A social media platform’s creator fund helps encourage creators to produce excellent content. Learn how each fund works so you can decide which is best for you.

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Whether it’s cute selfies on Snapchat, short-form videos on TikTok, or how-to Reels on Instagram, you know your content game is fire. But now it’s time to take things to the next level and monetize your content. We love brand partnerships and affiliates, but creator funds are the easiest way to make money on your content. 

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Even though they’re relatively new, creator funds are an essential part of the creator economy. If you want to diversify your income, this type of monetization can help you score a few paydays. 

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Let’s look at how creator funds work as well as the five most popular creator funds for influencers right now. 

Everything You Need to Know About Creator Funds

Consumers want to get more out of their time on social media. A whopping 74% of social media users think there are way too many ads on social media, so it’s clear that they’re looking for better content. 

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A creator fund helps monetize their content on social media. This helps creators make better content and grow their following on the platform, which encourages users to stay online. Bonuses, perks, and fun challenges make it — dare we say? — enjoyable to make a living as a creator. Instead of relying on brand deals or ads, a creator fund pays you directly for your content performance. 

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Creator funds improve the quality of content on a social platform by paying creators to make exclusive, original content just for a specific platform. At their core, creator funds benefit social media platforms because they engage users. Since more users equals more money, it’s no wonder why everyone from Pinterest to Snapchat now offers a creator fund.

5 Funds That Support Creators

If you’re already making killer original content, joining a creator fund just makes sense. But there are a surprising number of creator funds to choose from. Check out these five popular creator funds to start monetizing your content.

1. TikTok Creator Fund

TikTok made the first creator fund back in 2020. After taking its app international, TikTok encouraged more influencers to use the platform. The fund originally paid out $200 million, but it was so successful that TikTok is continuing to invest in creators.

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TikTok’s creator fund pays based on TikTok video performance, not ad revenue sharing. Fair warning, though: TikTok doesn’t pay a lot, even if you have a ton of followers. Content creators report earning 2.5 cents for 1,000 video views, which is less than what reported earnings through other creator funds.

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Is that a lot of money? ... Well, no. TikTok’s creator fund benefits creators who get a lot of views, so if you snag a feature on the FYP, you can earn more. However, even then, this fund doesn’t offer a sustainable income stream.

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To join the TikTok creator fund, you’ll need to meet its eligibility criteria, which state you must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Live in the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Spain, or Italy
• Have 100,000 authentic views in the last 30 days
• Have an account in good standing that meets the TikTok Community Guidelines

You’ll need a TikTok Pro Account to apply for the Creator Fund. From there, you can visit your Account Settings in the TikTok app > TikTok Creator Fund and tap “Apply.” If you meet TikTok’s requirements, you’re pretty much a shoe-in.

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💡 To learn more about the TikTok Creator Fund, read our full guide.

2. YouTube Shorts Fund

YouTube Shorts are YouTube’s answer to TikTok. What you might not know is that YouTube has a creator fund specifically for its 60-second videos. Last year, YouTube announced a $100 million creator fund that it would fund through 2022.

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However, in April of 2022, Google (which owns YouTube) announced it would open the YouTube Shorts Fund to a wider variety of creators and expand income-generating opportunities for creators with a smaller following.

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The creator fund pays based on performance, which YouTube counts as total lifetime views. This means that you’ll earn sweet bonuses if a video from six months ago suddenly blows up on YouTube Shorts. Google says that earnings depend on a variety of factors, so every creator will see different payouts. Google claims you can earn anywhere from $100 to $10,000 a month through the YouTube Shorts Fund.

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Right now, the YouTube Shorts Fund is invite-only, so Google will notify you if you meet its requirements. To up your chances of joining the fund, make sure you meet its eligibility requirements: 

• You create original Shorts (and don’t reupload them on any other platform)
• You uploaded a Short in the last six months
• You have a Google Adsense account
• You’re at least 13 years old
• You live in a qualifying country

3. Meta Bonuses Program

Meta is the umbrella company that owns Facebook and Instagram. In an effort to overtake TikTok, Meta announced its Bonuses Program, which is essentially a creator fund. Meta created the program in 2021 and pledged to pay creators $1 billion through 2022 on Instagram and Facebook, so they clearly aren’t messing around. 

