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You don't need hundreds of thousands of followers to start making money from sponsorships.
Sure, having a large audience helps, but brands care about a lot more than how many people follow you. They want to know who watches your content, how engaged those viewers are, and whether those people would actually be interested in buying their products.
A creator with 5,000 followers who consistently reaches the right audience can sometimes be a better investment than someone with 100,000 followers who struggles to get views. And yet, a lot of smaller creators never even bother approaching brands because they assume they're not big enough.
So, whether you're looking for your first sponsorship or trying to land better deals, this guide will walk you through what brands look for, how to approach them, what to charge, and how to avoid getting ripped off.
Different Types of Sponsorships
Before you start approaching brands, it's worth understanding what a sponsorship can actually look like.
Not every deal involves someone paying you to promote a product in a YouTube video. Companies work with creators in all sorts of ways, and some arrangements might make more sense for your content than others.
Integrated Sponsorships
You've probably seen these hundreds of times already. You're watching a YouTube video, and at some point, the creator takes a minute to talk about the company sponsoring them. That's an integrated sponsorship.
The advertisement is included within a larger piece of content, usually as a short segment lasting anywhere from 30 seconds to a couple of minutes. For example, imagine you make videos reviewing indie games. A gaming peripheral company might pay you to include a 60-second segment showcasing their newest keyboard in your next video.
You still get to make the content you originally planned, and the brand gets its product in front of your audience. These sponsorships are particularly common on YouTube because they allow creators to promote something without dedicating an entire video to it.
Brands will sometimes request specific placements, so make sure you agree on that before production begins.
Dedicated Sponsorships
Unlike an integrated sponsorship, a dedicated sponsorship involves creating an entire piece of content around the brand or product.
Imagine a game developer pays you to produce a video showcasing their upcoming game. Instead of mentioning the game for 60 seconds, the entire video focuses on exploring its features, gameplay, and what makes it interesting.
These deals generally require more work since the sponsored content is the main project rather than a segment within something you're already producing. Depending on the agreement, you might need to plan a separate video, write a script, record additional footage, and work with the brand through several stages of production.
Livestream Sponsorships
If you're a streamer, sponsorships can work a little differently. A developer might pay you to play their game for two hours, a company might sponsor a special event on your stream, or a brand might want its logo displayed during a broadcast.
Sometimes, a livestream sponsorship includes several deliverables at once. For example, a developer could ask you to stream their game, share a promotional link in chat, and post a highlight clip afterward. Because livestreams are interactive, brands may also care about things like average concurrent viewers, chat engagement, and how often viewers interact with sponsored links.
Keep in mind that a two-hour sponsored stream involves more than simply being live for two hours. There may be preparation, technical setup, promotion, and additional content to produce afterward.
Short-Form Sponsorships
Not every sponsorship needs to be a long YouTube video or livestream. Brands also pay creators to make sponsored content for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.
Short-form sponsorships can work particularly well for creators whose content focuses on game discoveries, tutorials, product recommendations, or quick demonstrations.
Just remember that a shorter video doesn't necessarily mean less work. Creating a polished 60-second video can sometimes take hours of scripting, recording, and editing, especially when you're trying to make the promotion feel natural.
Jestr
Most traditional sponsorships involve agreeing on a price with a brand before you start creating content. But there's another approach where your earnings depend on how well your content performs.
That's where Jestr comes in.
Instead of receiving a fixed payment for publishing a video, you earn money based on the number of eligible views your content receives.
Jestr is a platform that connects gaming creators with developers and publishers looking to promote their games. Rather than having to negotiate a separate sponsorship deal with every developer, approved creators can browse available campaigns, choose games they're interested in, and make short-form content around them.
Depending on the campaign, creators can access game keys, footage, and other resources to help them make their videos. Once their content is published on platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts, they can submit it to Jestr and earn money based on eligible views.
The advantage is that you don't necessarily need to convince a company to sponsor you individually. You can choose from available opportunities and create content in your own style, as long as you follow the campaign guidelines.
If you're interested in trying this type of sponsorship, you can apply to become a Jestr creator and explore available opportunities.
