# How do brand deals work? From the first offer to getting paid > A brand deal is a paid agreement for a creator to post about a brand. How it works step by step: the offer, checking it's real, agreeing terms, accepting, the brand paying, posting with the paid-partnership label, proof, and getting paid. What brands look for, how to land your first deal, and red flags. **A brand deal is a paid agreement for a creator to post about a brand: the brand pays an agreed price, and the creator publishes the agreed post on their own account, in their own words, disclosed as paid. It runs in the same order almost everywhere: an offer arrives, you check it's real, you agree on the terms, you accept, the brand pays, you post with the platform's paid-partnership label, you send proof, and you get paid.** ## How do brand deals work, step by step? 1. **The offer arrives.** A brand contacts you directly, through a marketplace, or after you pitch it. A real offer names the brand, what to post about, the price and the timing. 2. **Check it's real.** Confirm the brand through contact details you find yourself, and never pay anything to get a deal. See [Is this sponsorship offer legit?](/blog/is-this-sponsorship-offer-legit) 3. **Agree on the terms.** Price, the post (format and how many), the link, the deadline, any usage rights and the disclosure. Get them in writing; see [Do you need a contract for influencer deals?](/blog/do-you-need-a-contract-for-influencer-deals) 4. **Accept.** If the price is wrong, counter before you accept rather than after. 5. **The brand pays, and the money is held.** The safest deals commit the money before you post, so you're not chasing an invoice afterwards. 6. **Post with the paid-partnership label.** Write it in your own words, include the link, and turn on the platform's label: on X, the Paid partnership label. 7. **Send proof.** Share the link to the live post. 8. **Get paid.** Once the post is checked, the payment is released to you. ## How does it work on Transformer? Transformer is the agentic influencer marketplace: real creators, paid on confirmed posts. Run it from the dashboard or from your agent. For creators on X: - **The offer** comes to your @handle with the brand, the ask, the link and what you'll earn. You can accept, decline or counter with your own price. - **When you accept,** the brand's card on file is charged and the payment is held, so you never post for an unpaid deal. - **You post** on X yourself with the link and the Paid partnership label, then submit the post URL. - **The Transformer team confirms the post,** helped by automatic checks, and your 80% is released to your balance. Payouts are by PayPal or USDC, from $10; see [How sponsorship payouts work](/blog/how-sponsorship-payouts-work). ## What do brands look for in a creator? - **Audience fit:** your followers are the people the brand sells to. - **Engagement:** real replies and clicks on recent posts, not just follower count. - **A clear niche:** brands can tell at a glance what you post about. - **Past partnerships:** sponsored posts that were disclosed properly and performed close to your normal posts. - **Reliability:** answering quickly, posting on time and keeping the post up as agreed. Follower count matters less than most creators expect; see [How many followers do you need for brand deals?](/blog/how-many-followers-for-brand-deals) ## How do you get your first brand deal? These steps work on any platform: 1. **Pick a niche and say it** in your bio. 2. **Post consistently** about it, so a brand checking your profile sees fit straight away. 3. **Publish your prices** in a simple rate card; see [How to make an influencer rate card for X](/blog/influencer-rate-card-x). 4. **Be findable:** a marketplace profile, a business email in your bio, or both. 5. **Pitch brands you already use** with a short note about your audience and two or three recent posts. 6. **Deliver the first deal well;** a good first post is how you get re-booked. On Instagram, the platform's own branded content policy also applies: Instagram says branded content must carry its paid partnership label. On X, see [How to get paid to post about developer tools on X](/blog/get-paid-to-post-about-dev-tools-on-x) for a worked example. ## What are the red flags? - You're asked to **pay** to join, to apply or to "unlock" deals. - You're asked for **bank details by message**. - The brand wants the post **not labelled** as paid. - The person contacting you uses a **personal account or email** instead of the brand's. - **Pressure** to accept before you can check anything. ## FAQ ### How do brand deals work? A brand agrees to pay a creator for a specific post. The usual order: an offer, checking it's real, agreeing terms in writing, accepting, the brand paying, posting with the platform's paid-partnership label, sending proof and getting paid. ### How can creators get brand deals on Instagram? Pick a clear niche, post consistently, show engagement, publish your rates, make yourself findable with a business email or a marketplace profile, and pitch brands you already use. Instagram requires branded content to carry its paid partnership label. ### What do brands look for in a sponsor or creator? Audience fit, real engagement, a clear niche, past sponsored posts that were disclosed and performed well, and reliability. ### When do you get paid for a brand deal? It depends on the deal. The safest setups hold the brand's money before you post and release it once the post is checked. On Transformer, the brand's card is charged when you accept and your 80% is released once the Transformer team confirms the post. ### Can you negotiate a brand deal? Yes. Agree on the price before you accept. On Transformer you can counter an offer with your own price. ## Sources - [FTC: Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/disclosures-101-social-media-influencers) - [FTC Consumer Alert: Influencers, spot a job scam](https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2024/03/influencers-spot-job-scam) - [Instagram Help Center: How to use the paid partnership label](https://help.instagram.com/1109894795810258) - [TechCrunch: X adds Paid Partnership labels for creators (March 2026)](https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/02/x-ads-paid-partnership-labels-for-creators-so-they-can-ditch-the-hashtags/)