Last updated: October 2026

To pitch brands as a creator, send a short email to a named person at the brand. Show you know the product, suggest one specific content idea, back it with one or two numbers from your media kit and ask one easy question. Follow up once or twice, a week apart.

This guide is for creators of any size who want paid or gifted brand work, including UGC creators with small audiences. It covers who to email, what to put in the message, four copy-and-paste templates with [placeholders], how to follow up and what to do when a brand says yes.

How to pitch brands: the short version

A pitch works when it makes the brand's decision small. The person reading it is busy and has to justify the spend to someone else. Give them a reason, a clear idea and an easy next step.

1. Pick brands you already fit. Start with products you use and brands whose customers look like your audience.
2. Find a person. Look for a partnerships, influencer or social media contact, or the founder at a small brand.
3. Write under 150 words. One idea, one proof point, one question.
4. Link your media kit. Do not attach a heavy file to a cold email.
5. Follow up. Most replies come after a nudge, not the first email.

Do the research before you write

Spend five minutes per brand. It is the difference between a pitch that gets deleted and one that gets an answer.

• Check what they already post. Do they work with creators, run UGC-style ads or repost customers? Match your idea to what they already do.
• Look for a sponsored-post trail. Search the brand's tagged posts for the "Paid partnership" label or #ad. Brands that already pay creators have a budget and a process.
• Find the right inbox. At larger brands, LinkedIn titles such as "Influencer Marketing Manager" or "Creator Partnerships" point to the right person. At small brands, the founder often decides. Use a generic info@ address only as a last resort.
• Note the product you would feature. Naming one product is stronger than saying you "love the brand."

You can also skip the cold pitch for some work. Brands post paid and gifted campaigns on the public Jem Social Opportunity Board, and you can browse open brand opportunities and apply to the ones that fit.

What every brand pitch email needs

Use this order. Each part is one or two sentences.

• Subject line: name the brand or product and the idea. Short and specific beats clever.
• Opening line: something real about the brand, such as a product you use or a recent launch.
• Who you are: your niche and who watches you, in one sentence.
• The idea: one piece of content, with the format and what it shows. For example, a 30-second video of the product in your morning routine.
• Proof: one or two numbers from your own analytics, such as average views on similar videos or audience location. The free Engagement Rate Calculator works out your engagement rate. Use only your own real numbers.
• Media kit link: one link. Jem Social can build a media kit for you.
• One question: "Can I send over two concepts?" is easier to answer than "Are you open to working together?"

Leave your rates out of the first email unless the brand asks. When they do, the Influencer Rate Calculator gives you a starting point.

Brand pitch email templates

These are structures. Replace every [placeholder] with your own details and cut anything that is not true for you.

Template 1: Paid collaboration

Subject: [Content format] idea for [Product]

Hi [Name],

I've been using [Product] for [time period], and [specific detail you noticed]. I make [type of content] for [description of your audience], mostly in [niche or location].

I'd like to make [specific content idea] for [Brand]. My recent [similar content type] averaged [your number] and my audience is mostly [demographic from your analytics]. Media kit: [link].

Can I send over two or three concepts?

[Your name]
[Handle] | [Email]

Template 2: Gifted collaboration

Subject: Would you like content featuring [Product]?

Hi [Name],

I'm [Your name], a [niche] creator on [platform]. I'd love to try [Product] and share it with my followers, who regularly ask me about [related need].

In exchange for the product, I would post [exact deliverables, such as one video and two Stories] within [number] days of receiving it, with a clear partnership disclosure. Here is my media kit: [link].

Shall I send my shipping details?

[Your name]

Spell out the deliverables in a gifted deal. "One Story for the product" is a deal. "I'll post something" is free work.

Template 3: UGC pitch

Subject: UGC videos for [Brand]'s [product or ad type]

Hi [Name],

I create UGC for [category] brands. The videos are shot for your channels and ads, not for my own audience, so they follow your brief and use your product.

For [Product], I'd make [number] videos of [length] in the style of [format, such as unboxing, demo or testimonial], delivered in [number] days. Here is my portfolio: [link].

Would you like a quote for a single video to start?

[Your name]

If you sell UGC, price usage rights separately. The UGC Rate Card Generator helps you build a rate card.

Template 4: Follow-up

Subject: Re: [Original subject]

Hi [Name],

Following up on my note about [content idea]. I also thought of [one new idea or angle] that could suit [upcoming launch or season].

Happy to send a short concept deck if that's easier.

[Your name]

Want a pitch written from your own details? The free Brand Pitch Email Generator drafts a personalized pitch and a follow-up.

Which template should you use?

Match the pitch to your situation, not to what sounds most impressive.

• Use the paid template when you have a clear niche, real analytics and examples of similar content.
• Use the gifted template when you want the product anyway or you are building your first examples. Agree on exact deliverables.
• Use the UGC template when your audience is small. The brand buys your content, not your reach, so follower count matters less.

You can send different pitches to the same brand over time. A gifted collab that goes well is a strong opening for a paid follow-up.

How to follow up without being annoying

1. Wait five to seven business days after the first email.
2. Add something new. A fresh idea or a link to a relevant post gives them a reason to reply.
3. Send one more after another week or so. Then stop and move on to the next brand.
4. Keep a log. Note the brand, contact, date sent, follow-up date and result, so nothing slips.

Tracking gets harder once you are sending ten or more pitches a week. The Brand Pitch Tool in Jem Social's creator tools includes 30,000+ brand contacts, AI-written personalized pitches and automatic follow-ups.

Common pitching mistakes

• Mass emails with the wrong name. Brands notice copy-paste. Personalize the first line every time.
• Asking for sponsorship without an idea. Lead with what the brand gets.
• Long bios. Your media kit holds the detail. The email holds one reason to reply.
• Inflated numbers. Brands often ask for screenshots, and a bad number costs you the deal.
• Pitching only huge brands. Small and mid-size brands reply more often and are used to working with small creators.

What to do when a brand says yes

Settle the details in writing before you make anything: deliverables, deadlines, number of revisions, usage rights, payment amount and payment date. Ask whether the brand plans to use your content in ads, because that changes the price.

Disclose every paid or gifted post. The FTC explains what clear disclosure looks like in Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers. For platform-specific steps, read our guide on how to get brand deals on Instagram.

Send five pitches this week

List five brands you already use, find a named contact for each, write each one a pitch from the templates above and set a reminder to follow up in a week. Five good pitches beat fifty generic ones.

Want to pitch faster? Try the Brand Pitch Tool to find brand contacts, write personalized pitches and send follow-ups automatically.