Creator-economy glossary

The business words behind pet content — brand deals, UGC, rate cards and disclosure — explained without jargon. Useful whether you make videos or work with the people who do.

UGC (user-generated content): Content made by everyday creators rather than a brand's own studio. Increasingly, brands pay creators for UGC to run as ads — separate from posting on the creator's own account.
Brand deal / sponsorship: A paid agreement to feature a product. Terms cover deliverables, timing, exclusivity and how long the brand can use the content.
Rate card: A creator's price list for different deliverables (a video, a story, usage rights). A starting point for negotiation, not a fixed tariff.
Media kit: A short PDF a creator sends brands: who their audience is, what they make, past partners and rates. The creator's business card.
Deliverables: Exactly what's owed in a deal — e.g. 'one 30-second video + two stories + 30-day paid usage.' Vague deliverables cause most disputes.
Usage rights: Permission for a brand to reuse a creator's content (in ads, on their own channels) for a set time. Longer usage should mean higher pay.
Whitelisting / partnership ads: The creator grants a brand permission to run ads through the creator's own handle. Ads look native because they genuinely come from the creator's account.
Gifting / seeding: A brand sends free product hoping for an organic post, with no guaranteed payment or coverage. Common entry point for smaller pet accounts.
Affiliate: The creator earns a commission on sales from their unique link or code. Pay scales with results rather than a flat fee.
CPM: 'Cost per mille' — price per 1,000 views or impressions. One way brands sanity-check whether a creator's fee is reasonable.
Engagement rate: The share of viewers who like, comment, share or save. Brands often weigh it more than raw follower count, since it signals a real audience.
Nano / micro creator: Rough audience tiers — nano (~1–10k), micro (~10–100k). Smaller pet accounts often post higher engagement and cost less, which brands value.
FTC disclosure (#ad): In many regions, paid or gifted posts must be clearly labelled (e.g. '#ad', 'paid partnership'). It's a legal requirement, not a courtesy.
Retainer: An ongoing monthly arrangement for a set amount of content, rather than a one-off post — steadier income for the creator.
Monetization: The mix of ways a creator earns: brand deals, affiliate, platform funds, merch, tips. Most sustainable accounts use several at once.

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