A DM lands in my inbox at least once a week. A creator – sometimes brand new, sometimes with a hundred thousand followers – asking the same question in different words: “A brand offered me $500 for a reel and three stories. Is that good?”
Here’s the honest answer: I have no idea. And neither do you. Not yet.
That’s not an insult. It’s the problem. Most creators are pricing the most important transactions of their business with vibes, a screenshot of what a friend got paid, and a number that “feels fair.” Meanwhile, the brand on the other side of that email has a spreadsheet, a benchmark, and a very clear idea of what your content is worth.
I’ve sat on both sides of that table. Twelve-plus years in marketing, including years as a CMO approving influencer budgets. And on the other side, more than a hundred brand collabs of my own. I know how the brand does the math. Most creators never learn it. Let’s fix that.
A brand deal is a media buy, not a gift
The first mindset shift: the brand is not doing you a favor. They are buying something – your audience’s attention and your credibility with it. That has a market price, same as a billboard or a TV spot. The difference is your billboard comes with trust built in.
When you treat the deal like a gift, you accept whatever they offer with a thank-you. When you treat it like a media buy, you ask what they’re actually buying. Those are two very different negotiations.
The brand on the other side of that email has a spreadsheet. You should too.
Price the three things separately
Most creators quote one number for “a post.” Brands don’t buy “a post.” They buy up to three distinct things, and each one has its own value.
The deliverable. The reel, the video, the photo set. This is your time and your craft. What does it actually cost you to make? Hours times your rate, plus any real expenses. That’s your floor – the number below which you are paying the brand to work for them.
The usage. Can they repost your content on their own channels? Run it as a paid ad? For how long? Thirty days of organic reposting is a different product than a year of paid usage. Usage is where creators leave the most money on the table, because it’s buried in the contract and priced at zero.
The exclusivity. If they want you to not work with their competitors for 90 days, that’s not a courtesy. That’s inventory you’re agreeing not to sell. It has a price.
Add the three up and you have a number you can say out loud without flinching.
Ask the questions everyone skipped
Before you quote anything, ask: What’s the usage term? Will this run as paid media? Is there an exclusivity window? How many revision rounds are included?
Half the time, the brand’s answers change the scope enough to double your price. The other half, you learn the deal was never as big as the subject line made it sound. Either way, you win – because you asked.
And when you can, name your number first. The number you say first sets the frame for everything that comes after it. If your math is solid, your number will be too.
The bottom line
Clarity before content isn’t just a marketing rule. It’s a business rule. The creators who get paid well aren’t the ones with the biggest followings. They’re the ones who know exactly what they’re selling and what it costs.
This is the work I do with creators one-on-one – pricing, positioning, and building a brand-deal strategy that doesn’t rely on guessing. If that’s where you are, take a look at how I work with creators. And the next time a brand slides into your inbox, don’t ask “is this good?” Ask what they’re buying. Then do the math.
Leave a Reply