How Much Should Influencers Charge? A Simple Pricing Formula

The first brand email always comes with the same question: “What are your rates?” Quote too low and you leave money on the table; too high and the deal goes quiet. A simple formula gives you a defensible starting point.

The starting formula

Most pricing starts from audience size, then adjusts for engagement. A common rule of thumb is a rate per 1,000 followers (or per 1,000 average views on video platforms):

These are market rules of thumb, not fixed prices — real deals vary widely by niche and country. Our free calculators do this maths with your actual numbers: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and X.

What pushes your price up

• Engagement above average. A 6% rate with 20K followers can be worth more than 1% with 80K. Show brands the number (try the engagement calculator).
• A valuable niche. Finance, tech, B2B and beauty audiences are worth more to advertisers than general entertainment.
• Audience location. US, UK, Canada and Australia audiences usually command higher rates.
• Usage rights. If the brand wants to run your content as ads or on its own channels, charge for it — often 30–100% extra, priced by duration.
• Exclusivity. Agreeing not to work with competitors for a period is a cost to you; price it in.
• Production. Scripts, locations, editing and multiple revisions all take time.

Build a rate card

1. List each deliverable: post, carousel, Reel or TikTok, Story set, YouTube integration, dedicated video.
2. Price each from the formula, then adjust for the factors above.
3. Offer two or three bundles (for example a Reel + 3 Stories) at a small discount — brands like simple choices.
4. Add your audience snapshot: followers, average views, engagement rate, top countries and age range.
5. Review it every quarter as your numbers grow.

Show the value, not just the price

Brands buy outcomes. Past results — clicks, codes used, sales, saves — make any rate easier to accept. The earned media value calculator puts a dollar value on the exposure a post generated, which is a strong number to include in your pitch.

And because brands check how active an audience is before signing, it pays to keep your profile looking alive between deals — consistent posting, steady engagement and, where it helps, a modest boost of followers or likes to keep momentum.