Four common pricing models, and picking the wrong one hurts more than overpaying. The anchor for a fair rate is not follower count — it is historical engagement and comparable rates in your niche.
Four models: flat fee (simplest, all the risk on you), CPM / pay per view (risk shared), CPS / revenue share (fairest, hardest to negotiate), and product-only (no cash, works for micro-influencers). Choosing the wrong model costs more than paying a high rate — a $500 flat fee on a video that gets 2,000 views works out to a $250 CPM, which is absurd.
Many influencers quote by follower count ("10k followers = $100"), which is a crude formula. Look at historical engagement instead: ask for screenshots of the backend numbers on their last three videos. Two accounts with the same 10k followers can differ 8x in actual reach depending on whether engagement is 8% or 1%.
Work out the CPM: rate ÷ (estimated views ÷ 1,000). For fast-moving consumer goods, influencer video CPM typically lands between $10 and $40. Above $60 is worth scrutinizing. Do not trust their estimate of views — take the median of their last five.
The risk is entirely yours: you pay, and whatever happens happens. Flat fees make sense for influencers with proven sales ability — someone you have worked with, or who has a clear case study. Do not use a flat fee for a first collaboration, and especially do not prepay in full.
Revenue share is fair to both sides, but influencers resist it because conversion depends on your product and landing page, not on anything they control. To sell CPS you need to offer two things: a competitive share (15%-30% for consumer goods) and an existing conversion case so they believe it can sell.
Zero cash, sample only, suitable for micro-influencers under 3,000 followers. Response rates are actually decent — plenty of people will trade a post for a product. The downside is uncontrolled quality, and some are just after free stuff. Send to 10-20 at once and see whose output is actually usable.
State it all in the first message: what the product is, how many posts, whether links are allowed, and the deadline. Specify a content retention period — some influencers delete videos after a month, which cuts off your traffic. Put a data reporting obligation in the agreement, or you will not get numbers afterward.
If budget is tight, spending the same money on your own account is often the better trade. Influencer collaborations are one-time traffic; your own followers are a reusable asset. See getting your first 1,000 followers and the full channel ranking in cross-border store traffic.
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