How to make an influencer media kit (2026)

When a brand or agency takes an interest in you, the first thing it asks for is usually the same: "Can you send your media kit?" If you have nothing ready, replying takes days and the offer goes to someone else. A media kit is like a résumé: it should be short, current and verifiable. This guide covers what belongs in it, which numbers to show and how, and the logic for building a rate card.

What goes in a media kit?

A good kit answers five questions in order. The table shows what to write in each section and where the data comes from:

Order matters. The person at the brand will most likely skim the document on a phone in thirty seconds. The first screen should show who you are and three core numbers (followers, engagement rate, audience country). Price comes last.

Which numbers, and how?

Every number in the kit should meet two conditions: the brand can check it independently, and it says which period it covers.

• Follower count: with a date. A figure from three months ago costs you trust.
• Engagement rate: add up likes and comments on your last 10–12 posts, divide by the number of posts and express that as a share of followers. Our engagement rate guide shows the sum step by step. Note which formula you used (by followers or by reach).
• Average views: for Reels and video, the average of your last 10 pieces. Do not present your best video's number as the average.
• Audience breakdown: country, city, age and gender. Only you can see this data, so include a screenshot of the insights screen.

It helps to put your engagement rate in context. In Socialinsider's 2026 report covering 447,613 pages, Instagram's average engagement rate is 0.48%. That sample is weighted toward brand pages, but a sourced comparison in your kit, such as "my engagement rate is 3.6%; the overall average in Socialinsider's 2026 report is 0.48%", is far more persuasive than a percentage standing alone.

A worked example: a rate card for 45,000 followers

Let us build a rate card for a home decor account with 45,000 followers and an audience in the United States. The engagement rate over its last 12 posts is 3.6%.

1. Base range: (45,000 ÷ 1,000) × ($5–$15) = $225–$675.
2. Engagement multiplier: 3.6 ÷ 3 = 1.2.
3. Range per post: $225–$675 × 1.2 = $270–$810.
4. Pick a base price: choose a point inside the range that you can defend given your niche and past work. In this example, $500.
5. Price the formats and a package: build the list below from the base price.

The logic behind those multipliers is simple: a Reel takes more shooting and editing, a Story disappears after 24 hours, and a package gives the brand a discount in exchange for a bigger job for you. Set your own multipliers according to your effort and demand. What matters is that the list is consistent and that you can explain what it is based on. You can calculate the base range for your own followers and engagement in the Instagram money calculator, and the sponsored post rates guide covers the other parts of the fee.

Put a validity date on the rate card (for example, "valid until 31 December 2026"). You will need to update it as your followers and engagement change, and an undated list invites requests at the old price six months later.

What to write under the rate card

A list that does not say what the price covers leads to disputes halfway through the job. Add short notes underneath:

• Usage rights: the price covers publication on your own account only. The brand using the content on its own account or in paid ads is discussed separately.
• Revisions: how many rounds of changes the price includes.
• Exclusivity: if the brand wants you to avoid competitors, for how long and at what price.
• Disclosure: all paid posts will be labeled in line with the rules that apply.

The last item is an obligation and not a nicety. The US Federal Trade Commission's guidance says that a "material connection" to a brand, including being paid or receiving free or discounted products, should be obvious to your audience, and warns against assuming that a platform's disclosure tool is enough by itself. Other countries have their own rules: in Türkiye, for instance, the Advertising Board requires a tag such as #Reklam together with the advertiser's name on every paid post. Writing this into your kit from the start closes the "let's post it without a label" request before the conversation begins.

Common mistakes

• Inflated numbers. At the end of a campaign the brand asks for a reach and click report, and results that do not match the kit do not bring a second job. Bought followers give themselves away by dragging the engagement rate down, and under a 2024 FTC rule buying fake followers to misrepresent your influence for commercial purposes is prohibited.
• Old data. Undated numbers, or numbers from months ago. Update the kit at least every three months.
• Length. Nobody reads a ten-page deck. One or two pages are enough.
• One kit for everyone. Leading with tech partnerships in a kit sent to a cosmetics brand wastes the opening. Tailor the past work section to the brand.
• No prices. "Contact me for rates" lengthens the exchange. A starting price speeds up serious offers.

FAQ

Sources