Send it to the marketing manager, not the info@ address. Sponsors buy outcomes, not arithmetic on your subscriber total.
Hi [name], I run [engine name], a [format] for [specific audience]. Recent pieces averaged [X] views with [Y] percent of viewers in [demographic or industry]. My audience is deciding about [problem your niche spends on], which is why [their product] fits naturally. A 60-second integration is $[rate] based on my last ten pieces. I can send the one-page media kit. If Q[next quarter] has budget for [audience] campaigns, I would like to be on your list.
Answer inbound too, even the lowball ones: negotiation is a skill learned on deals you can afford to lose.
The floor is the number below which a deal loses you money. Divide monthly costs by the sponsor slots you can honestly deliver per month.
| Line | Your amount |
|---|---|
| Living costs this income must cover (monthly) | $ |
| Software | $ |
| Gear | $ |
| Editor time | $ |
| Total monthly costs | $ |
| Sponsor slots deliverable per month | |
| Rate floor (costs / slots) | $ |
If the floor is $400 and a brand offers $250: no, politely, with your rate attached. Market anchor for the quote: integrations commonly benchmark $15-35 per thousand expected views; dedicated videos $50-75 and up; the broader table bottoms out at TikTok's $7. Worked example: a 10,000-view integration at $25 per thousand is a $250-350 conversation. A first sponsor at small numbers is a real win, not an insult.
| Term | Standard / your position | ☐ |
|---|---|---|
| Exclusivity | ~2 weeks before/after: absorbable for free. 1+ month: priced like an extra placement. 6+ months: declined outright. | ☐ |
| Usage rights | Sponsor running your content in their own ads is a separate fee, priced as a multiple, not a favor. | ☐ |
| Timelines and rush | One-week turnaround carries a rush premium; a normal ask, not a demand. | ☐ |
| Payment terms | Half up front on any new brand, or full payment before the piece goes live. | ☐ |
| Disclosure | Every sponsored placement labeled plainly, where the viewer cannot miss it. The FTC requires it. | ☐ |
Sponsor income is lumpy: two deals in March and nothing in April is a normal sequence. Bank the fat months; pitch the next quarter's calendar in good months, not hungry ones.