Rate Card
Generator

How This Rate Card Generator Works

This tool calculates your recommended rates for brand collaborations using a combination of industry-standard pricing formulas. Here is what each factor means for your rates:

• Follower Count — The base of all rate calculations. Industry standard is $10-$20 per 1,000 followers for a single feed post. Higher follower counts unlock premium brand partnerships, but follower count alone does not determine your value.
• Engagement Rate — The multiplier that separates average creators from premium ones. Brands increasingly prioritize engagement over follower count. A creator with 20K followers and 8% engagement is often worth more than one with 100K followers and 0.5% engagement.
• Platform — Different platforms command different rates. YouTube typically pays the most per creator due to longer content formats and higher production value. Instagram and TikTok are the most active brand deal markets. Twitter tends to have lower rates but high volume.
• Niche — Your content category significantly affects brand deal value. Tech and beauty creators command premium rates because they influence high-value purchasing decisions. Lifestyle is the baseline. The adult/creator niche has fewer mainstream brand deals but higher per-deal rates from specialized brands.

How to Price Brand Deals as a Creator

Pricing brand deals is part science, part negotiation, and part knowing your worth. The biggest mistake creators make is undercharging — once you set a low price, it is extremely hard to raise it with the same brand. Here are the principles that guide professional rate-setting:

• Never accept the first offer. Brands almost always start low. Their first number is typically 30-50% below their actual budget. Respond with your rate card and let them negotiate up to a middle ground. You will rarely lose a deal by countering professionally.
• Factor in your time, not just the post. A "simple" sponsored post actually requires: concept development, content creation, editing, copywriting, posting, and 1-3 rounds of brand revisions. That is 3-6 hours of work minimum. Your rate should reflect total time invested.
• Charge for usage rights separately. If a brand wants to repurpose your content on their channels, ads, or website, that is additional value. Whitelist/usage rights should add 20-50% on top of your base rate.
• Exclusivity costs extra. If a brand wants you to avoid competing brands for 30-90 days, that limits your earning potential. Charge 30-100% premium for exclusivity periods.
• Minimum rates protect your brand. Even if you are a smaller creator, having a minimum rate ($100-$200 per post) prevents you from doing work that costs you money when you factor in time and effort.

Understanding Your Worth: CPM, Engagement, and Niche

Three metrics determine the bulk of your pricing power as a creator. Understanding how brands evaluate these numbers helps you price yourself accurately and negotiate from a position of knowledge:

• CPM (Cost Per Mille / 1,000 impressions): This is how brands internally evaluate deals. Average influencer CPM is $5-$25, depending on platform and niche. When a brand offers you $500 for a post that reaches 50K people, they are paying a $10 CPM. Knowing this helps you benchmark offers against industry standards.
• Engagement Rate: Calculated as (likes + comments) / followers x 100. Under 1% is below average. 1-3% is normal. 3-6% is good. Above 6% is excellent. Each tier roughly doubles your rate multiplier. If you have 50K followers at 6% engagement, you should be charging significantly more than someone with 50K followers at 1.5%.
• Niche Premium: Beauty and tech creators get the highest rates because their audiences make purchasing decisions based on creator recommendations. Fashion and fitness are above average. Lifestyle is the baseline. Gaming is competitive. The adult creator space has fewer mainstream brand deals, but specialized brands (lingerie, wellness, dating apps) pay premium rates for access to that audience.

Negotiation Tips for Brand Partnerships

The difference between creators who earn $200 per deal and those who earn $2,000 for the same work often comes down to negotiation skills. These strategies work consistently across all creator sizes:

• Lead with your rate card. Sending a professional rate card immediately frames you as a business. Brands take you more seriously and their initial offers tend to be higher when they see you have structured pricing.
• Ask for their budget first. Before sharing your rates, ask "What is the budget for this campaign?" You might discover their budget is higher than what you would have quoted. Never bid against yourself.
• Offer package deals. Instead of negotiating down on a single post, offer bundles: "I can do a post + 3 stories for $X" or "Post + reel + stories for $Y." Bundles increase total deal value while giving the brand perceived savings.
• Present case studies. If you have data from previous brand deals (engagement rates, click-through rates, conversions), include these in your pitch. Performance data justifies higher rates more effectively than any other factor.
• Walk away when necessary. Not every deal is worth taking. If a brand insists on a rate that undervalues your work, politely decline. The credibility you build by having standards attracts better-paying brands over time.

Building Multiple Revenue Streams Beyond Subscriptions

Brand deals are just one piece of the creator revenue puzzle. The most financially successful creators diversify across multiple income streams. Here is how brand partnerships fit into a broader revenue strategy:

• Subscription platforms (OnlyFans, Patreon): Recurring monthly revenue. This is your baseline income that pays the bills whether or not you land brand deals in a given month.
• Brand deals and sponsored content: Variable income that scales with your following and engagement. This is where the rate card comes in — it professionalizes what can be your highest-margin revenue stream.
• Affiliate marketing: Passive commission from product recommendations. Lower per-transaction value but scales infinitely without additional work per sale.
• Digital products: Courses, presets, guides, templates — create once, sell forever. Many creators earn more from digital products than from direct content creation.
• Agency management: Working with a professional agency like Aruna Talent means someone is actively pursuing brand partnerships, negotiating rates, and managing deliverables on your behalf while you focus on creating content. Agencies typically secure 2-5x higher brand deal rates than creators negotiating solo.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much should I charge for a sponsored post?

The general formula is $10-$20 per 1,000 followers for a feed post, adjusted by your engagement rate and niche. A creator with 50K followers and a 5% engagement rate could charge $500-$1,500 per post. Micro-influencers (10K-50K followers) with high engagement often earn $100-$500 per post. Macro-influencers (100K-1M) typically charge $1,000-$10,000. These are starting points — your actual rate should reflect your specific audience quality and conversion ability.

What is a creator rate card?

A rate card is a professional document listing your prices for different types of sponsored content. It typically includes rates for feed posts, stories, reels, TikToks, UGC, and content bundles. Having one makes you look professional, speeds up brand deal negotiations, and prevents you from undercharging in the moment. Think of it as a menu for brands — they can see all their options and choose the package that fits their budget and goals.

How do I calculate my engagement rate?

Engagement rate equals (likes + comments) divided by followers, multiplied by 100. For example, if you have 20K followers and your posts average 600 likes and 40 comments, your engagement rate is (640 / 20,000) x 100 = 3.2%. The industry average is 1-3%. Above 3% is considered good. Above 6% is excellent. Brands often value engagement rate more than raw follower count because it indicates how actively your audience interacts with your content.

Should I negotiate brand deal rates?

Almost always, yes. The first offer from a brand is rarely their best — it is usually 30-50% below their actual budget. Having a rate card gives you a starting point for negotiations. If the brand offers less than your standard rate, counter with your published rate and explain the value you deliver. Most negotiations settle 20-30% above the initial offer. The key is to be professional, present data to support your rates, and be willing to offer creative solutions like bundles or added deliverables rather than simply lowering your price.