Brand Deals for Small Creators: How to Get Paid Without Pricing by Follower Count
Think you need a big following to land paid brand deals? That assumption is exactly why so many brand deals for small creators end up underpaid — or never paid at all.
The truth is: brand deals for small creators can be very lucrative, but only if you stop pricing based on follower count, stop accepting gifted collabs, and start structuring collaborations the way brands actually think about them.
Too many creators get paid far less than they should or not at all with gifted collabs — simply because they’ve been told that how much you get paid for brand deals depends on how big your audience is.
In reality, brands don’t pay for numbers. They pay for outcomes, performance, and return on investment (ROI). And small influencers are often in a better position to deliver that than they realize.
In this guide on brand deals for small creators, I’ll show you:
How to get brand deals as a small influencer to actually get paid (not just gifted collabs),
Why follower-based pricing doesn’t work in brand deals for small influencers, and
How to structure smarter collaborations that brands say yes to — without racing to the bottom.
By the end, you’ll know how to position yourself as a business partner — not “just” a creator — and how to earn more from brand deals even if your following isn’t massive.
This post is all about how to structure brand deals for small creators to actually get paid for your value (and stop settling for gifted collabs).
👉 Make sure to get the brand to sign a proper Brand Collaboration Contract to legally lock in payment terms and ensure you actually get paid.
Best Brand Deals for Small Creators
Everything you need to know about the best brand deals for small influencers
1. Why Follower Count Is a Bad Way to Price Brand Deals
One of the most common mistakes with brand deals for small creators is pricing based mainly on follower count. It’s the advice creators pass around because it feels objective and easy to compare — but it’s also why many small influencers end up underpaid.
Follower count is a vanity metric, not a performance metric. It says very little about whether your audience actually listens to you, trusts you, or buys because of your recommendation.
Yet many small influencers still decide how much to charge for brand deals by copying what other creators with a similar following are doing — even if those creators are underpaid themselves. That creates a cycle where low pricing reinforces itself.
Here’s the problem: when you price your brand deals by follower count alone, you’re letting one of the least important factors drive the entire conversation.
A creator with 10,000 highly targeted followers can easily outperform a much larger account if their audience actually trusts them and buys based on their recommendations. Brands see this in campaign results all the time, even if they don’t always explain it clearly to creators.
That’s why the best brand deals for small influencers aren’t limited by audience size — they’re limited by how the deal is framed. When pricing is tied solely to follower count, creators are forced into “cheap reach” conversations rather than value-based collaborations.
Why follower-based pricing hurts small creators the most
Pricing by follower count puts small creators at a disadvantage because:
It encourages undercharging “until you’re bigger.”
It trains brands to expect cheap rates from smaller accounts.
It ignores the value of niche audiences and conversion potential.
That’s why many brand deals for content creators end up paying far less than the value delivered — the deal is framed incorrectly from the start.
2. The Biggest Mistakes Small Creators Make in Brand Deals
Once follower count is out of the way, most problems with brand deals for small creators come down to how deals are structured.
Mistake #1: Pricing a post instead of a deal
Many small creators quote a single flat fee for “a post” without considering what the brand actually receives.
In reality, most brand deals include:
content creation,
posting on your platform,
and often ongoing use of that content behind the scenes.
When everything is bundled into one number, creators end up underpricing their work — especially when brands continue to benefit long after the post goes live.
This is one of the main reasons creators struggle with how much to charge for brand deals: they’re pricing deliverables in isolation rather than the full collaboration.
Mistake #2: Relying only on flat fees
Flat fees feel safe because they’re simple. But flat-fee-only deals often cap your earnings — particularly in brand deals for small influencers where budgets may already be tight.
If a collaboration performs well, a flat fee means:
the brand keeps all the upside,
while the creator’s compensation stays fixed.
That doesn’t mean flat fees are “wrong.” It means they’re often incomplete when used on their own.
Mistake #3: Treating gifted collaborations as “normal” payment
Accepting gifted collaborations can make sense in limited situations — especially early on or for strategic exposure. But many creators treat gifted deals as the default, rather than the exception.
The problem isn’t just low pay. It’s that gifted collaborations:
anchor your perceived value too low,
blur the line between hobby and business,
and often come with expectations similar to paid brand deals.
This is why many brand deals for content creators quietly turn into unpaid or underpaid work — the deal was framed as a “gift,” but the expectations weren’t.
(We’ll go much deeper into this in a separate post on gifted collaborations.)
