The number-one question creators ask each other on private Discords: what do I charge?
Here is the cheat sheet we wish we'd had three years ago.
The base formula
For a single Instagram in-feed post, your starting rate is roughly: (follower count in thousands) × $10 to $15, then adjusted by niche premium and engagement rate.
Beauty / fashion / fitness: 1.3x multiplier (high conversion brands pay more)
Tech / finance: 1.5x multiplier (B2B budgets, fewer creators competing)
Food / lifestyle: 1.0x baseline
Music / gaming: 0.8x (heavy supply, harder to convert)
By format
IG Story (24h): 40% of in-feed post rate
IG Reel: 1.5x in-feed post rate (the platform pushes it)
TikTok organic: 1.0x your IG rate
YouTube Short: 1.2x IG rate
YouTube long-form integration: 4-8x IG rate
Add-ons
Usage rights for 6 months: +30%
Exclusivity within niche for 3 months: +50%
Whitelisting (brand can boost your post as an ad): +40%
Rush turnaround under 72h: +25%
If your engagement rate is above 5%, add another 30% across the board. If it's below 2%, take 20% off. Engagement matters more than raw follower count to most serious brands.
The rule that beats every other rule
Don't ever send the first number. Ask the brand what their budget is for this campaign. Half the time you'll be quoted higher than what you would have asked for. The other half, you can negotiate up from there.