Influencer IvyConfidence coaching in selfie mode

Brand Deals, Honestly

Sponsorships are where creators get paid — and where audiences get lost. Here's how to do them without losing either.

How a brand deal actually works

A company pays you (money, product, or both) to feature their product in your content. Deliverables, timelines, usage rights, and payment terms go in a written agreement — always written, even with friendly small brands. Verbal deals are how creators work for free and brands get surprised. Get it in writing.

Pricing: the honest version

There is no universal rate card, and anyone selling you a formula (“10% of followers!”) is selling you something. Real pricing depends on: niche value to the advertiser, audience trust and engagement (not just follower count), deliverable type (a dedicated video vs. a 15-second mention), usage rights (can they run it as an ad? for how long?), and exclusivity. New creators routinely undercharge; experienced ones anchor on the value to the brand, not their follower count. Talk to other creators in your niche about ranges — whisper networks beat formulas.

The disclosure rule (non-negotiable)

If you were paid or gifted, say so, clearly, in the content itself — not buried in hashtags. In the US, the FTC requires clear disclosure of material connections; the UK, EU, and others have equivalents. Beyond law, it’s trust: audiences forgive sponsored content, they don’t forgive hidden sponsored content. One undisclosed deal can cost more trust than ten disclosed ones earn.

Ivy’s honesty rules for sponsors

  1. Use it or refuse it. Don’t promote what you haven’t tried. “They paid me to say this and I actually use it” is a sentence that keeps careers alive.
  2. One “no” list, written down. Categories you’ll never promote (for Ivy: diet products, get-rich schemes, anything she wouldn’t give her sister). Decide before money is on the table.
  3. Sponsored ≠ scripted. Keep creative control in the agreement. Reading a brand’s script word-for-word is an ad, and your audience can tell.
  4. Cap the ratio. If every post is sponsored, you’re a billboard. Keep paid content a clear minority and your audience will trust the paid posts more, not less.

Red flags in an offer

The long game

The creators brands rebook share one trait: their audience believes their recommendations. That’s an asset that compounds — and it’s destroyed faster than it’s built. Every deal is a trade: short-term money for a slice of trust. Make sure the math works.

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