Creators, this is how you can make more money from brand partnerships
I’ve seen so many creators miss out on this over the years, and I don’t want that to happen to you too! This is about you knowing your worth and charging the rates you deserve.
Let’s catch up - I’ll be sharing the easiest and best ways to increase your fees and make more money from brand partnerships
When it comes to brand deals, if you represent yourself and you don’t have management there’s a chance you might just be charging for the basics (ie - the content itself).
But the big thing is - we don’t want to do that.
And to take it one step beyond that, we want to make sure you’re reading your contracts thoroughly so you know exactly how you can charge more and get a higher fee from brands. It’s a big part of what I do as a content creator consultant - helping creators getting the best fee for their work, so let’s dive in.
Hidden bonuses
Brands will often sneak in little extras into influencer contracts which gets them more value for money. This is great for them (one example - they might have the rights to use your content within an AD on Instagram), but it sucks for you!
Part of the trick of increasing your brand fees is knowing what terms to look for in your contract - so here are seven easy ways to get more money from your brand partnerships, regardless of how many followers you have.
1) Usage rights
There are a few layers to this one. If a brand is asking to use your content OUTSIDE of Instagram or TikTok on an organic basis, charge for it. Example: if they want to put your post up on their website, they’re using your influence and content to sell products. They shouldn’t be getting that for free.
If it’s on a paid basis on *any* platform - social, digital ads (PPC), on their app, anywhere - charge for it! Your content is SO valuable for brands - they’re using your identity for either brand awareness or to sell, so charge for usage by month, by channel so you get what you’re worth. To find these terms in an influencer contract, scan it for the term “usage rights”.
Not sure what to charge when it comes to usage rights? There’s no exact formula I can share - it depends on your engagement, follower size, niche and the country you’re from (the local market) but I can help you with that. I’m a social media strategist and content creator consultant and I help influencers with their social strategy. You can chat to me about your fees on a call - the link is just here to find out more.
2) Sound ads
This has gone pretty under the radar in general, but music labels are paying creators to use certain sounds in their reels for exposure.
Where they used to pay radio stations for exposure… this is the new version!)
Both music labels and agencies are organising these partnerships, so keep your eyes peeled.
3) Quick turnaround time for a campaign?
If the brand want you to turn your content around really quickly - you should be charging for it.
If the brand are giving you as the creator 3+ days to turn around the content, it’s cheeky but not unreasonable. Anything less than that I’d call a “rush campaign” and I’d be adding an extra fee on to the brand. Example: if a brand asked an agency to turn around a campaign that quickly, you can bet they’ll be charging rush fees too!
4) Exclusivity with the brand
In general, creators don’t charge for exclusivity with influencer brand partnerships BUT you need to know *when* to charge.
If the brand are 1) asking for you not to work with a lot of brands that are not direct competitors and 2) for a longer period of time, don’t sell yourself short, I’d be charging for either of these things. A short exclusivity list is very fair, but anything that feels like a “wider” competitor isn’t (ie - if you’re a fizzy drink brand and they ask you not to work with a coffee company, fruit juices, dairy products and more - I’d call that an extensive list).
If it’s a brand you really want to work with you could either negotiate these terms to reduce the brand list or charge the brand for an extensive competitor clause. (More often than not they’ll reduce the brand’s list but it’s a good option, as some brands will pay!)
5) Whitelisting
One of those weird influencer marketing terms, if you’re not 100% sure what whitelisting is - it’s when a brand uses your content to create an ad which doesn’t appear on your feed, just as an ad.
Because this is a form of ad, you should be charging for it.
6) Multi channel posting
If the brand want to post your content across two channels, charge for it. Don’t bundle the same post on TikTok and Instagram into one fee, make sure you’re charging the brand by channel, by month too. (It’s becoming more and more common, for brands to want posts across Instagram and TikTok, sometimes Shorts - so don’t miss this!)
This is a really easy way to increase your fee too so don’t be afraid to negotiate that into the offer, even if they haven’t asked your directly for it.
7) They want to edit your video themselves
Last but not least, if they want a copy of your raw footage with the ability to edit it to their liking, charge extra for that too. I’d be wary about this though, I’d always ask for final approval to keep you safe (as sadly, you just never know what a brand might add to your video).
There are so many ways you can upsell your content as a creator to get an extra fee and if you’re a creator who would like to chat to me about working with brands, I’d love to chat through it with you!
You can find out more about my 1-2-1 strategy calls just here - I’m a social media strategist and content creator consultant with 12 years experience, so I’m happy to help. Feel free to bookmark this page for whenever you might need it too!