Mistake #4: Bundling everything together by default
One of the most costly mistakes small creators make is bundling:
posting,
usage,
ads,
and duration
into a single fee, or not discussing them at all.
When this happens, creators lose leverage without realizing it, and brands gain flexibility without paying for it.
And once something is given away for free in the first deal, it’s very hard to charge for it later.
Why these mistakes matter
All of these mistakes have one thing in common: They force creators into cheap, short-term brand deals instead of scalable collaborations.
That’s why many small creators feel stuck — not because they can’t get brand deals, but because the deals they get aren’t structured to grow with them.
3. How Small Creators Should Actually Get Paid for Brand Deals
Once you stop pricing brand deals by follower count, the next step is to understand what brands usually expect — and where that expectation comes from.
In most brand deals, far-reaching rights are written into the brand’s contract.
Brand contracts usually go beyond “just a post”
Many brand contracts don’t just cover posting on your platform. They often include clauses that allow the brand to:
reuse your content on its own channels,
use it in ads or promotions,
and keep using it for an extended period, or even indefinitely.
When creators quote one flat fee without addressing these points, they often agree — unintentionally — to much more than they priced for.
This is how brand deals for small creators quietly become unbalanced: the compensation reflects “a post,” while the contract reflects content licensing.
Why unbundling helps when brands have smaller budgets
Many brands that work with small creators have limited budgets. That doesn’t mean they expect everything for free — it means they need to prioritize.
By separating the different parts of a collaboration, you replace all-or-nothing deals with clear boundaries.
At a minimum, creators should distinguish between:
Posting on your own platform
Organic usage rights (reposting on the brand’s channels)
Paid usage (ads, whitelisting, Spark Ads)
Duration of use
This allows a brand to say:
“We can afford the post, but not usage,” or
“We want usage, but only for a limited time.”
Instead of the brand getting everything by default, they get what they actually pay for.
Why usage rights should almost never be unlimited
Posting is a one-time action. Usage creates value over time.
If a brand wants to continue using your content after the collaboration ends, that should be reflected in the deal structure. Time-limited or ongoing usage fees prevent scope creep and make sure compensation stays aligned with value.
This approach is especially useful in brand deals for small influencers, where upfront budgets may be tight but flexibility matters.
Many creators struggle with how much to charge for brand deals because they try to squeeze everything into a single number. Structuring the deal first — and pricing each part intentionally — leads to clearer negotiations and better outcomes.
💡 If you want practical reference points for pricing posts, usage, and deal structures, my free influencer rate card walks through these distinctions. Simply subscribe to my newsletter and get access to my influencer rate card immediately!
The Ultimate Contract Template That Sets Boundaries for Content Creators
Most payment issues in brand deals come from vague or one-sided contracts.
If you’re working with brands (or reviewing their agreements), it’s crucial that things like usage rights, exclusivity, whitelisting, and link-in-bio requirements are clearly defined before content goes live.
👉 My creator-friendly Brand Collaboration Contract is designed specifically for content creators like you and clearly sets out:
what types of usage rights are included (and which aren’t),
whether content can be used in ads or whitelisted,
how long a brand can use your content,
exclusivity limitations,
and additional requirements, such as a link-in-bio.
This way, brands get clarity — and you are paid fairly and keep control over how your content is used.
4. Why Commissions Help Small Creators Earn More (And Why You Should Never Accept Commission-Only Deals)
Commissions are one of the most misunderstood parts of brand deals for small creators.
Some creators avoid them entirely because they’ve heard horror stories.
Others accept commission-only deals because they feel they don’t yet have leverage.
Both approaches usually leave money on the table.
Used properly, commissions can increase what small creators earn — but only when they’re structured intentionally and never used as a replacement for baseline compensation.
Why commissions can work especially well with small brands
Many small brands simply don’t have large upfront budgets. That doesn’t mean they don’t expect results — it means they want to manage risk.
This is where commissions can make sense.
By including a performance-based component, you:
lower the upfront cost for the brand,
keep yourself aligned with the brand’s commercial goals, and
give yourself upside if the collaboration performs well.
In practice, this often leads to higher total earnings than a small flat fee would have produced on its own.
That’s why commissions are often particularly effective in brand deals for small influencers — when they’re added on top of a base structure, not instead of it.
Why small creators should often ask for higher commissions
Here’s a point many creators miss: If a brand can’t pay much upfront, the commission should usually be higher, not lower.
Why?
You’re taking on more risk.
You’re contributing directly to revenue.
