322: Pricing Strategies to Boost Your Income in 2025

[00:00:00] Welcome to the Thrive Podcast, where we believe creators deserve more, more money, more freedom, and even more love for what they do. I'm Brie Pair, your coach for content creators. And I know the struggle, the long hours, the endless ideas, the feeling that success is just out of reach, but here's the truth.

[00:00:24] You've got what it takes. And this podcast. It's your shortcut to getting there from strategies that actually work to behind the scenes insights. We're unlocking your potential one episode at a time. So if you're ready to turn your creative hustle into a thriving business, let's get started.

[00:00:45] You guys know, I am really feeling excited about 2025. I'm working on my mindset and I am like, we are carrying this energy throughout the year. So if you need some energy, I am sending it out to you. Grab onto it. Let me put a little excitement and pep and take this energy and run with it, friend. So today we're going to take that energy and we're going to talk about pricing strategies to boost our income in 2025.

[00:01:14] I'm going to do it. You're going to come along with me and do it as well. So let's kick it off with one of the very first things that is so important in order for us to boost our income. is to know your worth. We need to be able to confidently determine our rates based on experience, value and everything that we have to offer so much of this.

[00:01:43] And we have had so many good episodes talking about this lately. Is that mindset and is that little tweak of shifting from, Oh, I'm quote unquote, just an influencer, just a creator, just a blogger, just the singular person and really shifting into no, I am. A brand. I am not just one of a million. I am a marketing agency who also offers production because when you think about what you do, that is who you are.

[00:02:16] You are providing marketing services along with a production company who is able to create it. Beautiful content that will really make an impact on brands that you work with or really make an impact on anybody that you are sharing an affiliate product with or sharing a digital product with you're not just some random person.

[00:02:41] You are somebody with expertise and You have to remember that expertise is subjective. I struggle with this a lot because I'm like, Oh, this is something common that everybody knows. And then I will change up the questions that we're asking you guys whenever you join our Facebook community, the thrive community over on Facebook.

[00:03:03] And I'll ask, you know, what do you need help with? Or what do you, you know, where are you looking to level up? And it's something that I'm like, Oh my gosh, I thought that was something that everybody. new. When in reality, it's only because I have literally been in this game for years upon years upon years.

[00:03:21] It has nothing to do with you guys should know that already. It's that I've overlooked things that I'm like, Oh no, everybody knows that because I know it. How egotistical of that is me, right? So it has nothing to do with you. And it has everything to do with me and has everything to do with me paying attention and having those conversations and making sure I know exactly where you are.

[00:03:46] That is something that comes across as I hear all the time. Oh, I'm not an expert. I'm not an expert. I'm not an expert. And I'm like, but you know, so much more than I do. That's my favorite thing to come back to is when I'm coaching somebody and they're like, Oh, but I'm not an expert in this. And I'm like, Girl, I know absolutely nothing about quilting.

[00:04:04] Like, I know nothing. I know I need, uh, fabric, and, uh, thread, and a pattern, probably, and a sewing machine, and that's all I know. So, whatever you are, a, whatever your niche is, whatever you are creating content around, you are an expert because you do know so much more than the population on average. So just to kind of give you a little confidence boost there, because that is all part of knowing your worth.

[00:04:37] Now, when it comes to determining your rates for working with brands, we have our pricing guide that I have gone. And I've had conversations with creators and friends that thankfully this podcast has allowed me to connect with so many experts who are sharing their rates with me and are looking at this and confirming or suggesting I make tweaks to how much they're charging and how much others should be charging.

[00:05:04] So it is an incredible pricing guide. I want to get it into as many hands as possible. It is 100 percent free because my goal is that, again, this gets in as many hands as possible. And empowers you and your friends and your friends, friends, and to just be able to charge what you are worth. So thrive together dot blog slash pricing is where you'll get that.

[00:05:26] And please share it with a friend because I want them to charge. What they're worth as well, because when we all do that, we're going to raise the industry standard together. We're going to make it easier when it comes to talking with brands easier when it comes to negotiation, all of the above. The second thing with strategy for boosting your income is.

