How to Set Your Rates as a Micro-Influencer
A pricing formula you can actually use: followers, CPM, engagement multiplier, niche adjustment — plus what to charge when you barely have a following yet.
Direct answer
Start from (followers ÷ 1,000) × a $10–$25 CPM × an engagement multiplier of 1.0–1.5, then adjust up 40–80% for a premium niche like finance or health — and quote a floor rate even at a few thousand followers instead of waiting to feel "big enough" to charge.
Most creators either guess a number that feels arbitrary, or copy a friend’s rate without checking whether their audience, platform, and niche actually match. Neither gets you paid what the work is worth. A formula gives you a defensible starting number — then you adjust with the things a formula can’t see: your production quality, your track record, and how badly the brand wants you specifically.
Key Takeaways
- Base formula: (followers ÷ 1,000) × $10–25 CPM × 1.0–1.5 engagement multiplier.
- Add 40–80% for a premium niche like finance, health, or B2B.
- Price deliverables separately — a Reel, Stories, and usage are not one number.
- Quote a floor rate at any size. Free work now does not convert into paid work later.
The formula, worked through
Say you have 32,000 Instagram followers, an engagement rate on the higher end for your tier, and you post in a mid-value niche (not finance, not a low-value generalist category). Base: (32 × $14 CPM) = $448. Apply a 1.3 engagement multiplier for above-average performance: $448 × 1.3 ≈ $582. That is your starting number for a single Reel, before usage rights or exclusivity.
$10–25
CPM range to plug into the base formula
1.0–1.5x
Engagement multiplier — average to strong for your tier
+40–80%
Add-on for a premium niche like finance or health
A formula gets you in the room. Your track record decides what happens after that.
What the formula can’t price for you
- Production quality — a well-lit, well-edited Reel earns more than a phone-in-hand clip.
- Proof of past results — code revenue or a brand quote justifies charging above the base.
- Usage rights and exclusivity — price these as separate line items, never bundled in.
- Turnaround time — a rush request is worth more than a request with a generous deadline.
- How specifically the brand needs you — a perfect niche match is worth a premium.
Building the rest of your rate card
Once you have a base Reel or post rate, build out the rest of the card: a Stories set (often 40–60% of a Reel rate), a TikTok equivalent using that platform’s CPM range, and usage or Spark/Partnership Ads rights priced as a separate 20–50% add-on. Put all of it on your media kit, so a brand can say yes without a back-and-forth negotiation over numbers you have already decided.
Sending the number
Quote a range or a firm number in your first reply, not “rates available on request” — that phrase adds a round-trip and gives brands room to ghost. Full pitch structure: how to pitch brands. Before you sign anything, know what you are agreeing to beyond the fee — see understanding your contract.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I charge with under 5,000 followers?
Something. Product-only trades are normal at this size, but for anything with a specific deliverable and a deadline, quote a real number — even $50–$150 for a Reel. A brand that gets used to free work will not suddenly start paying once you grow.
Should I charge the same rate to every brand?
No. Your rate card is a starting point, not a fixed price. A brand with a bigger budget, a longer usage window, or a rush timeline should pay more than a small brand asking for the same basic deliverable with a generous deadline.
How do I raise my rates without losing brands I already work with?
Announce it going forward, not retroactively, and give existing partners a heads-up before their next booking. Growth in followers, engagement, or a portfolio of results (code revenue, past brand quotes) is your justification — cite it plainly rather than apologizing for charging more.
Are the CPM ranges the same across platforms?
No — they run roughly $8–$20 on Instagram, $5–$15 on TikTok, and $15–$35 on YouTube for ordinary consumer niches, higher for finance, health, and B2B. See the full 2026 pricing guide for platform-by-platform detail.
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