There’s a lot that people get wrong when it comes to setting influencer rates for sponsored content. So in this post we’re going to debunk 6 of the most common myths surrounding what to charge for your brand deals!
When I first started taking content creation seriously, rates were something that stressed me out the most.
Nobody was talking about them, and the only resources available were rate calculators from massive marketing agencies who, if you ask me, have a vested interest in keeping our rates low.
Without a community to rely on, I was left with a lot of assumptions about how rates worked. On my journey to becoming a full-time influencer, I quickly learned that these assumptions were just a bunch of myths.
Debunking 6 Myths About Influencer Rates
If you prefer the video-version of this post, check it out below! The text version is beneath it. ☺️
Myth 1: Your Rate is Directly Tied to Your Follower Count
This myth is so deep-seated that strangers keep challenging me on it every time I share my income reports.
They believe that your rate is directly tied to how many followers you have, and because I objectively don’t have that many followers, they think it’s impossible for me to have taken content full time.
I’m proof that this is not the case. Follower count does not matter.
I made my first $70,000 with fewer than 10,000 Instagram followers.
Brands are not just paying for your followers, your rates should reflect your:
- Overall reach
- Connection to a niche audience
- Storytelling abilities
- Quality of your content
- Usage of your content
- Any additional terms in the contract
This is why many rate calculators will lead you astray. They primarily base rates on follower count and nothing else. For example, one calculator suggested I charge $108 to $162 per post, while my current rate is about 15 times that.
Myth 2: Your Rate is Based on the Time It Takes to Create the Content
This one is a yes…and no. (You’ll notice a pattern there).
Basing your rate on how much time it takes to create content comes naturally to anyone who has worked a regular job, where compensation is tied directly to labor hours.
But content creation doesn’t really work that way. Getting stuck in this mindset will lead to low rates.
For instance, if a rate calculator says I should be paid $100, and it takes 3 hours to make a post, it seems like I’m making $33 an hour, which sounds pretty darn good.
But the value we’re offering brands isn’t solely dependent on hours worked.
When we create content for a brand, there’s so much more at play:
- The time it took to build our brand and audience
- The connection with our community
- The cost of our gear
And again, we have to consider usage, because if my content makes a brand thousands of dollars, and they can use it for months or years (which I don’t recommend), I should definitely charge more than just the time it took to create it.
That being said, it is still important to factor your time into your quotes.
A campaign that just requires you to sit and do a talking head is likely to be cheaper than a more complicated one that requires three days of shooting and editing.
Myth 3: Your Rate is Dependent on the Deliverables
Again, this is a technical yes…but not really.
As creators, it’s easy to get stuck tying a set rate to a specific type of content; charging X for an Instagram photo, Y for a Reel, and Z for a YouTube video.
But that’s only one piece of the puzzle, and it’s risky because you can find yourself locked into a number that doesn’t make sense for what you’re being asked to do.
Not all Reels are created equal. For example, creating hair content is a much bigger task than filming myself washing my face and adding a voiceover.
So how much I charge for a Reel will vary and depends on the scope of the campaign over just the set deliverables.
Myth 4: Your Influencer Rates Need to Be a Secret
This one is again… a bit of a yes and no. It’s about nuance, okay? 😅
Usually, confidentiality clauses prevent you from disclosing how much a brand paid you for a specific campaign.
You are, however, allowed to talk about your personal rates in general and share them with your community.
Transparency helps everyone. If I had had a larger, more transparent community when I started, I would have known my value and how much I could charge much sooner.
While you shouldn’t say, “X brand paid me this amount,” you can and should discuss your general rates with peers, which helps the greater community.
Myth 5: Your Rate is Static and Permanent
Your rate is not static; it can and should change.
I’ve worked with the same brand on multiple occasions at different rates each time. This isn’t just because the contract terms differed, but because my reach and quality increased.
The variables in our industry are always changing, so our rates should change too. While they usually increase, sometimes they might decrease, and that’s okay.
Myth 6: If Your Rates Are Too High, You’ll Burn Bridges
There’s some truth to the idea that you might get priced out if your rates are too high, as brands try to make their marketing dollars go as far as possible..
However, this doesn’t mean you’ll burn bridges.
If a brand says your rate is too high, you can renegotiate the terms or deliverables to find a middle ground.
And if they’re unwilling to negotiate or can’t afford you, they might still reach out when their budget increases. This can sometimes be years later, but that’s okay.
This is business, and if a deal isn’t the right fit at the time, it doesn’t ruin future opportunities. And if a brand gets extreme and rude over your rates, they probably weren’t a good fit anyway.
Final Thoughts on Influencer Rates
At the end of the day, setting rates as a content creator is a personal experience.
No one can tell you whether yours are too high or too low, because no one knows what you are comfortable working for. But I do hope this post helped to clear away some of the myths and roadblocks you might have been leaning on as you figure out the right rates for you!
Again, I hope this helps you navigate rate setting along your content creator journey. If you’re looking for more resources, check out the related posts below!
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