Quick answer: Brands pay creators who reach the right audience and get engagement, not only those with huge followings. To get brand deals in Kenya: pick a clear niche, post consistently, build a one-page media kit with your audience and results, and pitch brands that already sell to your followers. Always mark paid posts clearly as an ad or partnership.

What Brands Look For

• A clear niche (food, beauty, tech, farming, parenting, fitness).
• An audience in the places they sell, such as Nairobi or Kenya as a whole.
• Real engagement: comments, saves, shares and messages.
• Good content quality and reliability.
• A clean history: no fake followers, no scams.

Build a Media Kit

Make it in Canva as a one-page PDF.

How to Pitch

1. List 30 brands your audience already buys from.
2. Find the marketing contact on their website, LinkedIn or Instagram bio.
3. Send a short message: who you are, why their customers follow you, one content idea, and your media kit.
4. Follow up once after a week.
5. Start with local small businesses; their decisions are fast.

What to Charge

There is no fixed rate card in Kenya. Price from your average views and engagement, the work involved and how the brand will use the content. Charge more for paid-ad usage, exclusivity (not working with competitors) and quick delivery. See how to price your services.

Contracts, Disclosure and Payment

• Agree deliverables, dates, revisions, usage rights, exclusivity and payment terms in writing.
• Ask for a deposit from new clients.
• Label paid posts with the platform’s paid partnership tool or “#ad”.
• Keep records and pay your taxes ({shn("kra-pin", "KRA PIN")}).

Other Ways to Earn While You Grow

Use Buy More Mall affiliate programme links, or the platform programmes: Instagram monetization, YouTube, TikTok.

Your First 30 Days

1. Week 1: choose a niche and audit your last 20 posts.
2. Week 2: build the media kit.
3. Week 3: pitch 30 brands.
4. Week 4: deliver, report results and ask for a repeat deal.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Buying followers.
• Hiding that a post is paid.
• Saying yes to brands your audience does not trust.
• No written agreement.

Example: A Nairobi Food Creator

A creator with 8,000 followers posts honest reviews of affordable restaurants. Her comments are full of people asking for locations. She pitches 20 eateries with a media kit showing that most of her audience is in Nairobi and that her last 10 reels averaged far more views than followers. Three restaurants book a reel plus stories; one asks for a monthly package. She labels each post as a paid partnership and sends a short results report a week later, which wins the repeat deal.

Report Results After Every Deal

Send the brand a one-page report: reach, views, saves, link clicks, messages and any sales they tell you about. Brands rebook creators who show results.

Stay safe: never pay a "registration", "activation" or "withdrawal" fee to get paid, and never share your password or M-Pesa PIN. Real online income comes from people paying for your content, products or skills.

Create your free Stay Home Network account, or log in with H-MAIL on app.stayhomenetwork.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get brand deals as a small creator?

Show a clear niche and strong engagement, and pitch local brands that sell to your audience.

How many followers do I need for brand deals?

There is no fixed number; small creators with engaged audiences get deals.

What is a media kit?

A one-page summary of your audience, results, past work and packages.

How much should I charge for a sponsored post in Kenya?

Base it on your reach, engagement, the work involved and how long the brand will use the content.

Do I have to say a post is sponsored?

Yes. Use the paid partnership label or #ad.

How do brands pay creators in Kenya?

Usually M-Pesa or bank; international brands use PayPal, Payoneer or bank transfer.

Cover photo: A young woman taking a photo with her smartphone in a busy street. Photo: Selfie or Not? by garryknight, CC BY 2.0.