How To Negotiate With Influencers: 9 Scripts For Scenarios

How to negotiate with the influencer in 9 real-life scenarios

In the next nine scenarios, we’ll walk step-by-step through what to do when a rate card is too high, when a creator says “make an offer,” when you need more assets, usage rights, bonuses, a second chance after poor performance, or a full ambassadorship. 

For each one, you’ll see concrete numbers, CPM/CPA logic, and copy-paste email/DM scripts you can use immediately.

1. When their rate card is way above your budget

You finally get a reply. The creator you’ve stalked on Instagram for weeks sends their media kit: 120k followers, ~45k views per Reel, 4.8% ER. The quote lands in your inbox: €2,000 for 1 Reel + 2 Stories. 

Your budget for this slot? €900–1,200. 

And you feel that familiar “oh no” tension in your chest. You’re already juggling a dozen creator threads and a CMO who thinks “just ask them for a discount” is how to negotiate the cost with influencers. Meanwhile, CreatorIQ’s 2024 report keeps reminding you that “inadequate budgets” is still the #1 roadblock marketers report in influencer programs.

So what do you actually do when a good-fit creator feels too expensive—but you don’t want to ghost them, lowball them, or blow your CAC targets?

What you can negotiate

At this point, the conversation isn’t “are they worth it?” but “what can we adjust so the value matches the spend?”

• Scope. You don’t have to buy the whole bundle. You can say: “We love your Reels, that’s where we’d like to focus. Would 1 Reel (no Stories) be in the €900–1,200 range?” That instantly cuts production time for the creator and pushes more of your spend into the highest-impact format.

• Format. Maybe Reels + Stories is their standard IG package, but your data says TikTok overperforms for this persona. So you counter with: “Could we explore 1 TikTok instead of Reel + Stories? Same brief, same talking points, just optimized for where we see stronger completion rates.” Format swaps are normal, especially when you bring performance data from past campaigns.

• Timeline. If finance will never approve €2,000 this month, you can split the activation: 1 Reel in Q3, 1 Reel in Q4, each scoped and priced separately. Long-term relationships are exactly what many creators want—especially as brands move from one-off posts to multi-month partnerships.

• Payment structure. You can keep their headline fee but improve the economics: “What if we do a 3-month partnership: 3 Reels total at €1,800 each, instead of a single €2,000 drop?” Locked-in work is often more attractive to creators than one splashy, one-time post.

How to use data as your calmest argument

Now the nerdy part your spreadsheet-loving soul will appreciate.

If they average 45k views per Reel and quote €2,000, you’re looking at roughly €44 CPM (2,000 ÷ 45 = 44.4). Many influencer guides suggest “good” CPMs often sit in the $20–50+ range, depending on niche and conversion goals, while cross-platform averages can dip closer to $4–5 for broad campaigns.

So if your historical CPM for similar creators in this niche hovers around €18–25, you’re not being rude when you push back—you’re being consistent with your own benchmarks. 

That’s exactly how rate cards are meant to work: as starting points, not stone tablets.

You can also sanity-check their fee against engagement, niche, and usage rights—the same factors agencies list as key price drivers.

• 4.8% ER on 120k is solid.

• Beauty or high-intent vertical? CPM can skew higher.

• Full paid usage + 3 months of whitelisting baked into the fee? Makes sense that it’s pricier.

Use that logic openly in your reply. Creators who treat their channels like a business will actually respect that you came prepared.

Script – email

Here’s a soft, data-backed how to negotiate influencer rates template you can steal and tweak:

You’re anchoring in your budget, showing you ran the math, and giving them specific levers to pull instead of a vague “could you go lower?”

Script – short DM variant

When this happens in DMs, keep the same structure but tighter:

Short, honest, data-literate. You sound like someone who negotiates all day inside Airtable dashboards and IQFluence reports, not like someone trying to shave €200 off for sport.

