Three Things to Think Through When Sending Your Rates to Brands
Here’s the tea from our founder: Every brand has a different budget, which means flexibility is key. But sending the same blanket rates to everyone? Big no-no.
Know & Leverage Your Audience
We’re not just talking about your follower count. Yes, the size of your following does play a role, but that’s not the only thing brands are looking at in 2025. Here’s what really matters:
Know Your Engagement Rate. Do you know your engagement rate? Are people actually commenting, sharing, and saving your posts?
Knowing your engagement rate will help you better understand and leverage your platform’s influence. Here is a free calculator you can use to determine your engagement rate: Phlanx Free TikTok Engagement Calculator
Know Your Conversion Rate. If you’ve worked with brands before, do your followers actually click and buy your recommendations? Shops like Amazon Storefront and LTKI all have metrics readily available to better understand what products they trust you to talk about! Use these metrics when pitching to your favorite brands.
Is Your Audience A Good Match? Is your community aligned with the brand’s target audience? You become tremendously more valuable when you’re the right fit, versus someone with double the following but zero overlap. E.g. A chef influencer will sell the latest kitchen gadget better than a gaming influencer.
Do Your Homework Beforehand
Before sending a blind rate, do a little brand recon. Check out their socials - do they feature creators often? Are they micro-creators or macro- creators? Is influencer content rare for them? Look at their aesthetic and the culture of their content. Are they working with people who feel like you, or is the fit a little off?
A quick search will tell you a lot about how much a brand might be willing to invest in you, especially if your audience is a fit.
Know Your Connection to the Brand
This part should come easy if you’re a natural consumer of the brand you’re trying to partner with.
Ask yourself: Do you actually use or love their products? Do you already have organic content you can share with the brand featured in your current content to hype up your desire to work with them even more? Could you talk about them in a way that feels natural?
Brands can tell when it’s authentic, and audiences respond way better when it is.
The Bottom Line
There’s no “perfect rate.” Determining what rate to set for each brand requires balancing flexibility, research, and authenticity. Show the brand you understand their world, highlight your engagement, and don’t be afraid to adjust based on their budget.
Because at the end of the day, pitching isn’t just about money — it’s about building partnerships that last
Engagement Calculators We Recommend:
Phlanx www.phlanx.com/tiktok-engagement-calculator
Upfluence www.upfluence.com/instagram-profile-engagement-checker
