In today's digital economy, a brand or influencer's community is a true strategic asset. This audience, often not reflected in the accounts, can generate significant sales - provided it is properly valued. This article proposes a rigorous, concrete and justified method for estimating this intangible value, based on market data and observable benchmarks.
1. A public grid as a valuation benchmark
A recent case decided by the Paris Court of Appeal (July 30, 2025) validated the tax authorities' use of a public rate grid - that of the Blog du Modérateur - to estimate the income of an influencer with 484,000 subscribers on TikTok and 169,000 on Instagram. Although it has no normative value, this grid was accepted as an objective element of estimation in the absence of contractual evidence.
The grid used in this court decision (tax dispute based on sales) :
2. Observed rates: updated cost base
Several sources can be used to enrich this grid with concrete figures:
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Shopify (2025) evaluates Instagram a sponsored post depending on the audience:
- Nano (1,000-10,000 subscribers): €5-25
- Micro (10,000-100,000 subscribers): €25-125
- Intermediate (100,000-500,000): €125-1,200
- Macro (500,000-1 M): €1,200-2,500
- Mega (>1 M): >€2,500
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CreatorJet (2025) confirmed for Instagram:
- Nano (1 K-10 K): €75-250
- Micro (10 K-50 K): €250-600
- Mid-tier (50-100 K): €600-1,200
- Macro (100-500 K): €1,200-2,500
- Mega (>500 K): €2,500+.
- On TikTokaccording to Kolsquare (2023):
- Nano: $10-$100
- Microphone: $100-$500
- Medium: $500-$5,000
- Macro: $5,000-$10,000
- Mega: >$10,000 per publication
These data enable us to transform an audience into potential sales with credibility.
3. Examples of community enhancement
Example 1: Instagram - 120,000 followers (Macro)
- Potential per post: €1,200-2,500
- Frequency: 2 posts/month → Estimated annual sales: €28,800-60,000
Example 2: TikTok - 300,000 subscribers (Medium)
- Potential per video: $500-5,000 (~€460-4,600)
- 50 videos/year → Potential sales: €23,000-230,000
Example 3: multi-format (post + Reels + Live)
By combining formats and platforms, an active community can generate several hundred thousand euros, or even more than a million in very active contexts.
4. An academic approach to community potential
Valuing a community is not just based on intuition or market practices. An increasing number of academic studies, institute reports and economic analyses are formalizing what is now known as brand community equity, i.e. the economic value generated by a brand community.
a. A well-established concept in management science
Since the 2000s, the notion of the "community brand" has gained ground in marketing literature. According to McAlexander, Schouten and Koenig (2002), a strong brand community improves :
- customer loyalty,
- the recommendation rate (NPS),
- price resistance (ability to maintain a margin),
- and organic growth through viral effects.
These elements are now used in financial analysis to anticipate more stable or higher future cash flows.
b. Community KPIs integrated into valuation methods
Many investment funds, particularly in DNVBs (Digital Native Vertical Brands) or SaaS companies with a strong digital presence, now include community indicators such as :
- engagement rate (> 2% = good),
- owner vs. rented audience share (email vs. social network),
- reactivation capacity (newsletter open rate),
- organic reach (vs. paid).
These data can be used to adjust an expected growth rate or a valuation multiple as part of a DCF method or a comparable analysis.
c. Solid empirical data on community profitability
A meta-analysis carried out in 2023 by the University of Mannheim (Beichert et al., 2023) of 12,000 influence campaigns reveals that :
- micro" creators (10K-100K subscribers) generate on average 114 times more ROI per subscriber than creators with +1M subscribers,
- conversion rates are up to 8 times higher when a recommendation comes from an engaged community, compared with traditional advertising,
- a loyal community increases Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) by over 32%.
In other words, a strong community increases the financial value of acquired customers - a key variable in any valuation analysis.
d. Leverage in small-cap brands
In young companies or start-up brands, the community often provides leverage on the initial valuation:
- It compensates for a low level of accounting seniority.
- It demonstrates market traction without heavy advertising investment.
- It can be monetized from the outset (by-products, direct sales, paid access, etc.).
So, in some cases, XVAL values the community as an isolable asset, in the same way as a customer file or goodwill.
