How much to charge for brand deals (a creator’s guide)

The single most common creator question, and the one with the least honest answers. Here’s a grounded way to price brand deals.

There’s no magic per-follower number

You’ll hear “£X per 1,000 followers”. Treat it as a very rough floor, not a rule, because what brands actually pay for is engagement and relevance, not raw follower count. A 5,000-follower creator with a tight, engaged niche audience can out-earn a 50,000-follower account with passive followers.

What actually drives your rate

Engagement rate, comments and saves matter more than likes.
Niche, finance, tech and B2B audiences command more than general lifestyle.
Deliverables, a single story is not a Reel is not a full multi-post campaign with usage rights.
Usage & exclusivity, if the brand wants to run your content as a paid ad, or stop you working with competitors, that costs more. A lot more.

A simple starting formula

As a starting point for a single in-feed post:

(Followers ÷ 1,000) × engagement-adjusted rate + deliverable/usage add-ons

Then sanity-check against value: what is this collaboration worth to the brand? Price toward that, not just your follower maths. And always quote a range you’d be happy with, never undersell the first deal, because it sets your anchor.

Look like a business (get paid like one)

Two things separate creators who get paid well from those who chase invoices:

A media kit that makes your value obvious.
Professional invoicing so brands’ finance teams pay you without friction.

Keep both in one place with your deal terms, so every brand gets the same clear rates and a proper invoice on the day the work goes live. Our free invoice generator makes one with no sign-up.

General guidance for planning purposes.