I Tested 5 Viral TikTok Side Hustles—These Two Actually Made Money

I didn’t plan to make money online. I was scrolling TikTok out of boredom when I saw a girl claiming she made $1,200 a week just by copying and pasting links. A week later, another video popped up: “Make $500 a day selling digital planners!” And then another—“Print on demand changed my life.”

It felt like everyone was making money, and I was... just watching.

So I decided to test five of the most viral TikTok side hustles, giving each one exactly one week. I had zero experience, no followers, and maybe $30 to spare. No ads. No gimmicks. Just a realistic experiment to see: Could any of these actually work?

1. Affiliate Marketing (Amazon Links Everywhere)

The idea: Grab a product link from Amazon, post a short TikTok video or Pinterest pin about it, and earn a small commission whenever someone buys through your link.

Execution: I chose a popular LED galaxy projector. I filmed a quick “aesthetic room transformation” TikTok using royalty-free clips and my voice over. I had 0 followers, so I posted in niche Reddit threads and Facebook groups.

Result: 92 link clicks. 1 sale. $1.04 earned.

Honestly? I was shocked it worked at all. With literally no social presence, getting even one person to buy felt like a win. But as a full-time hustle? Not without serious traffic.

2. Dropshipping with Shopify

This was the one I dreaded. Setting up a store, dealing with suppliers—it sounded exhausting. But TikTok made it look easy, so I gave it a shot.

I used a free trial on Shopify, imported trendy pet accessories from AliExpress, and made a few simple videos of dogs in cute harnesses.

Result: 0 sales. $0 earned. Spent $15 on domain and trial fees.

Biggest issue? Trust. I wouldn’t buy from my own store. It looked cheap, generic, and like every other dropshipping site out there. And the shipping times? At least 3 weeks. It didn’t feel sustainable.

3. Digital Downloads on Etsy (Planners & Budget Sheets)

This one sounded promising. Create a digital file once, and people can buy it over and over. I made a weekly planner template using Canva, created an Etsy shop, and uploaded three products.

I promoted using Pinterest and a few niche hashtags on TikTok.

Result: 2 sales. $5.80 earned after fees.

Honestly, this was the first time I felt hope. The effort was front-loaded—creating the templates took hours—but once they were up, it became passive. I didn’t touch the listings, and sales still came in.

Would I keep doing it? Yes, with better SEO and more products, this could grow.

4. Print on Demand (T-Shirts via Redbubble)

The classic TikTok side hustle. Make a funny quote design, upload to Redbubble, and boom—money.

I made 10 simple designs: dog mom, coffee addict, anxiety club stuff. Used Canva Pro and followed TikTok trends.

Result: 0 sales. $0 earned.

This one was frustrating. TikTok made it seem like shirts would sell overnight. But in reality, there are millions of listings. Without serious SEO and marketing, your designs just disappear into the void.

5. Notion Templates (This One Surprised Me)

This was the last one I tried, and the one I expected the least from. I saw a few TikToks saying “I made $100 today selling Notion templates!”

I created a simple “student dashboard” Notion layout, posted it on Gumroad, and made a TikTok showing how it worked. I also posted in a productivity subreddit.

Result: 3 sales. $9.00 earned.

For a free product, with no paid ads, this was huge. And people even messaged me saying they found it helpful.

Biggest lesson? If you solve a real problem—like staying organized—people are willing to pay even a few bucks.

So... Which Two Actually Made Money?

Only two hustles made more than $1: Etsy digital downloads and Notion templates.

They worked because they were repeatable, low-cost, and helpful. Once uploaded, I didn’t need to do anything else. And they didn’t require a brand, audience, or ads—just a decent product and some effort.

The others? Dropshipping felt spammy. Print on demand was saturated. Affiliate marketing was slow unless you had a big platform.

What I’d Do Differently (And What You Should Know)

Start with something you’d actually buy yourself.

Use Reddit and Pinterest for free traffic—it works.

Focus on solving small problems, not chasing trends.

Don’t expect to get rich in a week. But $5 here, $10 there? It adds up.

And most importantly: Don’t believe everything you see on TikTok. Yes, people are making money. But they usually don’t show you the boring parts—the failed products, the long nights, the zero-sale days.

Final Thoughts

Testing these five side hustles gave me a dose of reality and a small taste of potential. If I had to pick one to double down on, I’d go with digital products like planners or Notion templates. They’re cheap to make, easy to share, and help people solve real problems.

You might not make $1,000 your first week. But you might just make $10—and sometimes, that’s all you need to get started.