Affiliate Partnerships
Affiliate partnerships operate a little differently from traditional paid sponsorships. Instead of receiving a fixed payment for creating content, you earn money when someone makes a qualifying purchase or completes another tracked action using your referral link or discount code.
Let's say you join a gaming accessories company's affiliate program. You share a link to one of their products, and whenever someone purchases through that link, you earn a commission. The amount you make depends on the program's terms and how your audience responds.
This can be an excellent starting point for smaller creators because companies generally take less financial risk when compensation is tied to results. If you've generated sales through affiliate links before, you have real results to show potential partners.
The downside is that affiliate income isn't guaranteed. You could spend hours creating content and earn very little if nobody purchases anything. For that reason, affiliate deals shouldn't automatically be treated as equivalent to paid sponsorships.
Gifted Sponsorships and Product Seeding
Sometimes, a brand will offer you a product instead of money. A peripheral company might send you a keyboard, or a game developer might give you a review key in the hopes that you'll feature their game. This is commonly called product seeding or gifting.
There are two important distinctions here.
In some cases, a company sends something without requiring any content in return. You're free to try it, and whether you feature it is entirely up to you.
In other cases, the company expects specific content in exchange for the product. That second arrangement is a negotiated collaboration, even if no money changes hands.
Gifted opportunities can be useful, particularly when you're starting out or receiving something you genuinely want to use. But be careful about how much work you're agreeing to do.
Spending several days producing a video in exchange for a $20 product probably isn't a particularly good deal. And receiving something for free can still create a relationship that needs to be disclosed to your audience.
Brand Ambassadorships and Long-Term Partnerships
Not all sponsorships are one-time collaborations. Sometimes, a company wants to work with a creator over several months, or even longer. These arrangements might involve a certain number of sponsored videos each month, regular social media promotions, appearances at events, or ongoing representation of the brand.
For example, instead of paying you for a single sponsored video, a gaming hardware company might agree to sponsor two videos every month for six months.
Long-term partnerships can offer more predictable income and allow creators to build a stronger relationship with a company. However, they can also come with additional conditions, especially around exclusivity.
If a brand wants you to represent its products exclusively, you need to understand which other opportunities you might be prevented from accepting.
Also, don't confuse the title of "brand ambassador" with a guaranteed paid position. Some ambassador programs are simply affiliate programs with a different name. Always look at what you're actually receiving and what you're required to provide.
What Makes a Creator Worth Sponsoring?
Now that we've gone through the different types of deals, there's another question worth answering.
Why would a company choose you over another creator?
A lot of people assume it comes down to follower count, but that's only one part of the picture. Imagine you're selling a game designed for people who love difficult strategy games. You have a marketing budget, and you're choosing between two creators.
The first has 200,000 subscribers but mostly posts horror gaming content. The second has 20,000 subscribers and makes videos specifically about strategy games.
Which audience is more likely to be interested in what you're selling?
The answer isn't necessarily the bigger one. Brands want to reach people who might become customers, so they look at several things when deciding whether to sponsor someone.
Your Audience
Who watches your content, and why?
Someone creating PC building tutorials attracts a very different audience from someone making cozy game showcase videos. Neither is inherently better, but they're likely to appeal to different advertisers.
Your viewers' location can also matter. If a business primarily sells products in North America, a creator whose audience is concentrated in countries where those products aren't available might not be the best fit.
Understanding your audience makes it easier to identify brands that would benefit from working with you.
Your Average Viewership
Subscribers and followers might tell a company how large your account has become, but recent views give a better idea of how many people are likely to see a promotion.
You might have 50,000 subscribers and consistently average 30,000 views per video. Another creator could have 200,000 subscribers but struggle to reach 10,000 views. The smaller channel may offer more exposure on a typical upload.
Brands generally want to know what kind of results they can reasonably expect, not how popular your channel was two years ago.
Engagement and Watch Time
A million views sound impressive, but those views become less valuable if people immediately scroll away or stop watching before reaching the sponsorship. This is particularly relevant for YouTube integrations.
If you place a sponsored segment five minutes into a video, the brand will care about how many people are still watching at that point. Comments, likes, watch time, and audience interactions can also provide useful context.
If you have previous affiliate or sponsorship results, those can help demonstrate what your audience responds to.
