So you want to work with your favorite brands. This is the biggest goal that most creators have in mind, especially if they’re starting out in 2025. Whether you’re completely new to the industry or you’ve been at it for a while and want to increase your partnerships, this is the guide for you. I’ll show you a step-by-step process to successfully pitch to brands like a professional, even if you’re a brand-new creator. 

Why You Should Pitch to Brands?

Pitching to brands isn’t just about income–it’s about amplifying your impact and getting your name out there. The data shows that nano and micro-influencers deliver some of the highest engagement rates, often resting in the 4-7% range on Instagram, whereas larger creators average closer to 2%.

This kind of authentic engagement is invaluable to brands. On top of that, pitching to brands shouldn’t be discounted as a strategy for landing brand partnerships. It is a direct action towards what you want, especially if you do it correctly.

How Many Followers Do You Need Before You Pitch to Brands?

Despite what you might believe, there’s no one-size-fits-all number. Depending on what opportunities you’re pitching for, you could start pitching even before you have a single follower. 

For example, if you want to pitch yourself for UGC opportunities, you can do that even if you don’t have a public profile. However, my advice is to grow your account as you pitch brands for UGC partnerships. That is the best of both worlds, so that you can get some practice working with brands while growing your audience.

How Much Should You Charge Brands?

Getting your pricing right is key to finding success when you pitch to brands. I’ve got a blog post breaking down pricing that you can read here. When it comes to charging brands, the actual front-facing partnership you see as a consumer is just the tip of the iceberg.

In my free workshop, I pull back the curtain on what goes into a brand partnership and all the deliverables that you can leverage to increase your income.

How to Successfully Pitch to Brands: 7 Actionable Tips to Land Your First Partnership

Now that you know the why and how behind pitching to brands, let’s apply some actionable steps to help you get closer to securing your first paid brand partnership.

Step 1: Find Brands that Align With Your Account

Before you start pitching, you’ll need to spend some time doing research. Finding brands that align with your account and visual identity is the key to success. On the brand’s side, they want to see a creator who understands and matches their values, visual aesthetics, and target audience. And as a creator, you want to make sure that you can promote and create content that gets the brand results. 

Start by looking for products you already use. This would be the most natural fit for you as a new content creator. You’ll also want to make sure that your audience cares about these topics before you send your pitch, so spend some time researching and getting to know your audience.

Step 2: Sign Up for Influencer Platforms

Platforms like Cohley, Aspire, and StackInfluence (just to name a few) are a really great way to get in touch with brands that are proactively looking for creators. This is where you’ll find open opportunities for campaigns, including UGC ones. 

Step 3: Get the Right Brand Contacts

Finding success when you pitch to brands means making sure your pitch gets read. This means finding the right brand contacts, instead of using a very general “media@” or “info@” that rarely gets read. 

Instead, you’ll want to get back into research mode, using platforms like LinkedIn, searching through the brand’s website, or even sending a friendly DM on Instagram is the way to go.

Step 4: Write a Winning Pitch

I could spend a few hours walking you through the process of writing a winning pitch. But since time is of the essence, here are some helpful tips to get you started:

• Avoid generic pitches: Generic pitches very rarely work, and they definitely won’t stand out.
• Research goes a long way: You want to make sure that you’re a good brand fit before you send your pitch. Spend some time understanding the brand you’re reaching out to, study their tone, and make your understanding of it apparent in your pitch.
• Lead with value: A mutually beneficial partnership is driven by value. Help the brand envision the value you bring to the table.

Make sure that you’re customizing and tailoring your pitches to each and every brand you reach out to. While you can absolutely use a template as a starting point, your pitch should not be a copy-and-paste version that you send out to brands.

Step 5: Create an Impressive Media Kit

A media kit gives brands a fuller picture of what you’re about and what value you offer. This is your chance to put your best professional foot forward. An impressive media kit showcases your strengths, highlights your experience, and explains your services.

This is your portfolio, your resume, a bio, an audience overview, and more wrapped up into a thoughtfully designed package.

Step 6: Know What Brands Value and Pay For

Brands pay for so much more than reach. They play for storytelling, high-quality content, and authentic endorsements. This is why you shouldn’t let a small following stop you from pitching to brands. 

In my workshop, I quickly show you how a $100 brand partnership could easily turn into one worth thousands. This will give you the confidence to hit send on your pitch, even if you feel like you aren’t ready yet. 

Step 7: Don’t Be Afraid to Negotiate

Something I teach my students is that there is a right time to accept an unpaid or gifted partnership. And that is if the value of the product exceeds the price that you’d charge for the partnership, or if the collaboration is for a good cause.

By accepting an unpaid or gifted partnership, you run the risk of pigeonholing yourself into the “will work for free” category. Word gets around fast in the industry, and it could be hard to negotiate your way out of working for free. 

Don’t be afraid to negotiate your rates so that it is well worth your time and energy. And if a brand doesn’t have the budget, you can always walk away without closing the door entirely, leaving room for future collaborations.

Wrapping Up

If you’re eager to land your first partnership, this post will serve as a guideline so that you can do so with confidence. A throughline in the process is research, so do not skip out on this step. This blog post outlines everything you need to be successful when pitching to brands, even if you have a small following.