Do deciphering whitelisting fees make you tear your hair out?

It’s time to ditch it.

And forget dry explanations, we’re diving into the world of follower power, content creation, and the art of the deal. 

This guide will help you figure out the best way to price yourself fairly and not have to get into bidding wars that waste your time and energy.  Let’s go.

How Much do Usually Influencers Charge?

To know this, we should approach the rates from two angles:

Follower Count vs. Content Type Pricing:

• Influencers with under 10K followers: $100-$115 for a Story, $190-$250 for an IG Post with a Photo, $200-$265 for an IG Post with Carousel, and $325-$350 for a Video.
• According to reports, the rates progressively increase with the follower count, peaking at influencers with 300K+ followers who charge $1000+ for a Story, $2500+ for an IG Post with a Photo, $3000+ for an IG Post with Carousel, and $3500+ for a Video.

Whitelisting and Licensing Fees

• Whitelisting: A reasonable rate is 25% of the base deal size per month for every 30 days the brand boosts your native post.
• Licensing: A standard rate of 15% of the base deal size per month is applied.

This structured approach provides a clear framework for influencers to align their pricing strategies with market standards, ensuring fair compensation for their whitelisting services.

Understanding Whitelisting

First, let’s make sure we’re on the same page about whitelisting. Here’s a breakdown of key points about whitelisting:

What is Whitelisting? 

Whitelisting allows influencers to grant brands access to their social media accounts for advertising purposes. This means content appears as though its coming directly from the influencer’s account, maintaining the authenticity of the message while leveraging the brand’s copy, image, and link strategies.

Types of Whitelisting: 

• There are primarily two types of influencer whitelisting:
  1. Direct Whitelisting: Where content is displayed from the influencer’s account, making posts appear organic on followers’ feeds.
  2. Permission-Based Whitelisting: Where brands request permission to use the influencer’s likeness in advertisements, allowing brands to control the narrative and reach of the ad while utilizing the influencer’s credibility.

Benefits for Brands and Influencers

Whitelisting not only provides brands with the ability to target specific audiences and track ad performance through tools like Facebook Ads Manager but also offers influencers exposure to new audiences. 

Additionally, both parties gain valuable insights from performance metrics, enhancing the strategy for future campaigns.

This strategic approach combines the authenticity of influencer marketing with the precision of targeted advertising, creating a symbiotic relationship between you and the brand.

Getting The Price Formula For Whitelisting Right

We’ve observed that whitelisting and usage rights licensing often come in different tiers depending on the type of agreement. It’s also important to consider how much your authority and trust is worth to the brand, and that’s closely tied to your real follower count and niche.

Market Standard and Influencer Value

A survey by Lumanu revealed that 51% of influencers charge a fee for whitelisting, boosting, or amplifying content. 

This statistic proves that there is a market standard and supports the practice of charging for these services. 

In addition, though, it also shows that almost half of the influencers surveyed don’t use a fee schedule for whitelisting. All in all, you should be ready to be flexible in your negotiations and take into account what both you and the brand stand to gain from the agreement.

Whitelisting Benefits Both Parties 

Whitelisting isn’t just about the influencer or the brand; it’s a symbiotic relationship. 

For brands, it allows for conversion-based campaign goals and targeting through broad-based and lookalike audiences, driving significant traffic and conversions. 

For influencers, it provides exposure to a wider audience and the potential for growth in followers. This mutual benefit underscores the importance of fair compensation for whitelisting services.

Considerations for Charging 

When deciding how much to charge for whitelisting, influencers should consider the lasting relationship potential with brands and the value delivered. 

It’s crucial to only offer whitelisting to brands that you trust and are supportive of since you will not have full creative control in these arrangements. 

Charging for whitelisting also becomes increasingly necessary due to the decline in organic reach, making it a vital part of an influencer’s revenue stream.

Factors Influencing Whitelisting Rates

We aim to arm influencers with the knowledge to set fair and competitive prices for their whitelisting services.

Factors Influencing Your Price As An Influencer

Follower Count and Engagement: The foundation of pricing often starts with the influencer’s reach and engagement level. Influencers are segmented into tiers based on their following and influence, where those with higher follower counts and engagement rates can command higher fees.

Content Type and Deliverables: The nature of the content significantly impacts pricing. For instance, creating a video requires more effort than a photo post, justifying a higher charge. Additionally, the scope of deliverables, including the number of posts, stories, or custom content, plays a critical role.

Usage Rights and Exclusivity: Granting brands the right to repurpose content or demanding exclusivity for a certain period adds value, thereby increasing the rate. It’s essential to clearly outline these terms in the influencer contract.

Length of Campaign: The duration for which the content will be whitelisted affects pricing. Longer campaigns mean prolonged usage of the influencer’s profile for brand promotion, meriting higher fees.

Brand Control Over Creative Elements: When brands take control over creative aspects, copy, and targeting, it involves relinquishing a lot of your creative freedom, which should be compensated accordingly.

Here’s the same information in an easy-to-read table you can check in on every time you’re negotiating a brand deal:

Pricing Models for Whitelisting

In our efforts to guide influencers on how much to charge for whitelisting, we’ve distilled the pricing models into a structured approach, emphasizing the need for influencers to tailor their rates based on several critical factors.

Basic Pricing Structure For Whitelisting

The 1% Formula (borrowed from Instagram post pricing): Start with charging $10 for every thousand followers you have, as a baseline. This formula serves as a straightforward starting point for influencers to gauge their base rate.

Consider Skillset and Engagement: Beyond follower count, factor in your photography and writing skills, audience demographics, conversion rates, and engagement levels. These elements significantly impact your value to brands.

Advanced Pricing Considerations:

Whitelisting and Licensing Fees: For whitelisting services, charges can range from 25% to 50% on top of the flat rate for a collaboration. This adjustment accounts for the additional exposure and engagement opportunities provided to the brand.

Situational Pricing: Whitelisting can be priced similarly to image licensing, with fees ranging from $250 to $5,000. 

This range depends on various factors such as the brand’s reputation, the number of images, and the length of the campaign. It’s crucial to tailor your pricing based on the specific demands of each whitelisting opportunity.

By understanding these pricing models and adjusting rates based on the unique aspects of each campaign, influencers can ensure they are fairly compensated for the value they provide through whitelisting.

FAQs

How Much Does Whitelisting Cost?

When setting a price for whitelisting, which is akin to providing usage rights for content since it involves running ads, it’s advisable to align your pricing with that of image licensing. The fees for this service can vary significantly, typically falling between $250 and $5,000.

What Exactly Is Paid Whitelisting?

Whitelisting is the practice of selling partial usage rights of a social media profile to a brand by an influencer. The brand gains the right to create content and post it on the influencer’s accounts effectively making it appear and native content from the influencer.

What Should I Charge for Paid Usage Rights?

Determining a charge for paid usage rights does not follow a strict formula. However, it’s common in the industry for creators to request an additional 20–50% of their total project rate for granting these extra usage rights.

How Should Exclusivity Be Priced?

When charging for exclusivity, which restricts you from collaborating with other brands in the same sector for a period ranging from 30 to 90 days, consider the potential revenue you might be foregoing. A practical approach is to charge an amount equivalent to what you would earn for a single post for each month of exclusivity granted.