[00:05:46] tiered pricing models. So having packages at different price points in order to be able to really get a brand to say yes and be able to help a brand no matter what their budget is. So what I like to suggest is as you're creating a media kit and as you're building out this Infographic, really, I like for people to, you know, when I look at media kits and they're only a page or two long, nine times out of 10, I am suggesting that they expand it.

[00:06:18] Whenever I have somebody submit that as a work review and shift, I'm looking at it and making a lot of suggestions to really Make this a portfolio for yourself to really show off what you are able to do to show off case studies, testimonials, brands that you've worked with in the past, your photography, all of those different things.

[00:06:42] And then as you are showcasing, here's what I can offer you. I don't like people to just send their pricing. That's not going to be something I could suggest, especially in like the first, you know, conversation or two. Um, that's like through email. Typically don't send rates or media kits or anything through any social media.

[00:07:02] Always get an email address and go that way. But to have a pricing starts. at sentence. So pricing starts at X amount of dollars because I pulled that from Bree's pricing guide. And that's where I want to make sure that I don't go below this rate. That is a perfectly acceptable thing to include in a media kit and send over to brands.

[00:07:24] I also feel like that is a good qualifier because if a brand then comes back and is like, okay, amazing. I would love to talk to you more about X and Y and Z things that you can do for us. They already know they're going to be spending at least that amount of dollars. And you can be confident in knowing that like, cool, if I get on a call with them and really dive into this, I'm not wasting my time and I'm not wasting their time.

[00:07:47] My foot is in the door. They understand that I charge, they understand that I charge a minimum of this. So we're already like one step ahead. So having different pricing models, And along with that being like, you know, we can also create packages and being willing to really step into that mindset of okay.

[00:08:08] A brand told me they want to talk about creating a real. I already know going into this conversation that I want to make sure I can have different pricing packages to offer them. So maybe one is. Just a real and a story share. Maybe one is a real and a blog post and an email, like have at least a couple options that you can present to them now, as far as negotiation, because that is the next step in this boosting our income is learning the art of negotiation.

[00:08:38] And really when I say that it's how to handle pushback, how to handle feedback, how to negotiate like a pro I think is really. Instilling confidence in you, which isn't going to happen the first time you hop on a call. I'll be honest with you. It's going to feel shaky. It's going to feel uncomfortable. No matter how much coaching and prep work you do, you're going to need some time.

[00:09:04] You're going to need some practice. And that's okay. It's all about having conversations. And one thing is, you know, I, this is not the suggestion that I make, but I want to put it as a reference point. You know how we've all watched those movies where they're like, picture the audience naked. First of all, I, I don't, that would never work for me.

[00:09:23] I don't understand that concept, but if you can instead picture the person on the other side of that phone call as a friend, as a peer, right? Because that's what they are. They're your peers. They are working in a similar industry as you they're in marketing, they're in advertising, they're in content creation, and they have a job to do.

[00:09:48] And they're trying to look good to their boss. They're trying to work their way up in the company. They're trying to get that raise. Right. And if you think of them in that way, as like somebody that you want to help, I feel like it just takes so much of the pressure off of you. Of course, you're going to get on your call with some people that are just like, I cannot vibe with them.

[00:10:07] Um, I mean, it happens, but 10 people in this industry are. Typically female that I end up talking with and typically like in their twenties and thirties and just really relatable and that makes it so much easier on me and just immediately take some pressure off. I'm not going to dive into the full like here's how to have a conversation because we had that podcast already with Alex will link to that that you guys can go and listen to.

[00:10:35] So. But that is like my first tip for negotiation. And then the second thing is, again, to reiterate, you're a brand, not a random person. You're a marketing agency, you offer production, you have so much more to offer than just being like, Oh, just this random person, you have to start thinking of yourself as a brand.

[00:10:54] And really that is going to give you so much confidence when it comes to knowing your worth. Sticking to your guns and being able to negotiate. Hi friends. While you were listening to this podcast, I am actually in Las Vegas at the Tastemaker Conference. It is a conference for food bloggers and creators, and I am so pumped to be here and get to experience this amazing conference that they are putting on.

[00:11:21] There is not only incredible speakers, there's amazing sponsors here. foodies and the swag is out of this world. So if you are in the food scene, a food creator of any kind, this is a conference that you need to have on your radar. They also have a summer retreat happening this summer and they'll have another conference coming up soon.