And when they reply with, “Happy to discuss—what would you offer?”, that’s your cue for Scenario 2 👇

Read also: How Brands Do Influencer Outreach - 5 Tactics & Email Examples 

2. When they say “you can make an offer”

Okay, this is one of those “oh cool, now I’m the pricing department” moments.

You reach out to a small creator. They’re perfect on paper: 25k followers, ~10k views on their last Reels, comments full of people actually asking “link pls?”. They reply fast, they’re excited… and then drop the sentence that makes every marketer’s stomach flip:

“I don’t really have a rate card yet — you can make an offer 😊”

Classic nano / micro territory. These creators often sit in that 8k–60k band where engagement is highest but pricing is the fuzziest. Micro-influencers on Instagram hover around 3.8% ER on average versus ~1% for macro accounts, which is exactly why brands are pouring more budget into them. (Source: influencity.com) 

But because they don’t have agents or years of benchmarks, they’re scared to undersell and equally scared to overcharge.

That’s where you quietly take the wheel and show you know how to negotiate with influencers like a grown-up marketer, not a bargain hunter.

What you can negotiate

When they say “make an offer,” you own the anchor. That’s a good thing.

Instead of lobbing a single random number and hoping it lands, you structure the conversation for them. Think: “I’ll bring the menu, you just pick the dish.”

Let’s say your example creator is:

• 25k followers

• ~10k avg views per Reel

• ~7% ER in a high-intent niche (beauty, skincare, fitness, finance)

For that profile, a lot of brands pay in the micro range — usually a few hundred per Reel depending on niche and usage. You don’t have to match every public benchmark, but you do want to stay somewhere in that reality.

So you build three offers that all work for your numbers:

The beauty of this: every option has your CPM / CPE math baked in. You’re not “making it up”; you’re presenting a structured, fair range that respects their work and protects your CAC.

Read also: 19 influencer marketing KPIs to track your collab success 

Script – email

Here’s how I’d write the full version over email so it feels like help, not pressure:

You’re educating and anchoring. You’ve used their numbers, you’ve shown you understand tiers, and you’re making it easy for them to say “yes, this one.”

Script – short DM variant

For DMs, think of it like the SMS version of the same message:

Fast, specific, and it signals that you’re used to structuring deals — not just fishing for the cheapest option.

And once you’ve handled the “make an offer” dance, the next knot you’ll run into is the opposite 👇

3. When you need more deliverables for roughly the same budget

You get a quote that actually fits your budget for once: €800 for 1 Reel.

On paper, it’s fine. In reality, you’re staring at a content calendar that needs assets for paid, organic, email, maybe even a landing page hero. One Reel from one creator doesn’t stretch that far. You don’t want to ask for a discount; you want more out of the same budget without turning the collaboration into unpaid overtime for the creator.

This is where you use your “production brain” and quietly practice how to negotiate price with influencers around scope, not just fee.

What you can negotiate

You’re not tearing down their quote. You’re reshaping what sits inside that €800.

1. Bundle the deliverables

Come back with a specific package, not a vague “could we add a few Stories?”

For example: €800 total for

• 1 Reel

• 3 Story frames (teaser, live, reminder)

• 1 raw cut of the Reel (no music/text) for your ads

Now €800 pays for a mini-campaign instead of a single hero post. Brands that repurpose creator content in paid social regularly see stronger performance vs. polished brand ads, which is exactly why UGC-style ads have become a meta in themselves.

2. Slight scope tweaks that keep it realistic for the creator

To make that bundle feel doable for them, you streamline:

• Agree on a shorter Reel (20–30 seconds instead of 60+).

• Avoid “three locations, five outfit changes, and a drone shot” concepts.

• Offer a clear shot list so they’re not rewriting the idea three times.

Same fee, more assets, less chaos.

Data angle

Then you bring in their own performance to justify why the bundle works for both sides.

You’ve checked their past 10–15 posts:

• Reels average ~50k views, nice reach, great for top-of-funnel.

