Based on my personal experience as I tried to earn from TikTok, it can feel very frustrating when you put in too much effort and get very little reward.
What I figured out though, as this article’s title suggests, understanding TikTok NICHES is really important if you want to go viral and monetize a TikTok account.
I’ll take you through the best niches to earn consistently (with actual examples) and then explain why niches matter to TikTok’s algorithm and to potential sponsors and advertisers that you will work with.
Think of this article as a case study because I researched about 17 of the most popular TikTokers in Kenya, analyzed their ‘Followers’ and ‘Views’ numbers, and approximated their total earnings based on the brand sponsorships they had in the past year.
I found that 7 TikTok niches that earn the best income consistently are: Travel and Adventure Reviews (e.g., hidden gems), Commentary (Trending topics), Comedy Skits and Dance, Amateur DIY projects, Makeup, Fashion, and Styling, Tech-related Skills and Knowledge, and Real Estate Showcase.
Key TakeAways
- Niches and sub-niches with large audiences make the most money consistently
- Being an expert/authority in a niche makes it easy to get brand deals due to your specialized audience
- It is important to consider the context of the local market including brand and audience preferences when trying to monetize a niche
- Niching down and making content with great value is critical for growth
- TikTok niches, Going Viral, and TikTok’s Algorithm are related.
Struggling with specific ways to monetize your account? Go and read how to get paid via TikTok.
What is a TikTok Niche?
A TikTok niche is the main topic that a creator focuses on when making TikTok content.
Some examples include Fashion, Tech Reviews, Travel, etc. An important thing I learned is that the more niched-down a topic is, the easier it is to grow an audience as you are seen as an expert (authority) by both the TikTok algorithm and your audience.
7 Best Niches That Are Consistently Profitable
Remember, Kenya has very unique TikTok monetization avenues that are of course different from what creators in the Western world get. So, this means that you need to monetize each niche based on the context of the local market including brand and audience preferences.
That said, let’s get into the list.
1. Travel and Adventure Reviews (e.g., hidden gems)
We live at a time when people have grown to love going out and exploring different places, especially on weekends.
Maybe it’s because the cities are getting more congested or the sense of adventure is growing; but it doesn’t matter.
What is important is that there is a steady TikTok audience for this travel and adventure content.
An example of a TikTok creator in this niche is Halal Nairobi.
She does reviews of hidden gems around Nairobi in such a great style.
If you pay attention, she goes into detail about each location including how to get there, the charges, what food and activities are available, and how much it costs. That is simply great content.
And, she earns more audience attention for tagging along her Kids; because a lot of people with kids struggle to find good places to hang out during the weekend.
Now, you don’t have to mirror her content because she’s just one of the many TikTok micro-influencers in the travel and adventure niche in Kenya.
You can just borrow her style and focus on a new angle, like outdoor activities, swimming pools, camping grounds, hiking trails, etc.
Each of those activities has hundreds of potential brand partners and sponsorships. (My proof is that even small businesses use social media influencers to market themselves)
Again, try to niche down within the travel and adventure topic. For example, instead of doing just food reviews, try and do reviews for specific types of food or restaurants or food delivery services.
You can review vegan diet options in Nairobi, the best outdoor sitting areas, the best restaurants for group activities, etc.
Another example is that instead of reviewing hiking trails in general, focus on hiking trails for beginners or even hiking trails with overnight services!
Also, as you niche down, remember to pick a topic that has the potential for hundreds of videos.
If you select something too unique, like reviewing hotels with heated swimming pools, you will run out of content after just a few videos.
2. Commentary (Trending topics)
There is a very big audience for the ‘Commentary’ style content because people want to hear what their favorite content creator has to say about a specific topic.
The strategy here is to take a specific topic and do content around it.
For lack of a better example, think of what Andrew Kibe does. He offers commentary (biased, controversial, or otherwise) on people’s relationship choices, especially celebrities.
A better strategy would be to pick a line of subtopics that is not too polarizing.
A great example would be doing Commentary on local celebrities’ fashion and style choices during major events. Other examples include commenting on other creators’ videos especially countering topics from popular local podcasts.
An important thing to know is that TikTok (and YouTube too) loves content that ADDs value.
You cannot just repost a clip from someone’s podcast for example and expect to succeed with that strategy long term.
Nope, that won’t work in the long term.
You need to add some value like an insightful commentary, a review, or cheeky comments that entertain.
The audience should be more interested in what you say than the original clip.
Think of it this way, you are not a reporter, you are simply using other people’s content to entertain your audience.
Again, think about Andrew Kibe.
People watch him for what he says rather than what drama he is covering that specific day. He could be talking about any random thing and his people will still sit and watch.
It is also very important to build a trustworthy brand when doing Commentary videos.
A good way to do that is to show your face in the clips.
A great example here is the US creator named Real Ray Williams. He makes a lot – about $23.9m per year.
3. Comedy Skits and Dance
The comedy skits and dance niches are among the most popular niches on TikTok.
In fact, a large number of users consistently search and watch dance trends or even follow their favorite comedians.
