How to Choose the Right Starting Budget on Posted
There is no single "best" budget to start with on Posted.
Instead, your budget controls how much content you generate, how fast you learn, and how many chances you give yourself to find what works.
Whether you are a lean startup or a scaled brand, Posted is designed so you can start small, test safely, and increase spend only when you see signal.
Start With the Lowest-Risk Options
Posted is designed so you can begin without committing to a large budget upfront.
There are two features that work especially well as starting points:
Deals: Free to Start, Pay Only for What You Love
No card required to start the free trial, but you do need to upload funds into your wallet to launch a campaign.
Deals are one of the easiest and lowest-risk ways to get started on Posted.
With Deals:
You can start seeing creator content for free
Creators submit content for you to review
You only pay for the creators and content you choose to move forward with
You stay in full control of pricing and approvals
Deals are ideal when you want to:
Test creators without upfront commitment
Build ad-ready UGC
Learn what type of content resonates with your brand
If you want the ability to review content before spending, Deals are a great place to start.
Your first 14 days on Posted are free, so you can test Deals before your subscription starts (from $250/month billed yearly).
Autopilot Campaigns: Pay for Real Performance
Autopilot campaigns are another strong starting point, especially if you want measurable results like website traffic or app installs.
With Autopilot:
You set one daily Performance Budget — the minimum is $70/day
The most promising submissions are tested as paid ads, and spend shifts automatically to the winners
Creators earn a share of the ad spend, so incentives are aligned around performance
You can change your budget anytime (changes apply the next day), and unused budget carries over
Autopilot is ideal when you want to:
Test hooks, formats, or messaging as real ads
See clicks, CTR and cost per click, not just views
Find and scale breakout performers automatically
A higher daily Performance Budget doesn't test more submissions at the same time, but it shows real results earlier and helps you see what works faster. A lower budget still works — it just takes longer to see clear results.
When Contests Make Sense
Contests are best used after you have some confidence in what works.
They are most effective when:
You already know a content format performs well
You want a surge of submissions around a proven concept
You are planning a launch or major campaign
Contests require a prize pool and are designed for scale, not initial testing. They are optional and not required to succeed on Posted.
How Budget Actually Affects Results
On Posted, budget does not buy guaranteed performance. It buys opportunity and data.
In general:
More budget = more creators participating and faster results
More videos = more content variations
More variations = more chances to find what works
This is a volume and learning game. Spending more does not ensure success, but it does increase the number of shots you take.
A Simple Way to Think About Budget
Instead of asking "What budget should I start with?", ask:
Do I want to review content before paying? → Start with Deals
Do I want to pay for real ad performance and scale winners automatically? → Start with Autopilot
Do I already know what works and want to scale it? → Consider a Contest
Most brands start small, learn quickly, and increase spend once they see signals.
Final Takeaway
There is no wrong starting budget on Posted.
The best approach is:
Start with Deals or an Autopilot campaign
Learn what works for your brand
Increase spend as confidence grows
Budget controls volume and learning speed. The platform is designed so you can move at your own pace and scale when you're ready.