How Influencers Determine Proper Rates for Campaigns
As an influencer who’s just starting their business account, it’s important to ensure they’re requesting the appropriate sponsored content rate when participating in campaigns. Determining your sponsored content rate for different pieces of content before you start collaborating with brands will prepare you to negotiate when necessary.
Your rate will often fluctuate from campaign to campaign depending on your social media analytics, how many pieces of content the brand is asking for, how much time it will take you, and if you already have an existing partnership with the brand. Once you start gaining experience and getting the hang of participating in campaigns, it’s normal to gradually increase your rate as your number of followers, reach, and impressions increase.
Foodie Tribe’s Process
Our Foodie Tribe clients come to us with a range of budgets, anywhere from a few thousand dollars to seven-figure investments. This means some brands want to collaborate with a handful of smaller creators, others want to work with very large influencers, and most would like a combination of influencers from micro to macro.
Rates for sponsored content are certainly not fixed budgets. There is no one-size fits all! Specific factors that we recommend influencers take into account when determining their rates include:
Social media metrics
Follower count
Engagement rate
Average impressions
Overall content aesthetics
Quality of photos
Uniqueness of content
Campaign specifics
Volume of content requested
Type of content requested (video, images, Stories, etc.)
Platforms to post on
Similar to the flexible nature of influencer rates, the time dedicated to a single piece of sponsored content also depends on what the brand is asking for and how much editing needs to take place in order to get the content right where it needs to be to satisfy the client.
At Foodie Tribe, we believe that once influencers reach 5k followers, brands will start reaching out to them to give them free products in exchange for social content. As your account continues to grow, you can begin to negotiate a small sponsored rate. As long as you have great content and solid engagement, you are on your way to monetizing your account!
A helpful way to confirm that your rate is both cost- and time-effective is to come up with an hourly rate for yourself and multiply that number by how many hours you think the project will take you. From there, you can start testing out how long campaigns actually take you and adjust the hours accordingly to ensure you’re charging enough for the time you’re dedicating to the project.
Let’s hear what our Tribe members have to say!
How do you determine your rate for a campaign?
@annette.chew: This depends on a number of factors, which I will explain further below!
@fullofsips: I have a "base" rate that I typically go by for one static post and 3+ stories, as that is the typical collaboration request. From there, I created a la carte pricing for an extra post, extra stories, a blog, professional pictures, and/or a recipe. If a recipe is required, I will add the most because that takes an additional couple of hours for preparation in going to the store to get ingredients. I also feel that professional pictures are also a higher rated fee because they will be able to use my pictures across all their marketing channels like website, socials, etc. For a restaurant or brand to hire a full-on agency to create a commercial or campaign is upwards of $30K or more, so knowing your worth is key so you don't allow brands to take advantage of you.
@healthyfitnessmeals: It all depends on which platform the client wants a post on, and what the client is asking for. If there is a lot more work involved than the average campaign, then the price range goes up. I determine my rate based on how soon clients want the content, if they want images or videos, and how much time I will be putting into creating content.
@jackiecooksanddrinks: My budget/rate is based on what the client is asking for. For instance, if a client doesn’t require recipe creation (let’s say, just photography), the overall rate will be lower than a client who is requiring a recipe + photography.
@jaymeesire: I have a base rate that I always start with for a basic campaign, but I always like to get an idea of SOW before quoting.
@mjcusefoodie: For most of the campaigns that I’ve participated in, the clients offer how much they budgeted to pay or how many food products to send. I don’t have a specific rate, but I have a minimum amount in mind, and if it’s lower than that, I normally don’t participate in the campaign unless the rate is open for negotiation.
@organicallyaddison: I determine my budget based on what the client is looking for, how easily I can work with their product, and how much freedom they give me with the creative direction. I do have a set budget, but I am willing to negotiate depending on what the brand is looking for.
@revciancio: Typically, that is included in the budget the brand gives me.
