What's a good engagement rate for AI influencers? (2026)
A healthy baseline engagement rate for AI creators on X is around 3.5%, against a typical audience of ~50,000 followers. But engagement compresses as accounts grow, so Kollab benchmarks it on a follower-size curve rather than a flat number.
Engagement expectations by follower tier
A larger account clearing its (lower) expected rate signals stronger real influence, so its engagement is weighted up accordingly.
Live AI data on Kollab
Based on 107 AI creators scored by Kollab from public X data. Updates as the corpus grows.
What AI creators cost (2026)
Typical sponsorship rates for AI creators by platform and format, compiled from public market data. Rates vary widely — use these as negotiation anchors, not fixed prices.
| Platform | Format | Tier / basis | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube | 60s integration | CPM | 28–55 USD per 1K views |
Rate modifiers that apply across verticals
- YouTube · 60s integration: 20–40 USD per 1K views — Reference band
- YouTube · 60s integration: 15–25 USD per 1K views — Reference floor
- YouTube · Sponsored Shorts: 5–15 USD per 1K views — Roughly half the long-form rate; Shorts convert lower
- YouTube · Dedicated video: 1.3–5 x base rate — MAJOR SOURCE CONFLICT: 1.3-1.5x vs 3-5x. Negotiate, do not assume
- YouTube · Short integration: 0.7–0.9 x base rate — Discount vs standard 60s
- YouTube · Shorts mention: 0.5 x base rate — Half of long-form
- YouTube · Paid usage rights: 0.25–1 +% of base fee — Right to cut into paid ads; depends on usage window
- YouTube · Category exclusivity: 0.25–0.5 +% of base fee — Typically 60 days post-publish
- YouTube · US/UK audience: 2–3 x base rate — vs developing-market audience, same niche
- YouTube · Any: 100–500 USD per video — Many deals are product-for-content at this tier
- YouTube · Any: 500–5000 USD per video — Commonly cited best ROI tier
- YouTube · Any: 5000–20000 USD per video — Reach up, engagement down
- YouTube · Shorts: 300–1800 USD per post — Platform-level band
- YouTube · Long-form: 1800 USD per integration — Median across 51 priced creators in one dataset
- LinkedIn · CPM by sector: 122 GBP CPM — Same dataset, baseline comparison
- TikTok · Sponsored post: 200–3000 USD per post — Platform-level band
- Instagram · Reel: 300–5000 USD per post — Platform-level band
- Multi-platform · Cross-platform bundle: -0.35–-0.25 % off per-platform booking — Bundles save 25-35% vs booking each channel separately
- All · Verified audience demographics: 0.3–0.4 +% of fee — Audited creators command a fee bump (HypeAuditor Pricing Index)
How Kollab measures real influence
Engagement rate alone can be gamed. The Kollab Score combines engagement (35%), authenticity (25%), growth (15%), reply quality (15%), and consistency (10%) into a 0–100 rating benchmarked by vertical. The authenticity component detects fake followers and inflated engagement, so a high score reflects genuine reach rather than bought numbers.