• Stories consistently show strong swipe-up or link tap rates on anything remotely product-related. Benchmarks for Instagram Story links often put swipe or click-through rates in the ~1–3% range, depending on niche and creative.

That tells you:

• The Reel is your “hero” asset → reach, saves, shares.

• The Stories are your “supporting” assets → clicks, reply DMs, “where do I buy this?”

Bundled together, your cost per meaningful action drops. One study on influencer content repurposed in ads found user-generated style creatives can drive cheaper clicks and more conversions than brand-produced assets, precisely because they feel native and trustworthy.

Script

Here’s how I’d phrase it so it feels collaborative, not extractive:

You’ve thanked them, anchored that their fee is respected, explained why you want more assets, and made a very precise ask.

Read also: 10 Best Influencer Outreach Tools in 2025: Feature & Pricing 

4. When you need ad usage rights or exclusivity

You know this one: paid team is buzzing because creator content is killing it organically, and now they want to “turn it into ads.” Legal slides in asking about exclusivity. The creator sends a perfectly normal quote for content only… and suddenly you’re not just buying a Reel, you’re renegotiating rights and future revenue on their side. Logically, you ask them to let you put spend behind their face and to pause working with their favourite competitor for a while. 

That’s a different deal than “1 Reel for €1,000.” This is where you need a calm, repeatable way for how to negotiate with influencers when usage rights and exclusivity show up.

What you can negotiate

Before you reply, split what you’re asking for into two clean buckets in your head: rights and exclusivity.

Rights – where and how long you can use the content. Paid and extended usage almost always comes with an uplift. Most guides for creators recommend charging an extra 20–50% of the base fee for usage rights depending on duration and channels.

You can slice it like this:

• Organic only vs paid ads. Organic reposting on your brand channels is often lightly priced or included for a short window. Paid usage (Meta, TikTok, YouTube ads, email, website) is where that 20–50% uplift usually kicks in per 30–90 days.

• Duration. 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, 12 months – every extension adds value, so every extension can add a small tiered fee. Many brands sit at +20–30% for a 60–90 day paid window and go higher for 12 months or evergreen licenses.

• Channels. “Meta ads only” is a different ask than “Meta + TikTok + website + email.” As you layer channels, your media value increases, which is why a lot of clause libraries suggest stacking small percentages per channel or using bundles.

• Exclusivity – what they won’t do for a while. Exclusivity is the opportunity cost side of the equation. Any time you say “no similar brands,” you’re closing off extra revenue for them, and industry advice tells creators to charge a premium for that.

Make it manageable:

• Narrow category vs whole industry. “No other vitamin C serums” is friendlier than “no skincare brands at all.” The tighter you define the category, the easier it is for them to accept a reasonable uplift.

• 1–3 months vs 12 months. A 30–90 day exclusivity window might add +20–30% of base. Once you creep into 6–12 months, many creators will push towards 50%+ of base or more, especially in crowded niches.

So, with a base organic-only fee of €1,000, a very normal conversation might look like:

• Add 60-day paid usage on Meta → +30–50% → €1,300–1,500 total

• Add 90-day category exclusivity (e.g. “no other SPF brands”) → another +20–30% on top → €1,500–1,800+

You’re not locking them into a legal thesis in your first email. You’re giving ranges that line up with how creators are already told to price themselves.

Script

You want this to sound like: “We know this is extra value and extra risk for you, and we’re ready to pay for it,” not “Oh, btw, can we also have everything forever?”

Here’s how I’d frame it:

You’ve:

• Explicitly acknowledged that usage and exclusivity are add-ons.

• Shown the base fee is respected.

• Turned an abstract “rights conversation” into two concrete packages they can react to.

• Left the door open for their own structure instead of boxing them in.

Once you’re comfortable adding rights and exclusivity without everything blowing up, you can start playing offense instead of defense.

