Before you say yes: a creator’s checklist for brand deals

You've got a DM from a brand. They love your content and want to collaborate. Before you say yes, take five minutes to get answers to the questions below. Most bad brand deals, whether that's late payment, endless revisions or content used in ads you never agreed to, can be avoided by asking the right questions before you shoot.

1. What exactly am I making?

Get the deliverables in writing: the format (reel, story, post, YouTube integration), the length, the number of pieces, and where each one goes live. “A few stories” isn't a brief. “Three stories on launch day, product shown in each” is.

2. How much, and is that before or after deductions?

Ask for the fee per deliverable and confirm what will actually reach your bank account. Platform fees and TDS can make a real difference. On CollabVilla, every offer shows the net amount before you accept, so there are no surprises.

If the payment is “product only” or “exposure”, decide whether that's worth your time. It's fine to say no.

3. When do I get paid, and is the money actually there?

This is the question creators skip most often, and it's the one that causes the most trouble. “We'll pay after the campaign” with no date attached is a warning sign.

On CollabVilla, the brand funds the campaign before you are invited. When your work is approved, your share moves to your wallet straight away and is paid out to your bank instantly. Nobody needs to remember to pay you.

4. How many revisions?

Agree on a number before you shoot. Two rounds of changes is fair. Unlimited isn't. On CollabVilla it's two revisions per deliverable, counted on your screen and the brand's, and the changes are written on the submission itself rather than sent as voice notes at 1am.

5. Can they use my content elsewhere?

Ask whether the brand plans to:

• repost it on their own page
• run it as a paid ad, and for how long
• use it on their website or marketplace listings

Each of these is extra value for the brand and is worth charging for. Get the answer in writing.

6. Do they want exclusivity?

If the brand asks you not to work with competitors for a period of time, that's income you're giving up. Price it in, or keep the period short.

7. How do I disclose it?

If you're being paid, or given free products, to post about a brand, your audience needs to know. In India, the ASCI guidelines for influencer advertising require paid content to carry a clear, upfront label such as #ad, #collab or #sponsored, or the platform's own paid partnership tag. Put it where people will see it straight away, not buried among thirty hashtags at the end.

Disclosure protects you as much as the brand. Read the latest version of the guidelines on the ASCI website before your first paid post.

8. Is this brand real?

A quick check saves a lot of grief:

• Do they have a website, a GST number and real customer reviews?
• Is the person messaging you from an official account or email domain?
• Do other creators you trust say they've been paid on time?

Never pay a “registration fee” to get a brand deal. Real brands pay you, not the other way around. CollabVilla charges creators nothing to sign up or request campaigns.

The short version

Before you accept, you should know: what you're making, how much reaches your bank, when it arrives, how many revisions, where the content will be used, and how to disclose it. If a brand won't tell you, that tells you something too.

Want collabs where all of that is answered before you start? See how CollabVilla works for creators.