The "you need 100k followers to make money as a creator" myth needs to die.
I'm a 27-year-old account manager with 2,300 TikTok followers. I started promoting SaaS products on Peddlum in May. By month 6, I was clearing $3,000/month in commissions.
This isn't a flex post. The numbers are small. But the model is teachable, and you can start this weekend.
What UGC actually is
UGC (User-Generated Content) creators don't need a huge following. We're hired by brands to make content for them — content that lives on the brand's accounts, ads, or landing pages, not ours.
The skills required:
- Talk to a phone camera without freezing
- Edit a 30-second video in CapCut
- Hit a deadline
That's it. The market pays well because most marketers can't or won't do this themselves.
Why Peddlum specifically
Most UGC platforms (Billo, Insense, JoinBrands) take 30–50% of your earnings and gate-keep the brands. Peddlum works differently:
- Brands list products with a commission rate
- You apply to ones you want
- You get paid per sale, not per video
- Peddlum's cut comes from the seller, not you
It's a marketplace, not a middleman.
Month 1 — Setting up
Created a Peddlum creator profile in 20 minutes. Linked my TikTok, IG, and a 60-second portfolio video I made specifically for the application.
Applied to 14 products in week 1. Got accepted to 3.
First commissions: $47.
Month 2 — Finding what works
Tested two formats:
- Talking head reviews (boring, 1.2% conversion)
- "Day in my life" with the product woven in (4.8% conversion)
Killed the talking heads. Doubled down on the lifestyle format.
Month 2 commissions: $312.
Month 3 — Compounding
Three things compounded:
- Reputation. Sellers see your past performance on Peddlum (sales driven, content quality). Better stats = better products approve you.
- Rejected fewer products. I learned which sellers were serious vs which would ghost. Stopped applying to the latter.
- Reusable assets. A "morning routine" template I wrote got reused for 4 different products with 5 minutes of edits each.
Month 3: $890.
Month 6 — The math
I now juggle 6 active products. About 4 hours of filming per week, 2 hours of editing.
Last month:
- 11 videos posted across products
- 187 sales attributed via UTM
- Average commission: $16
- Total: $2,992
That's ~$50/hour of actual work. Better than a lot of "real" jobs.
What you'd need to start this weekend
- Phone with a decent camera. iPhone 11 or newer is fine.
- Ring light. $25 on Amazon.
- CapCut. Free.
- A profile. Sign up at peddlum.com as a creator.
- A portfolio video. Pick a product you actually use — anything — and make a 45-second review of it. That's your sample.
The real talk
Three things kill most people who try this:
- Inconsistency. Sellers want creators who deliver weekly, not in spurts.
- Generic content. "Hey guys check out this product" gets 0.3% conversion. Specific stories about specific moments get 5%.
- Picking the wrong products. If you don't believe in it, the camera knows.
But if you can show up consistently, write a decent hook, and pick products you'd actually use — this works at any follower count.
I'd start at peddlum.com. The application takes 20 minutes. The worst case is you get rejected. The best case is a side hustle that pays your rent.
Top comments (14)
yea the whole follower thing is so overrated! just because someone has a ton of followers doesnt mean they know what they’re doing. peddlum sounds interesting tho, might check it out! glad you shared this!
that's so true! i used to think followers were everything too. i started working with smaller brands and made good money without the massive following. it's all about finding the right niche and products. tbh, pidukulu really opened up my eyes to what’s possible.
ok this is actually really good info! love that you're proving the 100k follower myth wrong. got any tips for beginners starting out?
what a vibe! way to prove the haters wrong. motivating!
solid points. its all about the right hustle.
Wow this is actually really good info. I thought you needed way more followers to make any money. Def interested in trying this out myself, sounds super doable.
love how you shared your journey! it's true, you don't need a ton of followers to start making money. 2,300 and $3,000/month is super inspirational! 💪
this is interesting, thanks for sharing.
wow this is actually really cool! i always thought you needed way more followers, but this gives me hope. glad you shared your journey!
this is dope. love the hustle.
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