You have 8,000 followers. A brand just slid into your DMs.
Maybe your first instinct is: I have no deals yet, so I should charge less.
Here's what's happening on the other side of that conversation: the brand reads "I'm still building my portfolio" as "I don't know what I'm worth." And they are right. Both things cost you.
Lack of confidence tells the brand that they can get away with charging you less.
This guide answers a specific question: how much to charge for a brand deal as a first-time creator, with actual numbers, not "it depends." It also covers the longer-term damage of underpricing early, because the rate you accept on your first deal doesn't stay in that deal. It follows you.
The Short Answer
For creators in the 5K–20K follower range completing their first one or two brand deals, here are directional baseline rates for 2025–2026:
| Follower Count | Instagram Reel (Base Rate) | TikTok Video (Base Rate) | Instagram Feed Post (Base Rate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5K–10K | $150–$350 | $100–$300 | $100–$250 |
| 10K–15K | $300–$600 | $250–$500 | $200–$400 |
| 15K–20K | $500–$900 | $400–$750 | $300–$600 |
These are base content fees, add-ons are not included. Engagement rate, niche, and deliverable scope all move these numbers. A 10K food creator with 8% engagement has more negotiating power than a 15K general lifestyle account with 2%.
Note: if you're looking at your follower count and thinking "those numbers seem higher than what I've seen quoted online," that's intentional. Most guides online reflect what creators have historically accepted, not what they could reasonably charge. There is a difference.
Get a quote for your first deal →
Why Underpricing Your First Deal Costs More Than You Think
"Portfolio-building" is a real strategy. Accepting below-rate deals to get experience, gather testimonials, and produce case study content: that has genuine value. The trap isn't accepting a lower rate. The trap is accepting a lower rate without knowing what you're discounting from.
The anchor problem
Pricing in brand deal negotiations is anchored. When a brand comes back for a second deal (and they will, if the first went well) they anchor to what you charged before. If you charged $150 for a Reel because you were new, the brand doesn't assume your rate has changed. They assume $150 is your rate.
To move up from there requires a conversation that is uncomfortable to initiate and easy for the brand to resist. "But last time you charged $150" is a sentence you don't want to hear.
The referral problem
Brands talk to other brands. Agencies maintain spreadsheets of creator rates. If you're in a brand partnership manager's database at $150 per Reel, that number travels. It becomes your de facto market rate: set by you, shared without you.
What "strategic" actually means
A below-rate deal makes sense in a few specific situations:
- The brand has genuine prestige that opens doors (a verifiable name that other brands recognize)
- The deliverables are simple and the time investment is low
- You get full usage rights for your portfolio and the brand agrees to a testimonial in writing
- The discount is capped: you charge 50–60% of your baseline rate, not 20%
What it does not mean: accepting $50 for a Reel because the brand said they "don't have budget." Every brand has budget. The budget question is whether they've allocated it to you yet.
How to Set a Baseline Rate When You Have No Deals
You do not need prior brand deals to have a rate. You need a framework.
Start with your content fee
Your content fee covers your time, creative labor, equipment, and the value of your audience's attention. For a 5K–20K creator, use the tier table above as your floor. If you shoot, edit, and produce professional-quality video content, you are at the higher end of your tier. If you're posting casually with a phone and no editing, you're at the lower end. Be honest with yourself here, but don't confuse "I'm new" with "my content is low quality."
Add your distribution value
Your audience is small but it's real, and it's yours. At 10K followers with 6% engagement, you're reaching roughly 600 engaged people per post. At a $400 base rate for a Reel, that's less than $0.70 per engaged viewer. For context, brands routinely pay $2–$5 per click in paid advertising. Your rate is not irrational.
Account for add-ons
Add-ons are where most early creators leave money on the table, not because they don't know about them, but because they don't know they're allowed to charge for them on early deals too.
Usage rights: if the brand wants to repost your content on their channels, repurpose it in their ads, or use it beyond your organic post, that is a separate fee. Even at your tier. Typically 25–50% of your base rate per month of usage. Here's how to price usage rights →
Exclusivity: if the brand is asking you not to work with competitors during the campaign window, that restricts your earning potential and deserves compensation. How to price exclusivity in a brand deal →
Link in bio: a dedicated link in bio slot is not included in a content fee. It's a separate placement that drives direct traffic. Price it separately. How to price a link in bio →
A Real Example: First Deal, Done Right
Creator profile: Lifestyle creator, 12K Instagram followers, 4.2% engagement rate, 0 completed brand deals
Brand ask: 1 Instagram Reel + 3 Stories + link in bio for 2 weeks + brand can repost the content on their own Instagram
| Line Item | Rate |
|---|---|
| Instagram Reel: base content fee | $450 |
| Instagram Stories (3): base content fee | $150 |
| Link in bio: 2-week placement | $75 |
| Usage rights: brand organic repurposing, 60 days | $135 |
| Total | $810 |
Without the add-ons, she might have quoted $450 and called it done. That's a $360 difference on a first deal, with no prior experience.