Read also: How to reach out to an influencer - 5 effective ways that work 100% 

5. When you want to add performance bonuses

You know that moment when you’re staring at your spreadsheet thinking, “I want to pay this creator fairly… but I also need my CAC to behave”? That’s exactly the moment performance bonuses are made for. 

You’re trying to de-risk your spend and still reward the creator for what actually matters to your CMO: sales, not just Story views and fire emojis. Hybrid “base + performance” deals are becoming a default for serious programs because they keep creators protected while tying part of their payout to measurable results.

Let’s make the math feel less vague. Your target CPA is €25 per purchase. From past Story campaigns you’ve run, you know that a decent Story funnel tends to land somewhere around low-single-digit CTR and mid-single-digit purchase conversion from that traffic. 

Benchmarks for Instagram Story links often show swipe or click-through sitting in the ~1–3% range, depending on niche and creative.

So for this creator, you’re forecasting something like:

• 20k Story views

• ~3% of viewers clicking the link → ~600 clicks

• ~7% of those clickers buying on a focused landing page → ~42 sales

That 42-sales forecast isn’t a fantasy; performance-based models are literally defined as paying for clicks, conversions or sales instead of just impressions.

Now you design a structure that respects their time and lines up to those numbers:

On your side, if they hit the expected ~42 sales, you’re paying somewhere between €500 and €820. Your effective CPA stays in a range you can defend in a QBR. 

On their side, a strong response from their audience can literally double their income from that drop. Performance-based incentives like this are exactly what big platforms recommend when they talk about bonuses boosting creator motivation and content quality.

How do you say it without sounding like procurement? Something like:

“We’d love to set this up so you’re covered for the creative work and have upside if your audience really runs with the offer. For this Story package, we can do a fixed €500 to cover your time and production. On top of that, we’ll add a €10 bonus for every sale above 30, capped at another €500.

That means your total ends up somewhere between €500 and €1,000, depending on how your community responds. We’ll track using a unique link / code and share the results with you so we’re both looking at the same numbers.”

You’ve just shown them, very calmly, how to negotiate price with influencers in a way that doesn’t shove all the risk onto their shoulders. But also in a way that doesn’t leave you explaining a random flat fee to finance with nothing to point at except “good vibes in comments.”

And this structure really shines when there’s some history between you — which is exactly where we’re headed next 👇

6. When the last campaign underperformed but you want to try again

You know that slightly sick feeling when you really like a creator but the dashboard says, “Yeah… this didn’t work”? That’s this scenario. 

The fit is there, the comments are right, the content looks on-brand — and still the report for last month reads: goal was 50 sales, you got 18, and your CPA landed around €60 when your target was €25. 

In other words, cost per acquisition is way above the threshold where an influencer program can scale, so you can’t just renew on autopilot. Benchmark studies put average influencer ROI around $5.78 in revenue for every $1 spent, which means a CPA this far off your target is a clear “pause and rework the structure” moment, not a “repeat and hope” one.

Read also: Deep-Dive Into Influencer Marketing ROI - How To Track & Optimize 

The worst move here is to pretend nothing happened. 

The second worst is to ghost them. 

This is where you gently use the data and show you’re taking the partnership — and their time — seriously. For example: their Reels usually pull 40–50k views, but your sponsored one limped in at ~20k. Engagement averages 4–6% for high-performing creators; your collab post sat under that. 

Maybe the hook was off. 

Maybe the CTA buried. 

Maybe you posted at 11 p.m. on a Sunday when most Instagram engagement peaks on weekday afternoons and early evenings.

So you go back with a clean story: “Here’s what we saw, here’s where it missed, here’s what we’d change next time.” That’s the grown-up version of how to negotiate with instagram influencers without gaslighting them about results or blowing up your own ROI.

From there, you can adjust three things. 

