On this page
Most creators price the same way: someone emails, you guess, and you hope the number does not scare them off. Then the next brand asks for the same thing plus extras, and you guess again.
The result is rates that drift. Two similar deals end up at very different prices, and the extras a brand quietly asks for (extra usage, a longer exclusivity window, a faster turnaround) get absorbed into a fee that was never meant to cover them.
A rate card fixes that. It is not a list of fixed prices to defend. It is a structure: a base rate for the work itself, and clear, separate prices for everything a brand can add on top.
This guide walks through that structure. It deliberately uses no market figures, because the right numbers depend on your niche, audience and results. Where you see an example, it is the shape that matters, not the amount.
Start with a base rate per format
Your base rate is the price for the creative work and your audience's attention, on your own channel, for a defined run of time. Nothing else is included.
List one base rate for each format you actually deliver:
- A short vertical video
- A static or carousel post
- A longer video or dedicated episode
- A story sequence
- A live session
Each format takes different effort and performs differently, so each gets its own line. Do not derive one from another by a fixed ratio unless it genuinely reflects your time and results.
To set each one, anchor on three things:
- Audience: who is in it, where they are, and how engaged they are, not just how many.
- Performance: the typical views, saves, clicks or replies your content earns, using your own recent figures.
- Effort: scripting, shooting, editing, revisions and admin.
Write down what the base rate includes. For example: "One video, one round of revisions, posted to one channel, live on the feed for a set period."
Price usage rights separately
Usage rights are the most commonly underpriced part of a deal. If a brand wants to reuse your content on its own channels or in a paid ad, it is buying something different from your post.
Price usage as an add-on, rising as the channels, duration and territory widen. "Organic reposting for a short window" and "paid ads for a year, worldwide" should never be the same price. For the full list of terms to define, see the usage rights checklist.
Add a line for paid amplification
Paid amplification, where a brand runs your post as an ad through your handle (often called whitelisting or partnership ads), puts your identity in front of audiences you did not build. It also carries more risk for you.
Treat it as its own add-on, separate from general usage. Specify:
- The platforms and accounts involved
- The length of the run
- Whether the brand can edit the creative
- What happens when the window ends
If the brand wants your content as a paid asset on their own account, that is usage. If they want to run it from yours, that is amplification. Price them as two lines.
Charge for exclusivity by scope and time
Exclusivity means you will not work with competing brands for a period. It has a real cost: every competitor you turn down is income you gave up.
Price it by scope and duration:
- Category: how narrowly "competitor" is defined. "Any beauty brand" costs more than "named direct competitors".
- Length: the longer the window, the higher the uplift.
- Channels: whether it covers all your content or only the campaign platform.
A practical rule: the broader the category and the longer the term, the higher the multiplier. If a brand will not name the competitors, treat the widest reading as the one you are being asked to accept.
Rush timelines and bundles
Two more levers belong on the card.
Rush fee. A short turnaround displaces other work. Set a standard turnaround for each format, and apply a rush uplift when a brand needs it faster. State the standard timeline on the card so the uplift has something to be measured against.
Bundles. Brands often want several deliverables over a campaign. A bundle discount is reasonable when it reduces your overhead (one brief, one invoice, one approval cycle). Keep it modest and tied to commitment, and never discount usage or exclusivity just because the volume is higher.
Also list what counts as extra work: additional revision rounds, reshoots after approval, and extra platform edits.
Present it and negotiate
How to present it
A rate card should be easy to read in a minute. Keep it to one page or one section of your media kit:
- Base rate per format, with what is included
- Add-ons: usage, paid amplification, exclusivity, rush, extra revisions
- A short note on payment terms and how long the quote is valid
- Your audience snapshot and a few recent results
Share it as a starting point, not a final price. A line such as "Here is how I structure pricing. Tell me what you have in mind and I will put together a quote" invites a conversation rather than a haggle.
When to negotiate, and when to hold
Negotiate on the scope, not just the number. If a brand says the budget is lower, you have more useful options than discounting:
- Shorten the usage window
- Narrow the exclusivity category
- Reduce the deliverables
- Lengthen the timeline to remove the rush fee
Hold firm when the request changes the nature of the work. Unlimited usage, perpetual rights or a wide exclusivity clause for a standard fee are scope problems, not pricing problems.
It is also worth revisiting your card on a schedule. When your audience grows, your results improve or your waiting list gets longer, your rates should move with them.
Keep rates and rights in one place
A rate card only helps if you can see what you agreed against what you quoted. Track the usage window, exclusivity period and deliverables for every deal, so renewals and expiries do not catch you by surprise.
That is the problem Knoto is built around. Roster holds the creator record, and Deals handles quotes, deliverables and usage rights with renewal alerts, as one connected workflow. Campaigns, Scheduler, Pay and Insights are on the roadmap and not live yet. If you want to run your creator work this way, join the beta.
Run your whole creator business in one place.
Join the beta
Written by
Harry Ashby
Founder, Knoto