She didn't need a track record to charge $810. She needed to know what the ask was actually worth.
How to Talk About Your Rate When You Have No Experience
This is the question most early creators avoid. The silence around it is where underpricing lives.
Don't lead with inexperience
You don't need to announce that this is your first deal. The brand knows what tier you're at: they can see your follower count. What they don't know is whether you know your worth. When you lead with "I'm new to this," you answer that question for them.
Quote with confidence, explain with precision
You do not need a history of deals to quote a specific number. You need to be able to explain what the number covers. "This rate reflects the content fee for the Reel and Stories, plus usage rights for repurposing: here's how I've broken it down." That sentence doesn't require experience. It requires preparation.
Expect a counter — it's not a rejection
Most brands expect to negotiate. A counter-offer isn't a signal that your rate was wrong. It's a signal that you made an offer. If they come back at 60% of your quote, hold the base content fee and consider offering a shorter usage rights window as a concession. Here's how to counter a brand deal offer →
Bonus Tip: When you send your rate, include a brief breakdown of the line items. It signals that you've thought this through, not that you're justifying yourself. Brands respond better to a structured quote than to a single number with no context.
When to Accept a Below-Rate Deal (and When to Say No)
Accept when
- The brand name genuinely carries weight in your niche and you'll use it in future pitches
- The deliverables are low-lift and the timeline is reasonable
- You're discounting to 50–70% of your baseline, not 15–20%
- You get a written agreement on testimonial or case study usage
Decline when
- The "portfolio opportunity" is the only offer: no fee, just "exposure"
- The brand is asking for exclusivity within a gifted or below-rate deal
- The usage rights ask is broad and the rate doesn't reflect it
- You feel embarrassed by the number: that's your instincts, not your inexperience, talking
There is no version of "just to get started" that requires gifted-only deals with full usage rights attached. That is not a portfolio-building deal. That is giving away your creative work.
What to Say in the First Conversation: Template Language
You don't need a full media kit or an agency to sound like you know what you're doing. A few sentences do the work.
Opening your rate:
"Based on the deliverables you've outlined (one Reel, three Stories, and repurposing rights), my rate for this campaign is $810. I've broken that into a content fee and usage rights. Happy to walk through the line items if helpful."
If they push back on your experience:
"I've worked on [X type of content] for [time period] and I'm confident in the quality I'd bring. The rate reflects the deliverable and the usage scope, not the number of brand deals I've completed."
If they ask you to work for free:
"I don't do unpaid brand work: I keep a portfolio of my content on my profile, so you can see what you'd be getting. If there's a budget that works for the scope, I'd love to find a number that makes sense for both of us."
Raising Your Rate as You Build Deals
After your first one or two deals, raise your rate intentionally. Don't wait until a brand makes you feel undervalued to revisit the number.
A clean way to do it: after each completed deal, document what you charged and what the deliverables included. Then benchmark against your tier's current rates. If you charged at the floor of your tier, move toward the midpoint. If you charged at the midpoint, move toward the top.
Brands you've worked with before will push back. Hold firm. "My rates have adjusted since our last campaign: here's the updated breakdown." That sentence is not a negotiation. It's a statement of fact.
Every deal you complete is data. The first deal sets the floor. The second deal establishes the pattern. The third deal either confirms it or corrects it.
Start high enough that you have room to negotiate down. Start with line items so the brand can see you've thought through the ask. And do not confuse inexperience with worthlessness: they are not the same thing, and brands are counting on you to confuse them.
Your rate is not a reflection of how many deals you've done. It's a reflection of what this deal is worth.
Get a quote for your first deal →
Frequently Asked Questions
How much to charge for a brand deal as a first-time creator with 10K followers? For a single Instagram Reel at 10K followers, a reasonable base rate is typically $300–$500. Add usage rights, exclusivity, or a link in bio and the total climbs. Don't start below $250 for a Reel regardless of experience level: below that floor, you're giving away more than you're building.
Should I charge less for my first brand deal to build a portfolio? A discount is reasonable if the brand carries genuine prestige and the deliverables are simple. Charge 50–70% of your baseline, not less. Do not accept gifted-only deals with usage rights attached: that's not portfolio-building, that's unpaid creative work.
What if a brand asks what my rate is and I've never done a deal before? Quote a number based on the deliverable, not your experience. If they're asking for a Reel plus usage rights, price those line items. Your rate reflects the ask, not your history. Brands can see your follower count: what they're evaluating is whether you know what you're worth.
How do I handle a brand that pushes back because I'm a new creator? Hold the base content fee. If you want to offer a concession, offer a shorter usage rights window, not a lower content fee. The content fee is the floor. Usage rights are negotiable. Never discount the base rate just because your portfolio is thin.
When should I raise my rate after my first brand deal? After each completed deal. Benchmark your rate against your follower tier and raise toward the midpoint if you started at the floor. Don't wait for a brand to offer more: adjust your rate proactively and communicate the change clearly when you reach back out or respond to new inquiries.