Pitching to brands can be daunting — especially if you’re just starting your content creator journey.
From writing a pitch email to knowing what to include in your media kit, we’re breaking down how to pitch to brands and land your dream collaborations, below.
Get ready to let the cash roll in.
Why Creators Should Pitch to Brands
Creating sponsored content for brands is a popular way to make money as a creator on social media — whether it’s on TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram.
And the best part? You don’t need to have millions of followers.
In fact, in a 2021 Later X Fohr study, we found that Nano influencers — those with less than 10K followers — have the highest average engagement rates.
So no matter how big your following is, you shouldn’t be afraid to put yourself out there and pitch to brands.
FYI: With Later's influencer program, you can get discovered by major brands, access creator tools, and land dream partnerships. Learn more.
What Is A Pitch Email?
In a nutshell, a pitch email is sent to brands you’d like to work with, and includes:
A brief introduction
What you love about their brand/product
Media kit
Rate card
Any relevant brand partnerships
Pitch emails should be brief — think 2-3 paragraphs in length — and give an overview of how successful you’ve been at building brand awareness or driving conversion.
How to Find the Right Contact to Pitch To
Once you have your pitch drafted (more on that, later), it’s important to make sure it lands in front of the correct person.
There are a few ways to find out who to send your pitch email to:
Search for the brand on LinkedIn, go to their People tab, and keep an eye out for anyone who has “PR”, “Collaborations”, or “Influencer Marketing” in their job title. If you’re unable to find them, reach out to someone on the marketing team.
Send a DM to the brand on social media asking who the best point of contact is.
By taking these extra steps and addressing the correct person by name, you’re already displaying attention to detail. Brownie points!
How to Pitch to Brands: The Elements of a Great Pitch Email
While a pitch email should only be 2-3 paragraphs long, there are a few important elements you shouldn’t miss.
Here are five things to include in your pitch to brands:
Craft the Perfect Subject Line
Introduce Yourself
Highlight What You Love About the Brand/Product
Create and Attach a Media Kit
Share Your Rates and a Call-to-action (CTA)
#1: Craft the Perfect Subject Line
The inbox of the person receiving your pitch will likely be flooded with internal company memos, project briefs, and other pitches.
So, if you want your email to stand out, your subject line is key.
Make sure it’s short, succinct, and direct. In other words: keep it simple.
For example, a standard subject line format might look like:
[Brand Name] X [Creator Name] — [Detail About Pitch or Content Style]
In practice, it’d look like:
Later X Lizzo — IG Reel Partnership
You can also include a small greeting or emoji in the subject line to grab their attention.
#2: Introduce Yourself
If you're looking for a long-term partnership, it's important to build a genuine foundation, and your pitch email is the first way to do so.
The person receiving your email doesn’t need to know your whole life story, but it’s important to paint a picture of who you are and why you’re introducing yourself.
Try swapping out the typical blanket statement, “Our brands align and I think this partnership would be a great fit,” for a few of your core values and how they complement the brand.
TIP: Now’s a great time to hyperlink your top social media accounts!
#3: Highlight What You Love About the Brand/Product
Brands tend to gravitate towards creators who’ve previously used (and loved) their product.
Plus, working with a brand you actually enjoy will make it easier to create content and speak to your community about it.
When brainstorming what to highlight in your pitch email, use these prompts to get started:
Do their values and mission align with yours?
Has the brand done anything specific that resonated with you?
What is your favorite way to use the product and why do you love it?
What is one thing you didn’t know about the product until you used it?
Have you already created user-generated content about the brand?
Have you noticed past collaborations with other creators that prompted you to reach out?
TIP: Focus on your shared values and why you’d be the perfect match.
#4: Create and Attach a Media Kit
If you’re pitching to brands, having a media kit is one of the best ways to highlight your work and what you can offer.
Think of it as your business card, CV, and portfolio of work all in one document.
It’s important to include:
Your bio and contact information
An overview and/or snapshot of your social stats (hint: Later’s verified analytics report will help with this)
Your community’s demographics — including where your followers are located, their gender, age, language, etc.
A breakdown of your blog or website stats (if you have one)
Previous partnerships and testimonials
Examples of how you’ve built brand awareness, driven conversion, or traffic in previous partnerships
Your rates (it’s helpful to also have a separate rate card that you can send to brands who inquire specifically about your rates)
Remember to create your media kit as a PDF (easier for brands to share internally), and make sure it’s beautifully designed and aligned with your social media aesthetic.
#5: Share Your Rates and a Call-to-action (CTA)
You should round out your pitch with a high-level overview of your rates, a call-to-action (CTA) to review your media kit, and an invitation to continue the conversation.
While your rates will also be included in your media kit, including them directly in the email will make it easier for the brand to quickly gauge whether they have enough budget for a partnership with you.
New to setting your own rates?
Unfortunately, as the influencer marketing industry is still fairly new, there’s no universal one-size-fits-all pricing rule.
That said, historically, many digital marketers have adhered to the one cent per follower (or $100 per 10K followers) rule as a starting point.
However in recent years, Later’s influencer marketing team has noticed that increase to about $300-$500 per 10K followers.
Our suggestion? Use these numbers as a baseline.
TIP: Referring to resources like Clara for Creators and FYPM can be a massive help for setting rates.
So there you have it! Everything you need to successfully pitch to brands, including how to craft the perfect email.
When crafted with care and intention, you can stand out from the crowd and start to build a long-term partnership. Good luck and happy pitching.
Ready to find brands to partner with? With Later's influencer program, you can get discovered by brands and access social media marketing tools too. Learn more.
