Setting Your Rate Structure
Before setting your rates, it’s important to understand what kind of budget a brand is working with. Some factors to consider:
The time of year (brands spend more during holidays and peak seasons)
The biggest season is what we call Q4 or Quarter 4 which is during October to December
Brands pour in more marketing budget because there are so many back to back sales moments such as Black Friday Cyber Monday, Christmas, and New Years
How established the brand is (big corporations have larger budgets than small businesses)
What niche the brand is in (Tech, finance, AI, and makeup tend to have larger budgets)
Whether the brand invests in ads (brands running paid ads usually have bigger budgets)
Whether the brand is organic-first (brands focused only on organic growth often spend less)
Whether the brand works with influencers regularly (brands with influencer experience tend to have more set aside for UGC as well)
Testing a Brand’s Budget
Here’s how I approach quoting:
Quote $200-400 higher than what you’re willing to take the job for
My base rate is $500/video, but I usually quote higher (around $700/video).
If the brand accepts immediately or asks more questions about deliverables, they likely have a bigger budget… that’s your chance to upsell add-ons like usage, raw footage, or more videos.
If they push back and say it’s ‘out of budget,’ counter with a middle ground between their number and your quote.
This little trick of quoting above your base rate gives you room to negotiate, feel out their budget, and ultimately secure a deal that feels good for both sides.