One benefit of this niche – and its sub-niches – is that it can be monetized via a very wide variety of sponsorships.
Think of skit actors such as Crazy Kennar, Flaqoraz, Austin Muigai, Bushra, Muchiri Mike, Wololo TV, Kapinto, and other similar creators.
For dance, some good examples are Moya David and Aggie the Dance Queen.
All these individuals have built solid brands that keep getting brand deals and sponsorships.
It is important to also know that while comedy and dance have a lot of audiences, they are very competitive and require very unique strategies for them to work.
If you look at all the creators that I have mentioned, their skills are very good and they consistently post content all the time.
Again, the best example in this niche is Crazy Kennar because he has landed a lot of big corporate sponsorships and deals due to his skits.
Also, one of the things I feel matters in this niche is narrowing down to a relatable character and being consistent with it.
You can choose anything from acting like a drunk uncle, an angry mum, or a crazy teenager, the list is endless.
4. Amateur DIY projects
One thing that blew my mind when doing research for this article is just how many people love watching their favorite creator doing things around their house or work.
There is a very large audience for Do-it-yourself (DIY) content ranging from people decorating their rooms, painting walls, remodeling bathrooms, restoring old cars, to even making low-budget furniture.
Also, this is one of those niches that you can combine with showcasing your life updates.
In fact, I found a lot of micro-influencers that mix DIY projects with vlogs on things like shopping hauls, eating out, hosting, etc.
Just like the other niches, the trick here is to build a brand that is known for something.
For example, if you decide to do DIY, just focus on one particular area until your name is out there properly.
Or at least try to do related stuff like painting and remodeling.
An example is how Muthoni Gitau used to do house remodeling and her videos were basically updates on her room-by-room progress about different things like painting, tearing down walls, making furniture, etc.
Another example is DIY with Jojo which is popularly known for renovating old Mercedes cars and turning them into working cars that can be sold for a profit.
Now, honestly, the number of brand deals around DIY are not as many and I think that’s why creators in this area combine it with vlogging so they can get more deals from their lifestyle side of business.
Lastly, as with the others, niche-down.
5. Makeup, Fashion, and Styling
One of the most evergreen niches is makeup, fashion, and styling.
People are always going to be interested in the latest trends in beauty and fashion and this means you will never run out of content.
I have actually written on how beauty and cosmetic products as well as fashion and clothing are among the businesses with most demand in Kenya.
Now, most important for this niche is to pick a specific audience and niche-down your content for them.
Creators who try to do it all around beauty and fashion often fail.
So, an example would be to do facemask reviews for the “before bed” routine.
With such a narrow niche, you can target people who specifically have a beauty routine around their bedtime.
If you do a lot of such content, review lots of facemasks, and give them a score or pros and cons list, you are guaranteed to build a very dedicated following really fast.
That will also make it easy for you to get brand deals because most brands nowadays love micro-influencers that own a specific type of audience.
A facemask company would rather hire you with your 10k followers than a different creator with their 50k followers who is trying to combine everything under beauty products.
The same idea goes for fashion and styling.
This niche also requires a very likable personality because for the most part, you will be talking people through product reviews while sharing tips and tricks throughout your videos.
A lot of TikTok influencers also combine this niche with daily vlogging content. So, you can try that too.
An example of a Kenyan TikTok micro-influencer in makeup is b.w. Mugure who does content around skincare, eyeshadow, beginner tutorials, and related products.
Kabu.r.a is also a good example since she does the same thing but with a different style.
6. Tech-related skills and knowledge
In the recent past, there have been a lot of people interested in earning an income online. That means that there is a ready audience for tech-related skills and knowledge.
In fact, I know this is true because one of my highly-read articles is on Doing remote work from Kenya.
The content under this niche can range from showing people how to do one specific thing – like shipping products from Alibaba – or even keeping them updated on the skills they need to learn for their careers in tech.
It goes without saying that for you to do well in this niche, you need personal experience and proof that what you are talking about has worked.
An example of good execution in this niche is Dennis Menezz who teaches people how to import things from abroad to Kenya.
He has built a solid brand for himself and as a result, earns a lot by importing things on behalf of people.
Another example is Elvis W who talks about digital skills required to succeed in the online world whether freelancing or working for local and global companies.
There is also a creator called Mumo that talks a lot about small businesses and cryptocurrency and has built his brand around that area.
The list of creators in this niche is endless but hopefully, you get the point; find an area in which you are an expert, teach that knowledge, and offer consulting for deeper advice.
7. Real Estate Showcase
The last niche is showcasing Real Estate. What I find interesting with this niche is that it is more of entertainment than lead generation.
People love sitting on their couches and watching different types of houses even those they can never afford.
A great example here is the creator called Mark Mansa (Mansa Plus) who has gained a massive audience for showcasing high-end real estate in Kenya.
Interestingly, once you build the kind of audience that he has, then you start attracting deals around the real estate sector.
Landlords and real estate agencies will contact you to showcase their developments in the hope that they will get potential clients from you.
Ktedynatural, another creator in this niche, has admitted in many of her videos that there are landlords who reach out to her for help in finding clients for their newly built estates.
