How much to charge for a brand collaboration

Start from a baseline, not a guess

Rates vary wildly by niche, platform and audience, so treat any rule of thumb as a floor to negotiate up from, not a fixed price. A common starting point people quote is roughly a hundred dollars per ten thousand followers for a single post, but that number bends hard once real fit and engagement come into play.

Engagement matters more than follower count. A smaller audience that actually watches, comments and buys is worth more to a brand than a big one that scrolls past, so price on the strength of your audience, not just its size.

Know what actually moves your rate

1. Audience fit and engagement, the single biggest lever.

2. Usage rights, meaning whether the brand can run your content as a paid ad.

3. Exclusivity, where you agree not to work with competitors for a window.

4. Deliverables and platforms, since a video plus stories plus a feed post is more work than one post.

5. Turnaround, because a rush job is worth a premium.

Charge more for usage and exclusivity

If a brand wants to run your video as an ad or whitelist it from your handle, that is worth far more than an organic post, so price it separately. The same goes for exclusivity. Agreeing not to work with their competitors for a few months has a real cost to you, so it should have a real price to them.

Decide how you feel about gifting

Free product in exchange for content can make sense early on, when a portfolio piece and a brand relationship are worth more to you than cash. Once you can show results, move the conversation to paid. A good middle path is to start with a gifting collaboration and propose a paid follow-up if the first one performs.

Quote it without flinching

State your rate plainly, give one clear package, and stop talking. Something like a set fee for a video and two stories, with usage priced on top, reads as confident and easy to say yes to. Leave a little room to negotiate, but do not open with a discount.