How to pitch brands (with email templates you can steal)

Waiting for brands to slide into your DMs is a slow way to build a business. Plenty of creators with small, engaged audiences land deals simply because they asked.

Pitching feels awkward at first. That’s normal. But a good pitch is just a short, specific email that shows a brand you understand what they need. Once you have a system, it takes about 15 minutes per brand.

Here’s the whole process, plus three templates you can copy and adjust.

Step 1: Pick brands that already make sense

Start with brands that fit naturally into what you already post. The easiest pitches are for:

• Products you already use and genuinely like
• Brands that already work with creators around your size
• Brands whose customers look like your audience

Make a list of 10 to 20. A simple spreadsheet works: brand name, contact, date pitched, follow-up date, status.

Step 2: Find the right person

“info@” addresses and general contact forms are where pitches go to die. Look for someone whose job involves creators. Common titles include influencer marketing manager, creator partnerships, social media manager, brand partnerships, and PR or communications.

Where to look:

• The brand’s website. Check the footer, the “press” or “contact” page, or an “ambassador” or “affiliate” page.
• The brand’s social profiles. Many list a partnerships or PR email in their bio or contact button.
• LinkedIn. Search the company name plus “influencer” or “partnerships.”
• Creator posts. If you see creators tagging a brand in sponsored posts, the brand clearly has someone running those deals.

If you can only find a general address, use it, but add “Attn: Creator Partnerships” to the subject line.

Step 3: Do 10 minutes of research

Before you write a word, spend a few minutes on:

• What they’re launching or promoting right now. New product, seasonal campaign, a new market.
• What kind of creator content they already share. Reels, UGC-style videos, long YouTube reviews?
• Who their customer is. Check their ads, website and comments.

You’ll use one specific detail from this research in your first line. That’s what separates your pitch from the 50 copy-and-paste emails they got this week.

Step 4: Keep the pitch short

Brand managers read pitches on their phones between meetings. Aim for under 150 words. The structure:

1. A personal opener. One line that shows you know the brand.
2. Who you are. One or two lines: your niche, your audience, one standout number.
3. Your idea. One specific content idea, not “let me know if you want to work together.”
4. Proof. A link to your media kit and one or two example posts.
5. A simple next step. Ask one easy question.

Skip the long life story. Skip “I know you’re busy.” Get to the point.

Template 1: The cold pitch

Subject: Content idea for [Brand]‘s [product/launch]

Hi [Name],

I saw [Brand] just launched [product], and I’ve already been [using it / eyeing it] for [specific reason].

I’m [Your Name], a [niche] creator on [platform]. My audience is mostly [age range] [who they are] in the US, and my posts average [X] views with a [X]% engagement rate.

Idea: a [format, e.g. 30-second Reel] showing [specific concept, e.g. “my 5-minute morning routine before class, using (product)”]. My audience responds really well to [type of content], like this one: [link].

My media kit is here: [link]. Would you be open to a quick chat about a partnership this [month/season]?

Thanks, [Your Name] [Handle] | [Email]

Template 2: The warm follow-up (after you’ve used or tagged their product)

This one works best when you’ve already posted about the brand on your own, and ideally when the brand liked, commented or reshared it.

Subject: Loved featuring [product], had an idea for next time

Hi [Name],

I recently featured [product] in [a post/video] ([link]), and it ended up being one of my [most saved / most commented] posts this month. [Brand] even [liked/reshared] it, which was a fun surprise.

My audience kept asking about [specific question from comments], so I’d love to make a follow-up that answers it: [one-sentence idea].

Here’s my media kit with audience details and past collabs: [link]. Would you be open to a paid partnership for that follow-up?

Best, [Your Name]

Only say a post performed well if it did. The brand can look at the post themselves, may ask for screenshots, and one exaggeration can end the conversation.

Template 3: The follow-up after no reply

Silence usually means busy, not no. Wait about a week, then reply in the same email thread so they can see your original message.

Subject: Re: [original subject]

Hi [Name],

Just bumping this up in case it got buried. I’d still love to create [short version of your idea] for [Brand].

If you’re not the right person for creator partnerships, could you point me to who is?

Thanks so much, [Your Name]

If there’s still no reply after a second follow-up, move on and try again in a few months with a new idea. Two follow-ups is plenty.

Subject lines that get opened

Keep them short, specific and about the brand, not you. Some formats that work:

• “Content idea for [Brand]‘s fall launch”
• “[Product] + my [niche] audience”
• “Partnership idea: [one-line concept]”
• “UGC video idea for [Brand]”
• “Loved featuring [product], had an idea for next time”

Avoid all caps, lots of emojis, and anything that sounds like clickbait.

What to attach (and what not to)

• Your media kit, as a link or a small PDF. A link is safer because big attachments sometimes land in spam. If you don’t have one yet, start with our guide on how to make a media kit brands actually read.
• One or two example posts, as links.
• Not your full rate card, unless they ask. Let them respond to the idea first, then talk money. Our guide on pricing brand deals will help when they ask.

When they say yes

Great. Before you post anything:

• Get the deal in writing: deliverables, deadlines, payment amount and timing, number of revisions, and how long the brand can use your content.
• Read the contract carefully, especially usage rights and exclusivity. Our breakdown of contract clauses to understand covers the big ones.
• Plan your disclosure. If a brand pays you or gives you free product, the FTC expects you to clearly disclose that relationship. Its Disclosures 101 guide explains how, and the Endorsement Guides FAQ answers the trickier questions.

This is general info, not legal advice. For contracts with real money on the line, it’s worth having someone qualified review them.

Your pitching checklist

• A list of 10 to 20 brands that already fit your content
• A named contact for each, not just “info@”
• One specific detail about each brand for your opener
• A pitch under 150 words with one clear idea
• Media kit link and one or two example posts
• A follow-up after about a week, then one more
• A spreadsheet tracking every pitch
• Contract and disclosure plan before you post

Send five pitches this week. Not fifty, five, and make each one specific. That’s how the first yes happens.