Pricing is often the murkiest part. There’s no universal “rate card” because it depends on your reach, engagement, niche, content quality, and the scope of work. But here are some guidelines: - Know your baseline: Some creators use follower-based formulas (like $100 per 10k followers for an IG post as a baseline, so 50k followers = $500). However, engagement and niche can move that up or down. If you have an above-average engagement rate or a niche audience that’s valuable (e.g., a 10k B2B marketing audience might be worth more to certain brands than 100k random teens), you can charge more. - Consider effort: A dedicated YouTube video that takes you 10 hours to produce should logically cost more than an Instagram story set you film in 10 minutes. Factor in production time. Also, multi-platform packages might earn a bundle discount, but still price for the total effort. - Look at market rates: If you know other creators of similar size, sometimes you can discreetly find out what they charge. There are also some online resources or surveys (e.g., influencer marketing hubs and blogs often publish average rates ranges: one example we referenced). - Don’t undersell but be flexible: As a micro-influencer, it’s okay if your first few deals aren’t high-paying. They build experience. But as you grow, don’t be shy to raise your rates. Many brands actually expect you to negotiate. Pro tip: always ask for more initially because brands often have a bit of wiggle room (and they might even respect that you know your worth). If they say their budget is $X, you can respond “I typically charge $X+25%, but I’m open to finding something that works for both of us.” Worst case, they hold firm, best case, you get more. - Package rates: Instead of line-item pricing everything (which could lead them to drop things to save cost), propose packages. For example: “I can do one TikTok for $500, but if you’d like two TikToks and an IG Reel cross-post, I can do that for $800.” This encourages bigger deals and overall more money for you. Influencer campaigns often prefer multi-post anyway. - Account for usage/exclusivity: As discussed, if those apply, mark up accordingly. E.g., if a brand needs 3 months exclusivity in your niche, maybe add an extra 20% fee for potential lost income. If they want to whitelist your FB/IG for ads, tack on monthly fees. - Metrics-based pricing: Rarely, a very ROI-focused brand might come at you with “We pay $X per click or per conversion.” That turns you into more of an affiliate/promoter model. Unless you’re confident you can drive those results and that $X will exceed your normal rate, it’s better to stick to a flat fee. However, you can consider hybrid deals: a smaller base fee + performance bonus if you exceed certain metrics. For instance, “$300 plus another $100 if you get over 50 sign-ups via your code”. This can show your willingness to be a partner in success and can pay off if you do well. - Minimums: Set in your mind a minimum fee that makes a project worthwhile for you. Many creators decide not to accept anything under, say, $100 for any significant content piece because it just isn’t worth the time. When you’re new, your minimum might be low (or you do some free product exchanges), but as you develop, keep raising that floor. This protects you from burnout doing too many low-paid tasks.
Remember to factor payment terms: some brands pay within 30 days of posting, some 60 or 90 (ugh). Try to negotiate net 30 if possible (or partial upfront for longer projects). And larger agencies may require invoicing – be prepared to send those (with any needed info like tax ID if asked). You can use simple invoice templates or tools like PayPal/Stripe invoicing.
Overall, price confidently. If you’ve built a dedicated audience, that’s valuable – 88% of marketers find influencer ROI comparable or better than other marketing. You are effectively giving a brand endorsement and access to a community they might not reach via traditional ads. That has worth. As you accumulate successful collabs, your leverage increases to charge more the next time.