Over the past few months, Nara Pellman, or Nara Smith as she’s also known, has become one of the most successful and divisive creators on TikTok. With currently over 5 million followers on the video-sharing app and an arsenal of videos showcasing her domestic goddess skills, Smith has captivated audiences with her unabashed stay-at-home mum ethos and picture-perfect aesthetic.

And, whether you like her or not, I think it’s fair to say that the woman is making bank. If you work the system, TikTok can be an incredibly profitable platform, and the influencer’s trajectory has intrigued people so much that users are now attempting to calculate exactly how many pennies she’s racking up. In fact, I think people are now far more interested in her bank account than whether or not she’s even Mormon.

Welcome back to Explained By a Blonde, babes. For this week’s column, I’m not only going to look at some of the calculations TikTokers have made regarding Smith’s finances, but also at what exactly TikTok recommends for people wanting to monetise their own accounts. I should preface this by clarifying that I have zero maths skills, so I’m truly going to be passing the torch to the girlies who did this research themselves and who very kindly saved me from having to brave the calculator app.

@naraazizasmith

he asked for it the next day again so this might become a staple 🫶🏽 #easyrecipes #homemade #pizza #bbqchicken #fypシ #marriage #homecooking

♬ Nice and Easy - Louis Adrien

So, the first video I stumbled across when researching this topic was from a user called @dianalaluna. In Luna’s explainer, which is currently sitting on more than 200,000 views, the creator focuses solely on the month of March. In her video, Luna begins by calculating the amount of views Smith received during March of this year on videos that were longer than one minute. Videos under one minute don’t qualify for monetisation, so that’s where this parameter came in. The number she eventually came up with was a total of 374 million views.

@diana.laluna

this doesn’t even include brand deals or sponsorships! #narasmith #greenscreen #influencers

♬ Nice and Easy - Louis Adrien

Next, Luna considered TikTok’s revenue per thousand impressions (RPM). In basic terms, a creator’s RPM relates to the amount of money TikTok rewards creators per a thousand views. While no one knows exactly what Smith’s RPM is, Luna used her own RPM in order to try and hazard a guess at the influencer’s monthly earnings. It’s hard to quantify what a true average RPM is simply because it changes so often. However, according to research gathered by The Leap, TikTok pays around $0.50 to $1 per 1,000 views through the Creator Rewards Program.

So, if Smith had an RPM of $0.60 per 1,000 views and received 374 million views in March, she’d be looking at approximately $200,000 in revenue. Of course, once again, this is an estimation as we don’t know the TikToker’s exact RPM. That being said, it gives you a sneak peek into the kind of shmoney that Smith is likely making.

In order to make sure I fact-checked my intel, I also looked into other videos from creators trying to figure out Smith’s earnings. In @angelcallie’s video, the creator used an RPM of $1.10, so slightly higher than the number used by Luna. Looking at the month of February, Callie followed the same mathematical equation and found that Smith likely made approximately $176,000 that month—not shy off of the figure Luna’s calculations led her to. Once again, despite not having the hard facts, we can make the educated guess that Smith is mega loaded.

@angelcallie

Girly is racking in the money.. #grwm #narasmith #greenscreenvideo #greenscreen

♬ original sound - Callie Miller

It’s important to note that these numbers don’t include brand deals or partnerships. In truth, $200,000 is probably not even scratching the surface when it comes to the reality of what kind of money Smith is bringing in each month. Screw homemade cereal, this woman is rolling in it. And I know what you’re thinking, ‘Could this be me?’ Well, whip out your whisk and start taking notes.

So, it’s probably important to preface that not everyone is going to be able to turn TikTok into a full-time job—sadly, we’re not all destined to be GK Barry.

However, there are ways to earn some dough on the platform, the most prevalent being the Creator Fund. In order to qualify, you’re going to need at least 10,000 followers and at least 100,000 video views over the last 30 days.

A couple of factors come into play when it comes to the amount of money you can make. Some people might assume that it’s all about the number of followers you have, but it has a lot more to do with engagement and the authenticity of your views. TikTok engagement metrics can be quite specific, so it’s best to always check the fine print before you get filming. Boost that engagement hun!

In March 2024, TikTok launched its Creator Rewards Program in an attempt to try and address some of the existing issues with the Creator Fund. The biggest difference between the two is that in order for videos to now qualify in the program, they must be original, high-quality content longer than one minute.

Moreover, as with all content on TikTok, videos for the Creator Rewards Program must abide by the platform’s Community Guidelines. Original content is defined by videos that do not include Duets, Stitches, or sponsored content.

Smith might be a chef in her free time, but the influencer is an entrepreneur first and foremost. Taking advantage of the TikTok algorithm is one thing, but making it your b*tch is a completely different story.