// what you're buying
Three different strengths
These three often get compared as if they do the same job. Each has its own strength:
- Clipping pays per real view. You set a rate per 1,000 views and a budget, and clippers post their own cuts of your footage from their own accounts.
- An influencer post brings one creator's audience and their voice. You usually pay a flat fee per post.
- Paid ads give you placement. You pay for impressions or clicks at a price an auction sets, and you choose exactly who sees them.
// when each one wins
Pick by what you need
Clipping, for reach. You have footage worth cutting and want to be seen across many accounts, paying only for the views that happen.
An influencer, for trust. You want one person an audience already believes in to vouch for you by name.
Paid ads, for precision. You need to reach a specific audience, in a specific place, starting now.
// what brands found
What brands see when they compare
Many of the brands we work with came to clipping from influencers or paid ads, and several now run more than one. What they tell us is consistent:
It costs less per real view. You pay only for the views that happen, at a rate you agreed.
The reach is organic. The views come from real people the platforms chose to show your clip to.
You show up everywhere at once. Dozens of accounts sharing your footage in the same weeks put your brand in front of people again and again, in different voices.
The organic reach matters most, and it's what creates that everywhere-at-once effect. No single post or ad can do that on its own.
// a good fit
When clipping fits best
Clipping works best when a few things are in place. We'll talk them through on the first call, and if clipping isn't the right fit yet, we'll tell you.
- You have footage to share. The more you give clippers, the more they can make. A library of videos or long recordings works best; one or two short videos rarely give them enough.
- You're open to fresh angles. Clipping shines when many people cut your content their own way. The more freedom in the edit, the more ideas you get back.
- You want reach more than pinpoint targeting. You choose the platforms and the rules, and the platforms choose who sees each clip.
- You want to pay for real results. Your budget sets what you spend, and you pay for the real views that arrive rather than a guaranteed number.
// use them together
The best results often come from all three
Clipping is a great testing ground. Many clippers cut the same footage, and the views show you which angles land. Brands take those winning hooks into their own ads and influencer briefs, so every channel benefits from what clipping uncovered.
// how monsterlab does it
Side by side
The three are priced in different units, so compare them on what each real view cost. Here's how they line up.
| Clipping on ClipIt | Influencer post | Paid ads | |
|---|---|---|---|
| You pay for | Real views delivered | Usually a flat fee per post | Impressions or clicks |
| Who sets the price | You, as a rate per 1,000 views | The creator | An auction |
| If a post doesn't take off | You pay nothing for views that never came | The fee is already paid | The spend is already gone |
| Who makes it | Thousands of clippers | One creator | You or your agency |
| Who sees it | Whoever the platforms show it to | Mostly one creator's followers | The audience you target |
| From one brief | Hundreds of edits | One or a few posts | As many ads as you make |
ClipIt has run this model since 2018.
108B+
Views delivered
480+
Campaigns run
100+
Brands
40K+
Clippers, 90+ countries
// proof
Rampage J.: 13.3M views.
Former UFC light-heavyweight champion Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, promoting his RAMPAGE code for the Kirgo casino and sportsbook. Trash talk, sparring and street bits cut from his streams. The top six clips alone drew 13.3M views on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube; the best one, 4.1M.
Read the case study →// questions
Asked before every first campaign
Can clipping replace paid ads?
For reach, it often can, as long as you have footage worth cutting. For exact targeting, keep your ads: the two work well side by side.
Which one is cheapest?
Brands that have run more than one usually find clipping costs less per real view. It's easy to check on your own numbers: divide what you spent by the real views you got. On ClipIt, rates usually land between $0.30 and $3.50 per 1,000 views, and the average is $1.68.
Which one starts fastest?
Ads can start almost straight away, and a clipping campaign is usually live to the network within days. An influencer post depends on the creator's schedule.
Is clipping right for every brand?
It fits best when you have plenty of footage and you're open to fresh angles in the edit. We'll talk it through on the first call and tell you honestly if it isn't the right fit yet.