Free Sponsored Post Price Estimator

 

Free Sponsored Post Price Estimator: How Much Should You Charge Brands?

Our Free Sponsored Post Price Estimator below uses industry-standard CPM (Cost Per Mille) logic to give you a baseline starting point for your negotiations.

[Tool Section]

💰 Sponsored Post Estimator

Enter your follower count to see how much you should charge brands per post.

Estimated Price Per Post $0 Range: $0 - $0

One of the biggest secrets in the creator economy is that most influencers are drastically underpaid.

It is a common story: A creator hits 10,000 followers. A brand emails them offering a "collab." The creator gets excited, accepts a free t-shirt or a $50 gift card, creates a high-quality video, edits it for hours, and posts it. The brand generates thousands of dollars in sales from that video, and the creator gets… a free t-shirt.

This happens because there is no "Blue Book" for influencer marketing. Prices are often hidden behind NDAs (Non-Disclosure Agreements).

However, "Exposure" doesn't pay the rent. If you have an audience that trusts you, you have a valuable asset. Brands are willing to pay for access to that asset, but you have to know what to ask for.

How does the tool above come up with those numbers? While every creator is unique, the advertising industry relies on a standard baseline known as the 1% Rule or the $10 per 1,000 Followers Rule.

Historically, the general standard for a single Instagram feed post or TikTok video is roughly:
$10.00 USD for every 1,000 followers you have.

• 10,000 Followers: ~$100 per post.

• 50,000 Followers: ~$500 per post.

• 100,000 Followers: ~$1,000 per post.

• 1,000,000 Followers: ~$10,000+ per post.

Why this math exists

This pricing model is based on CPM (Cost Per Mille), which is the cost an advertiser pays to reach 1,000 people. If a brand runs Facebook Ads, they might pay 

$10-$

20 to reach 1,000 targeted users. Influencer marketing commands a similar (often higher) premium because the audience is "warm"—they already trust the creator.

However, this calculation is just the floor (the minimum). It is where the negotiation starts, not where it ends.

5 Factors That Double (or Triple) Your Rate

If you simply type your follower count into the tool and email that number to a brand, you might be leaving money on the table. Here are five variables that justify charging significantly more than the baseline estimate.

1. High Engagement Rate

A follower count is vanity; engagement is sanity.
If you have 10,000 followers but getting 2,000 likes per photo (a 20% engagement rate), you are more valuable than an account with 100,000 followers and 500 likes.

• Adjustment: If your engagement is above industry average, add 30-50% to your base rate.

2. The Niche Premium

Not all audiences are worth the same to advertisers.

• General Entertainment/Comedy: Lower CPM. The audience is broad and harder to monetize.

• Finance/Business/Tech: High CPM. These audiences have higher disposable income or higher "Lifetime Value" (LTV) to banks and software companies.

• Adjustment: If you are in a high-value niche (Crypto, Real Estate, B2B SaaS), you can often charge 2x to 3x the base rate.

3. Content Production Costs

Are you taking a selfie in your mirror, or are you hiring a photographer, renting a studio, and spending 8 hours editing a 4K video?
You are not just a billboard; you are a production studio.

• Adjustment: Factor in your labor. If a video takes 10 hours to make, and your hourly rate is $50, add $500 to the quote immediately as a "Production Fee."

4. Usage Rights (The Hidden Goldmine)

This is where professional creators make their real money.
When a brand pays you for a post, they are usually paying for it to live on your feed. But often, they want to take your video and run it as an ad on their account (Facebook Ads, TikTok Ads).

• Standard License: You post it, it stays on your feed.

• Paid Media Rights: The brand uses your content in their ads.

• Adjustment: Charge an extra 30% to 50% of the base fee for every 3 months of usage rights. Do not give this away for free.

5. Exclusivity

Does the brand want you to promise not to work with their competitors for 3 months? That restricts your income.

• Adjustment: If Coke hires you and says "You can't work with Pepsi for 6 months," you need to charge a premium to cover the lost potential income from Pepsi.

Platform Specifics: TikTok vs. Instagram vs. YouTube

The platform you are on changes the pricing dynamic significantly.

Instagram (Reels & Feed):
Instagram is the "Premium" catalog. It is often used for lifestyle branding. High-resolution imagery commands higher prices here. Stories (24-hour lifespan) usually cost roughly 10% to 20% of a feed post price.

TikTok:
TikTok is volatile. Views are not guaranteed. However, the potential for virality is massive. Many creators on TikTok charge based on a hybrid model: a lower base fee + a "Performance Bonus" (e.g., an extra $100 for every 100k views the video gets).

YouTube (Long Form):
YouTube is the king of high rates. A YouTube video is searchable for years (SEO). Because the content lifespan is so long, YouTube integrations typically cost 5x to 10x more than an Instagram or TikTok post.

UGC (User Generated Content):
This is a newer model where you create content for the brand, but you do not post it. You simply send them the file.

• Pricing: Since this doesn't depend on your follower count, rates are based on quality. Beginners charge $150 per video; experts charge $500+ per video, regardless of how many followers they have.

How to Discuss Money Without Being Awkward

Many creators are artists, not salespeople. Talking about money feels scary. Here are three scripts to help you navigate the price conversation confidently.

Script 1: The "What is your Budget?" Flip
Brand: "We'd love to collaborate! What are your rates?"
You: "I’d love to work with you! I have a few different packages depending on the scope of work (Reels, Stories, Usage Rights, etc.). Do you have a specific budget allocated for this campaign? That will help me propose the best package for you."

Script 2: The "Testing the Waters" Quote
You: "Typically, for a dedicated Reel and 3 Stories, I charge roughly $500. However, I’d love to bundle in usage rights for you for a total of $700. Let me know if that aligns with your expectations."

Script 3: Declining a Lowball Offer
Brand: "We can only offer a free product."
You: "Thanks for the offer! Unfortunately, I am currently fully booked for paid collaborations and cannot take on gift-only partnerships at this time. If your budget opens up in Q3, please let me know—I’d love to support the launch!"

Conclusion: Value Yourself First

The tool at the top of this page gives you a number. That number is permission to get paid.

If the calculator says you should be charging $200 and you have been doing it for free, you are hurting the entire industry. When creators work for free, it drives down prices for everyone.

Know your worth, understand the math, and send that invoice with confidence.

Now that you have your pricing strategy, you need to make sure your content is discoverable. The best way to do that is with hashtags. Check out our Smart Hashtag Generator to find the perfect tags for your niche!