How to make big money with video, even if you are new.

At my peak, I was making like $175k/year as an editor in Hollywood. I was working on marketing for big Marvel and Disney movies. Making creative content (basically commercials), largely for Disney Channel and Disney XD. I don't even know if they're around anymore! Also stuff for broadcast TV and theaters, here and abroad. The last thing I worked on was Thor, Ragnarok.

Not gonna lie: it was a pretty fun and rewarding gig. But when I was canned in like 2017, I was relieved. Working on Guardians of the Galaxy sounds all fancy and glamorous, but the reality is, I'm sitting in a windowless cave staring at screens all day, taking orders from dudes 15 years younger than me.

The world has changed. Now most of my editor friends are looking for work, working for way less money, or changing careers. That golden era for editors making bank working on the big stuff is over.

Fast forward to TODAY. Is there money in video for anyone? What if you're new?

Actually, yes.

There are plenty of possibilities, most are hard and unlikley, and most people won't stick with it long enough to make any of it work.

There's one opportunity that I'm jumping on. I'm OVER qualified for it. Like, being a "hollywood editor", with the mindset of everything having to be perfect is a curse.

The opportunity is TikTok shop. My friend Nikki started in March, 2024. No video skills. She now makes over $100k. PER MONTH. With TikTok shop. Ya, she's an anomaly. But there are a ton of peole with very limited skills hitting 5 figures a month.

Most people won't make it. They'll bail right before the money dam breaks.

Take me: I posted my first TikTok shop video around Nov 28. I was making NOTHING for MONTHS. Now, with my main TikTok account, I'm hitting almost $2k/month posting 3 simple videos a day.

I just started posting consistently on my second account, and one video happened to take off. It's 11:30 AM PST as I type this. That video alone has made me over $400 so far. TODAY.

There will be ups and downs, but I'm VERY confident I'll be making 5 figures per month very soon and consistently this year with TikTok shop. I'm also confident that ANY OF YOU can do the same.

That's kinda how it works. You post, you're consistent when everyone else bails. Then some videos will start taking off. It will likely take MONTHS of 3 videos per day before you see any traction. But if you stick with it, and get a tiny bit better with each video, it just becomes math. The odds of making GOOD MONEY become VERY HIGH.

Is it hard? Yes.

Cringey? Ya, it is.

Embarassing? Yep. "Hollywood editor" making videos about a beet root supplement kinda blows.

Do I care? Nope. The checks cash, and that's the goal with this endeavor. My creative outlet will be my travel channel again soon.

Here's a very quick how to:

• Grow your TikTok account to 5k followers to get into the TikTok shop affiliate program. You can also buy an account with 5k subs for a few hundred bucks.

• Find a product that is newish, and trending up. If you're serious, a paid subscription with Kalodata.com helps a ton.

• Copy viral videos. Make your own version of what is working. When one works for YOU and gets views and sales, keep remaking that video! Ya, repetitive, but that makes it easy and makes you money. Most videos will get crap views - that's normal! But some will take off and make you $$$.

• Post 3 videos per day on your main account till you start making $100/day on that account. Keep posting!

• Create another account and do the same thing with a different product.

• Post 3 videos per day on each account with a product that is working until that product stops making you money. Then test another product.

• Each time you identify a product, make 15-20 videos before deciding if that's a winning product.

• Accept that MOST of your money will come from a FEW videos. It IS a numbers game. Post more, make more.

• But quality matters! Post better and better videos.

• It's NOT about being perfect and fancy. Yes, good lighting and sound, but the rest needs to feel like you're facetiming a friend. Raw, real, natural, unpolished. I've had to unlearn my Hollywood polish.

• I paid a guy on TikTok $3,000 for some coaching and here are some of my biggest take aways:

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Basic Outline:

Hook (text, visual, what you say)

hook addresses the target demographics pain point

What are the pain points or problem you can fix

Focus on THEM - the pain THEY are feeling

May mention YOUR OWN pain.

Bridge: you had this pain, tried X

Here’s how your life is better. Problem solved.

You fixed it using this general solution

Then show the specific solution: the product

Casual CTA

He’s found works best:

no music for talking videos

something else always on screen (screenshot, text, graphic)

keep head in middle of screen (not at top like a "real" video!)

most text/graphics above head

hand held feels better/more natural than tripoded

Use TikTok’s classic font - other fonts feel too "ad" like

My biggest issue at first:

Product selection.

Use Kalodata to find products that are:

Doing about $3k-$10k in revenue per day

Have under 120 or LESS creators making videos in the last week. Too many creators and you can’t stand out. It’s too late.

Look at the revenue graph over last month and 90 days and see if the product is trending up.

Choose interesting products that are visually fun/different ie, choose a colored liquid version of a product instead of basic capsules if possible.

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Should you do TikTok shop? I have no idea. It is FOR SURE not for everyone.

Is it the easiest way to make big money with minimal editing skills? Ya, I think so.

Sidenote: The skills you'd learn making TikTok shop videos will translate to a million other things. If you have a business, YOUR ARE A SALESMAN. If you can learn to sell, you will ALWAYS have money.

Wishing you your highest income year ever!

Trevor

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