Consistency and Reputation
If your videos regularly attract a similar number of viewers, companies have a better idea of what they're buying.
Brands may also review your recent content before approaching you. They'll want to understand how you present yourself, how you communicate with viewers, and whether your content aligns with their brand.
None of this means you need a perfect channel to get sponsored. It just helps to understand that companies are evaluating more than the number displayed next to your username.
How to Get Your First Sponsorship
If you're still waiting for your first sponsorship opportunity, you're probably going to have to do some of the work yourself.
Here's how I'd approach it.
Start With Brands That Fit Your Content
Make a list of products, services, or games that your audience might realistically be interested in.
If you create gaming content, think about the games you play, the equipment you use, and the software involved in making your videos. You don't need to limit yourself to enormous companies.
In fact, smaller businesses can sometimes be better opportunities because they may be actively looking for affordable ways to reach specific audiences. You can also look for official affiliate and creator programs. Some of these programs have relatively accessible requirements, making them useful starting points for creators without previous sponsorship experience.
Just make sure you check the current eligibility requirements before applying.
Give Brands a Reason to Work With You
Sending a company an email saying you'd love to work together doesn't tell them very much.
What would that collaboration involve? Why would their product appeal to your audience? How would you introduce it?
Instead of leaving those questions unanswered, come up with an idea yourself. Let's say you create videos about unusual indie games.
You could approach a developer with the idea of making a short video showcasing a mechanic that makes their upcoming game stand out. You already know what kind of content performs well with your audience, and you're offering the developer a way to reach those viewers.
That's a much stronger pitch than simply asking whether the company offers sponsorships. A clear idea and a reasonable explanation of how it fits your content are enough to start a conversation.
Find the Right Contact
Once you've decided who you want to approach, look for the company's official creator or partnership program.
Some brands have application forms specifically for influencers, affiliates, and content creators. If you can't find one, look for a business or partnerships email on their website. LinkedIn can also help you identify people working in influencer marketing or creator partnerships.
Try to contact someone relevant to what you're proposing rather than sending your email to every address you can find.
Creating a Media Kit
If you plan on contacting brands regularly, you should probably have a media kit.
A media kit is a simple document that gives potential sponsors an overview of your content, audience, and performance. Think of it as a way for someone who's never heard of you to understand your channel without spending half an hour researching it.
We provide every Jestr creator with a free media kit, so you should definitely check it out if you're on the platform.
A good media kit should include:
- Who you are: Your channel, content niche, and a brief introduction.
- Your platforms: Links to the accounts where you create content.
- Your performance: Recent average views, monthly views, and relevant watch-time statistics.
- Your audience: Viewer demographics, including age ranges and locations.
- Your sponsorship options: The formats you offer, such as integrations, dedicated videos, Shorts, or livestream segments.
- Previous partnerships: Any brands you've worked with and results you're permitted to share.
- Contact information: A method companies can use to reach you.
You can include starting rates if you want, but it's also fine to discuss pricing separately.
Just make sure the statistics you're sharing accurately represent your current performance.
If your biggest video reached 800,000 views while the rest of your content averages 10,000, don't use that viral video to represent your normal viewership. You can absolutely highlight impressive results, but companies should understand what's typical and what's an exception.
And if you create multiple types of content, separate their performance. For example, your average YouTube Shorts views shouldn't be mixed with your long-form video views.
Once you've finished your media kit, upload it somewhere accessible and include the link in your sponsorship pitches.
How to Write a Sponsorship Pitch
Introduce yourself, explain why your audience is relevant, describe your idea, and give the company enough information to decide whether it wants to hear more.
Here's a template you can adapt if you want:
Subject: [Your Channel] x [Brand] — Partnership Idea
Hey [Name],
I'm [Your Name], and I create [type of content] on [platform/s], where my recent videos average around [X] views.
I've been following [Brand/Product], and I think it could be a great fit for my audience, particularly because [specific reason].
I had an idea for a potential collaboration involving [brief explanation of your idea and how the brand would be featured].
My audience is primarily [relevant demographics], and you can find more information about my content and recent performance in my media kit here: [link].
Would this be something your team would be interested in discussing?
Thanks!
