If you’re new to the world of influencer marketing and wondering, “How much should I charge for a Reel?”—you’re in the right spot!
I’m Ashley, your pet content creator coach with six years of experience and multiple five-figure brand deals under my belt. I’m here to spill the tea on pricing your Reels for brand deals in a way that’s fair, profitable, and totally aligned with your worth.
Whether you’re a micro-influencer just starting out or a macro-influencer with a massive following, this guide will break down the key factors to consider when setting your rates for Instagram Reels in 2025!
Key Factors to Consider When Pricing Your Reels
Pricing a Reel isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation—it’s like picking the perfect filter for your post; it depends on a few key elements.
Let’s walk through the main factors that influence how much you can charge for a brand deal, with a focus on Instagram Reels, so you can confidently pitch your rates.
1. Audience Size and Engagement
It’s Not Just About the Numbers! Okay, let’s talk followers.
Your audience size matters, but it’s not the whole story. A micro-influencer with 5,000 super-engaged followers can sometimes outshine a macro-influencer with 100,000 lukewarm ones.
Engagement—likes, comments, shares, and saves—is the secret sauce brands crave.
For example, if your Reels consistently get high engagement (think 5-10% or more), you can charge more, even with a smaller audience.
Here’s a quick breakdown of typical pricing for a sponsored Reel based on follower count in 2025:
- Micro-influencers (0-10,000 followers): $50-$150 per Reel. I’ve seen folks in my Pet Fluencer Secrets program land deals for $50-$75, which is totally realistic.
- Mid-tier influencers (10,000-50,000 followers): $150-$500 per Reel. I’ve personally snagged deals for $300-$800 with a pet account at around 30,000 followers.
- Macro-influencers (50,000+ followers): $500-$2,000+ per Reel. At 100,000 followers, I’ve negotiated five-figure deals, especially for package deals with multiple deliverables.
Pro tip: If your engagement is off the charts, don’t be afraid to bump up your rates a bit, even if your follower count is on the lower side. Brands love an audience that’s actually paying attention!
2. UGC vs. In-Feed Deliverables
When pricing your Reels, you need to know whether you’re creating UGC (user-generated content) or in-feed deliverables.
UGC is content you make for a brand to post on their channels—like a Reel they’ll share on their Instagram. In-feed deliverables are Reels you post directly to your account.
UGC often means you can charge higher rates because you’re handing over full creative control, and brands can use it across multiple platforms.
For example, a UGC Reel might cost 20-50% more than an in-feed Reel, depending on usage rights (more on that later).
Make sure you clarify with the brand what they expect so you can price accordingly. If you’re new to these terms, I’ve got a whole playlist on my YouTube channel breaking down brand deal basics—check it out for a deeper dive!
3. Your Niche and Content Creation Effort
Your niche is a big deal when it comes to pricing. If you’re a cat travel creator (yes, that’s a thing!), your Reels might require specific locations, weather conditions, or fancy filming equipment.
That’s way different from someone filming quick Reels in their basement with just a phone and a ring light. The more time, effort, and resources your content demands, the more you should charge.
Ask yourself:
- How long does it take to plan, film, and edit your Reel?
- Are you using professional equipment like cameras and desktop editing software, or keeping it simple with your phone?
- How specialized is your niche? A highly specific audience (like pet travel enthusiasts) can justify higher rates.
For instance, a Reel that takes hours of outdoor filming and editing might be priced at the higher end of your tier’s range, while a quick phone-filmed Reel might stay on the lower end.
4. Usage Rights, Whitelisting, and Exclusivity
Let’s get into the juicy stuff that can really bump up your paycheck when pricing those Instagram Reels for brand deals!
Beyond your audience size and content creation effort, things like usage rights, whitelisting, and exclusivity are game-changers for how much you can charge.
These add-ons can make a huge difference in your income, so let’s break it down like we’re chatting over coffee.
Usage Rights and Whitelisting: When a brand wants to use your Reel beyond just your post or their own channels—like running it as a paid ad on Instagram or whitelisting it (where they use your content in their ad campaigns through your account’s handle)—you should be charging extra.
Think of it like renting out your content for their marketing machine.
