The category changed the rate more than the follower count
Q1 campaign applications show pricing power moving sharply between creator categories—even within three months.
The benchmark
Upfluence studied 17,288 creator applications across 2,605 campaigns from January 1 through March 27, 2026. About half of the applications quoted $0, so its headline paid-price table excludes barter applications.
By late March, median paid applications ranged from $150 in Finance to $500 in Baby & Kids. But the more revealing signal is the movement in CPM: Entertainment & Events rose from $2 to $8 while several January-heavy categories fell sharply.
| Category | Jan CPM | Mar CPM | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entertainment & Events | $2 | $8 | +267.8% |
| Home & Living | $5 | $8 | +56.3% |
| Baby & Kids | $7 | $10 | +41.3% |
| Health & Wellness | $12 | $8 | −32.4% |
| Sports & Fitness | $13 | $7 | −45.0% |
| Finance | $14 | $6 | −55.0% |
The part to use
A static rate card can become stale even when your audience size is unchanged. Category demand, seasonality, and a buyer’s campaign calendar can move faster than follower growth.
Before using any benchmark, write down its time window and whether it represents an ask, an application, or a paid outcome. This dataset reports application pricing—not final contracted compensation.