Not gonna lie, I was going to bag this post because I felt like this was such a hard thing to talk about. But I decided to go through with it because this is the big topic of influencers, after all, we wouldn't be talking about quitting our jobs if there were no alternative.
First things fist...you need a media kit, a public profile and insights (click here to learn how to get insights). A media kit is kind of like an online resume. You'll talk about your blog, Youtube, Instagram, etc. and what you have to offer to a company. You also will list your followers and your engagement rate. Don't let this scare you as everyone's engagement rate is pretty bad. I definitely think companies are aware of the algorithm issues, so they go more off of insights rather than likes. But what they're looking for is what you can do for them. They will look at followers and content first. Below are some examples of media kits (All of these are from Google images).
I got my template from Canva. You have to have an account to use their templates, but most are free. Canva offers a wide range of things for online needs like brochures, Instagram highlights, flyers etc. I personally don't list my audience percentage because I like to reach out to a range of places. My biggest audience is in LA so I do get work from a lot of California companies but I keep my options open. You can see all this info on the "insights" screen in Instagram (only with a business profile).
Moving onto the tricky part, what to charge. (Keep in mind this is from MY personal experience with working with companies). There's a "rule" for what to charge...I've heard its $100 for every 10,000 followers you have however, with Instagram being difficult lately it seems companies aren't really on board with that. I would start low to be safe. For every 10,000 followers charge $60-$75. For 20,000 charge $100-$120 and then go from there. I know it sounds low but also remember there are people who will collab for free and sometimes companies will go that direction so don't get crazy with pricing, but know your worth. Some companies will even offer you way more than your rate as well, which is a good thing! Don't look at the likes on a photo as that's how many people saw the post. I get garbage likes but I range from 3,500-6,000 impressions on each post, meaning that's how many people came in contact with my photo or page which is what companies care about most, they just want their product to be seen. I have no idea why likes are so bad for everyone but thank god for insights because that's the most important part. Definitely keep a range for pricing, 7/10 times they will be open to negotiate. (The example below is from Google images).
A lot of companies have a set budget for Influencers so they can't really budge. For this, it's best to go off judgement. I've been offered $300 for just a post which was doable but I've had to turn down some that want multiple posts, multiple stories and a blog post all for $100. Personally, that's not worth the time I'm putting into the post/story/blog but because they have a influencer budget they can't offer more. I'm not saying to totally ignore those but you'll start to learn what your worth is. If you're just starting to influence that is a great way to get a feel for how the pricing works for time and content created. And I'll say this again, don't take it because it's there. Take the offer if you genuinely want to work with the company.
I really hope this helps you guys! This one was a little tough because I'm not a pro and the pricing and Instagram is changing all the time so this is something you need to get a feel for on a personal level. The more you start working with companies the more comfortable you'll get! Don't give up! I will get a blog out on how to set up a media kit next!
Don't hesitate to reach out here or my IG @golden_aimeee
-xoxo, Aimee