Charge for a sponsored post based on the views it will realistically get, then add separate fees for usage rights, whitelisting and exclusivity. At Earn by Creating, we write how-to guides for people who get paid to create, so we break the price into a base fee and add-ons. Avoid quoting one flat number that quietly includes free ad rights.
No independent survey sets a market rate for sponsored posts, so any single “creators charge $X” number you see is one source’s guess. Build your price from your own median views with a cost per thousand views (CPM) you choose, check it against an engagement-based price and a per-deliverable price, and quote the one you can defend.
Three Ways to Set Your Sponsored Post Rate
You can price a sponsored post three ways: by expected views (CPM-based), by engagement, or by a fixed price per deliverable. Use CPM-based pricing to find a number, then check it against the other two. This table compares them.
| Method | How you calculate it | Works best when | Weak spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPM-based | Median views ÷ 1,000 × your CPM | Your views are steady post to post | Swings when views are uneven |
| Engagement-based | Average engagements × a price per engagement | Your audience comments and shares a lot | Brands value engagement differently |
| Per-deliverable | A fixed price for each format | You sell the same packages often | Can drift from what your views support |
Pick one method as your main price and use it every time. Switching methods from deal to deal makes your rates look random to a brand that sees two different quotes from you.
How to Price a Sponsored Post with CPM
CPM-based pricing charges a set amount per 1,000 expected views. It matches how brands buy ads, so brand managers find it easy to approve.
- Find your median views. List views on your last 10 to 15 posts on the account the brand is buying. Use the middle value, so one viral post does not skew the result.
- Choose your CPM. This is a number you set. Start with a figure you would accept without regret, then raise it as you get yeses.
- Calculate. Median views ÷ 1,000 × CPM = base price.
- Adjust for format. A full dedicated video takes more work than a 20-second mention. Price the mention lower.
Here is the arithmetic with made-up inputs. Say your median Reel gets 12,000 views and you choose a $20 CPM. The base price is 12,000 ÷ 1,000 × $20 = $240. If you chose a $30 CPM instead, the same post prices at $360. The CPM you pick changes the result more than any other input, so test it: quote the higher number on your next three pitches and see how many brands accept.
How to Price with Engagement
Engagement-based pricing charges for likes, comments, shares and saves instead of views. It suits small accounts whose followers talk back, since a brand gets visible reactions it can screenshot for its own reports.
Calculate your average engagements per post over your last 10 to 15 posts. Multiply by a price per engagement you choose. With made-up inputs, 600 average engagements at $0.40 each gives $240.
State your formula in your media kit, for example “engagement rate = (likes + comments + shares + saves) ÷ views.” Brands calculate engagement in different ways, and stating yours prevents an argument about the number.
How to Price per Deliverable
Per-deliverable pricing sets a fixed price for each thing you make. It is the easiest to put on a rate card and the fastest to quote.
Common deliverables brands buy:
- Dedicated TikTok video or Instagram Reel (a full video about the product)
- YouTube integration (a 30 to 90 second segment inside a regular video)
- Story set (for example, three frames with a link sticker)
- Carousel or static feed post
- Bundle (one video plus a story set)
Set each price from your CPM math, then round to clean numbers. Review the list every three months. If your views have grown and your prices have not, you are charging less per view than you did last quarter.
Add-Ons for Usage Rights, Whitelisting and Exclusivity
The base price covers one post on your account. Anything the brand does with your content beyond that is an add-on. Creators who skip add-ons often end up giving a brand months of ad content for the price of one post.
| Add-on | What the brand gets | How creators usually price it |
|---|---|---|
| Usage rights (paid ads) | Runs your video as an ad from its own account | A percentage of the base price per 30 days, more for perpetual |
| Whitelisting / Spark Ads / partnership ads | Runs ads from your handle | Priced by duration, often above plain usage |
| Exclusivity | You avoid competing brands for a set time | Priced by length and how many brands you must turn down |
| Raw footage | Unedited clips for its own edits | Flat fee per project |
| Extra hooks or cuts | Alternate openings for ad testing | Flat fee per extra version |
| Rush delivery | Content in fewer days than standard | A percentage on top of the base |
Write every add-on into the contract with an end date. “Usage in perpetuity” with no extra fee is the line to push back on hardest.
Sample Rate Card (Illustrative Example Only)
The rate card below is an illustrative example built from the CPM method with made-up inputs: 15,000 median video views, 4,000 median story views and a chosen $20 CPM. It is not market data and it is not what any creator earns. Swap in your own numbers.
| Deliverable | Illustrative price | How it was calculated |
|---|---|---|
| Dedicated short video (TikTok or Reel) | $300 | 15,000 ÷ 1,000 × $20 |
| Short mention inside a regular video | $150 | Half the dedicated rate |
| Story set (3 frames with link) | $80 | 4,000 ÷ 1,000 × $20 |
| Bundle: video plus story set | $340 | Combined, about 10% off |
| Usage rights, 30 days | +$90 | 30% of the video price |
| Usage rights, 90 days | +$210 | 70% of the video price |
| Exclusivity, 30 days in one category | +$60 | 20% of the video price |
The percentages for add-ons are example settings, not standard rates. Choose your own and keep them the same across deals. Our free media kit builder lets you add a rate block like this to your kit.
Negotiating a Sponsored Post Rate
Brands often reply to a quote with a lower budget. Hold your base rate and trade scope instead of price:
- Drop the story set or the usage window instead of cutting the video price.
- Offer a shorter usage window, such as 30 days instead of 90.
- Swap a dedicated video for an integration at your mention price.
- Ask for a bigger fee in exchange for a longer exclusivity window if the brand wants one.
If a brand still cannot meet your floor, decline politely and ask to stay in touch for its next campaign. Our guide on how to pitch brands includes negotiation wording and contract basics such as payment terms and a kill fee.
Who Should Not Use CPM Pricing
CPM pricing is a poor fit if your views swing wildly, for example one post at 200,000 views and the next at 2,000. Your median will undersell your reach on good weeks and oversell it on bad ones. Use per-deliverable pricing until your views settle, and set a floor you will not drop below.
What would change this advice: if a brand pays on results, such as a commission per sale through your affiliate link, your price becomes a mix of a smaller flat fee plus commission. Ask for a flat fee that covers your time either way.
Getting Paid and Setting Aside Tax
Ask for payment terms before you film. Common terms are 50% up front with the rest on posting, or net 30 (payment within 30 days of the invoice). In the US, sponsored post income is self-employment income, and self-employment tax is 15.3% on net earnings once those earnings reach $400. You may need quarterly estimated payments using Form 1040-ES.
Free products you receive for promotion are generally taxable income at their value. The Modern Wallet explains how much to set aside from each deal, and its 1099 tax calculator estimates the bill. This is general information, so talk to a tax professional about your own case.
Pull your median views today, pick a CPM and write your first rate card before you answer the next brand that asks how much you charge for a sponsored post.