[00:11:46] So just head to tastemakerconference. com. There's a waitlist for the retreat. And then you'll be the first to know about their next conference as well. So just head to tastemakerconference. com and hopefully I'll see you at the next one.

[00:12:05] Another way to boost your income is thinking about add on services. This could be in terms of working with brands. This could be in terms of affiliates, and this could also be a digital product, right? So let's say if it's a digital product that you're selling, you have an upsell. right at checkout. You're like, okay, if you really like this, you can also get this product that would go along with it perfectly for half off right now.

[00:12:31] If you add it to your cart. That type of thing. You could do an add on with a brand, right? When you're out in a conversation, you're like, Oh, we just want to reel and be like, okay, cool. But I would love to amplify it. And this way we could make sure that it performs even better by adding on this. Or if it's an affiliate and you're like, okay, I'm recommending these five products to my audience this week.

[00:12:50] And then next week I'm gonna be like, okay, if you purchase this one, you're really going to want this to go with it. And here's how I use the both of them together. Right? You're adding on and you're And then that way, if somebody also is like, Oh, I didn't even purchase that. But man, that's such a good idea.

[00:13:05] Now I'm going to go get both. Right. You're bringing it back up and you're able to increase your sales. Adding on things is so much easier because you're like, okay, cool. We've already got this one established. Let's just add on a little bit extra. And that's just a nice, easy way to just add a little boost to your income.

[00:13:22] So if you have any digital products right now, or even thinking through like brand strategy, affiliates, anything else that you're making revenue from, what is like a little add on that you could do pretty easily to your audience to instantly see a boost? Boosting your income even this month. Now with boosting your income, we have to make sure that we're diversifying our income streams.

[00:13:43] So don't go all in, in one, don't put all your eggs in one basket. We don't want to go all in on affiliate sales and then have another crazy COVID situation where. Every single brand is slashing their affiliate programs, right? And you're stuck there like, oh crap, there went my business, right? We need to balance brand deals with affiliates, with products, ad revenue, whatever feels good to you.

[00:14:10] You don't have to do any one thing. But don't also just do only one thing. Okay, so make sure in 2025 you are diversifying. Add one more thing. Now the next thing is kind of reiterating, you know, knowing your worth and this is how we're going to boost your income is just pricing. Really, when you are looking at pricing yourself, no matter what it's for, no matter if it's a digital product, a course you're selling, working with a brand, UGC content, don't undersell yourself.

[00:14:51] If you are newer and feeling like, Ooh, I'm in this range that Brie said in her pricing guide, go on the low end. If you're more comfy there, don't go below it though. Don't jump your dump yourself into the next category, but then on the lower end, get one under your belt and then bump it up. The other tip here is if it's with brand specifically, if it is an immediate yes, that is a sure fire signal.

[00:15:18] So like if it's an immediate yes, they didn't want to negotiate with you at all. You went into low. I have talked to so many girls where they were like, Oh, they said yes immediately. And it's like, instead of like, yay, they said, yes, I'm so excited. I mean, there's that part of it, but there's also like, ah, crap.

[00:15:35] I could have charged more. So if that happens, just know it's time to bump up your pricing. Get one on the lower end. Get yourself comfortable. I got a yes. Now let me bump it up by a couple hundred dollars, five hundred dollars, however much you need to. Okay. So just kind of keep bumping it up. Don't undersell yourself.

[00:15:53] Don't go below what we're putting in the pricing guide, because that is what we're seeing across the industry. And when you go below that, not only are you doing a disservice to yourself, you're doing a disservice to every single creator around you. Now to wrap this up, I wanted to share with you a few examples of some successful pricing strategies from other creators.

[00:16:14] One is Haley, who has been on this podcast and talk to you guys about her 7 ebook that is making over a thousand dollars every single month. She's inside shift and We have gone in and just looked through her funnel and everything together. She has this set up as a trip wire and is marketing it correctly and is able to make over 1, 000 because she has it priced correctly, because she's done the research, because she's marketing it right, she's able to make over 1, 000 from that one 7 product.

