Should micro-creators charge less per follower?

Usually the opposite. Small engaged audiences convert better per head, which is why the engagement multiplier matters more than raw following. 10k highly-engaged followers routinely out-earn 100k passive ones per post.

What about free product instead of payment?

Product covers product-value, not your rate. Take it only when the item's retail price genuinely exceeds your computed rate and you would buy it anyway. 'Exposure' is not a currency.

What extras should cost extra?

Usage rights beyond the organic post, whitelisting for paid ads, exclusivity windows, link-in-bio placement, and rush timelines. Price each as a named line, not as goodwill.

Creator earnings

Sponsorship rate calculator

Brands buy attention, not followers. The standard pricing heuristic starts at a rate per thousand followers and multiplies by how alive your audience actually is. This computes the range worth negotiating from.

Your numbers

Followers

On the platform being sponsored.

Engagement rate

Likes plus comments over followers. Our engagement calculator computes it; 3% is the pricing baseline.

Base rate per 1,000 followers

$10-25 is the common Instagram band; TikTok similar, LinkedIn higher. At 3% engagement this is the whole price.

Results

The formula

Rate = followers ÷ 1,000 × base × (your engagement ÷ 3%), multiplier clamped 0.5-3. The range is ±30%: quote the top, accept above the bottom.

What this ignores

Usage rights (paid ads with your face cost extra), exclusivity clauses (category lockouts are worth 20-50% more), deliverable bundles, and whales: niche B2B audiences break every per-follower formula upward.

FAQ

Should micro-creators charge less per follower?: Usually the opposite. Small engaged audiences convert better per head, which is why the engagement multiplier matters more than raw following. 10k highly-engaged followers routinely out-earn 100k passive ones per post.
What about free product instead of payment?: Product covers product-value, not your rate. Take it only when the item's retail price genuinely exceeds your computed rate and you would buy it anyway. 'Exposure' is not a currency.
What extras should cost extra?: Usage rights beyond the organic post, whitelisting for paid ads, exclusivity windows, link-in-bio placement, and rush timelines. Price each as a named line, not as goodwill.