Here’s how I approach it: I typically charge 50-100% of the base price of the Reel for usage rights or whitelisting, depending on the duration. For example, if your base price for a Reel is $300, you could add $150-$300 for a 30-day paid ad or whitelisting agreement.
I usually offer 30-, 60-, or 90-day packages, and brands love the flexibility. So, if a brand wants to run your Reel as an ad for three months, you’re looking at a nice little bonus on top of your regular rate.
Pro tip: Always clarify how long and where the brand plans to use your content. If they’re blasting your Reel across their website, socials, and paid ads, that’s worth more than just a one-off post on their Instagram.
Exclusivity: This is when a brand asks you not to work with their competitors for a set period.
This is a big deal because it limits your ability to take on other brand deals, so you’ve gotta make it worth your time.
My rule of thumb? Charge 100% of your base price for exclusivity.
You heard that right—if your Reel costs $800, exclusivity should cost another $800.
Why? Because you’re essentially putting your brand partnerships on hold for that client. For example, if you’re a pet influencer and a dog food brand wants exclusivity, you can’t work with other pet food brands during that time.
That’s a big commitment, so don’t sell yourself short!
Quick Example from My Experience: Let me share a quick story. On one of my pet accounts with about 30,000 followers, I charged $500 for a Reel, plus $250 for 30 days of whitelisting and another $500 for exclusivity. That turned a single Reel into a $1,250 deal—pretty sweet, right? This kind of pricing is totally normal in 2025, and I’ve seen clients in my Petfluencer Secrets program do the same!
5. Instagram Story Sets
While we’re talking Reels, don’t sleep on Instagram Story sets (usually 2-3 Stories in a row) as part of your brand deal package.
Brands often want these alongside Reels because Stories are quick, engaging, and drive immediate action. Here’s what you can charge for Story sets in 2025, based on my experience and what I’ve seen in the industry:
- Micro-influencers (0-10,000 followers): $25-$75 per Story set. I’ve seen $25-$50 work well for newbies.
- Mid-tier influencers (10,000-50,000 followers): $75-$200 per set. This is super common.
- Macro-influencers (50,000+ followers): $200-$500 per set. I’ve personally landed $200-$300 for Story sets, and it’s a nice add-on.
If a brand wants both a Reel and a Story set, bundle them together for a package deal to make it enticing—but don’t undervalue your work.
For example, a micro-influencer might charge $100 for a Reel and $50 for a Story set, totaling $150 for the package.
6. Quality of Your Content
Another big piece of the puzzle is the quality of your content. This isn’t just about how pretty your Reels look (though that helps!)—it’s about the effort, tools, and skills you bring to the table.
Let’s unpack why the quality of your content matters and how it can justify charging more for your brand deals in 2025!
Gear and Production: Phone vs. Pro Setup
Not all Reels are created equal, and brands know it. If you’re filming with just your phone and editing in a quick app like CapCut, that’s totally fine—especially if you’re a micro-influencer building your brand.
But if you’re using professional gear like a DSLR camera, high-end lighting, or desktop editing software (think Adobe Premiere Pro), that ups the value of your work.
The time and investment you put into creating polished, high-quality Reels can (and should!) reflect in your pricing.
For example, a Reel shot with professional equipment might take hours to film and edit, so you could charge at the higher end of your tier’s range (like $150 for a micro-influencer instead of $50).
On the flip side, if you’re whipping up a Reel in 20 minutes with your iPhone, you might lean toward the lower end but still factor in your creative expertise. Either way, be upfront with brands about the quality they’re getting—it’s a selling point!
Niche Expertise and Time Investment
Your niche plays a huge role here too. If you’re creating Reels in a super specific space—like, say, pet travel content that requires coordinating outdoor shoots, wrangling your cat, and editing for that perfect vibe—it’s a lot more labor-intensive than a quick makeup tutorial filmed indoors.
The more specialized your content, the more you can charge because brands value that unique expertise.
Ask yourself: How much time does it take to plan, shoot, and edit your Reel? If you’re spending hours scouting locations or perfecting transitions, that’s worth more than a quick video.
