I’ve been speaking to a few creators about this lately, so I thought I’d pull together my learnings into a post that I hope helps any creators active in this subreddit. 

FYI, I am not a creator myself, but I have worked on the brand and agency side with creators directly on monetisation. Fun fact: I once ran Nirvana’s FB page (20m+ followers) and headed up MTV’s social content team, so my experience is quite broad across content creation and monetisation.

ANYWAY! Here’s what you need to know when pricing your sponsored posts.But first, let’s point out the basic economics of what’s taking place when a brand comes to you with money. Brands want to work with you to increase their reach and engagement and drive an action. To do this, they are literally renting your content and audience.

Unfortunately, there is no perfect answer to how much you should charge per post. No formula anyone can give you that takes into consideration so many factors - your niche, engagement, platform etc. The only right price is the one that’s fair for both you and your sponsor.

BUT ... you can get much closer to knowing your worth by considering the points below.

1. Know Your Niche

Understand what other creators in your niche with similar follower counts are charging. Network with creators in your space through Reddit, LinkedIn, FB groups etc.

Share benchmarks and campaign experiences - most people are open to exchanging info privately, and this helps everyone avoid underpricing. You’ll feel far more confident asking for rates when you know others have secured similar deals.

2. Sell Engagement Rates, Not Follower Counts

Smart brands don’t care about your follower count - they care only about your engagement. Ultimately, they want to know you can motivate your followers to take an action.

Your average likes, views, comments, and shares indicate interest and engagement, and click throughs signal real influence - a bottom funnel metric that has high value.

Not working with brands yet? No problem. Test posts that link to affiliate products (even unpaid ones) and track conversions. If people take action, use this as proof to brands that you can move your audience. Sharing those results can land your first deals and strengthen negotiations for future ones.

3. Know Your Followers

Know where your audience is based geographically. Check your analytics - some countries are much more valuable to a brand than others. US and UK audiences usually command higher rates than non-English speaking markets.

4. Know Your Sponsors

Some industries are willing to spend far more than others. Travel, beauty, tech, and finance tend to pay above average for strong results, while mass consumer brands or early stage startups may offer lower rates.

5. Be a Partner, Not a Billboard

Single sponsored posts are a start, but real value for both parties comes from longer-term relationships and cross-platform activations.

• Brands pay more if you have followers on multiple platforms (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, etc.).
• Pitch packages instead of one offs, and upsell ongoing collaborations.
• Partner with brands you know your followers will love. If you simply use your following as a billboard, posting ads repeatedly, you will alienate your audience and kill your long term career as a creator. Understanding your audience and what they like and engage with not only protects you, it allows you to charge a premium for the right brands.
• Longer term partnerships increase average deal size and retention, so you can work with fewer brands while earning more.

6. Know (and Defend) Your Value

Never undervalue your work, and don’t be afraid to ask for more.

• Use data and testimonials to justify your worth.
• Start negotiations higher than you expect to settle - the first offer is rarely the best.
• Upsell add-ons like exclusivity, extra content, branded emails etc

Bonus: The Power of Email

Algorithms change, but a targeted email list remains valuable for sponsors. Building stronger connections outside algorithm dependent platforms is highly recommended.

If you have a list (even a small one), it’s a meaningful add-on to your packages. If you don’t have one, start now by offering something free in return for your followers’ email addresses.

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I hope that helps someone. This is a ‘how long is a piece of string’ question, but knowing the above will empower you to seek higher value from brands wanting to work with you and hopefully give you the confidence in your negotiations.

Any questions, feel free to ask or DM me!