12 hours. That’s how long the U.S. TikTok ban lasted. But all of us in the creator economy have lost about 12 years of our lives trying to understand what happened.

This rollercoaster revealed a glaringly obvious fact for many marketers: No matter where you live or do business, you can’t put all your budget into one basket. 

This brings me to YouTube. It’s one of the earliest influencer marketing channels, and many brands still underestimate it. I don’t want you to be one of them.

In a previous issue, I shared what deliverables you can buy from YouTubers. Today, I want to share how to think about your pricing strategy. 

Generally, the key is to be strategic about what you're willing to pay for and creative about how you structure the deal.

Here are 3 tips for getting the best value when negotiating with YouTubers.

Tip #1: Start with everything, then pare down

Start by throwing all your desired deliverables into your initial proposal. Yeah, ALL of them. This approach gives you room to maneuver if the creator's quote comes in above budget. It's much easier to remove stuff than to add it later. 

Marit Tiesema, Senior KOL/Ambassador Specialist at Loop Earplugs, says, 

Want that pre-roll mention, product demo, and pinned comment? Include it all in your initial offer. Rather than walk away from a high quote, you can remove elements. 

For instance, if the fee is slightly above budget: 

• You can switch from pre-roll to mid-roll placement
  

• Substitute a 60-second ad read for a 30-second one

• Ask if they can meet a shorter deadline that benefits your brand’s schedule.

You also want to consider cross-channels. Negotiating package deals is harder when you’ve already agreed on a YouTube-only price. Include other channels in your first offer.

A reshare to Instagram Stories, for example, will lower your cost per thousand impressions (CPM) and often requires minimal effort on the part of the creator.

Add everything you think you will need in your initial offer, including a few you can discard if the price is too high. 

Tip #2: Do your homework 

If you’re a long-time reader of ROI, you may have guessed that I’m a big advocate of homework. You should be doing your homework before reaching out to influencers. It’s a waste time of everyone’s time if you’re reaching out to influencers who aren’t a good fit.

But homework is also important to prepare yourself for pricing discussions. 

Do not go into any negotiation without scrolling through a creator’s recent sponsored content first.

What are you looking for exactly? Great question.

You want to see how sponsored content performs compared to organic content. If an influencer is dropping ads left and right and still maintaining solid views? They’re probably in high demand. Expect a price tag that looks like a phone number, and budget accordingly.

You can get this information manually or use an influencer marketing platform to make it easier on yourself. 

For example, Modash has a Brand collaboration timeline where you can quickly see how often a creator does ads and how they perform.

You can also use the Paid Post Performance score to understand how sponsored content compares to organic content.

• 100% means spon con performs equally to organic.

• Under 100%, it performs worse than organic.

• Over 100%, it performs better.

A 95% tells us that Laura’s sponsored content does juuust about as well as organic, a sign that you can be more flexible in your pricing discussions.

Tip #3: Get creative with value 

Money talks, but it's not the only language influencers speak. So before you walk away from a negotiation, always consider what else you have to offer. 

• Bundle multiple videos together to get a better per-video rate. 

• Throw in a performance-based bonus.

• In addition to a flat fee, add an affiliate deal with a commission to lower the upfront fee. 

• Does your brand sell products that an influencer could use in their videos for years? In that case, you might be able to secure a better deal while also earning extra exposure. For instance, a cookware brand could kit out a food influencer’s production kitchen with knives, pans, and other essential gear.

Ask an expert 🥼

Got a question for other influencer marketers?

I’m your gal! I’ll match every question you send me with the perfect expert from our network of 25+ seasoned influencer marketers. Their response will be featured in ROI and all question-askers can remain anonymous if you choose. 

Remember: Every question makes us all better and moves this industry forward. Whether it's a quick tactical doubt or a complex strategic challenge, I’m here to get you answers. 

Drop your questions in my inbox: [email protected], or reply to this newsletter.

P.S. I'm testing this out to see if it's valuable for you. If there's interest (aka if you actually send questions), I’ll make it a semi-regular feature. If not, no harm, no foul.

Handpicked job openings 📖

• Jobber is looking for two Brand Partnership Managers in Canada. Both roles are remote. One will manage long-term ambassadors, and the second will launch a nano-influencers program. 
  

• Milk Makeup is looking for a Community Relations Manager in L.A.
   

• Sonos is looking for a Senior Global Influencer Manager in the U.S. The role is remote.  
  

• Fussy is looking for an Influencer Marketing Executive in London, England. The role is hybrid (2 days in office).

If you'd like us to plug your next job opening, reply to any newsletter with a link to the listing! Or email me at [email protected]

See you next Thursday!
Eleni Zoe xx
Marketing @ Modash. Say hi on LinkedIn or visit Modash.

📌A NOTE ABOUT WHAT YOU JUST READ

The tips in this newsletter might not be right for your specific case. Use good judgment when deciding whether to take advice from the internet—even mine. My team and I survey & interview influencer marketers whose advice and observations come from their direct experience. ROI is meant for you to connect the dots and be inspired or challenged to think about your influencer marketing in a way you haven’t before.