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Even if you’re using the other monetization or creator tools in Instagram and Facebook, Meta’s creator fund bonuses are a great way to boost your earnings. All of the bonuses are seasonal, so you can expect the requirements to change over time. Be sure to check back and enroll in the right bonuses so you earn money from your content.

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Instagram’s program is invite-only right now, but you can apply for Facebook’s Bonuses Program if you have a qualifying page. 

4. Snapchat Spotlight Fund and Snapchat Sounds Creator Fund

Did you know that Snapchat has two creator funds? 

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Last year, Snapchat announced that it would spend a million dollars a day for creators who posted Spotlight Reels. That got expensive pretty fast, so Snapchat later lowered its payouts, much to the chagrin of creators. 

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But hey, if you like Snapchat and create on this platform, why not join the creator fund and make a little money? 

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The first creator fund is the Spotlight Fund, where you can earn bonuses up to 24 hours after creating a Snapchat Spotlight. Similar to Meta’s Bonuses Program, Snapchat issues challenges to creators — and if you perform well, you can snag paid bonuses through this creator fund. 

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Snapchat announced its second creator fund, the Snapchat Sounds Creator Fund, in the summer of 2022. This creator fund helps independent artists launch their music on Snapchat (which smells an awful lot like a TikTok copycat to us, but whatever). Snapchat Sounds pledged $100,000 in monthly payouts to creators, so if you distribute original music on Snapchat, you could qualify for the program. You just need to be at least 16 years old and reside in the US to apply.

5. Pinterest Creator Fund and Rewards

Compared to the billions of people that use TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, Pinterest might seem small, but it’s a good fit for the right audience. 

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Pinterest’s creator fund is for creators from underrepresented creators in the United States, although it plans to expand the program to Brazil and the U.K. in the future. Pinterest accepts applications for the fund, which operates during a four-week training period. Each accepted creator can earn as much as $20,000 from the fund, so it’s pretty competitive. Applications are currently closed, but you can join the Pinterest creator newsletter for updates on the next round. 

If you adore Pinterest, be sure to join the Pinterest Creator Rewards program, too. It’s still in the testing phase and is available only in the United States. Through the fund, Pinterest sends creators monthly reward goals. Think of these as prompts that Pinterest sends to you every month.

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If you want to participate, you can submit an Idea Pin that meets all of Pinterest’s requirements. For example, Pinterest might ask for Idea Pins that inspire other pinners to take on DIY projects. As a creator, they might ask you to create an original Idea Pin that includes the phrase, “Winter Decorating Ideas” and a video. 

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The requirements and payouts change based on the monthly prompt, so no two challenges will be the same. Each Idea Pin has a different payout, but Pinterest will tell you how much it pays before you accept the challenge.

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If you aren’t already, you’ll need to be a Pinterest Creator to join its creator fund. You’ll also need to meet its eligibility criteria to join. The criteria state that you need to: 

• Be at least 18 years old
• Live in the United States
• Have 250+ followers
• Create at least three Idea Pins in the last 30 days
• Have at least 150 saves of your published Pins in the last 30 days

If that sounds like you, head over to the Pinterest app to apply. Log in and tap on your profile picture. Go to Creator Hub > Earn > Apply. If you meet Pinterest’s requirements, the app will allow you to submit an application.

Earn More Creator Fund Payouts

Social networks are in an unending race to bring more users to their platforms. They’re using content creators as the secret weapon to boost user engagement, so why not make a little bit of money on this bidding war? 

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As a content creator, you can take advantage of this competition by enrolling in creator funds for the networks where you create content. The creator funds alone likely won’t replace your income, but if you’re already creating on these platforms, what do you have to lose? 

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Sign up for these creator funds to make a living from your awesome content: 

• TikTok Creator Fund
• YouTube Shorts Fund
• Meta Bonuses Program
• Snapchat Spotlight Fund
• Snapchat Sounds Creator Fund
• Pinterest Creator Rewards

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