Most UK creators are being underpaid by 40–70% on brand deals — not because brands are evil, but because creators don't know their real market rate. This guide fixes that. Real benchmarks, real formulas, no guessing.
There's no publicly available price list for brand deals. Brands know this. They rely on creators not knowing their worth to keep costs low. The result? A creator with 50,000 engaged TikTok followers might accept £300 for a deal that should be worth £1,200.
The problem isn't just lost income on one deal — it's that underpaying sets a precedent. Brands share creator rates with each other. Once you've accepted £300, you become a "£300 creator" in their systems.
Based on data from NegotiRate users, the average UK creator is being underpaid by 47% on their brand deals. That's nearly half the money they're entitled to, left on the table every single campaign.
TikTok has fundamentally changed influencer pricing. The combination of high organic reach, viral potential, and purchase intent makes TikTok creators extremely valuable to brands — often more so than Instagram creators with the same follower count.
TikTok rates are primarily driven by average views per video, not follower count. A creator with 15,000 followers getting 200,000 views per video should charge more than a creator with 50,000 followers getting 20,000 views.
| Tier | Followers | Avg Views | Rate Per Post | Rate Per Story |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nano | 1K – 10K | 5K – 50K | £150 – £400 | £50 – £120 |
| Micro | 10K – 50K | 20K – 250K | £400 – £1,500 | £120 – £400 |
| Mid | 50K – 250K | 100K – 1M | £1,500 – £6,000 | £400 – £1,500 |
| Macro | 250K+ | 500K+ | £6,000 – £25,000+ | £1,500 – £6,000 |
Always lead with your average views, not your follower count. If you regularly hit 10× your follower count in views, you're a high-performing creator and should price accordingly. Brands pay for eyeballs, not numbers on a profile.
Instagram remains the most established platform for brand partnerships. Brands have been spending on Instagram influencer marketing since 2015 and have well-established budgets. The downside is the platform is competitive — meaning rates are more standardised and harder to negotiate unless you have exceptional engagement.
Instagram rates vary significantly by content type. A static feed post, a Reel, and a series of Stories are priced very differently, and creators who bundle them together often leave money on the table.
| Tier | Followers | Feed Post | Reel | Stories (3–5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nano | 1K – 10K | £100 – £300 | £150 – £400 | £60 – £150 |
| Micro | 10K – 100K | £300 – £2,000 | £400 – £2,500 | £150 – £600 |
| Mid | 100K – 500K | £2,000 – £8,000 | £2,500 – £10,000 | £600 – £2,500 |
| Macro | 500K+ | £8,000 – £30,000+ | £10,000 – £40,000+ | £2,500 – £10,000 |
Instagram's average engagement rate has declined as the platform has grown. Don't let brands use industry averages to lowball you — if your engagement is above benchmark, it's a strong negotiating point.
| Account Size | Below Average | Average | Above Average | Excellent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nano (1K–10K) | <2% | 2–4% | 4–8% | 8%+ |
| Micro (10K–100K) | <1.5% | 1.5–3% | 3–6% | 6%+ |
| Mid (100K–500K) | <1% | 1–2% | 2–4% | 4%+ |
| Macro (500K+) | <0.5% | 0.5–1.5% | 1.5–3% | 3%+ |
YouTube sponsorships are priced differently to other platforms because content has a longer shelf life — a sponsored video from 2 years ago might still be getting views today. Brands value this and YouTube rates tend to be the highest per piece of content.
The standard YouTube sponsorship is a 60–90 second mid-roll segment. Integration sponsorships (where the product is woven into the content) command a 20–40% premium over dedicated sponsorship segments.
| Subscribers | Avg Views | Dedicated Video | Mid-Roll Segment | Integration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1K – 10K | 500 – 5K | £200 – £600 | £100 – £300 | £150 – £400 |
| 10K – 100K | 5K – 50K | £600 – £3,000 | £300 – £1,500 | £400 – £2,000 |
| 100K – 500K | 50K – 250K | £3,000 – £12,000 | £1,500 – £6,000 | £2,000 – £8,000 |
| 500K+ | 250K+ | £12,000 – £50,000+ | £6,000 – £25,000+ | £8,000 – £35,000+ |
UGC (User Generated Content) is one of the fastest growing opportunities for creators. Unlike traditional influencer deals, UGC creators don't need a large following — brands buy the content itself to use in their own ads, website and social channels.
