How to Build TikTok LIVE Creator Networks — And What Makes Them Successful

0:00Ore Ade:If you are interested about what else could be an edge towards you building a business in the creator ecosystem, then this is definitely for you.

0:08Ian:So what exactly is a creator network?

0:10Ore Ade:A creator network is a live streaming talent agency that is trained directly by the TikTok live team. They can find talent and also help the talent monetize directly from their content. Live streaming, it's very in the moment and it's about the real-time interaction and engagement that you actually get. It's a very different type of human connection and engagement as opposed to long-form content that is already edited.

0:31Ian:And is it about just the biggest creators, the ones with the most followers, or is it about engagement?

0:36Ore Ade:It's not about your following. And this is because the algorithm cares less about your following and it works towards pushing you through to a global audience. It really depends on your consistency and ability to build. Number one, creators need an edge. And number two, audiences need trust.

0:56Ian:Ori, everyone knows TikTok, but I think far fewer people understand TikTok Live. Can you explain what is TikTok Live and why is it such a priority for TikTok right now?

1:05Ore Ade:Yeah, absolutely. So TikTok Live is the entertainment live stream inside of the platform. And that essentially means that we have built a product that allows creators to go live, live stream and interact with their audiences in real time and engage with them in multiple ways. And the reason why it's such a huge priority for TikTok right now, a couple of things. And the very first one is there's a demand for authentic content and also a demand to build your communities in real time as well. And we're listening to what our creators are saying, which is we want to engage with the people that actually enjoy our content.

1:38Ore Ade:And if you think about where the world is going in terms of AI and being able to produce short form content at scale, live streaming is going to become the intersection of real trusted content.

1:50Ian:So how does TikTok Live actually work?

1:53Ore Ade:So it's very simple. So if you go on the platform, I'm literally going to walk everyone step by step because I've had that question as well sometimes in person. So you go on TikTok and when you want to post, you'll have an option to press the live button. you literally just press the go live button and immediately you are live streaming to a global audience.

2:13Ian:And so from an audience perspective, why do they like watching creators go live versus, let's say, more of a polished YouTube video?

2:21Ore Ade:That's a really good question. And I would say when it comes to a polished YouTube video, it's obviously edited and quite curated as well. Whereas live streaming, it's very in the moment. You don't make any like, you know, you can be yourself. And it's about the real-time interaction and engagement that you actually get. For example, if I went live and you walked into my live room right now and you're having a conversation via live streaming, it's a very different type of human connection and engagement as opposed to long-form content that is already edited because it removes the element of control.

2:56Ore Ade:But where the element of control is being removed, the element of trust is being built. So for audiences that engage in live, it's really about building a connection with the streamer and having the opportunity to ask something in real time that can be a solution for yourself.

3:10Ian:Yeah, that makes absolute sense. And I think in a world of abundance through AI content, live content is going to be a real differentiator versus AI.

3:19Ore Ade:Yeah, absolutely. And this is something that I love to discuss because I'm pro AI, you know, we, we love the fact that it's helping the creator economy move at a faster scale and helping them build. But I also think that we need to curate spaces where trust and community are elements that still exist when it comes to content creation.

3:39Ian:Excellent. Well, I'm really keen to get into more of the details. So can you explain how does a creator make money on TikTok Live?

3:45Ore Ade:It's quite different. It's very unique. It stands by itself and it's powered through a mechanism that is called gifting. Are you familiar with gifting? A little bit, a little bit. Yeah, but tell me more. Cool. So gifting essentially is once the creator is live streaming, they have the opportunity to monetize from their content in real time, meaning that whoever is watching the live stream can power up and get TikTok coins, which lives in a virtual TikTok bank. And through that way, they can send digital avatars that have monetary value behind them. So as a streamer is, let's say, singing on a live stream and someone might request for, you know, a Whitney Houston song, they can then gift the creator because they're giving them valuable content in real time, singing a song that they enjoy, for example.

4:28Ore Ade:So that's how creators are monetizing through live. And you'd be so surprised how much creators are making, which is, you know, incredible numbers. But the fact that they can directly monetize from their content, I think in itself is powerful.

4:41Ian:Yeah, and I've watched a lot of it. It's really interesting to see. Now, how would you describe TikTok Live versus YouTube Live, Instagram Live, Twitch and the other platforms?

4:50Ore Ade:I think huge differences there. And I think I'll stick into the monetization point from what I understand from the other platforms. Twitch monetizes more primarily through their subscription model and the bits, whereas Instagram Live isn't really known for its real time monetization. and YouTube is primarily known to monetize, you know, the big revenue through ads, right? Whereas TikTok is different in that sense because gifting is integrated into the live platform and it's a very natural decision that the audience is making in that regard. And the second biggest difference I think I have to call out is the discoverability.

5:31Ore Ade:It's second to none on TikTok. So when you go live on Instagram and YouTube live, for example, you are quite restricted to the people who are already following you or subscribe to your channel. But when you go live on TikTok, you can be streaming to someone in Dubai. You can be streaming to someone in the US, in Africa. It's not limited to your follower count. It actually encourages you to increase in following at a global scale. So two very big differences there.

5:55Ian:I love it. So as the creator economy evolves, where does life fit into it?

5:59Ore Ade:Yeah, it's a really good question. I think what already exists in the creator economy is short form content, as well as long form content. And I think live shouldn't replace either or it should be integrated into it. Why? Because in order for creators to build their audiences and also add trust to it, live streaming can be an answer to that. It can essentially bridge the gap between where your audience sees your content and actually connects with you.

6:23Ian:Yeah, I've been watching loads of different videos recently. What verticals work well on TikTok Live right now?

