How to price brand deals when you're a small creator

A brand just DMed you asking for your rate, and you have no idea what to say. Go too high and they might ghost. Go too low and you’re doing a week of work for the price of a nice dinner.

There’s no official price list. Rates are negotiated, and small creators get paid real money all the time. You need a starting number you can defend, a clear idea of what you’re selling, and a few lines of wording ready to paste.

Let’s build all three.

Follower count is one lever, not the whole machine

Brands talk about followers, but what they’re really buying is attention from the right people. That’s why a smaller creator can sometimes land a better deal than someone with ten times the followers.

Things that move your price:

• Engagement. Comments, saves, shares and replies prove people pay attention. Use your averages from your analytics, not your one viral post.
• Niche. An audience that’s clearly into one thing (skincare, personal finance, running, home decor) is easier to sell to than a general lifestyle audience.
• Audience location. Check where your viewers live. If a US brand only ships in the US and most of your audience is here, say so in your pitch.
• Content quality. Good lighting, clear audio and a strong hook make your video worth more, because it could run as an ad.
• Proof. Screenshots of past results, like link clicks or code redemptions, are the strongest thing you can bring to a negotiation.

Starting-point math (emphasis on starting)

You need an anchor number. A few rough formulas get passed around online. Treat them as a place to begin, not an industry standard: rates swing a lot by platform, niche and workload.

Per 1,000 followers. Pick a dollar amount per 1,000 followers and multiply. A rule of thumb you’ll see floated a lot is about $10 per 1,000 followers for a single post. At 8,000 followers, that’s $80. Think of it as a floor, not a ceiling.

Per 1,000 views. Better for TikTok, Reels and Shorts, where reach matters more than follower count. Average your views across your last 10 to 15 posts (skip the outliers), divide by 1,000, and multiply by a rate you choose. With 12,000 average views and a $20 rate, you’d land at $240. That’s just an example: adjust as you learn what brands in your niche will pay.

Your time. Add up every hour: concept, filming, editing, revisions, emails. If your quote works out to $10 an hour, it’s too low.

Run all three, then lean toward the highest number you can back up with data.

What’s in a deal besides the post

A brand deal isn’t “one post.” It’s a bundle of work and rights, and each piece below costs extra.

• Usage rights. The brand reposts your content on its own channels, site or emails. Charge for it and set a time limit, like 30, 60 or 90 days.
• Whitelisting or paid ads usage. The brand runs paid ads using your content or through your handle (you’ll hear “Spark Ads” on TikTok and “partnership ads” on Instagram). It’s usually the most valuable add-on, so price it by the month.
• Exclusivity. You agree not to work with competitors for a set time. That’s income you turn down, so it gets paid. Get the competitor list and time frame in writing.
• Revisions. Include one round in your base price. Extra rounds cost extra.
• Raw files. Unedited footage lets the brand cut its own ads from your shoot. More value, higher price.

Many creators price add-ons as a percentage of their base rate, per month of usage. Whatever method you pick, none of these should be thrown in for free.

Build a simple rate card

A rate card is a one-page menu of what you offer. Having one means you’ll never freeze when someone asks. Put these on it:

1. A quick snapshot. Your niche, followers, average views, engagement rate and top audience location.
2. Base deliverables. One short-form video, one carousel or photo post, a three-frame story set, and UGC (content the brand posts, not you).
3. Add-ons. Usage per 30 days, paid ads per 30 days, exclusivity, raw files, extra revisions, rush fee.
4. A package or two. For example, one video plus three stories at a small discount.
5. Your terms. Deposit, payment timing and included revisions.

When a brand asks “what’s your rate?”

If you don’t know the full scope yet, don’t send a number. Get the details first.

Thanks so much for reaching out! Before I send pricing, could you share a few details? Which platforms and how many posts, your timeline, whether you’d like usage rights or to run the content as paid ads, and whether there’s any exclusivity. Once I have that, I’ll send a quote.

Once you know what they want:

For one TikTok plus a three-frame story set, my rate is $. That includes one round of revisions and 30 days of organic usage on your channels. Paid ad usage is available for an additional $ per 30 days. If you’re thinking about an ongoing partnership, I’m happy to put together a package.

If they ask for your rate and you’d rather hear their number first:

Happy to work within a range. What budget do you have set aside for this campaign?

Negotiating up (and knowing when to walk)

Brands expect some back-and-forth. A few moves that work:

• Quote a little above where you want to land. It gives you room to meet in the middle.
• Trade scope, not price. If they say it’s over budget, remove something instead of discounting: fewer story frames, no paid usage, a shorter usage window.
• Offer a package for repeat work. A three-month deal is more money and less pitching.
• Get everything in writing, especially usage. “We’ll figure it out later” never works in your favor.

Walk away when:

• They want unlimited or permanent usage for a small flat fee.
• The “payment” is free product for what is clearly an ad. Gifting is fine if you actually want the thing, just know it’s a trade, not a paycheck.
• They won’t sign a contract, or payment terms stretch past what you can afford to wait for.
• You wouldn’t use the product. Your audience’s trust is the asset.
• Anyone asks you to pay upfront, buy product to become an “ambassador,” or click a weird link to “claim” the deal. That’s a scam.

Getting paid

Get a contract. It should cover deliverables, deadlines, approval process, number of revisions, usage rights and how long they last, paid ads rights, exclusivity, the fee and due date, what happens if the brand cancels (a “kill fee”), and how you’ll disclose the partnership. If the brand sends its own contract, read the usage and exclusivity sections twice.

Ask for a deposit. With a new brand, asking for 50% upfront is a normal request. Not every brand will agree, but plenty will.

Understand net terms. “Net 30” means they pay within 30 days of receiving your invoice. If the timeline is long, push for a deposit or shorter terms.

Send a clean invoice. Include your name, an invoice number, the date, itemized deliverables, the total, the due date and how to pay you. PayPal, Stripe and most accounting apps can make invoices for free.

Plan for taxes. Brand money is income, and you may get a 1099 for it. Set some aside from every payment. Our guide to your first 1099 walks through it.

Disclose it, every time

If a brand paid you, sent you free product, or you earn a commission, the FTC expects you to disclose that relationship clearly. A few key points from the FTC’s Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers:

• Make it hard to miss. Put it with the endorsement itself, not buried in your bio or below “more.”
• Use clear words. “Ad,” “advertisement” and “sponsored” all work. Vague tags like “sp” or “collab” don’t.
• Disclose in the video, too. On video, say it and show it on screen, not just in the description. On livestreams, repeat it throughout.
• Free stuff counts. Gifted product is a material connection, even if nobody asked you to post.
• Platform tools help, but aren’t enough by themselves. Use Instagram’s or TikTok’s paid partnership label plus your own clear disclosure.

The FTC’s Endorsement Guides FAQ notes that a disclosure at the start of a post is harder to miss than one at the end, and that disclosure is on the influencer and the brand, not the platform. If a brand ever asks you to skip the #ad, that’s a red flag about the whole deal.

Before you hit send

Run through this for every quote:

• Do I know the platforms, number of posts and timeline?
• Did I price usage, paid ads and exclusivity separately?
• Does my number make sense per hour of work?
• Are the payment date, deposit and kill fee in writing?
• Do I know how I’ll disclose it?

Your first rate will feel scary to send. Send it anyway. A fast “yes” tells you that you could have asked for more, and a “no” tells you where the market is. Both are useful. As your numbers grow, update the rate card and raise your prices. Brands expect that too.