Getting paid

How to land your first brand deal as a small creator

Mario Prawira · 3 min read

The biggest myth about brand deals is that you need a huge following. You don't. I have landed deals with DJI, Apple and Samsung, and audience size matters far less than people think.

Going viral is not getting paid

I once woke up to 14 million views on a video I made for a sandwich. Businesses that had ignored me for months suddenly wanted my rates. And I made zero dollars from it. The way I describe it: it started raining and I had no buckets. The opportunity was there and I had built nothing to catch it.

Your following is not your business, it is your audience

An audience is only worth something if you have something to offer them. The trap is growing a following for years with no idea what you are building it for. Then one day someone asks "so what do you actually do?" and you do not have an answer.

Brands pay for trust, not follower count

A deal works when your audience trusts you and there is real alignment between what you create and what the brand sells. 5,000 engaged followers in a clear niche beat 100,000 who stand for nothing. Get specific about what you are known for, and make it easy for a brand to see what they would be paying for.

Charge your worth

When I finally raised my prices, I lost some clients and made more money. The right clients pay for results, not for cheap. Stop thinking like a creator and start thinking like a business owner: what does someone do after they watch, where do they go, what can they buy.