1️⃣ The compensation structure. Instead of another full flat fee, you propose a lower guaranteed amount plus a performance layer. Hybrid models — base + bonus for hitting KPIs like sales or CPA — are now one of the most common ways brands pay creators because they balance creator security with brand risk. 

2️⃣ The creative and format: maybe last time you ran one mid-feed Reel; this time you test “Reel + Story sequence with a clear offer,” or you switch angle from generic “unboxing” to a specific use case with social proof. 

Read also: The best 14 influencer marketing case studies of 2025 for your inspo 

3️⃣ Timing and distribution: agree on posting windows that match their peak audience activity instead of throwing the post into a dead zone.

When you actually write to them, keep it direct and structured, for example:

That way, you’re not punishing them for a single underperforming post. You’re transparently showing the numbers, suggesting concrete changes, and putting real thought into how a second run could actually win for both sides.

7. When the campaign was a hit and you want a long-term ambassadorship

This is a fun one. The rare Slack day where you get to say, “Okay, this actually worked. Now how do we lock it in?”

You ran a test with a creator, set a target of 40 sales, and they quietly dropped 120. Your CAC on that code came in at 50% lower than usual. People didn’t just watch the content — they used the code, multiple times, across Reels and Stories. 

This is exactly the pattern long-term creator programs talk about: once a face becomes “the” person for a brand, conversions go up and stay up because the recommendation feels like a habit, not a stunt.

 Add that to the fact that 61% of shoppers say they’re more likely to buy when a trusted influencer recommends a product. (Source: Goatagency.) And you’re staring at someone who’s earning a seat as a brand ambassador, not just a one-off post.

So now the question is “How do we formalize this so both sides win over the next 6–12 months?” 

This is where you move from per-post chaos into an actual ambassador deal: fixed monthly cost for you, recurring, predictable revenue for them, and a shared incentive to keep performance high. Learning how to negotiate influencer rates at this stage is more about structuring the relationship than wrangling over one Reel price.

Read also: Influencer Outreach Email Template - 22 Email & DM examples 

Here’s what you can put on the table in a way that feels grown-up and clear:

• Fixed monthly fee. Instead of paying €700 here, €900 there, you propose a monthly retainer based on their past performance — for example, “Our average CAC dropped from €40 to €20 on your last two posts, so we’re comfortable committing €X/month as long as that pattern holds.” 

• X posts per month. You spell out a base content cadence: maybe 2 Reels + 4 Stories per month, with flexibility to dial up around launches. That gives your team predictable content for your calendar and their audience a steady, non-spammy drumbeat.

• Priority during launches. You define key beats where they’re “first call”: new product drops, big promos, seasonal pushes. Ambassador and always-on programs work so well because the same faces show up at every major moment, so followers start treating them like the brand’s unofficial spokesperson.

• Better affiliate rate / upside. As you move them into ambassador territory, you bump their affiliate %, add tiered bonuses, or introduce quarterly performance rewards. 

When you put it together, your internal framing looks like this: “This creator just drove 120 sales, halved our CAC, and built clear proof of fit. We’re going to trade some per-post flexibility for predictable monthly spend, better forecasting, and access to their audience over time instead of in spikes.”

Script example

You’re leading with the data. You’re calling the new deal a step up, not a sneaky way to squeeze more posts out of them for the same money. And you’re setting expectations around frequency, launches, and upside so no one is guessing six weeks in.

Once you’ve got one or two of these ambassador deals running smoothly, the next negotiation problem is the exact opposite end of the spectrum 👇

8. When you’re a small brand with almost no budget

This is the “we are tiny but we are serious” scenario.

You’ve got almost no budget, but you also have a conscience. You know product-only deals are a touchy subject, you know micro creators pull real results, and you do not want to be that brand that offers “free shampoo for 3 Reels.” 

At the same time, your whole monthly per-creator budget is… €300 and some inventory.

The good news: a lot of small brands live here. Hybrid models — product + small flat fee + commission — are a normal way to start when cash is limited, as long as you’re transparent and you spell out how this can grow if it works. 