[Your Name]
Of course, this is just a starting point. The most important part of the email is the idea you're presenting and why it makes sense for that specific company.
If you've genuinely used the product before, mention that. If you've previously featured it in your content, include a link. But don't pretend to have experience with something you haven't actually tried.
And keep the email relatively short. A company can always ask for more information if it's interested.
What If They Don't Respond?
Don't assume a company isn't interested just because you haven't received a response. Your email might have been buried, or the person responsible for partnerships might simply have been busy.
I'd recommend waiting around five to seven business days before following up. You don't need to write another lengthy email, either.
Something like this works:
Subject: Re: [Original Subject]
Hey [Name],
Just wanted to follow up on my previous email about a potential collaboration.
I'd still love to explore the idea if it's something your team would be interested in!
Thanks!
[Your Name]
If you've published something relevant since your first email, you can mention that too. You don't want to annoy someone by constantly emailing them, but there's nothing wrong with following up.
Also, I recommend keeping track of the companies you contact in a spreadsheet. Include the brand, contact information, date you reached out, follow-up dates, and whether you've received a response. It'll make your life a lot easier once you start contacting multiple brands.
How Much Should You Charge?
You've finally got a response from a brand. They're interested in working with you, and now they want to know your rates. Except you have absolutely no idea what to tell them.
Unfortunately, there's no magical formula that can tell every creator exactly how much a sponsorship is worth. You might see people recommending that you charge a certain amount per thousand views, and while those calculations can be useful reference points, they don't account for everything.
Understanding CPM
One way to start estimating what your sponsorship could be worth is through CPM, which stands for cost per thousand views. It's essentially a way of measuring how much a company is paying for every 1,000 views.
For example, let's say your videos average 20,000 views, and you're considering a sponsorship rate equivalent to a $20 CPM.
You'd calculate it like this:
20,000 views ÷ 1,000 = 20
20 × $20 = $400
That would give you a starting estimate of $400 for the sponsorship. Of course, $20 CPM is just an example, not a rate every creator should be charging.
Different audiences, niches, platforms, sponsorship placements, and advertisers can have very different rates. And there's something else to consider: the amount of work you're actually doing.
Imagine two creators who each average 20,000 views per video. One is being asked to include a 45-second sponsorship in an upcoming upload. The other is being asked to create a dedicated ten-minute video, produce two Shorts, and give the company permission to use that content in paid advertisements.
Those aren't remotely the same amount of work, so pricing them the same way wouldn't make sense.
When deciding what to charge, consider your average viewership, the type of audience you're reaching, the amount of work required, and any extra conditions attached to the deal. You can use CPM as a starting point, but don't treat it as the only thing that determines your price.
I don't want to give you a universal rate because I don't want you to end up underselling or overselling yourself.
Don't Forget About Usage Rights
This is something creators can easily overlook. Let's say a company pays you to create a sponsored video.
A few weeks later, they ask whether they can use that video in their own advertising campaigns. That can be valuable to the brand, but it wasn't necessarily part of the original sponsorship.
Will the company use the content only on its own social media accounts? Can it run paid advertisements using your footage? How long does it have permission to do so?
If the brand wants additional rights, you can negotiate additional compensation. The same applies to exclusivity. If a company wants to prevent you from working with competitors for several months, you're potentially losing out on other opportunities. That's worth considering when discussing your rate.
Negotiating Your Rate
Don't be afraid to give brands an actual number. Telling a company you'll accept whatever it thinks is fair leaves the entire pricing decision in its hands.
Instead, figure out what you're comfortable charging and give yourself some reasonable room to negotiate. You can also ask whether the company has a budget in mind. Another thing you can do is offer different sponsorship packages.
For example, you could offer a basic package that includes a 60-second integration, another that adds a YouTube Short, and a larger package involving a dedicated video. This gives the brand different options depending on its budget.
And if a company tells you your rate is too high, you don't necessarily have to lower the price while offering the same amount of work. You could remove some deliverables, reduce the length of the sponsorship, or limit the usage rights.
At the end of the day, you decide how much you think your content is worth.
What You Should Agree On Before Starting
Getting a sponsorship offer is exciting, but before you start recording, make sure both sides understand what's expected.
At a minimum, you should have a written agreement covering the work you'll deliver, the payment, and the important conditions of the partnership.
Deliverables and Deadlines
- Are you making a video, a Short, a livestream, or several pieces of content?
- How long should the sponsored segment or video be?
- Does the company need to review the content before it goes live?
- When is everything due?
These might seem like simple questions, but leaving them unanswered can cause problems later.
Revisions
Some brands will want to review sponsored content before publication. That's completely normal, but you should agree on how many rounds of revisions are included.
You don't want to spend an entire week making changes to a relatively small sponsorship because the requirements keep changing.
Payment
Make sure the amount, currency, payment method, and payment deadline are clearly documented.
Some companies use payment terms such as Net 30, meaning payment is due 30 days after a specified event, often the invoice date. Check exactly when that period begins.
Also, clarify whether payment depends on publishing the content, submitting an invoice, receiving approval, or completing some other agreed milestone.
And unless you're intentionally entering a performance-based deal, be cautious about arrangements where a brand can withhold payment simply because the content didn't get the results it wanted.
Ownership and Exclusivity
Check whether the brand is receiving permission to use your content or claiming ownership of it. Also, make sure any exclusivity restrictions are clearly defined.
Being unable to promote another gaming mouse for 30 days is very different from being unable to promote any gaming-related product for six months. You should know exactly what you're agreeing to.
And yes, all of this should be documented in writing. You don't need an incredibly complicated contract for every small partnership, but you do need a clear record of the agreement.
Watch Out for Fake Sponsorship Offers
Unfortunately, not everyone contacting creators with sponsorship opportunities is legitimate.
There are scammers who specifically target content creators by pretending to represent recognizable brands or game developers. Sometimes, the emails can look incredibly convincing.
They might include professional graphics, detailed partnership proposals, and offers that sound completely reasonable. The problem usually appears when you're asked to download something.
For example, someone claiming to represent a game developer might offer to sponsor a video about an unreleased game. After you've agreed, they send you a link to download a special preview build. Except the download contains malware designed to steal information from your computer or compromise your accounts.
Similar scams have involved fake software promotions, suspicious contracts, and fraudulent account verification pages.
Be careful.
How to Protect Yourself
Always verify who you're speaking with.
Check whether the sender's email domain is associated with the real company, but remember that even a convincing-looking address isn't proof. If something seems suspicious, find the brand's official website yourself and contact it through a verified channel.
Be especially cautious when someone sends an unexpected executable file, password-protected archive, or unfamiliar software and insists that you run it. Never provide your account passwords, recovery codes, or two-factor authentication codes to a potential sponsor.
And if a company asks you to pay a registration fee, sponsorship fee, or some other upfront charge just to receive an opportunity, that's a serious red flag.
Another warning sign is pressure to move the entire conversation to a private messaging platform before you've verified who you're speaking with.
You Need to Disclose Your Sponsorships
There's another responsibility that comes with making sponsored content.
Your viewers need to understand when you have a material relationship with a company you're promoting. This includes more than just traditional paid sponsorships. Affiliate commissions, free products, discounts, and other benefits can also create relationships that require disclosure.
Different countries have their own advertising and consumer protection requirements. The general idea is straightforward: make it obvious when you're promoting something because of a brand relationship.
Advertising requirements vary depending on your location, audience, platform, and the nature of the promotion. This is general information, not legal advice.
Where Do You Go From Here?
If you haven't landed your first sponsorship yet, don't get too caught up in waiting until your accounts reach some arbitrary follower milestone.
Start by figuring out what your audience is interested in and which companies might want to reach those people.
Put together a media kit, find a few brands that make sense for your content, and come up with actual ideas for how you could promote their products.
As you gain experience, you'll start to understand how to communicate with brands, negotiate your rates, and recognize which opportunities are worth pursuing.
Keep records of your results, too. Even a small campaign can provide useful experience and evidence for future pitches. And if a company turns you down, don't assume that means you're not ready for sponsorships. Sometimes your audience isn't what the brand needs. Sometimes the timing is wrong. Sometimes there's simply no budget.
The goal is to build partnerships that are worth your time, make sense for your content, and give brands a good reason to work with you again.
Once you understand how to do that, sponsorships become a lot less intimidating.
