Yaneek Page | Content creation is not begging, it’s big business

QUESTION: Can Jamaicans really make money from creating content?

BUSINESSWISE: Every week, at least one Jamaican asks me the same thing: How do I make money online from content? It has become the most common question, as someone is always trying to figure out how to turn views, likes or links into real money.

The good news is that the opportunities are almost limitless. We exist in a world where YouTubers build chocolate factories and TikTokers buy mansions from lip-sync videos. Now, with the release of new AI tools, this may be the best time in history for Jamaicans to do it too.

Earlier this month, Forbes released its 2025 Forbes Top Creators List with staggering figures: MrBeast earned US$85 million last year alone, and every creator on the list earns over US$2 million per year.

This is not side-hustle money. Content creation and influencers are the engines churning a multi-billion-dollar global industry. Also, this is not a North American enclave. Creators from all over the world are tapping in, and Jamaicans can, too, once they have a blueprint.

So, how much do we actually earn? Unfortunately, Jamaica doesn’t yet publish detailed earnings from content creators. But I’ll share a few verifiable numbers that can be found online.

TikTok Gifts in Jamaica

At writing, Jamaicans earned US$57,314 in the past two days from public live streams, according to Tikleap. We were listed as one of the top earning countries, outperforming Nigeria.

In fact, one of the highest paid Jamaican TikTok creators earned US$5,275 in a single day from gift earnings. That is $844,000 in Jamaican money in a single day. The second-highest earner made US$2,285 in a day, or $365,600.00. This was all from TikTok’s live gift system – in other words, local creators going live, engaging with their audience, and cashing in from their ‘taps’.

This excludes the creator fund, or TikTok Shop, or the many other monetisation tools on that app.

For context, the highest paid TikTok earner this month was from the United States and earned over US$18,000 in a single day.

As I have shared in this column before, TikTok is the new gold rush for Jamaicans. It is not begging, it’s big business.

When it comes to other apps and sources of income, the information is less accessible. However, data show that the average global affiliate marketing income is US$8,038 monthly.

Smaller creators just starting can expect a more realistic figure of US$1,000 upwards per month. Many Jamaican content creators quietly earn through Amazon Associates, ShareASale, and CJ Affiliate, and especially targeting diaspora buyers.

I previously shared that Amazon affiliates is the easiest passive income source I’ve personally earned. YouTube monetisation is another avenue where local creators are earning big bucks from AdSense. It can become a small fortune as earnings grow with consistency, subscribers and watch time.

The journey

So, now that we know what’s possible, let’s talk next steps on your content monetisation journey. First, you must have the right mindset. Too often, our people shame local creators for “higglering”, begging gifts on TikTok, or going live too often. Yet, what we mock and denigrate here is earning global creators tens of thousands per day, and is applauded elsewhere as smart business.

This income dwarfs earnings from traditional careers like law, medicine, accounting and even finance. TikTok gifting is not begging, it’s audience monetisation. Just like YouTube ads or Spotify sponsorships, it is a built-in revenue model the platform wants maximised.

The main difference in Jamaica is that creators are diminished and insulted for showing up confidently and asking for support. Just remember that closed mouths don’t get fed, and false pride can’t build empires.

Once you’re serious about earning from content creation, start leveraging AI tools to break down the biggest barriers – such as lack of time, no editing skills, and high cost of production. What used to take a team and millions in equipment can now be executed in minutes from your phone.

If you want a strategy for YouTube monetisation or to create a podcast, ChatGPT, Deepseek and Gemini can do it for you. Shy on camera? Use AI voice overs and avatars to create faceless content with global reach.

If you want to sell merchandise or digital art, you can use tools like Canva magic studio and Midjourney to design professional products, even if you’ve never heard of Photoshop.

To the world

Once you combine Jamaican culture with smart tools and automation, your content can compete on any stage. Also,the Jamaica diaspora audience is significant, high value and evergreen. This is the ideal context for stacking multiple income streams together. For example, you can create TikTok videos that link to a product for affiliate sales.

That same content can be used to promote a course to earn direct income. You can prompt AI to create a monetisation stack, for content creation across your platforms.

The expansive and exciting opportunities extend to brand partnerships, Instagram sponsored content, create and sell online courses, linking your social media to platforms like Teachable and Gumroad. There is also print-on-demand and other merchandising via Printful or Teespring; and no inventory is needed.

If you are comfortable in front of the camera then you can monetise live streaming beyond TikTok to Twitch and YouTube. Jamaican creators can stream gaming, interviews, music performances, or simply what’s happening at any given day in the markets and streets.

There’s also subscription monetisation, in-stream ads, digital art drops and NFT collections via platforms such as OpenSea and Rarible.

The best part is you can start now. You don’t need 20,000 followers or start-up cash. You just need a strategy, the right mindset and AI, to make content creation your passport to financial freedom.

One love!

Yaneek Page is the programme lead for Market Entry USA, and a certified trainer in entrepreneurship.yaneek page@gmail.com