Brand deal guides
Everything after "we'd love to work with you": what to charge, what to sign, what rights you are selling, and how to make sure the money arrives.
Updated October 20, 2026.
How to get paid brand deals
To get paid brand deals with a small account, pick one niche, post often enough to show steady average views, and build a one-page media kit. Then work three channels at once: creator marketplaces, direct pitches to brands you already use, and inbound requests. Price from your average views, sign a written contract, and invoice when you deliver.
How much to charge for a brand deal
Price a brand deal from your average views, not your followers. Multiply average views per post by a CPM, the price per 1,000 views. Influencer Marketing Hub's 2026 ranges are $5 to $15 on Instagram, $3 to $10 on TikTok, and $10 to $30 on YouTube. Then charge separately for usage rights, paid ads, exclusivity, rush delivery, and raw files.
How to pitch brands (with email templates)
Pitch brands you already use, by email, to the person who runs influencer or partnership marketing. Keep the email under 150 words: who you are, your average views and audience in one line, one specific content idea, and a clear question. Link your media kit. Follow up twice, about a week apart, then stop.
What to put in a creator media kit
A creator media kit is a one or two page summary that shows a brand who watches you and what you can make. Include your niche, average views per post by platform, audience age, gender, and top countries from native analytics, engagement rate with the formula you used, and past brand work. Leave out lifetime totals and unverifiable claims.
Brand deal contract checklist
A brand deal contract should list every deliverable, cap revision rounds, fix the posting window, and set a payment due date. It should also limit how long and where the brand can use your content, price paid ads separately, keep exclusivity narrow, include a kill fee, and let you exit in writing. Ask for changes before you sign.
Usage rights, whitelisting, and Spark Ads explained
Usage rights set where and how long a brand can reuse your content. Organic usage means reposting it, and paid usage means running it as ads. Whitelisting puts those ads on your own handle through Meta partnership ads or TikTok Spark Ads. Grant each for a fixed term, charge extra for it, and revoke access when the term ends.
How to disclose sponsored posts
Disclose any payment, free product, or other material connection at the very start of the post, in words people understand, such as "ad" or "sponsored." Put it in the video itself, on screen and spoken, not only in the caption. Turn on the platform's paid partnership tool as well, but the FTC says the tool alone may not be enough.
How to spot a fake brand deal
A fake brand deal usually asks you to pay, sign in, download a file, or deposit a check before any real work starts. Real brands pay you, and you can confirm them through contact details you find yourself, not the ones in the message. If you are targeted, stop replying, secure your accounts, and report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
How to invoice brands and get paid on time
Agree on payment terms in writing before you post, then send an invoice the day you deliver. Ask for net-30 or shorter, a deposit on first deals, and a late fee in the contract. US creators give brands a Form W-9 and may receive a 1099-NEC for $2,000 or more paid in 2026. Report all income either way.