@threecupsofchai: I determine my budget based on the scope of work, my time, and other expenses related to recipe testing, preparing, styling and shooting the product, and if the client requires usage rights for the content created. I have a set budget that I offer to each client. This includes packaged pricing as well as rates for individual posts (i.e. just one Reel/static post). However, I am always open to discussion and negotiation so we can meet in a place that works for both sides.
What factors do you take into account when setting your rate? (i.e. follower account, client requests, engagement rate, etc.)
@annette.chew: This depends on a number of factors including type of content (ie reel, photo, story, etc.), expected time commitment, current follower count and reach, and many more variables. I’ve found that reels are the most high effort/time consuming and thus cost more. I have also done collaborations that were recurring over a six-month period. In this instance, I was willing to negotiate my price.
@fullofsips: I will take into account the actual brand, product, and what they stand for as well as how much they are requesting. I'm in a few different agencies that assist in finding me collaborations and some brands will come with three pages of notes on how to do one post. If they are extremely micromanaging of the creative they are requesting, I will take that into consideration. If it's a brand I've been wanting to work with for a long time, I may be a little flexible in my rate to confirm a collaboration with them. As I am a huge community supporter, I am also usually a sucker for any brand that has some sort of philanthropy built around it. I love to support women owned brands as well!
@healthyfitnessmeals: I would say it depends on how much I have grown, what the client is looking for, and how much work I will be putting into the campaign. I’ve worked with some amazing brands in my six years of being on social media and I’ve been very thankful. I’ve had some long-term relationships in which my rates haven’t gone up, since I’ve been working with them for years and I just love working with them.
@jackiecooksanddrinks: At the beginning, reaching certain follower count thresholds helped me validate what my rates were. I quickly learned, follower count isn’t necessarily the end all-be all! Impressions and reach matters. That being said, the number one factor I take into account when setting my budget with a client is the amount of time and effort that is going into the campaign. A campaign that requires a lot of glamour (i.e. editing) shots, recipe creation, stories, and reels is going to require a lot more time and effort.
@jaymeesire: I think follower count is the least important, and I love working with brands who prioritize engagement rate and content quality over follower count. I work with a professional photographer, so I can offer high-quality images in addition to a very engaged audience.
@mjcusefoodie: It depends on how much work needs to get done and how much the client is willing to pay. Sometimes, when the campaign is recurring, I can set a lower rate.
@organicallyaddison: I take into account my follower count, engagement rate, and quality of my photos when setting my budget.
@revciancio: I typically take the budget the brand offers.
@threecupsofchai: The factors I take into account when setting my budget are my follower count, engagement rate, quality of my work, time allocated to the campaign, and special client requests.
When did you make the shift to monetizing your account? What factors allowed you to make that shift?
@annette.chew: Eventually I hit a point where I couldn’t take all the requests for content creation I was getting. I needed to be compensated for the promotions I was doing because I was investing my own time, effort, and capital into making sure each promotion was crafted to the best of my ability.
@fullofsips: Like most influencers, at first I was just excited to get the free product, but when it became stressful and started feeling like "work," I decided I was going to start implementing small fees. I believe I was around 2,500 followers when I made my first dollar and I was charging $25 for stories and $50 for a post. I also quickly realized that although I didn't have the largest following, I had the skills of a professional photographer and a professional camera, and a lot of brands pay even more for pictures vs. posting. For a lot of my highest paid collaborations, I did not even have to post anything.
@healthyfitnessmeals: When I first got into social media and became an influencer, my focus was growing and creating great content. I haven’t steered away from that. My main priority is creating healthy and delicious recipes. But as time went by, brands started to reach out to do sponsored posts, and these are brands I loved and used on a regular basis. So I thought, why not share these brands I love and use anyways with my audience?!
