This calculator gives you a low to high quote range for one sponsored post, reel, story or video. The formula is your average views divided by 1,000, times a base CPM you choose, then multiplied by your engagement, format, usage rights and exclusivity, with the range set 20% either side of the result.
It's a pricing framework you can see and change, not a price list. Use it as a starting point for your own pricing, and always adjust for your niche and for how much demand you have.
Work out your quote
Filling it in
- Type in your followers and your average views or reach per post. Take the average from your last ten or so posts, not your best one.
- Add your engagement rate. If you don't know it, leave it blank and type your average likes and comments instead; the tool works it out from your followers. You can also get it from the engagement rate calculator.
- Pick the deliverable the brand wants, then any usage rights and exclusivity they've asked for.
- Change the base CPM to your own figure. The 10 in the box is a round editable default so the maths runs, not a market rate.
- Press the button and read the range. Quote from the middle or the top, depending on how much you want the deal.
The formula, with every multiplier on show
CPM means cost per thousand views, the same idea media buyers use for ads. If CPM is new to you, there's a plain explainer on what CPM means. The calculator starts with reach because a brand is buying attention, then adjusts for how much of that attention turns into action and for the extra rights the brand wants.
- Base = average views / 1,000 x your base CPM
- Engagement multiplier: under 1% = x 0.8, 1% to under 3% = x 1, 3% to under 6% = x 1.15, 6% and over = x 1.3
- Format multiplier: story x 0.5, feed post x 1, reel x 1.2, long video x 1.5
- Usage rights: none x 1, 30 days x 1.25, 90 days x 1.5
- Exclusivity: none x 1, 30 days x 1.2
- Range = middle figure x 0.8 to middle figure x 1.2
These multipliers are a starting framework chosen to keep the maths simple and readable. They are not an industry standard, and you should change them in your head if your own experience says otherwise.
Worked example
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Say you have 20,000 followers, your reels average 8,000 views, your engagement rate is 4.5%, the brand wants one reel with 30 days of usage rights and no exclusivity, and you keep the base CPM at 10.
- Base: 8,000 / 1,000 x 10 = 80
- Engagement 4.5% sits in the 3% to under 6% band: 80 x 1.15 = 92
- Reel: 92 x 1.2 = 110.4
- 30 days usage: 110.4 x 1.25 = 138
- No exclusivity: 138 x 1 = 138
- Range: 138 x 0.8 = 110 (rounded) to 138 x 1.2 = 166 (rounded)
So the tool shows a quote range of 110 to 166 per deliverable, in whatever currency you price in, with 138 as the middle. Those numbers come from the inputs above and nothing else.
Why views come before followers when you price
Follower count is the number everyone looks at first, and it's the weakest number to price on. A brand only gets value from the people who see the post, and plenty of followers never do. Two accounts with the same following can have very different average views, and the one with more views is delivering more of what the brand is paying for.
That's why the calculator asks for views and only uses followers to work out engagement if you leave that box blank. It also means you can raise your quote without gaining a single follower: lift your average views and engagement and the same formula hands you a higher range. If you're building towards paid work, the guide to becoming a social media influencer covers the groundwork, and the micro-influencer marketing guide shows how brands think about smaller creators.
The other thing people miss is usage rights. A post that lives on your feed is one deliverable. A brand running that same content as an ad for 90 days is getting much more, which is why usage carries one of the bigger multipliers here. Always ask how long they want to use the content and where, then price that in rather than giving it away.
Questions creators ask about pricing
How do I work out what to charge for a sponsored post?
Start from your average views, multiply by a base CPM you choose per 1,000 views, then adjust for engagement, format, usage rights and exclusivity. This calculator does that arithmetic and gives you a range to quote from.
Is the base CPM of 10 a market rate?
No. It's a round editable default so the calculator has something to work with. Replace it with your own figure based on your niche, your past deals and how much demand you have.
Should I use views or reach?
Use whichever figure you can show the brand from your own insights, and use the same one every time so your quotes stay consistent.
Why does a story score lower than a reel?
Stories disappear after a day and are seen by fewer people, so the framework gives them a lower format multiplier. You can still quote a story set or a bundle at a higher figure.
What are usage rights?
Usage rights let a brand reuse your content, often as an ad or on their own channels, for a set period. Longer usage means more value for the brand, so the multiplier goes up.
What does exclusivity mean in a brand deal?
Exclusivity means you agree not to work with competing brands for a set time. You're turning down other work, so it's priced in as an extra multiplier.
Does the calculator connect to my account?
No. You type the numbers in yourself and the maths runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded and there's no login.
Keep going
- Engagement rate calculator, to get the rate you type in above
- Instagram money calculator, for a wider earnings estimate
- What CPM means, the idea behind the base figure
- Micro-influencer marketing guide, how brands look at smaller accounts