UGC rates are based on content type, usage rights and deliverable count rather than follower size, making it an excellent income stream for smaller creators.
| Content Type | Usage Period | Rate Range |
|---|---|---|
| Short video (15–30s) | 3 months | £150 – £350 |
| Short video (15–30s) | 6–12 months | £250 – £500 |
| Long video (60–90s) | 3 months | £300 – £700 |
| Long video (60–90s) | 6–12 months | £500 – £1,000 |
| Photo set (3–5 images) | 3 months | £200 – £450 |
| Photo set (3–5 images) | 6–12 months | £350 – £700 |
| Paid ads usage (Meta/TikTok) | Per month add-on | +£100 – £300/mo |
Always charge separately for usage rights. Content creation and usage rights are two different things. Many brands will try to bundle them — don't let them. If a brand wants to run your content as a paid ad for 6 months, that's worth significantly more than organic use only.
The most reliable starting formula for any creator is CPM-based pricing. CPM (cost per thousand impressions) is how brands measure advertising spend, so anchoring your rates to this metric puts you on equal footing in negotiations.
| Platform | Content Type | Recommended CPM |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok | In-feed video | £20 – £40 |
| Reel | £25 – £45 | |
| Feed post | £15 – £30 | |
| Stories | £10 – £20 | |
| YouTube | Mid-roll segment | £30 – £60 |
| YouTube | Dedicated video | £50 – £100 |
A TikTok creator with 40,000 followers getting an average of 180,000 views per video in the beauty niche:
Brands used to pay based on followers. In 2025, smart brands pay based on actual reach and engagement. If you have high views relative to your follower count, you should be charging based on views — it'll almost always work in your favour.
Not all brand deals are equal. A creator in the personal finance niche can charge significantly more than a lifestyle creator with identical stats, because the customer lifetime value to a finance brand is much higher than to a fashion brand.
Use these multipliers on top of your base CPM rate:
| Niche | Multiplier | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Finance & Investing | 1.8 – 2.5× | Extremely high customer LTV |
| B2B / SaaS / Tech | 1.6 – 2.2× | High-ticket products, niche audiences |
| Health & Wellness | 1.4 – 1.8× | High repeat purchase, premium brands |
| Beauty & Skincare | 1.2 – 1.6× | High brand budgets, competitive market |
| Fitness | 1.2 – 1.5× | Strong purchase intent audience |
| Food & Drink | 1.0 – 1.3× | Mass market, mid-range budgets |
| Fashion & Style | 1.0 – 1.4× | Competitive, seasonal budgets |
| Gaming | 1.1 – 1.5× | Highly engaged audiences, growing budgets |
| Parenting | 1.1 – 1.4× | Trusted voices, safety-conscious brands |
| General Lifestyle | 0.9 – 1.1× | Broad but less targeted |
This is the most commonly misunderstood part of creator contracts — and where the most money is left on the table. Usage rights are separate from your creative fee. When a brand uses your content beyond your own channels, they are licensing your intellectual property.
If a brand asks for a "full buyout" of your content with unlimited usage in perpetuity, this is extremely valuable and should be priced accordingly. A flat £300 fee for unlimited lifetime usage of your content is not acceptable. Perpetual licensing should be priced at a minimum of 3–5× your standard post rate.
Most creators never counter-offer. This is a mistake. Brands almost always have more budget than they initially offer — it's standard practice to start low. When you counter-offer, you're not being difficult; you're being professional.
This is the most common pushback. Don't drop your rate immediately. Instead, ask: "What does your budget look like for this campaign?" This forces them to name a number, which gives you information to work with. Often "over budget" means £50–£100 over budget, not completely unworkable.
Whatever rate you agree on, make sure the contract specifies: the exact deliverables, the posting window, usage rights (where, how long, which platforms), exclusivity period (if any), revision rounds allowed, and payment terms. Verbal agreements don't protect you.