# How to Negotiate Pay Rate: The Sliding Scale Bonus Structure That Works

By [Brenda Daniel](/content/field-guide/mentors/bren-daniel/index.html)

Growth Partnerships

Caraway

## Introduction
Bren Daniel, a nine-year influencer marketing veteran who built Carway's influencer and ambassador program from scratch, walks through a practical framework called the sliding scale, a view-based pay structure designed to protect brand budgets when a creator's performance is unpredictable.

## Core Concept
The core idea is straightforward: instead of paying a flat fee, brands set a base rate (say, $500) and layer on view-based bonuses, such as an extra $200 at 100K views, $500 at 300K, and $1,000 at one million. Bren also argues that framing matters when learning how to negotiate pay rate, noting that offering $10 per 100 views sounds more generous to a creator than offering $1 per view, even if the math is identical.

## Sliding Scale Benefits
The sliding scale works because once a video hits a meaningful view threshold, the brand already knows its expected click-through and conversion rates, so additional views come with a calculable revenue upside. It functions, as Bren puts it, like an insurance policy between brand and creator.

## Watch the Video
Watch to see exactly how to structure the bonus tiers and why this approach gives creators a built-in incentive to flag their highest-confidence content upfront.

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- [Lauren Maxwell - Director of Influencer Marketing - Dreamland Baby](/content/field-guide/video/negotiation-levers-by-lauren-maxwell/index.html)

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- [How to Negotiate Compensation: Pairing Lower Fees With Performance Commissions](/content/field-guide/video/how-to-and-how-not-to-negotiate-by-jonathan-claydon/index.html)