For instance, when I create pet-related Reels, I factor in the time it takes to get my cat and background camera-ready (trust me, it’s not always easy!). That effort lets me confidently charge higher rates, and brands are happy to pay for the quality.
7. Package Deals
Here’s a little insider tip: brands love package deals.
Instead of just pitching one Reel, consider offering a bundle that includes extras like Instagram Stories, raw clips, or a set of photos. This not only makes the deal more appealing to brands but also boosts your overall payout.
Let’s say you’re a mid-tier influencer charging $300 for a Reel. You could add a $100 Story set and $200 for raw clips (unedited footage brands can repurpose). Suddenly, your $300 deal is now $600!
When I hit 100,000 followers on one of my pet accounts, I started pitching package deals that included a Reel, a Story set, and whitelisting rights. These regularly landed me five-figure deals because brands saw the value in a multi-piece campaign.
Even if you’re just starting out, bundling a $75 Reel with a $25 Story set can make your pitch stand out while increasing your income.
To tie it all together, here’s a quick cheat sheet for pricing Reels and extras, based on what I’ve seen work for me and my Petfluencer Secrets clients:
- Micro-influencers (0-10,000 followers): $50-$150 per Reel, $25-$75 per Story set, 50-100% of base price for whitelisting/exclusivity.
- Mid-tier influencers (10,000-50,000 followers): $150-$500 per Reel, $75-$200 per Story set, same add-on rates.
- Macro-influencers (50,000+ followers): $500-$2,000+ per Reel, $200-$500 per Story set, with room to negotiate higher for packages.
These numbers are realistic and based on what brands are accepting in 2025, so use them as a starting point and adjust based on your engagement, niche, and content quality.
8. Where to Find Brand Deals for Your Reels
So, you’ve got your pricing down, your Reels are fire, and you’re ready to cash in on some brand deals—but where do you find these opportunities?
As someone who’s landed over 100 brand deals (yep, I stopped counting!), I’m spilling the tea on how to connect with brands that’ll pay you to create those Instagram Reels.
Whether you’re a micro-influencer or a macro-influencer, there are tons of ways to get noticed and start pitching in 2025.
Proactively Pitching Brands
One of the best ways to score brand deals is to take the lead and pitch yourself. Research brands that align with your niche—think pet food companies if you’re a pet influencer or gear brands if you’re a cat creator like me.
Check out their Instagram to see if they’re already working with influencers, then slide into their DMs or email their marketing team with a pitch. (I give the exact templates I use in the Petfluencer Foundations group coaching program!)
Highlight your engagement rates, audience vibe, and why your Reels would make their brand get more awareness.
Attach a media kit with your follower stats, engagement rates, and sample Reels to seal the deal.
Summary
We’ve just walked through the ins and outs of pricing your Instagram Reels like a pro, and I hope you’re feeling pumped to start charging what you’re worth!
As a pet content creator coach who’s landed multiple five-figure deals, I can tell you that setting your rates for brand deals is all about knowing your value and owning it.
Whether you’re a micro-influencer just starting out or a macro-influencer with a massive following, you’ve got the power to create Reels that brands will pay for in 2025.
Here’s a quick recap to keep in your back pocket as you pitch and create:
- Know Your Audience’s Value: Your engagement rate matters more than follower count. A tight-knit, highly engaged 5,000 followers can outshine a less engaged 100,000.
- Factor in Effort and Niche: Price higher for specialized content (like pet travel Reels) or professional production that takes extra time and gear.
- Add-Ons Boost Your Pay: Charge extra for usage rights, whitelisting (50-100% of your base rate), and exclusivity (100% of your base rate).
- Bundle for Big Wins: Offer package deals with Reels, Instagram Story sets, or raw clips to increase your payout and wow brands.
- Find Deals Like a Pro: Pitch brands directly, join influencer platforms, and keep posting Reels with strategic hashtags to get noticed.
You’re ready to take on those brand deals with confidence!
If you want more tips or a step-by-step guide to level up your influencer game, check out Petluencer Foundations or 6-Figure Petfluencer to deep dive into getting high paying brand deals!
Both group coaching programs are packed with everything I’ve learned from six years in the game. Now go out there, create some epic Reels, and get paid what you deserve. You’ve got this!
