Instagram Stories, priced by audience size
Instagram Stories are priced differently from every other format on this site: by reach, not views, because a Story frame set disappears after 24 hours and never gets the second wave of algorithmic distribution a Reel or feed post can. Stories sit in a richer rate band than Reels precisely because that 24-hour life is scarce inventory — the brand gets one shot at your audience, and the frame set has to work in that window. Quote from your average Story reach over your last 9 to 12 similar frame sets, not your views, and always confirm with the brand how many frames the rate covers; a rate agreed for one frame and delivered as three is the most common scope disagreement on a Stories deal. Stories are also the format brands most often ask to cross-post to their own channels, since the low production bar makes a second placement cheap to request — price that as the separate 15–25% cross-posting premium in our rate guide, never as an assumed freebie.
Negotiating at 10,000 followers
10,000 followers puts you at the entry point of the Micro tier — 10,000 to 50,000 followers, with Reels views typically running 8,000 to 60,000 — the single tier brands are expanding fastest into: 52.83% of marketers in 2026 benchmark data said they were specifically growing their micro-creator spend. That demand is real leverage, but it is easy to under-price at this level because your numbers still feel small next to a mid-tier creator's. They are not small to a brand buying niche reach: a finance, parenting or home creator at 10,000 followers with genuine engagement can out-earn a disengaged 100,000-follower account on the same brief. Ask the brand's budget before you quote, itemise usage and exclusivity separately from the base rate, and re-derive your average views every quarter — accounts in this range tend to grow fastest, and a rate card that lags six months behind your real numbers is money left on the table with every new brief.