How to sell AI Reels to clients: pricing, margin, proposal
Your clients want fresh Reels every week. They don't want to be on camera, and a shoot is expensive. AI Reels fix both: no camera, no travel, just a vertical MP4 that's ready to post. The only question left is what to charge.
What an AI Reel costs you
With Kelpo, you buy credit packs. No subscription, and credits are good for a year. Here's what a 15-second Reel costs you, before tax:
| Pack | Price | 15-second Reel |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $19 | $9.50 |
| Pro | $99 | $6.60 |
| Business | $299 | $4.98 |
Budget for one redo per Reel, since a gesture or an inflection can miss. On the Pro pack, that puts a Reel at $13.20 at most.
What to charge
Agencies resell AI UGC videos for $75 to $150 each (Wireflow), and a short-form video post sells for $200 to $500 (MySocial). An AI Reel needs no shoot and no talent, so price it like AI UGC, well under a produced video post.
Two line items are all you need:
| Line item | Price | Your cost (Pro pack) | Gross margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15-second AI Reel | $75 | $6.60 to $13.20 | $61.80 to $68.40 |
| 4 AI Reels a month | $249/mo | $26.40 to $52.80 | $196.20 to $222.60 |
On a $75 Reel, you keep 82 to 91% of the price. The monthly package is easier to sell and steadier: your client knows exactly what they get each month.
Your time counts too
Gross margin doesn't include your time: the script, client approval, posting. Social media managers who offer video bill around $74 an hour (Damongo 2026 rate survey), so 20 minutes is worth about $25. If a Reel takes you more than half an hour, charge more or sell it as part of the package.
Example: two clients on the monthly package
You sell the 4-Reel monthly package to two clients:
- you bill $498 a month;
- the 8 Reels cost you $52.80 to $105.60 on the Pro pack;
- your gross margin: $392.40 to $445.20 a month.
At that volume, the Business pack is cheaper still.
What to put in the proposal
AI Reel: vertical video, 5 to 15 seconds. Featuring a stock AI actor, or an AI-generated digital replica of [Full Name] created with their written consent.
Included: script, one first cut, one round of revisions, an on-screen "AI-generated" disclosure, vertical (9:16) MP4 delivery.
Not included: filming, ad spend.
Two rules:
- Put "AI" on the proposal. Your client knows exactly what they're buying, so nobody feels misled later.
- Get the release signed before you create a replica, never after.
The videos are yours to sell under your own name: from your first pack on, your MP4s carry no Kelpo branding.
Two objections, two answers
"If AI makes the video, why am I paying you?" For everything the tool doesn't do: picking the right message, writing 15 seconds that grab attention, handling the release and the disclosure, getting approval, posting at the right time.
"My customers will be able to tell it's AI." Yes, and that's on purpose: the disclosure is on screen, so nobody can feel tricked. AI Reels are for short, useful updates; real shoots stay for the big moments.
How to pitch it
Start with a sample: a Reel where a stock AI actor announces your client's current offer. They see the quality without sending you anything. Send them the preview link: they approve, you deliver.
If they want to be on screen themselves, move to a replica, with their written consent. To choose between the two, read cloned owner or AI actor. And before you post, check the AI disclosure rules.