@jackiecooksanddrinks: Years ago I had a blog called Not Your Bubbes Kitchen, and it fell to the wayside. My full-time job at the time and parenthood took over, and man, I just missed writing and sharing. I started Jackie Cooks and Drinks about four years ago to share my adventures in cocktails, cooking, and entertaining. About two years or so in, I realized, man...I could actually monetize this. In my head, I had a follower number I wanted to reach before I could charge. For me, it was about 10k followers; Sure, people charge before that number, but that was just me. Brands started reaching out and offering me paid gigs, and I realized the need was there, not to mention, feeling wanted is always an ego boost, so it allowed me to believe in myself to make the move to monetize.
@jaymeesire: I made the shift almost three years ago. I had been laid off from my job and needed another source of income. Simultaneously, a brand reached out and I decided to give it a shot!
@mjcusefoodie: It started when a client offered to pay me for a post. I decided to do it for the money, of course, and also for the free food!
@organicallyaddison: I started charging for my work when I hit 10k followers. Looking back, I probably could've charged a little earlier than that, but I wanted to have the swipe up feature on my Instagram stories so I could link to my blog. Now that I use a professional camera with professional editing, I charge more.
@revciancio: In 2016, I simply made the decision and stopped treating my account as a hobby. When I started treating my account like a business, it responded like a business.
@threecupsofchai: I started monetizing my account once I got to 5k followers, but focused more on improving my skills before becoming serious about it. Once I hit 10k I began sending out, and receiving more emails and opportunities. The main factor that allowed me to make that shift was the improvement in quality photos and a better understanding of photo composition concepts.
What was the first campaign you worked on? How did you decide how much to charge?
@annette.chew: The first campaign I worked on was with one of my favorite brands Ellenos Yogurt! At the time, I was a much smaller account with less experience and technical skills, so I was compensated $15. Everyone has to start from somewhere, and I was grateful that they placed their trust in me! I see each promotion I work on as an opportunity to grow my skillset to offer higher quality content for future campaigns. In my eyes, collaborations are a true partnership, and I don't simply finish out a campaign... I want to make sure I’m doing my best to give the brand a good ROI!
@fullofsips: The first year or so of campaigns I worked on were definitely for trade. In looking back at my Instagram, I started with a few small jewelry companies actually, but the first big campaign I posted for was Adore Me which is a lingerie/pajama subscription company that I still post for today! This was all starting in 2017 and for the first couple of years, instead of adding rates, I was asking for more products or only accepting trade collaborations for higher quality products. At the time, I had a full-time job so it was more fun for me. My first big paid collaboration I remember came in 2019 and it was $250 for Franks Red House and Lawrys seasoned salt at Walmart. It was HUGE for me. Of course Walmart in itself was big, but I was also a huge Franks Red Hot fan. I had to create a recipe with both products and then post to my feed and on stories with 5+ additional pictures. Now, I charge more than double for something like that.
@healthyfitnessmeals: My very first campaign was with Zico coconut water. I used to be obsessed with them back in the day and I remember being so excited when they contacted me. When I was reading the email, I said to myself, “Omg I get to tell everyone how much I love this product and get paid for it!” It was a win-win!
@jackiecooksanddrinks: One of the first paid campaigns I worked on was with Benham’s Gin about two years ago. At that point, I was REAL green so the fact the brand not only wanted to send me products, but ALSO pay me was mind blowing to me! The brand had a number in their mind and I also did, and luckily it lined up! My follower count was a lot lower, but I do remember my engagement was pretty decent… that was the biggest factor at the time.
@mjcusefoodie: The first paid campaign I participated in was for Door Dash and they set the rate to pay me.
@jaymeesire: I worked on a campaign with Morton Salt, who I still work with to this day! I had no idea what to charge, so I just threw out a number that would make it worth my time and we went from there.
@organicallyaddison: I had a small granola company offer to pay me $20 per recipe I made. I thought it was so cool that I could make money while baking!
@revciancio: It was for a Bullion company. They came to me with a predetermined budget and it sounded good to me.
