How you pay creators shapes the campaign you get. Pay flat and you buy certainty; pay on performance and you buy alignment; negotiate privately and you buy commitment from proven partners. Most pricing debates are really a mismatch between the goal and the model.
1. Flat on approval
A fixed reward per approved creator, released when their content is approved and published. This is the workhorse model: simple to budget, fast to fill, fair to creators who invest effort regardless of algorithm luck. Use it for launches, awareness pushes, and any campaign where creative quality is the point.
2. Performance rate card
Rewards scale with verified outcomes — engagement, views, clicks, or conversions, at published rates. This aligns spend with results and lets breakout content earn breakout pay. It demands trustworthy measurement: every engagement event should pass fraud checks before it counts, or you're buying bot traffic at retail prices.
3. Fixed per creator (negotiated)
Private, invitation-only campaigns where each creator's rate is negotiated on the invitation — often with NDAs and usage rights attached. This is the model for hero content, ambassadorships, and creators whose track record justifies a bespoke deal.
Choosing (and mixing) models
- Optimizing for reach on a fixed budget? Start flat, then boost winners.
- Optimizing for conversions with measurement you trust? Performance rate card.
- Working with a small set of proven creators? Negotiate privately, escrow the total.
- Running a big launch? Mix: negotiated hero creators + a flat open tier for volume.
Whichever model you choose, put it in writing before content is made, escrow the budget so creators know the money is real, and let verified data — not screenshots — decide what gets paid.