[00:16:45] Amazing, right? Like, holy crap. Every time I think about that, I'm just amazed. Another one is a home decor blogger that increased her rates and charged 155 percent more than she would have in the past before she got coaching. And she also by doing that set her worth because if she had gone in lower by underselling herself, she's also making herself look less professional, right?

[00:17:13] So if you think about it, If you go and present a brand with, Hi, I can do all this. I'm so, I'm, I'm so talented. Look at the content. Obviously you're not saying that I'm just, you are talented. I'm, I'm being your hype girl right now. Okay. I look at my portfolio, look at my content, look at my audience. I'm amazing.

[00:17:31] Um, can you pay me like 200 for this real versus if you go into the conversation and be like, Hi, I'm, you know, look at my content, look at my audience. I've grown. Yes. It's cool. It's awesome. I charge. My, my rates start at 800. What can we make happen for your brand? You see the confidence level, right? And we've all been on both sides of it.

[00:17:55] Okay? So, or maybe you're on one side of it now and you're like, Ooh, I need to get up to that confidence level. When you're like, okay, can, is 200 okay? Not confident. 800 is where it starts at. What can we do for your brand? Confident. Now, as the brand perspective, if that was coming to me and I'm presented with one girl who, and I have the budget, brand has the budget.

[00:18:19] Okay. I've got, let's say I've got 2, 000 I can spend and I'm trying to determine which creators I want to work with. And I see one girl that's like, okay, 200. And it's very just, Not confident versus somebody who comes to me and it's like, okay, we can start at 800. Here's what I can do. Let's have a conversation to see how I can help your brand hit this goal that you're looking to hit with this project.

[00:18:46] I'm going to feel more confident as a brand going and talking to that 800 girl and seeing what she can do for me because of how she presented herself to me. Even though the 200 was cheaper, I still need results, right? And so if you present yourself as somebody that can deliver results to the brand, that is going to convert better.

[00:19:10] That is going to make you more appealing to brands because at the end of the day, A budget is, you know, this invisible thing. It's not, but it's something that we don't fully know. They could be like, Oh yeah, we have 200 when they're sitting over there with 10 grand for this project, right? And they're just going to work with a million bloggers, right?

[00:19:32] You don't know what's on the other side. And so when you come in strong with, I want to deliver results for your brand. I want to talk to you and figure out, okay, yes, I can do these things for you, but I want to have a conversation to see what are you needing to have as a result for this project? And I want to tailor something so that way I can help you meet those needs.

[00:19:59] When you come in with that level of confidence, it is a game changer versus just shooting an email off and being like, oh, okay, it's 200. They might say yes. If they're just like trying to fill in some extra space somewhere and they have a little bit of extra, they're like, yeah, let's throw it and let's see if anything sticks.

[00:20:17] And I know this because I've been on that side. I've been on that side when I've been having influencers come to me and working with a company where I was trying to decide who to work with. And I've done that. And I'm like, yeah, let's, let's throw this to them and see if anything turns out with it. But let's also spend 1, 500 on this creator who is showing me that she can probably deliver some more results.

[00:20:39] And let's see what happens. Let's compare. Right. So just know that going into negotiation, the more confident you are, the more you're going to be able to see a boost in your income. And then the last case study is because I got kind of got a little derailed there with talking about that home decor blogger increasing her rates is even with myself.

[00:21:03] When I give brands package options, they're able to stick to their budget and I am able to stick to my rates, right? Because there is a range, there are different options for them. And that means I am less likely to negotiate and more so like, no, this, it is what it is. And they can be like, okay, cool. Well, this works for us.

[00:21:22] So I hope this episode has you feeling empowered and also really excited about little tweaks. Like I didn't say anything outrageous for you to be able to boost your income in 2025. It's little tweaks that you can do. Across whatever income streams you've got to be able to see an increase in your income this year.

[00:21:45] So for that pricing guide, again, thrive together dot blog slash pricing, or just click the link in the description of this podcast, and we'll get that straight over to you. It's 100 percent free. And we hope that you'll share it with a friend. So that way we can grow this industry together. You guys are amazing.

[00:22:02] I am sending you so much love and positive energy for 2025. And I'm so excited to see what you do. Talk to you soon. If this episode helped you help us grow, leave a review, share it with a friend and tag us on social media. We can't wait to cheer you on.