Most guides for brands with limited budgets explicitly recommend combining gifting with at least some monetary comp or commissions, and being upfront about the value exchange.

So how do you actually move in this space without feeling gross? You treat your tiny budget like a real media line and think in terms of scope and upside. 

What you can negotiate when money is tight

Start by reducing the ask, not inflating the “exposure” speech. For example:

Most affiliate / influencer programs sit somewhere between 10–30% commission per sale depending on margin and category, so a 15% cut is firmly in the “reasonable” zone for DTC. (Source: Referralcandy.com)

Clear “if this, then that” path

• You don’t promise the moon.

• You do define: “If we hit X sales / Y CPA, we revisit your flat fee at Z level for the next collab.”

That future path is what makes a small first deal feel like the opening chapter, not the whole story.

Concrete example you can run with

Say you have €300 per creator + product to work with.

You’re talking to a 15k-follower creator in a tight niche — say, curly hair care or ADHD productivity — with engagement that’s comfortably in micro-influencer benchmark territory (around 3–4% on Instagram).

You might structure it like this:

• Offer for the first collab

€150 flat

full-size product bundle (real retail value, not samples)

15% affiliate commission on sales from their code/link

Scope: 1 Reel + 1–2 Stories

• Clear growth clause “If this campaign hits 20+ tracked sales, the next collab moves to a €300 + 15% affiliate with similar or expanded scope.”

That’s attractive because:

• They get guaranteed cash and product.

• The commission rate is competitive with typical affiliate programs.

• There’s a specific, realistic trigger for better terms.

This is the kind of structure that becomes your own internal how to negotiate influencer rates template for “we’re small, but we’ll be good to you if this works.”

Script – founderish, honest tone

You want this email to read like a human who owns a P&L and actually likes creators:

For DMs, you compress the same thought into four lines:

You’ve set expectations, you’ve respected their time, and you’ve made it crystal-clear how this can turn into something bigger if it works.

And once you’ve got terms on the table, the last big variable kicks in: time. Which is exactly where we go next: 

9. When timelines are tight and you need rush content

This is the “everything moved and now I’m screwed” scenario.

Launch date shifted. Product team slipped. Paid team suddenly wants creator content in ad accounts this week. Your Gantt chart is on fire and you’re about to email a creator asking for a full creative concept, shoot, edit, approvals and posting in 48–72 hours.

Tight timelines do cost more. Creators are told to charge 20–50% on top of their base rate for rush work, because it usually means rearranging their schedule and pushing other clients aside. (Source: Influencer Marketing Hub)

So when you’re thinking about how to negotiate with influencers as a brand under time pressure, you want a play that respects their workload and still gets you something usable fast.

What you can negotiate when you’re in “rush” mode

First lever: a rush fee.

If their normal Reel rate is €1,000, it’s absolutely reasonable for them to ask +20–50% for a 48–72h turnaround window. That’s consistent with what influencer pricing guides and creator lawyers recommend for urgent deliveries.

Second lever: simpler concept.

You don’t brief “three locations, friends as extras, heavy transitions, animated captions” and then expect 48-hour magic. You shave the idea down to something they can realistically pull off fast:

• One location they already film in

• Natural light, minimal props

• Straightforward hook → demo → CTA structure

• Stories that reuse the same setup, not fresh scenes

You’re basically saying: “We’ll pay more for the speed, and we’ll make the brief lighter so you’re not killing yourself to meet it.” That’s the core of how to deal with influencers in crunch times without trashing the relationship.

Script – how to ask without sounding chaotic

You want the message to read like: “We know we messed up the timeline. We’re not making this your problem for free.”

Something like:

And then you actually don’t keep doing this every campaign. Once is a favour + paid rush. Twice becomes your culture. Creators talk, and brands that live in “panic brief” mode become the ones people quietly avoid.