What influencer marketing really costs.
Searching for what influencer marketing costs mostly returns rate cards that look precise and rarely are. This guide does the opposite: first break down where the money goes, then calculate with figures we can actually support.
Door Thierry Fondu, oprichter van Kollaborate · bijgewerkt op
Het korte antwoord.
The cost has three parts: what you pay the creator, what the channel costs through which you find them, and the time you put in yourself. For a local collaboration in Belgium with a smaller account we work with roughly 80 to 150 euros per creator, in cash or in value. On top of that a platform costs a fixed monthly amount, at Kollaborate 39 or 89 euros, while an agency is often counted at around a thousand euros a month. Searching yourself costs no money but plenty of hours, and gives no certainty about real followers or about delivery.
The three cost items.
The first is the fee to the creator. That is the amount or the value they receive for the work: cash, a product or service, or a combination. This is almost always the largest item and the one you set yourself.
The second is the channel. A platform charges a subscription, an agency a project price or a monthly amount, and searching yourself costs nothing but your own hours. You buy this item for what it removes: search time, uncertainty about real followers, and the risk of nothing being delivered.
The third is your own time, and it is rarely counted. Writing the brief, assessing candidates, agreeing terms, checking that it was posted. Allow half a working day for a first collaboration, even with a platform.
Why there is no rate card per follower here.
For nano and micro creators in Belgium there is no standard rate. The amounts in circulation come from American studies or from calculators that invent a price per thousand followers, and that figure ignores the sector, the region, the number of posts, exclusivity and usage rights.
So we do not publish such a table, because it would look reliable without being so. What we can say is what we see in practice for local collaborations in hospitality with smaller accounts: roughly 80 to 150 euros per creator, in cash or in value.
Calculate from the bottom up instead. What exactly are you asking for, how much work is that, and what may you do with the content afterwards? A creator who makes one story during a visit delivers something different from someone who makes four posts you may use in your own ads for a year.
What the channel costs.
Fixed cost only, so excluding the fee to the creator.
Sleep de tabel opzij voor de andere kolommen
| Route | Fixed cost | What you get for it |
|---|---|---|
| Searching yourself | None | Full freedom, but you judge for yourself whether followers are real and you have no certainty about delivery. |
| Agency | Project price or retainer, for local content often counted at around a thousand euros a month | Someone handles selection, briefing and follow-up for you. |
| Kollaborate Essential | 39 euros a month, first month free | Three active offers, company number check, basic analytics, 15 per cent fee on cash deals. |
| Kollaborate Pro | 89 euros a month | Ten active offers, 10 per cent fee, featured placement and Top Brand badge, extended analytics. |
All prices excluding VAT. A minimum fee of 5 euros applies per cash deal. Paying yearly gives two months free. The benchmark of roughly a thousand euros a month for agency support is a general market figure and not a Kollaborate rate.
Three worked examples.
Using the figures above, so you can see where the money goes rather than just a total.
Restaurant, three creators in kind.
Essential 39 euros, three menus for two with a retail value of around 70 euros each. Because it is not a cash deal, the platform fee does not apply. Your real cost is the cost price of those three menus plus 39 euros.
Salon, two creators in cash.
Essential 39 euros, two fees of 100 euros, plus 15 per cent on that 200 euros, so 30 euros. Together 269 euros excluding VAT, with the first month of the subscription free.
Retail chain, six creators a month on Pro.
Pro 89 euros, six fees of 120 euros makes 720 euros, plus 10 per cent fee, so 72 euros. Together 881 euros excluding VAT, with up to ten offers running at once.
Hybrid, the most common case.
Part in kind and a small amount on top. The fee applies only to the cash part, with a minimum of 5 euros, so a deal of 40 euros plus a dinner costs you 40 euros plus 5 euros fee plus the cost price of that dinner.
Items people forget.
Usage rights on the content.
If you want to use the video in your own ads, that is a separate agreement and usually a higher fee. Asking afterwards costs more than arranging it upfront.
Exclusivity.
Asking a creator not to work with a competitor for three months is asking them to give up income. That is allowed, but it has a price.
The real cost of paying in kind.
Count what it costs you, not the menu price. But communicate the value to the creator, because that is what they will be taxed on.
Your own hours.
Briefing, choosing, following up and reviewing the content. An agency sells you exactly that, and it is the real reason to hire one.
What a failed collaboration costs.
Paying in full upfront with nothing in between means non-delivery becomes your problem. Check when the money is released; that is a cost item disguised as a condition.
Veelgestelde vragen.
What does influencer marketing cost in Belgium?+
What does a post cost with a creator who has 5,000 followers?+
Is paying with a product cheaper than cash?+
What does an influencer marketing agency charge?+
What is the platform fee at Kollaborate?+
Can I try it first without paying?+
Run the numbers with your own figures.
Post an offer with your budget and payment form and see who responds. The first month is free, so you can test before you spend.