Influencer collaboration: how a small brand proposes one
A small brand can propose an influencer collaboration on one page. A collaboration is a deal where a creator promotes your product and you give something in return. The page says what you send, what they make, what you pay, where you may reuse their work and what they must disclose. Pick one of three offers, and put the numbers in writing.
A creator is anyone with an audience, such as a video maker, blogger or podcaster. A commission is a cut of each sale. A creator's code is a discount code that is theirs alone, so you can see what they sold. This guide covers the three offers and a one-page proposal you can copy. It also covers two lines most small brands forget: how to disclose, and what you may reuse.
Three offers a small brand can make
Small-brand collaborations tend to be one of these three. Pick the one that fits your cash and your goal. A flat fee is one set price for the work, whatever it sells.
| Offer | What the creator gets | What you get | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gift only | The product | A chance of a post | You have little cash and want a first test |
| Gift plus commission | The product, and a cut of each sale through their code | Posts, and you pay only on sales | You want sales you can count |
| Flat fee | A set price for the work | A post, by a set date | You need a specific piece of work on time |
You can mix them. A product and a code is an easy start for a small creator, and our guide on what to offer affiliates shows how to set the numbers. Our guide on how creator partnerships are structured says when to gift, when to pay a fee and when to use commission. For a starting rate, look at what brands pay. On 23 October 2026 we read the public affiliate pages of 168 Shopify brands. Of those, 137 named a base rate, and the median was 10% (the commission data). Those are brand affiliate programs, not creator deals, so treat 10% as a rough starting point for a creator's code.
What goes on the one-page proposal?
Send this after the creator says yes to your first email, or put the short form in the email itself. Seven parts fit on one page.
- Who you are. One line on the brand and what you sell.
- Why them. One true line about their work.
- What you send. The product, the size or version, and when it ships.
- What they make. For example, one video and three stories. Do not insist on a "positive" post.
- What you pay. The commission rate and how long it applies, or the fee and the due date.
- Where you may reuse it. The usage line, below.
- What they must disclose. The disclosure line, below.
If you give the creator a link as well as a code, say how long after a click a sale still counts for them. That is the cookie window. Use one number, such as 30 days, everywhere.
A filled-in example
Here is a gift plus commission proposal for a made-up leather-care brand. Change every part.
Collaboration proposal: Fieldwork x Dana Ortiz
About us. Fieldwork sells leather care kits for bags, boots and jackets.
Why you. Your video on repairing a worn leather bag was the clearest I've seen.
What we send. A full care kit, shipped within 5 days of your yes.
What you make. One video of 30 to 90 seconds and three story frames, within 30 days of receiving the kit. Say what you honestly think.
What we pay. 12% on every sale through your code DANA12 or your link, counted for 30 days after each click. Paid monthly by PayPal once you've earned $20.
Where we may reuse it. On our site and organic social (our normal, unpaid posts), for 12 months, with your name on it. Paid ads only with your written yes and a separate fee.
What you disclose. Tell your audience you got the kit free and earn from the code, in the video itself, using words like "free product" and "I earn a commission."
Reply "yes" and I'll ship today.
A creator can say yes to one page in a minute.
The disclosure line tells the creator how to disclose
Tell the creator exactly how to disclose. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says brands are "ultimately responsible for what others do on your behalf". It says to tell creators "exactly how you want them to make the disclosures". It also says to monitor their posts (FTC Endorsement Guides Q&A, checked 27 October 2026). Sending free product does not remove that duty. Ask for the disclosure even when you did not pay a fee.
The FTC's guide for creators says a plain statement of the relationship works, and that #ad or "sponsored" is acceptable. It warns against vague words such as "collab" or "ambassador" alone. In a video, the disclosure belongs in the video, not only in the description (FTC, Disclosures 101, November 2019, checked 27 October 2026).
Paste-ready line for your proposal:
You must say clearly that you received free product and, if it applies, earn a commission. Say it in the video or post itself, not only in the description. Use plain words such as "free product" or "paid partnership". Do not use "collab" or "ambassador" on their own.
TikTok has a built-in tool. Its help page says promotional posts need the "Disclose commercial content" setting turned on. A post without it "may be removed or restricted" (TikTok Ads Help, January 2026, checked 27 October 2026). Rules differ by country. In the UK, the Advertising Standards Authority and the Committee of Advertising Practice publish an influencers' guide. This is not legal advice.
The usage-rights line sets where you may reuse the work
Usage rights are the permission to reuse a creator's work. Don't assume you can use it outside the creator's own post. Spell out four things: where you may use it, for how long, with what credit and whether paid ads are included.
A good usage line is a non-exclusive license. It lets you use the work without stopping the creator from using it too. Name a set purpose and period, and leave ownership with the creator. Treat paid ads and whitelisting, which means running ads from the creator's own account, as their own permissions, since extended use may cost extra. Ask a lawyer if the deal is large.
Whitelisting means running ads from the creator's own account handle. Treat it as its own paid item. Organic social means your normal, unpaid posts.
Paste-ready line:
We may reuse your video on our website and organic social accounts for 12 months, with your name credited. Paid ads and any use after 12 months need your written yes and a separate fee.
How do you measure whether it worked?
Decide the measure before you send anything.
- For gift plus commission: sales through their code or link, counted for 30 days after each click.
- For a flat fee: the post went up on time, and what it sold through a code.
- For a gift only: whether they posted, and whether anything sold.
Give every creator their own code. A shared code hides who sold. Settle a few other terms at the same time: who pays for shipping, how many rounds of changes you get, and whether the creator may work with your rivals. For fee ranges, our guide to finding UGC creators lists public prices. After the first batch, keep the two or three who sold, and offer them a better rate or a paid post.
What mistakes do small brands make?
A vague offer. "Generous commission" tells a creator nothing. Give a number.
No dates. Say when the product ships and when the post is due.
A required positive post. Ask for an honest look, not a promise. A forced review reads as an ad and breaks trust.
No disclosure line. You stay responsible either way. The line makes sure the creator does it correctly.
Running a creator's post as your own ad without asking. Paid use is its own permission, and it can cost extra.
Where do you find creators to propose to?
Start with people already writing about brands like yours. RecruitAffiliates.ai finds the websites, blogs, review sites, podcasts and creators already promoting your rivals, ranked so the best fits sit at the top. It looks up their email and shows whether each address was checked (what each result means). Our influencer outreach email template guide covers the first email. These gifting note examples cover the card in the box. The 7-day free trial includes 20 email lookups and needs no card.
Frequently asked questions
What is an influencer collaboration?
It is a deal where a creator promotes your product and you give something back. That may be free product, a commission or a fee. A small brand can write it on one page.
What should an influencer collaboration proposal include?
Who you are and why you picked them. What you send, what they make and what you pay. Where you may reuse their work and what they must disclose. Put dates and numbers in each part.
Do I need a contract for a gifted collaboration?
A short written proposal that both sides accept by email is a sensible minimum. For a paid or long deal, a fuller contract is safer. Ask a lawyer if the amount is large.
Who owns the content?
Usually the creator. You get what the proposal says you can reuse. State the places and the time, and treat paid ads as a separate permission.
Sources
- US Federal Trade Commission, FTC's Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking and Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers (November 2019)
- TikTok Ads Help, Disclose commercial content (January 2026)
- Our reading of 168 public Shopify brand affiliate programs (not creator deals), 23 October 2026: commission rates