@threecupsofchai: The first campaign I worked on was with a popular pasta brand. I was at around 3k followers, they reached out, and I was so excited they wanted to work with me! They paid me $60 for a post that took me over three hours to prep and style. Not a lot, but it was big for me at the time!
How much time do you typically allocate to creating a single post for a campaign?
@annette.chew: I would say I average 3-4 hours if you include ideation, preparation, content creation, post-processing, and actually framing/releasing the content. The audience engagement that follows tacks on another aggregated hour sprinkled throughout the next few days. It’s a lot of work, but it’s work I enjoy!
@fullofsips: It depends on what the brand is asking. If it's just a quick picture to post on my feed that I can use my phone for, I'd say about an hour to get ready, take the picture, edit, and post. However, for most campaigns that require recipes, professional images, stories, and posts, my normal spend time is upwards of six hours.
@healthyfitnessmeals: I prefer having at least two weeks notice, even though I’ve had some clients come in and say we have a quick turn around on this, and ask if the post can go live in a week. I don’t mind getting content done within a week for my long-term clients and brands I’ve worked with over the years. But I do prefer two weeks because it gives me time to think of a concept, test out the recipe, and create content. That’s not even half of it! There are contracts involved and each brand has all these requirements I have to make sure I don’t miss while creating content. There is just a lot that goes into these campaigns from recipe testing, to editing, to submitting content. It could get quite stressful when there isn’t enough time to get it all done and most importantly, do it right so the client is happy. Which is always my goal.
@jackiecooksanddrinks: This does vary depending on the client request, but typically, I would say, from soup to nuts — maybe six hours. I have to craft a recipe, test the recipe, test again (especially for bakery items!), stage the photo, take a series of photos, edit the photos, and then write a thoughtful caption if for instagram specifically, or a blog post. The work definitely adds up!
@jaymeesire: Good question! I don’t really keep track, just whatever it takes to get the work done. But typically a half day of recipe testing, and another couple hours for the actual shoot, plus the time it takes to organize and edit content and write captions or blog posts. It takes a lot more time than people realize!
@mjcusefoodie: Maybe 2 to 4 hours depending on if I have to order food, make it look nice, and take photos.
@organicallyaddison: For one campaign, I average about eight hours of time. This includes emailing, grocery shopping, recipe testing, taking the photos, editing the photos, doing the dishes, emailing the content to the brand for approval, and posting the content.
@revciancio: Several hours. If it’s cooking, I have to go shopping, cook, shoot and clean up before editing. If it’s a restaurant shoot, I have travel and dining time and then editing.
@threecupsofchai: Taking all things into consideration, including content planning, recipe testing, grocery shopping, cooking, styling, shooting, editing, cleaning up (the dishes!), email correspondence, and for video content, finding relatable and relevant audio, I allocate about nine hours of time per campaign.
How many campaigns do you participate in per month?
@annette.chew: Currently, 3-4 campaigns per month. I think it’s important to find a balance, so you don’t sacrifice quality for quantity.
@fullofsips: Almost a year ago I started to feel that I was too "busy" with collaborations. I was only charging around $200 and I decided that moving forward, I wasn't going to take anything less than $300. So instead of taking on more collaborations to make money, I started being more strategic, raising my prices and taking less at a higher rate. I actually teach a workshop based around knowing your worth and how to monetize faster! I would say I shoot about eight collaborations a month. Being an influencer also has seasonal busy times, so right now it's Valentine’s month so this month will be a bit more congested just like Christmas and other holiday times. I try to only accept two a week, because I also own a social management company and am creating content for my clients as well.
@healthyfitnessmeals: It really all depends. Some months I do one, and some I do 4-5. I try not to take in more than that though unless I have some help. I am a full-time mom to five kids who are doing virtual learning at the moment so it’s quite hectic between doing online school, creating recipes for my own blog, mom duties, and then sponsored campaigns.
