How to Price Brand Deals for Your Creators: A Talent Manager's Guide

Most talent managers learn how to price brand deals by trial and error. Quote too low and your creator resents the deal for months. Quote too high and the brand goes quiet. The fix is a repeatable method: set a base rate for each deliverable, then add separate line items for usage, exclusivity, and anything else the brand wants beyond the post itself.

This guide walks through that method step by step, with a worked example for a skincare deal, a table of common add-ons, and the habits that keep pricing consistent across a whole roster. Every dollar figure below is an example to show the math, not a market benchmark. Your creators’ numbers will be different, and that is the point of having a method.

How to price brand deals in five steps

Here is the short version. The rest of the article explains each step.

1. Set a base rate for each deliverable. This is what the brand pays for the creator to make and post one piece of content on their own channel.
2. Scope the deal. List every deliverable, platform, draft date, and go-live date the brand wants.
3. Add line items for rights. Paid usage, whitelisting, and exclusivity each get their own price.
4. Add line items for extra work. Raw footage, extra revision rounds, and rush timelines are priced on top.
5. Check the total against your floor and the brand’s budget, then send an itemized quote.

The idea behind the whole method is simple. The base rate pays for the content. Everything else is a right or an extra the brand is buying on top. When you keep those separate, you can negotiate one line without discounting the creator’s work.

Set a base rate for each deliverable

The base rate is the anchor for every quote. It should cover the creator’s time, concept, production, posting, and whatever standard organic rights your agency includes by default. Three inputs get you there.

Start from expected views

A common starting point is a cost-per-thousand-views (CPM) calculation. Take the creator’s typical views on recent posts, divide by 1,000, and multiply by a CPM you choose.

Say a creator’s last 10 TikToks earned a median of 80,000 views. If you decide a $25 CPM fits their niche and engagement, the math is 80,000 / 1,000 x $25 = $2,000. That $25 is a judgment call, not a rule. It is just the number this example uses.

A few habits make this number more reliable:

• Use the median, not the average, so one viral post does not inflate the rate.
• Leave out boosted or paid posts, since they do not reflect organic reach.
• Calculate each platform on its own. A creator’s TikTok and Instagram numbers are rarely the same.

Adjust for engagement and audience fit

Views get you a starting number. Then adjust it for the things brands actually pay for:

• Audience match. If the brand sells in the US and most of the creator’s audience is in the US, the post is worth more to that brand.
• Engagement. Strong comments and saves suggest the audience trusts the creator’s recommendations.
• Niche. Creators in categories where a customer is valuable, such as finance or skincare, often command more per view.
• Production. A scripted, edited video takes more work than a quick talking-head clip.
• Proof. Past campaign results for similar brands justify a higher rate.

Check what the creator has actually closed

Your own deal history is the best pricing data you have. If a creator closed three Reels last quarter between $3,000 and $3,500, that range tells you more than any formula. Brands also compare quotes across your roster, so check that creators with similar stats sit in a similar range.

Price each format on its own

Different formats ask for different work, so give each one its own base rate.

Format	What you are pricing	Notes
TikTok video	Concept, filming, editing, posting	Price from TikTok views, not Instagram
Instagram Reel	Same as TikTok, posted to Instagram	Cross-posting is a separate line
Instagram Story frame	One frame, usually with a link	Brands often book sets of 2 to 4 frames
YouTube integration	A segment inside a longer video	Price from long-form views
YouTube dedicated video	A full video about the brand	Usually the highest base rate
UGC video	Content the brand posts, not the creator	No reach, so price on production and rights

Add separate fees for rights and extras

Once you have base rates, decide how your agency prices the add-ons. The approach below is one example, not a standard. What matters most is that every manager at your agency uses the same rules, so two people never quote the same creator differently.

Add-on	What the brand gets	Example pricing approach
Paid usage	The right to run the content as ads from the brand’s accounts	A percentage of the base rate for each 30 days
Whitelisting	The right to run ads through the creator’s own handle	A monthly fee or a percentage of the base rate
Exclusivity	The creator does not work with competitors for a set period	A percentage of the base rate, scaled by how broad the category is
Raw footage	Unedited clips the brand can cut itself	A flat fee per deliverable
Extra revisions	Rounds of edits beyond what the base includes	A flat fee per round
Rush timeline	A turnaround shorter than your standard	A percentage on top of the base

Usage and exclusivity are where most underpricing happens, because they are easy to give away in a reply. Read the full breakdowns in how to price usage rights and whitelisting and how to negotiate an influencer exclusivity clause.

A worked example: a skincare brand books a TikTok and two Stories

Here is the method applied to one brief. All numbers are examples.

The brief: A skincare brand wants one TikTok video and two Instagram Story frames. They want 30 days of paid usage on the TikTok, 30 days of skincare exclusivity, and the raw footage.

