Flat-fee sponsored posts by follower tier — lumpy, deal-by-deal income needing an existing audience.
Why that grade Rate-card ranges by follower tier are widely cited industry benchmarks aggregated from multiple sources, not a single audited dataset. Course-seller index 5/10.
Figures are researched estimates, not guarantees. Check local rules before you trade.
Brands pay a flat fee for direct, controllable access to an audience they trust the creator has genuine influence over — no algorithm risk for the brand once the deal is agreed.
Nano (1k-10k): $10-100/post. Micro (10k-50k): $100-500. Mid-tier (50k-500k): $500-5,000. Rates vary enormously by niche — finance/B2B/tech pays far above lifestyle at the same follower count.
Someone with 10,000+ engaged followers and the discipline to negotiate rather than accept the first offer.
Anyone at the nano tier expecting this to be a primary income source — supply of willing creators vastly exceeds brand demand at that level.
Income is lumpy and deal-by-deal rather than recurring, and rates are highly negotiable and inconsistent without a track record or agent — nano and micro creators are routinely undercut by others willing to work for free products.
5 steps to your first paying customer
Include follower count, engagement rate, audience demographics and past results if you have any.
Done when You have a one-page media kit with follower count, engagement rate, audience demographics and any past results ready to send.
Use standard follower-tier benchmarks as a starting point, then adjust up or down for your niche's typical CPM.
Done when You have written per-post rates by tier, benchmarked against your niche's typical CPM, ready to quote without improvising.
The rest of the playbook: what to charge, what you need in place before you take money, where the first customers come from, and what each step costs.
Free forever · no card · 30 secondsNothing stops another creator pitching the same brand; your audience relationship and track record are the only real differentiators.
Specialize in a high-value niche (B2B, finance) where competition is thinner
Build repeat relationships with a handful of brands rather than one-off deals
None meaningful as a standalone asset — tied to your personal accounts.
Same idea, different rules. One playbook, with the facts that actually differ overlaid per market.
Highest-paying brand budgets generally.
No personal income tax on sponsorship revenue.
Report sponsorship income as self-employment via HMRC; ASA disclosure rules apply.
Report as business income.
On-camera or not, monetize long-form YouTube videos through AdSense — most channels never hit the threshold.
Ads, e-learning and games — AI voice synthesis is compressing rates fastest for generic corporate reads.
Live-auction physical goods — the one creator format that genuinely requires inventory capital.