Price brand deals by the value you deliver, not by one follower-based formula. Set a baseline tied to your reach and engagement, then adjust up for exclusivity, usage rights, added deliverables, and how well your audience converts. Charge per deliverable, and always price usage rights and exclusivity as separate line items. The right rate is what the partnership is worth to the brand, balanced against what protects your standing with your audience. This guide gives you the frameworks to set that number with confidence.
Why there is no magic number
Every creator wants a simple answer: "charge X per thousand followers." That formula exists as folklore, but pros do not use it, because it ignores everything that actually determines value.
Two creators with identical follower counts can be worth wildly different amounts to a brand. One has an engaged, tightly defined, high-purchasing audience in a lucrative niche. The other has a large but passive, scattered following. The first is worth far more per post. Follower count is a starting anchor at best. Value is the real basis.
So instead of hunting for the number, build a way to reason about the number. That is what makes you able to price any deal, defend your rate, and stop leaving money on the table.
Start from a baseline
Give yourself a defensible starting point tied to your actual reach and engagement.
- Reach. How many of the right people will realistically see this content? Use your typical views for the format, not your follower count.
- Engagement. How strongly does your audience respond? High engagement means your recommendation carries weight, which is exactly what the brand is buying. Strong engagement justifies a higher baseline.
- Niche value. Some niches command far higher rates because the audience is worth more to advertisers (finance, business, and high-consideration purchases tend to pay more than broad entertainment). Factor this in.
Your baseline is what one standard deliverable to your typical audience is worth. Everything else adjusts from there.
Price per deliverable
Never quote one lump sum for a fuzzy "collaboration." Break the deal into deliverables and price each one. A dedicated long-form video is worth more than a single story frame. A multi-post campaign is worth more than one post. Itemizing does three things: it makes your pricing transparent, it lets the brand adjust scope to their budget, and it stops you from accidentally giving away extra work for free.
