How to Get Sponsored on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube (Any Follower Count)

Getting sponsored means a brand pays you, in cash, product or both, to feature what it sells in your content. Few first sponsorships arrive on their own: brands sponsor creators they can find, judge and trust quickly. To get sponsored at any follower count, pick a niche brands sell into, post consistently, and build a media kit with your typical views and two or three ad-style samples. Then go after sponsors three ways: apply to campaigns brands post, pitch brands that already sponsor creators your size, and opt into the platform marketplaces you qualify for.

There is no universal follower minimum for sponsorships. As of October 2026, TikTok One brand projects need 1,000 followers and creators aged 18 or older, TikTok Shop affiliate needs 1,000 US followers, and Tubefilter reports TikTok One's Creative Exchange needs 10,000. Instagram's creator marketplace needs 1,000 followers, and YouTube Creator Partnerships publishes no follower minimum. In CreatorIQ's 2025-26 survey, brands ranked brand suitability as their top factor when choosing creators and follower count as the lowest, so niche fit, typical views and content quality decide most deals.

On TikTok, join TikTok One once you qualify, turn on the commercial content toggle for every branded post including gifts, and price Spark Ads as a separate line. On Instagram, the creator marketplace now sits inside Meta's Creator Marketing Hub; use the Paid Partnership label, use royalty-free audio on anything a brand might boost, and keep your content original. On YouTube, set your pricing, contact email and channel insights in the Partnerships tab of YouTube Studio, and select the paid promotion button on sponsored videos.

For a first sponsorship, published rate benchmarks vary widely. Influencer Marketing Hub's 2026 figures put nano TikTok videos at $50 to $200, while Later's 2026 guide puts nano posts at $100 to $500. Add 30 to 50 percent when a brand wants to run your content as paid ads. Pitch with a short email built around one idea, your median views and two matching samples, and follow up once. Walk away from any sponsor that asks you to pay a fee, buy the product, download software or move to a messaging app before terms are agreed.

Aurelia makes getting sponsored easier. Brands post campaigns and you apply in a few taps, with your media kit, stats and answers attached automatically. Every campaign shows your take-home pay, the product, the usage rights and the deadline before you apply, and the take-home you see already has Aurelia’s fee taken out. There is no follower minimum, applicants are ranked by fit with the brief rather than follower count, the contract is written from the campaign, and you are paid to your bank after the brand approves your work.