas were free samples sent by the brand, with zero cost and zero risk. Income Reference: Beginners can earn $500 to $1,500 a month at the initial stage. After breaking 1,000 followers, the conversion rate of product promotion increases, and you can earn $1,500 to $5,000 a month. Insist on publishing popular videos, and you can earn thousands of dollars from a single video.
Path 3: Monetize with Over 1,000 Followers – Live Interaction + Private Domain Conversion (Amplify Income)
When your account has over 1,000 followers, you can unlock the live streaming function. No need to show your face or use complex words – just chat and interact with foreigners simply, and guide them to add your WhatsApp or Ins for private chat, which can further amplify your income. It’s suitable for beginners with a certain content foundation and good at interaction.
Practical Steps: ① Live Content: No need to prepare complex scripts. During the live stream, chat with foreigners, answer their questions (such as product usage methods and game gameplay), or show the real-time usage process of products. Call and thank interacting audiences by name to improve fan stickiness. ② Private Domain Conversion: Guide audiences to add your WhatsApp or Ins during the live stream, telling them "Add me to get product discounts and exclusive benefits". After users add you, recommend products and push new products through private chat – the conversion rate is higher than direct product promotion (many foreigners like to bargain through private chat, so the chat-based conversion rate is very high). ③ Additional Income: During the live stream, fans will send virtual gifts, which can be exchanged for cash. 50% of the coins can be converted into "diamonds", and 1 diamond = $0.05. You can withdraw cash when it reaches $100. Live streaming + private domain conversion brings more considerable dual income.
Income Reference: After breaking 1,000 followers, you can earn $50 to $200 per hour of live streaming. Private domain conversion can add an additional $1,000 to $3,000 a month. The more followers and higher interaction rate you have, the higher your income. Working from home and live streaming for 2-3 hours a day, earning over $5,000 a month is completely feasible.
Path 4: Long-Term Monetization – Account Incubation + Trading (Earn from Information Gap, Zero-Cost Passive Income)
If you have plenty of time and are good at studying the TK algorithm and creating vertical content, you can try to incubate vertical accounts in batches. Sell them when they reach a certain number of followers to earn money from the information gap. It’s completely zero-cost, suitable for people who want to deepen their efforts in the long run and are good at operation.
Practical Steps: ① Account Positioning: Choose popular vertical tracks (such as pets, beauty, fitness, small games). The more accurate the positioning, the higher the fan value. ② Batch Account Creation: Use free AI tools (such as ChatGPT) to generate scripts, and use the international version of JianYing to edit videos in batches. Publish 3 videos a day, and use the TK algorithm recommendation to quickly grow the account. No need to buy followers or invest in traffic – accumulate real followers through high-quality content. ③ Account Sale: When the account has over 10,000 followers, you can sell it on professional account trading platforms. The price of a vertical account is about $0.05-$0.1 per follower; a vertical account with 100,000 followers can be sold for $5,000-$10,000.
Notes: Don’t register accounts in batches or publish homogeneous content to avoid being banned by the platform. Focus on improving fan activity – accounts with only "bought followers" are difficult to sell at a high price, while accounts with real followers and high interaction rates are more favored by buyers. Income Reference: Incubate 1-2 accounts with 10,000 followers per month; after selling, you can earn $5,000-$20,000. It’s a model of "invest time in the early stage and earn zero-cost passive income in the later stage".
III. Must-See for Beginners: 3 Key Tips for Zero-Cost Money-Making (Avoid Pitfalls + Improve Efficiency)
Many beginners clearly find the right path but still can’t make money – the core is ignoring these 3 tips. Mastering these tips can help you avoid pitfalls quickly, increase your income, and take fewer detours.
1. Content is King, Seize the "3-Second Hook": The core of the TK algorithm is completion rate. The first 3 seconds of the video must be "eye-catching" – use exaggerated tone, novel scenes, or pain-point-targeted words to grab the audience’s attention (e.g., "Make money from home without spending a penny" or "This thing costs $1 to make but sells for $30 and is flying off the shelves"). If the beginning is not attractive, no matter how high-quality the subsequent content is, no one will watch it. A low completion rate means low traffic.
2. Make Good Use of Hashtags to Ride the Traffic Dividend: When publishing videos, be sure to add popular hashtags, such as #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt (foreigners are likely to follow the trend and place orders when they see this hashtag), #HomeHacks (home tips), and #EasyMoney (easy money). Add 3-5 hashtags per video – it can not only accurately target the audience but also ride the platform’s free traffic, allowing the video to get more exposure and increase the conversion probability.
3. Insist on Publishing, Reject Impetuosity: Making money on TK is not a "get-rich-quick" scheme. It’s normal for beginners to have no income for 1-2 weeks at the initial stage – don’t be anxious. It’s recommended to publish 2-3 videos a day, insist for 1-2 months, optimize the content, and accumulate cases. You will gradually see the income. Remember: Making zero-cost money on TK depends not on talent but on persistence. Even if you only spend 1 hour a day, insisting in the long run can help you achieve stable additional income.
IV. Beginner Pitfall Guide (Avoid These Mistakes for Zero-Cost Money-Making)
1. Reject "Scams": Don’t believe in scams like "Earn thousands of dollars a day with zero cost" or "Make money without creating content". Making zero-cost money on TK requires time and effort – there is no income without hard work. Stay away from anyone who asks you to pay first before teaching you to make money.
2. Avoid Irregular Operations: Don’t repost others’ videos (prone to restricted traffic or account ban), don’t publish infringing, vulgar, or false promotional content, and don’t frequently switch accounts or modify account information. Obeying the platform rules is the only way to make money in the long run.
3. Don’t Follow the Trend Blindly: Don’t follow the trend blindly just because you see others making money in a certain category. Combine your interests and time to choose a path that suits you (beginners prioritize UGC orders and window commission). Deepening your efforts in one track is easier to succeed than following the trend blindly.
V. Final Summary: Achieve Additional Income from Home with TK – Even with Zero Cost
In fact, making money from home with TK is not as difficult as everyone thinks. It doesn’t require you to have professional skills, start-up funds, or go out to work. As long as you have a mobile phone and fragmented time, find the right method, and insist on publishing content, you can achieve zero-cost monetization.
Beginners are advised to start with UGC orders and window commission to earn money quickly and accumulate confidence. After having a certain foundation, try live streaming interaction and account incubation to gradually amplify your income. Remember: TK is still in the traffic dividend period. Ordinary people entering the market now don’t need to compete fiercely with big bloggers. As long as you grasp the details and persist, you can rely on your own efforts to achieve the goal of making money from home on this track – you can take care of your family and have your own income. Why not?
Take out your mobile phone now, register a TK account, prepare samples, and start your zero-cost home money-making journey – every minute you put in will eventually be rewarded with income.