@jackiecooksanddrinks: Campaigns per month truly vary for me; there’s no consistency. Some months I have six or seven campaigns, some I have one. Some I turn down because my family schedule may just be too overwhelming that month.
@jaymeesire: On average, about two.
@mjcusefoodie: I would say once a month, but not all of them are paid. Most of them give free food as compensation.
@organicallyaddison: Currently, I work on about 7-8 campaigns per month.
@revciancio: I would consider doing one every day if I had an offer for every day! As long as the content is genuine and I do like the product/service, it seems ok to me.
@threecupsofchai: Because I am relatively new to larger brand partnerships, I have set a goal of four campaigns per month. I feel, as creators, we have a responsibility to protect our followers from too many ads, as it can be overwhelming. I do share PR in my Stories more regularly, up to three a week, and may do freelance work for clients who would like my work for their use only.
How do you choose which clients are worth working with?
@annette.chew: I do plenty of background research on the client before I agree to a partnership. I limit my promotions to businesses I believe in, businesses my followers would be interested in, and businesses that fit my brand.
@fullofsips: I decide whether or not the brand is in alignment for me. The past year, I decided I wanted to focus more on food and travel, eliminating beauty brands unless it was a brand I really wanted. I take into consideration the productL: Have I tried it before? Is it something I'm interested in? Would my followers like it? I turn down way more collaborations than I apply for. For instance, if it's a cheese brand that wants me to promote blue cheese or goat cheese and it was high paying, I wouldn't accept it because I don't eat goat cheese or blue cheese. I believe in authenticity and I try to be as transparent as possible to my followers. Most recently, I was asked to do a McDonald’s collaboration that I was really debating. On one hand, I love McDonald’s and their nuggets (which the collaboration was for) but on the other hand, I don't really eat fast food. In the end, I decided it was okay because I do love chicken McNuggets at the end of the day and it is something my followers eat too, so it was aligned. If I had a healthy blog, I probably wouldn't have said yes.
@healthyfitnessmeals: I really try to focus on food brands or kitchen gadgets that stay within my niche. I’ve had to decline many offers from supplement, makeup, apps, and non-food product brands. Not because they are bad products; I am sure they are amazing products and awesome brands. But with my time limit, I try to stay as genuine as possible and promote brands I use and love. It’s really hard for me to promote something like a vacuum cleaner, for example. There are certain products I’ve considered and worked with that I’ve personally used, like vitamins. It all depends.
@jackiecooksanddrinks: Number 1? I have to believe in the product. I never want to portray I use a product I really don’t. It’s not fair to the brand, it’s not fair to my followers, and it’s not true to me. Secondly, I love supporting businesses with a mission that aligns with my beliefs. Sure, I definitely have some dream clients that are parts of larger brands/companies, but I love working with smaller, charitable, and women + minority owned businesses.
@jaymeesire: I’m very picky on who I partner with because I think it’s important to stay authentic. I partner with clients who fit organically with my brand and are either things I would use or am already using.
@mjcusefoodie: I normally choose clients/campaigns that allow me to post food pictures that match my Instagram page.
@organicallyaddison: First, I need to make sure the brand's mission and values are similar to my own. In addition, I need to feel that they value my work. If the product doesn't align with my brand, then I won't agree to work with the client.
@revciancio: First and foremost, I have to like, enjoy or use the business, product or service. I won’t take a campaign just because it pays. Also, it has to align with my content. I post food so you aren’t going to see me post about shampoo, unless it somehow ties back to food. I also consider time, effort and budget. Lastly, difficulty of the creative. If it’s just out of my wheelhouse or too much work, I’m likely to say no. I will bend rules a little based on how fun the idea is. If it’s really fun, then I’m way more motivated.
@threecupsofchai: I prefer working with brands that I know, love, and use regularly myself. It’s important that the client’s mission and values align with my own, and that their product will be appreciated by my followers, or I cannot work with them.