What do you do if your sponsored content rate as an influencer in Influencer Marketing is too low?

It can also be helpful to bring forward case studies from past campaigns to show the ROI your influence brings to a brand. It can also help to speak with influencer managers to compare what other creators on their rosters that may be in a similar niche, size, etc as you to find out if you're on the right track. Similarly, reach out to other creators in your niche to find out what they are charging. We need to normalize conversation around pay, so there can be more transparency in this industry so up-and-coming creators can understand their worth especially those in the LGBTQ and BIPOC communities that often get paid less than their counterparts.

If you're having trouble organically growing your following and providing direct 'influencer marketing' value to brands to the income level you want to be at... try pivoting into creating high-quality or UGC content for brands. Even with low engagement numbers, high-quality content can be a valuable asset to brands who are willing to compensate you for whitelist/full usage rights!

Also, if you submit your rates to a brand or agency and they match them right away without any negotiation you may have gone lower than they were able or willing to pay, so next time try increasing your fees a little bit. When people start to push back you may have found a good rate to charge for where you're at as a creator now. As you continue to grow your followers, engagement, skills, campaign experience, you can increase again.

Whenever you're doing a paid brand campaign consider adding in line items to purchase your content or the additional content you captured that didn't get used in the campaign. Brands are often looking for UCG content (Broll and stills) to help fill out their paid and organic content needs. This could make you more money and give them extra deliverables too.

It's really important to create various income streams to help micro-influencers understand that their efforts could turn into a sustainable career. This is particularly crucial in the first few months because if they don't see an increase in income, they might become demotivated and decrease their frequency of publication. For this reason, I always suggest working on three different fields: - Increasing engagement on social media platforms. - Start to structure content that might interest potential partner companies (For example, if you talk about books, start suggesting books to buy). - Focusing more on creating YouTube videos where earnings can be higher thanks to the YouTube advertising revenue system.

If the sponsored content rate offered in influencer marketing is too low, start by evaluating your metrics and knowing your worth. Research industry standards, initiate a professional negotiation, and highlight your unique selling points to justify a higher rate. Consider bundling services or proposing long-term partnerships to create added value. If budget constraints persist, be flexible on deliverables while maintaining professionalism. However, if the brand is unwilling to meet a reasonable rate and the collaboration doesn't align with your brand or values, it may be necessary to decline the opportunity. Prioritize partnerships that mutually benefit both you and the brand.