5. Concrete examples: large communities in France, including BtoB
To measure the potential value of a community, it's useful to refer to concrete cases. Whether in BtoC or BtoB, certain personalities or companies have managed to federate such a large audience that their community becomes a valuable asset in its own right.
a. Kylian Mbappé - A global audience, a colossal asset
With over 125 million followers on Instagram (2025), Kylian Mbappé is the most followed French personality on social networks. Each publication can generate millions of views and hundreds of thousands of interactions, making it an ultra-premium medium for partner brands. His image is exploited commercially in campaigns where the amounts regularly exceed 6 figures per contract(source).
b. Squeezie - The weight of a YouTube empire
Lucas Hauchard, aka Squeezie, has 25.5 million YouTube subscribers and several billion views. His ability to sell products (clothing capsules, video games, events) shows that his community converts into direct sales, to the point of enabling instant out-of-stock launches. In terms of valuation, this translates into a high personal brand value and the possibility of monetizing derivative assets (licenses, partnerships, own brand).
c. HMI (Hachemi Sabi) - Viral influence on Snapchat
With over 11.4 million subscribers on Snapchat, HMI is now the biggest French-speaking creator on this platform. It generates revenue through product placement, advertising and direct collaborations. The HMI case shows that even on an ephemeral platform, a massive audience is worthwhile, provided you have the tools to analyze performance and traceability.
d. BtoB also creates community value: the example of Grégoire Gambatto (GrowthMakers)
In the BtoB world, Grégoire Gambatto, founder ofa growth marketing agency, has built up a large professional community:
- More than 100,000 LinkedIn subscribers,
- Podcasts listened to by tens of thousands of decision-makers,
- A newsletter followed by over 45,000 marketing and growth professionals.
This community, although smaller in volume than that of a mainstream influencer, is highly qualified and has enabled the company to generate regular sales through training, subscriptions and consulting services. At the time of valuation, the size and commitment of this BtoB community are included in the estimate of future revenues (DCF method) or valued as an intangible asset.
Why these examples are key to value enhancement
- In both BtoC and BtoB, the community can replace or amplify traditional sales channels.
- Its traceability (number of subscribers, engagement rate, publication performance) means it can be objectively integrated into a valuation calculation.
- Projected sales potential from
6. Valuing the community as part of a brand
At XVAL, we integrate this intangible potential into our valuations via :
- Analysis of formats used, frequency and content mix (posts, Reels, videos, Lives).
- Realistic projection of sales or potential communication savings , based on the grids and data observed.
- Cross-check with a valuation: estimated sales multiple, DCF based on cash-flow regularity, or integration into intangible assets.
- Compare with similar players, and deal with risks (volatile platform, dependence on viral content, etc.).
- Explained and argued report, useful for transfer, negotiation, transmission or audit.
7. Why it's strategic for a brand
Today, the value of a community goes beyond mere qualitative appreciation. It is a major financial lever, with multiple strategic, economic and legal implications for a brand or company.
a. An asset that sets us apart from the competition
For the same offer, the community becomes a decisive competitive advantage. It creates a direct link with customers, mobilizes an audience without intermediaries, and enables products to be tested or marketed more quickly. A brand with an engaged audience enjoys a conversion rate 20% to 40% higher than a brand without a direct audience (source: Shopify, 2024).
b. A traction indicator for investors
When raising funds, buying out or selling, the size and commitment of a community can serve as proof of traction. A TikTok account with 500,000 subscribers or a newsletter with 50,000 active subscribers can demonstrate an ability to generate sales or grow a customer base, without resorting to costly marketing campaigns. Some investors even value this community directly in the "brand premium" built into the analysis.
c. A negotiating force in partnerships
For BtoC or hybrid brands, an engaged community enables upward negotiation with distributors, platforms or partners. A well-moderated social network or proprietary community (emailing, forum, Discord...) increases the perceived value of the brand and its ability to generate traffic.
d. Ability to generate recurring revenues
Many companies are developing offerings based solely on their communities:n
- premium newsletter subscriptions,
- private sales,
- derivative products or limited editions,
- live events or paid content.
According to Kantar (2024), almost 48% of consumers under 35 have already bought a product because it was recommended or used by a brand or creator they followed. This community monetization represents a potential recurring flow to be integrated into a DCF method or a recurring revenue multiple.
e. A valuable (and verifiable) public presence
Unlike other intangible assets (patents, contracts, customer files), the community is observable, measurable and traceable: number of subscribers, rate of engagement, views, click-through rates... This enables evaluators like XVAL to rely on public and verifiable data, even in the absence of conventional accounting or formal legal documents.
Conclusion
A brand's community is no longer a simple marketing vector: it's a valuable economic asset. Based on reliable pricing grids, statistical sources (Shopify, CreatorJet, Kolsquare) and academic studies, we can estimate potential sales or savings in communication costs , and integrate them effectively into brand or company valuations.
XVAL can help you transform this audience into measurable, documented and strategic value:
