How to Negotiate Pay Rate: Why You Should Anchor Half Your Willing Amount

Bren Daniel, a nine-year influencer marketing veteran who built Caraway's creator program from scratch, breaks down the real mechanics of how to negotiate pay rate on both sides of the table. His core argument: never open with your best number. Bren admits he has routinely offered creators half of what he was willing to pay and watched them accept immediately, leaving money on the table they never tried to reclaim.

Both parties should expect to meet somewhere in the middle, which means brands should anchor low and creators should anchor high before the real negotiation begins. When time is limited, Bren recommends splitting the difference, but when you have leverage, push harder or walk away entirely. He also makes a case for shopping broadly and choosing best value over cheapest price, then evaluating performance across the whole campaign rather than creator by creator. If the CPM does not meet your expectations, his advice is simple: pass.

Watch to see exactly how Bren frames the walk-away decision and why flexibility should scale with how replaceable a creator truly is.