You’re effectively acting as a sales channel.
Standard affiliate percentages don’t automatically apply to influencer brand deals. If your content, credibility, and audience are driving sales, a higher commission is commercially reasonable — especially when the base fee is limited.
Why you should never accept commission-only brand deals
Commission-only deals shift all the risk to the creator.
If the product doesn’t convert, the tracking fails, or the campaign is poorly executed, you’ve still delivered content — but you may earn nothing.
That’s why commission-only arrangements are risky even for experienced creators, and especially problematic in brand deals for small creators.
A healthier approach is a modest base fee plus commission.
This ensures that your time, content, and platform are compensated regardless of outcome — while still allowing upside in brand deals for small influencers.
5. Smart Deal Structures for Small Creators (With Real Examples)
Once you understand where creators lose leverage — and how usage, commissions, and budgets interact — the question becomes how to structure brand deals in a way that actually works in practice.
There’s no single “right” structure.
The strongest brand deals for small creators are the ones that clearly separate what’s included from what costs extra, so brands can choose what they can afford — without creators giving everything away by default.
Structure 1: Paid Post Only (No Usage Rights)
When this works
The brand has a limited budget.
The main goal is exposure to your audience.
The brand does not need reusable content.
How it’s structured
Flat fee for posting on your own platform
No reposting by the brand
No ads, whitelisting, or ongoing use
This is often a solid starting point for brand deals for small influencers. The brand gets access to your audience — and nothing more.
Structure 2: Paid Post + Usage Rights for the Brand (Organic and Paid Separated)
When this works
The brand wants to reuse your content.
Budget is limited but flexible.
How it’s structured
Base fee for the post
Separate fees for usage, charged on a time basis (e.g., monthly or fixed term)
Clear distinction between:
organic usage (reposting on the brand’s own channels),
paid usage (ads, whitelisting, Spark Ads), and
full usage (unlimited platforms)
This structure does two important things:
it prevents unlimited usage from slipping in “by default”, and
it allows brands to pay only for the type of usage they actually need.
For example, a brand may afford:
the post itself, and
limited organic reposting,
but not paid ads or long-term usage. That’s not a problem — it’s a boundary.
If you want a deeper breakdown of how organic vs paid usage is typically priced, read my blog post on usage rights and influencer rate cards.
Also, make sure to grab my free influencer rate card to set rates for your usage rights. You’ll get immediate access when you become a subscriber!
Structure 3: Paid Post + Commission
When this works
The brand is performance-focused.
Sales or conversions can be tracked clearly.
The brand’s upfront budget is limited.
How it’s structured
Base fee (even if modest)
Commission on sales or conversions
Clear tracking and payout terms
This structure allows creators to share in the upside when campaigns perform well — without taking on all the risk.
Structure 4: Gifted + Commission (Teaser Only)
Some creators choose to combine gifted collaborations with commissions, especially early on or when working with very small brands. This can work — but gifted collabs come with important legal and tax considerations and should never be treated as the default.
If you want to understand:
when gifted collaborations make sense,
how to avoid getting stuck in unpaid work, and
how to turn gifted deals into paid collaborations,
I’ve written a separate, in-depth post on exactly that:
👉 How to Turn a Gifted Collaboration Into a Paid Collaboration
Why structure matters more than the “rate”
Creators often ask how much they should charge for brand deals. In practice, structure matters more than the number itself.
A well-structured deal:
lets brands choose what they can afford,
prevents scope creep,
and gives creators room to earn more as collaborations grow.
The best brand deals for small creators aren’t about quoting the highest fee — they’re about setting clear terms and letting value (and performance) do the rest.
The Best Contract Template for the Best Brand Deals for Small Creators
Small creators don’t get paid less because they’re small.
They get paid less because brand deals are structured poorly.
Once you stop pricing “a post” and start structuring usage, duration, performance, and scope, brand deals become clearer, more flexible, and more profitable — for both sides.
👉 If you’re working with brands, a proper Brand Collaboration Contract is essential.
My template is designed specifically for influencers and clearly defines:
usage rights (organic vs paid vs full),
duration and renewals,
whitelisting and ads,
exclusivity,
link-in-bio,
and commissions.
So expectations are set before content goes live — not argued about later.
👉 Want help with pricing conversations too?
My free influencer rate card (available in my free legal library for newsletter subscribers) gives practical reference points you can use when brands ask for your rates.
This post was all about how to create the best brand deals for small creators and avoid getting underpaid.
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