How to price your first brand deal (a worksheet for Indian creators and influencers)

The first paid message in your inbox is a happy moment. Then comes the awkward one: “What are your rates?”

Many of us freeze here. We either throw out a number that feels brave, or accept whatever is offered because we are scared the brand will leave. A method fixes both.

This is not a rate card. Your work, your audience and your city are your own, so here is a way to build your price with a worksheet you can copy into your notes app. Every ₹X is a blank for you to fill, not a real figure.

Step 1: Count your real hours

It is easy to price only the filming. But a brand deal is more than that. Write down every stage:

Planning: reading the brief, thinking of the idea, writing a script or outline
Shooting: setting up, retakes, lighting, getting the product ready
Editing: cutting, captions, music, exports
Revisions: time to change things after the brand’s feedback
Posting: writing the caption, scheduling, being around to handle early questions

Add them up honestly, then multiply by an hourly rate you would be happy with for your skill.

Worksheet: your hours × ₹X per hour = ₹X (base work)

Unsure of your hourly rate? Think of what you would charge for any skilled freelance job of the same effort. It is a starting point.

Step 2: Price the usage rights

“Usage rights” means what the brand may do with your content after you make it. It changes the price, because where a video appears changes what it is worth.

Ask what the brand wants:

Organic only: it stays on your page only.
Paid ads: the brand runs your content as an advertisement.
Whitelisting: the brand runs ads through your own account handle.
Duration: how long they can use it, whether N weeks, N months or forever.

A simple rule: more places and more time means a higher fee. “Forever” should never be a free add-on.

Worksheet: usage add-on = ₹X for where and how long

Step 3: Treat exclusivity as a cost

An exclusivity clause says you will not work with competing brands for a set period. It sounds harmless, but every deal it blocks in a category you normally work in is money you cannot earn.

Ask yourself three things:

What counts as a “competitor”? Is it a close match, or the whole category?
How long does the clause last?
What deals would I likely turn down because of it?

Your exclusivity fee should reflect what you give up: small if you lose little, larger if it blocks your regular work.

Worksheet: exclusivity add-on = ₹X for N weeks or months

Step 4: Define deliverables and extras

Many arguments later come from one unclear line: “a video and a post.” Write down exactly what is included, and price everything else separately.

Common extras to name clearly:

Raw files: unedited footage gives the brand more freedom, so it costs extra
Extra revisions: decide how many rounds are included, then charge for more
Stories: each one is its own small job
Cross-posting: the same content on more than one page or platform

Worksheet: extras = ₹X each × how many you agree to

Step 5: Ask questions before you quote

You do not need to name a price in the first reply. It is professional to say, “Happy to put a quote together once I understand the details.” Then ask:

What is the goal of this campaign?
What should the content include, and is there a brief?
Where will the content be used, and for how long?
Is there any exclusivity?
How many rounds of feedback are expected?
Who approves the content, and how fast?
What is the timeline, and when will payment be made?
Is it a flat fee, a free product, or something tied to results?

Their answers fill in your worksheet. They also show how organised the brand is.

Step 6: Flat fee, product-only or performance-based

Deals usually come in one of three structures. None is automatically right or wrong.

Flat fee. You are paid a fixed amount for agreed work. It is predictable. The brand carries the risk of how the content performs.

Product-only. You receive the product in exchange for content. This can make sense if you truly want the product and the effort is small. Otherwise, ask whether its value really covers your hours.

Performance-based. Your payment depends on results, such as sales or sign-ups. This can reward good fit, but your income depends on things you may not control, like the product or its price. If you try it, get the terms written down: what counts as a result, who measures it, and when you are paid.

You can also propose a mix, such as a smaller flat fee plus a performance part.

Step 7: Write a simple one-page quote

A quote does not need to be fancy. One clean page shows you are serious and keeps both sides aligned. Include:

Your name, the brand’s name and a short description of the work
Deliverables, listed one by one
Usage rights: where, and for how long
Exclusivity terms, if any
Number of revision rounds included
Timeline: draft date, feedback date, posting date
Fee breakdown
Payment terms: when and how you will be paid
How long the quote stays valid

Fee breakdown example:

Base work: ₹X
Usage rights: ₹X
Exclusivity: ₹X
Extras: ₹X
Total: ₹X

Showing the pieces makes the total look reasoned, not random, and gives you something to adjust if the brand changes the scope.

Step 8: Disclose the partnership clearly

If you are paid, or receive something of value, tell your audience in plain view. Use clear labels such as “paid partnership” or “ad,” placed where people will see them, not buried at the end of a long caption. If the app you post on offers a built-in paid-partnership label, use that too.

Rules can differ and change, so check the current guidance that applies to you. This is general advice, not legal advice. Honest labelling also protects your real asset: your audience’s trust.

Step 9: When the brand haggles

It will happen, and it is normal. Stay calm and friendly, and try these:

Go back to the breakdown. Ask which part they want to change, rather than lowering the total.
Trade scope for price. If the budget is smaller, offer fewer deliverables, shorter usage or no exclusivity, instead of doing the same work for less.
Keep your add-ons separate. Usage and exclusivity are real costs. Do not quietly drop them.
Know your walk-away point before the conversation begins, so you are not deciding under pressure.
Be fine with a polite no. “Thank you, that does not work for this scope, but I would love to work together another time” keeps the door open.

Quick checklist

I counted every hour, from planning to posting, and set an hourly rate
I priced usage, exclusivity and extras separately
I asked my questions before quoting
My quote is one page, with a fee breakdown
I will label the partnership clearly
I know my walk-away point

FAQ

Should I give my price first, or wait for the brand’s budget?
You can ask about their budget range while you are gathering details. If they do not share one, send a quote built from your worksheet. Your number should come from a method, not a guess.

Is it okay to say no to a product-only offer?
Yes. It is a business decision. Weigh the product and the exposure against your time and effort, and say no politely if it does not add up.

What if I have no earlier deals to show?
Show what you do have: your content, your audience’s interests and how people respond to your posts. A first deal is priced on the work and the rights, not on a long history.

Do I need a contract, or is a quote enough?
A clear one-page quote that the brand accepts in writing is a good start. For bigger or longer deals, it can be worth having a professional review the terms, especially usage, exclusivity and payment.

Where to go from here

Pricing gets easier each time you do it. Keep your worksheet and adjust it after every deal.

And if you are curious, you can see what AffiLink is building for creators.