The creator’s example base rates: $2,000 for a TikTok and $400 for each Story frame.

The agency’s example add-on rules: paid usage at 30% of the deliverable’s base rate for each 30 days, category exclusivity at 20% of the total base for each 30 days, and raw footage at a flat $300.

Line item	Calculation	Price
TikTok video	Base rate	$2,000
2 Instagram Story frames	2 x $400	$800
Paid usage, 30 days (TikTok)	30% of $2,000	$600
Skincare exclusivity, 30 days	20% of $2,800	$560
Raw footage	Flat fee	$300
Total		$4,260

Now say the brand replies that its budget is $3,500. Do not cut the base rate. Instead, offer options that remove scope:

• Narrow exclusivity from all of skincare to three named competitors, and lower that line.
• Drop the raw footage.
• Keep the TikTok and usage, and drop one Story frame.

Each option gets the brand closer to its number while the creator’s rate for the work stays intact. The next time this brand asks, your base rate is still $2,000.

How to present the quote

How you send a price affects how the brand reacts to it. An itemized quote looks considered, and it invites the brand to adjust scope instead of haggling over one big number.

Include these parts in every quote:

• Each deliverable and its price, on its own line.
• Each right (usage, whitelisting, exclusivity) with its duration and price.
• What the base includes, such as one round of revisions and organic reposting on the brand’s own channels.
• What it does not include, so extras are clearly extra.
• The payment terms and how long the quote is valid.

Here is a plain-text version you can adapt:

Hi [Name],

Thanks for the brief. Here is our proposal for [Creator] x [Brand]:

- 1 TikTok video: $2,000
- 2 Instagram Story frames: $800
- Paid usage on the TikTok, 30 days from go-live: $600
- Skincare category exclusivity, 30 days from go-live: $560
- Raw footage from the TikTok: $300

Total: $4,260

Includes one round of revisions and organic reposting on [Brand]'s own channels.
Payment terms: net 30 from invoice. This proposal is valid for 14 days.

Happy to adjust scope if you are working with a set budget.

[Your name]

Negotiate on scope, not on the base rate

Brands negotiate. That is normal, and a good structure makes it easier. A few rules help you hold your rates without losing deals:

• Know the floor before you reply. Agree with the creator on the lowest total they will accept for this brief.
• Trade instead of discounting. When a brand pushes, remove a deliverable, shorten usage, or narrow exclusivity.
• Ask for the budget early. If a brand has a fixed number, it is faster to scope to it than to guess.
• Reward real volume. A three-month, multi-post partnership can justify a lower per-post price. A single post usually cannot.
• Decide your gifting policy in advance. Know which creators take product-only deals, and which never do.

Keep pricing consistent across your roster

Knowing how to price brand deals for one creator is not hard. Doing it well across 30 creators and five managers takes a system.

• Keep rates in one place. Every manager should quote from the same current rates, not an old PDF.
• Review rates on a schedule. Check them every quarter, and after any big jump in a creator’s audience.
• Record every closed deal with its line items. Over time, this shows what each creator actually closes at, and which add-ons brands accept.
• Use results to justify raises. When a campaign beats expectations, a campaign report with the post’s views and engagement makes the case for a higher rate next time.

How July helps you price brand deals

In July, each talent’s Media Kit holds their rates next to live stats pulled daily from Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch, and you can edit or hide those rates at any time. The July CRM stores deliverables, usage rights, and exclusivity on every deal, so you can look back at what each creator actually closed at. When a campaign ends, Reports update every 24 hours, so the results are ready when you ask for a higher rate. For a starting template, see the influencer rate card template.

Frequently asked questions

How much should I charge for a brand deal?

There is no single correct number, because it depends on the creator’s views, engagement, audience, niche, and the rights the brand wants. The simplest way to learn how to price brand deals is to start with a base rate for each deliverable, often from a CPM on recent views, then add separate fees for usage, exclusivity, and extras. Check the result against what the creator has closed before.

How do you calculate an influencer rate from views?

Take the median views on the creator’s recent organic posts, divide by 1,000, and multiply by a CPM you choose. For example, 80,000 median views at a $25 CPM gives a $2,000 base rate. The CPM itself is a judgment call that you adjust for engagement, niche, and audience fit.

Should usage rights be included in the base rate?

Organic reposting on the brand’s own channels is often included, but paid usage usually is not. Price paid usage as its own line, with a duration, so the brand knows what it is buying. This also lets you sell an extension later.

How do I price a deal when the brand has a fixed budget?

Ask for the budget early, then build the scope to fit it. Keep the base rate the same and remove or shorten items such as Story frames, usage windows, or exclusivity. This protects the creator’s rate for the next deal.