6:30Ore Ade:Oh my goodness, so many. But the ones that take or at the forefront, and music is a big one. So we have a lot of musicians who are going live right now and building their following and building attraction towards, you know, their EP, for example, and chit chat conversations is also a huge one. And I know that kind of like it, it consists of a lot, but essentially it means that creators can go on live and have conversations about anything that matters to them, which is so cool. And I would say gaming is also a very big one on TikTok live right now, but I do want to say that it's less about what verticals are thriving and more about the types of creators that are taking full advantage of live streaming and how well they are actually showing up on live streaming.

7:13Ore Ade:So regardless of the vertical or the niche that you want to start in, it really depends on your consistency and ability to build a community and you'll see success regardless of that niche.

7:23Ian:Got it. And is it about just the biggest creators, the ones with the most followers, or is it about engagement?

7:29Ore Ade:This is honestly something that I love so much about TikTok Live, it's not about your following. So I've seen creators with over hundreds of thousands and millions of followers in some instances go live and they don't do as well as the creator that has literally 250 followers. And this is because the algorithm cares less about your following and it works towards pushing you through to a global audience. So it's really about, are you, well, number one, willing to put yourself out there? that's a big one but also how consistent you show up on the live platform you will see success

8:06Ian:regardless of how many followers that you have that's great yeah i think that the prospect of going live can be quite daunting for some what are the sort of mistakes that people make when

8:15Ore Ade:they're going live that's a that's a good one so the first mistake that some people make when they go live i would say is they don't have a schedule and they don't have a script to follow so the reason why a lot of things are daunting on the live platform is because you haven't thought about the experience before you put yourself in the experience. So the first thing to do is think about what you're comfortable speaking about for at least two hours. What can you talk about for at least two hours or what do you enjoy talking about for quite long? So make it very easy for yourself. And once you go live and you have a few bullet points, you know, I'm going to talk about cooking, for example, how to be a chef, how to make pasta, how to et cetera, et cetera, then it takes off the weight of not knowing what to say.

9:01Ore Ade:The second mistake I'd say people make is they don't stick onto the platform for long enough. They aren't consistent. You're not going to go live once and then get 500 ,000 followers. You have to consistently be on the platform. And the third mistake is they don't interact with the people that come into the live room. so when you are live you're going to see a lot of people coming into the room some might comment some might just sit there and watch but it's also it's good to call them out because at the end of the day they're humans connecting with you so if you see Ian pop up on a live stream hey Ian how's your day going how are you doing today so those are the three most common mistakes I would say people make that's really great advice what is TikTok doing to support the millions of creators that are going live on the platform yeah this is a really good one we have been doing so much over the last couple of years in terms of supporting our live creators.

9:52Ore Ade:And the first thing that we have been doing is, number one, when it comes to monetization, we believe that all live creators should have the ability to monetize. So we produce campaigns that help them monetize at scale. And campaigns also helps them build a community on the live platform with other live streamers as well. So they can get in touch with each other, go live together and co-host. And the second thing that TikTok is doing to support live creators is building a system whereby creators can access free education and coaching so they know exactly what they're doing on TikTok Live. One of the key gaps between a successful creator on live streaming and a creator that is figuring it out by themselves and sees no success is the access to information.

10:39Ore Ade:And this is something that we recognize. I'd love to give a case study at this point. So there is a well-known creator, household name, DJ AG. He is a very successful live stream and DJ that has done incredible things for himself. And he started on TikTok Live. Now, a lot of people might know about DJ AG's success, but something that is behind the scenes is the fact that we have a creator manager team that supports and coaches top live streamers into success. So whereas people saw DJ AG seen a lot of success on the platform, what he had access to is a TikTok live creator manager that coached him using data, scheduling, systems, operational advice to help him leverage and build his community to where it is now.

11:24Ore Ade:And we have a lot of DJs and other creators that have so much potential that don't have the same level of access or education that DJ AG might have had. So that's the gap that we've recognized. And that's the gap that we're closing. So how we're closing this isn't by hiring a million more creative managers. We are building something called the Creator Network Program. We are responsible for building creator networks. And creator networks directly coach, manage and educate live streamers so they can see the exact same success that someone like DJ AG has had.

11:58Ian:So what exactly is a creator network?

12:00Ore Ade:Yeah, of course. So a creator network is a live streaming talent agency that is trained directly by the TikTok live team so they can find talent and also help the talent monetize directly from their content and experience great success just like someone like DJ AG.

12:15Ian:And what does that look like day to day?

12:16Ore Ade:Oh, so day to day, a lot of the groundwork of creator networks is about recruiting and finding the talent in the first place and then coaching them while they're on live. So we all know that it's daunting for anyone to go on live. So a creator network might jump on a live stream with the talent to make them comfortable, but also help them understand their audience a bit more and to really highlight what special niche they might lean into. and also there's the operational side as well so in terms of operations they help with the scheduling and the planning of the live content and also helping them with things like bands we know live streamers might you know experience bands here and there so they alleviate all of those operational pressures so the live creators can just focus on going live focus on what they're

13:02Ian:best at right focus on what they're best at yes and so what makes the revenue model different to a typical talent agency?

13:08Ore Ade:Yeah, that's a really good question. I think with a typical talent agency, the talent manager will receive a cut from whatever deal they've brokered for the creator. But with the creator network, slightly different because we want to prioritize our creators receiving free education. So what that means is as you have a network of talent and they're all receiving gifts and monetizing, the creators in your agency keep their cut. And TikTok's cut is where you will be paid as a creator network. So TikTok, the TikTok live team directly pay creator networks every single month.