PostEaseStart from engagement, not follower count
Engagement rate relative to audience size is a far more honest indicator of value to a brand than raw follower count. A smaller, engaged audience can justify a higher rate than a larger, passive one, and framing pricing around engagement holds up better under negotiation.
Price the format, not just "a post"
A single feed post, a short video, a long-form video, and a full campaign across multiple formats each represent very different amounts of work and reach, and pricing them identically undervalues the more involved formats. A rate card broken out by format gives both sides a clearer starting point.
Factor in usage rights and exclusivity explicitly
A brand's request to reuse content in its own advertising, or to require exclusivity from competitors for a period, is worth pricing as a distinct add-on rather than absorbing into a base rate. Each represents real additional value given up, separate from the post itself.
Revisit pricing as real numbers change
A rate set a year ago may no longer reflect a creator's current audience size or engagement. Updating pricing periodically against current performance, rather than anchoring indefinitely to an old rate, keeps it fair to both sides as the numbers change.