"How do you make money?" is one of the best questions a brand can ask an agency. If the answer is vague, the money is probably hiding somewhere.
When we first wrote this post in 2019, SushiVid was a marketplace that took a percentage of each deal between a brand and an influencer. Today we're a KOL & influencer marketing agency, so here's the updated, plain answer.
Where your campaign budget goes
When you run a campaign with us, you agree one total budget. Inside it, there are three parts:
| What it is | Who it goes to | |
|---|---|---|
| Creator fees | What the influencers charge for their content | The creators (we pay them on your behalf) |
| Management fee | Our service: sourcing, briefing, contracting, delivery and reporting | SushiVid |
| SST | Malaysian service tax of 8% | The government, charged on our fee only, not on creator fees |
Most of the budget goes to creators. Our management fee is typically 15% to 30% of the campaign budget.
Why the fee isn't a fixed percentage
The fee depends on how much work the campaign takes, and the biggest factor is how many creators we manage. Here's the same RM20,000 budget run two ways, from our influencer marketing cost guide:
| Nano line-up | Macro line-up | |
|---|---|---|
| Follower band | 1,000 – 9,999 | 100,000 – 149,999 |
| Creators booked | 32 | 5 |
| Creator fees | RM13,443 | RM16,063 |
| Management fee | RM6,071 | RM3,645 |
| SST (8% on the fee) | RM486 | RM292 |
| Total | RM20,000 | RM20,000 |
| Fee as a share of budget | 30.4% | 18.2% |
Thirty-two creators means thirty-two negotiations, briefings, reviews and rounds of chasing. Five creators means five. The work isn't comparable, so the fee isn't either.
Neither line-up is "better". Nano creators bring spread, local credibility and higher engagement; macro creators bring more reach per ringgit. A good quotation makes it clear which one you're buying.
Things we quote separately
Anything outside a standard campaign is quoted before we start, so there are no surprises. For example:
- Extending a campaign beyond its agreed window
- Creator exclusivity, or extra usage rights for the content
- Stamping legal documents for IP or usage rights
- Paying creators upfront on your behalf, ahead of your payment to us
- An unusually long creator search
The other ways SushiVid earns
Influencer campaigns are our core business, but not the only one:
- TikTok Shop & Shopee affiliates. Fee-based, or fully commission-only when we run your whole TikTok Shop, including packing and shipping.
- Live stream selling. Hosts, production and our live streaming studio in Petaling Jaya.
- Software and data. Licensing ViaCRM.io, our project management platform, and API & dashboard access for brands and agencies.
Payment terms
- Malaysia-registered companies: 50% on confirmation, 50% within 30 days of the campaign ending.
- Companies registered outside Malaysia: 100% upfront.
The deposit is what lets us contract creators. We pay them on your behalf, so the campaign can't be locked in before it clears.
How much should you budget?
We recommend at least RM10,000 a month for six months. A single round of posts can create a spike, but results build when your audience sees your brand from several creators over several months, and you learn which creators and messages actually move your numbers.
Ready to plan a campaign?
Tell us your goals and budget, and we'll show you exactly where every ringgit goes. WhatsApp us and we'll reply within one business day.