The good thing with this niche is that regardless of your location, as long as you are within a big town, you can showcase houses there.
What to Consider when Selecting TikTok Niche Ideas
Picking a TikTok niche can be confusing if you are just getting started.
A simple way to approach niche ideas is to consider your unique advantage, your competition, your end goal, and your interests.
Let me try and explain each of those aspects.
1. Your Unique Advantage
For you to do really well when creating content for a specific niche, you need to have something that others don’t.
That is what is called a Unique Advantage.
The Unique Advantage will make your content stand out because it will be different from what everyone else has.
I remember one YouTuber explaining it like this – if you film yourself off-roading with a Landcruiser, a few people will be interested in that but if you film the same off-roading but with a Lamborghini, everyone on YouTube will want to see that video. The same goes for TikTok.
Examples of Unique Advantages include having access to the best hotels in Nairobi, owning a very unique car, having money to travel around cities in Africa and film yourself, working at a prestigious organization like Google, having very specific/expert knowledge on a topic, etc.
Those are things that most people do not have, and so you will have less competition in your sub-niche.
However, while having a Unique Advantage is great, you can overcome the lack of it by being super consistent with content volume.
2. Your Competition
Before getting into a niche, study your potential competition.
As I said, some niches, such as Beauty and Fashion are very saturated. So, look at what other creators in the niche are doing and try to identify areas with less competition that you can enter.
Again, instead of trying to compete with the thousands of people doing lipstick reviews, you can try reviewing facemasks instead or a particular type of face cream.
The less competition there is in your TikTok niche at the beginning, the better you will perform and build a brand around it.
3. Your End Goal
Another consideration is your end goal. What do you want to accomplish with your TikTok account in the long term?
Answering this question will help you craft a strategy that works towards that goal.
Most people fall into the trap of mindlessly creating content that does not serve their goals and so they end up with very mixed results.
If you want brand deals, you need to create content with that in mind. Curate an audience that will be attractive to the brand that you are trying to work with.
In such a case, your account will not look the same as someone who is just having fun on TikTok with random topics.
4. Your Interests
Based on my experience, if you try to do a TikTok niche that is not on something you are passionate about, you get exhausted and frustrated very quickly.
Creating content on a TikTok topic in which you are interested is not only satisfying but very sustainable. You can end up making thousands of TikTok videos and never feel tired at all.
So, before you select your niche, find out what you are passionate about. Align this passion with the content that you are creating.
As they say, when doing what you love, it never feels like work.
TikTok Niche, TikTok Algorithm, and Going Viral: How Are They Related?
The niche that you choose is likely to affect how TikTok’s algorithm treats you. This is because your growth on TikTok is based on what the algorithm thinks you are good at.
If you deviate from what it originally considered you an authority on, it might show your videos to fewer and fewer people.
Actually, think of it this way.
If you began by making real estate content and people followed you for that, TikTok’s algorithm will consider you a reliable expert/authority in real estate. This is the same thing that happens with the YouTube Algorithm.
If suddenly you start making content on fashion and beauty products, TikTok knows that your followers are not interested in these new videos and will therefore not show them as much.
You end up having a big dip in your interactions, your reach, and overall performance.
So, how is that relevant on going viral?
Well, going viral simply means your video has done well with each audience that TikTok’s Algorithm has shown it.
The algorithm works somewhat like this: when you post a video, it is first shown to a few of your followers and people likely to be interested in the topic. If they like it and interact with it in a way that TikTok’s algorithm likes, it is shown to more people. If the second group still interacts with it well, then it is shown to an even bigger number of people.
This happens over and over until it is seen by millions.
Now, imagine if that video was just one of the fifty other videos that you did on your sub-niche? What happens is that you gain a massive audience that is interested in the niche that you are in.
The opposite is when you have random videos on different niches and then one goes viral, you end up with followers that are not engaged (because they do not like your other content) and the algorithm demotes you “thinking” you do not make great videos anymore.
I also predict that just as YouTube Vloggers earn based on their total number of views, TikTok will start paying creators for total views. They are already paying creators in the US.
Conclusion
Overall, the following points matter the most.
First, focusing on niches and sub-niches that have substantial audiences can lead to consistent financial gains.
Second, I strongly believe that, based on practical experience, establishing yourself as an authority within a specific niche can facilitate the acquisition of brand deals, as Kenyan brands are attracted to influencers with a specialized audience.
Third, when trying to monetize a niche, it’s crucial to take into account how the local Kenyan market works, including the preferences of both brands and the audience.
Fourth, concentrating on a particular niche and producing high-quality, valuable content is essential for growth that matters to brands.
Lastly, to grow, you need to understand the tips and tricks of TikTok, including the nuances of its algorithm and the dynamics of going viral.
I have also written detailed articles on other ways to earn a decent salary online in Kenya;
- Working Remotely for US and European Companies from Kenya
- Getting Direct Clients for Your Writing Services
- Writing and Translation Services on WeChat
- Freelancing on Fiverr
- Growing a YouTube Channel
And many others. Feel free to explore around.
