How to Pitch Brands as a Creator (Without Getting Ignored)

Most pitches get ignored. Not because you're not talented, but because the pitch itself is wrong.

We've tracked over 4,000 brand partnerships on Instagram and TikTok. The creators who land deals consistently aren't the biggest accounts. They just pitch differently.

Mistake 1: The Generic Pitch

"Hi! I'm a content creator and I'd love to work with your brand!"

Brands get hundreds of these. They can tell you copied and pasted it to 50 companies because... you did.

What to do instead: Mention something specific. Their recent campaign. A product you actually use. A creator collab they ran that you liked. It takes 2 minutes of research and puts you ahead of 90% of pitches.

Bad: "I love your brand and would love to collaborate!"

Good: "I saw your recent collab with @jessicafitness on her protein content - the engagement was really strong. I create similar high-performance fitness content for a 25-34 audience and have an idea that could work for your spring line."

See the difference? One says "I researched you." The other says "I sent this to everyone."

Mistake 2: Making It About You

"I'm passionate about creating content and I think we'd be a great fit."

Nobody cares. That sounds harsh, but brands don't care about your passion. They care about selling more stuff. Every pitch they read starts with "I" - yours needs to start with "you."

Flip the script. What problem can your content solve for their audience? What angle can you bring that their current content doesn't have?

Bad: "I've been creating content for 3 years and have 50K followers."

Good: "Your customers are asking about sustainable alternatives on your latest posts. I create content specifically around eco-friendly swaps and my audience is 80% women 25-40 - the same demo buying your products."

Mistake 3: No Clear Ask

"Let me know if you're interested!"

This puts the ball in their court and it dies there. They're busy. They're not going to do the work of figuring out what to do next.

Give them a specific next step instead.

• "Would you be open to a quick 15-min call this week?"
• "Can I send over my portfolio and rates?"
• "I've got a content idea for your spring campaign - want me to send a brief?"

Makes it easy for them to say yes instead of leaving them to figure out what happens next.

Mistake 4: Not Following Up

One email and you're done? Brands are busy. Your email got buried under 200 others. That doesn't mean they're not interested. It means they didn't see it.

Here's the cadence that works:

• Day 1: Send your pitch
• Day 4-5: Follow up. Keep it short: "Hey, just bumping this up in case it got buried. Would love to chat if the timing works."
• Day 12-14: One more. New angle or additional context.

Three touches is standard. You're not being annoying. You're being professional.

Mistake 5: Pitching the Wrong Brands

This is the big one. You spend 30 minutes crafting a perfect pitch, send it to a brand that has never worked with creators, and wonder why you hear nothing back.

Pitch brands that are already paying creators. They have budget. They have a process. Your pitch lands on the desk of someone who's actively looking for more creators.

How do you find them? Look at who's running paid partnerships right now. Not who used to, not who might - who is actively spending money on creator content today.

What a Good Pitch Looks Like

Here's a full example putting it all together:

Subject: Content idea for Brand's summer campaign

Hey Name,

I saw your recent partnership with @creatorname - the recipe content performed really well and the comments were full of people wanting to try it.

I create similar food content for a 25-35 audience (mostly busy parents looking for quick meal ideas). I have an idea for a "weeknight dinner in 15 minutes" series featuring your products that I think would drive strong engagement.

Would you be open to a quick call this week to talk through it? I can also send my portfolio and rates if you prefer.

Your nameYour handle | Follower count | Engagement rate

Why does this work? It references a real campaign (homework done), shows you understand their audience, pitches a specific idea (not vague "let's collab"), and ends with a clear ask. Also: it's short. Nobody reads a 500-word pitch email.

How CollabFeed Pitch Templates Work

You don't have to write all of this from scratch. Our pitch generator pulls from real data - it references campaigns the brand actually ran, mentions creators they worked with, and suggests content ideas based on what performed. It also has verified partnership emails so you reach the right inbox, not info@.

When you generate a pitch on CollabFeed, it says things like "I saw your collab with @creator" because we literally have that data. That's what makes the pitch feel researched instead of generic.

The Follow-Up Template

Most creators never follow up. Here's a simple template:

Follow-up (Day 4-5):

Hey Name,

Just bumping this up - I sent a content idea for Brand earlier this week. Would love to chat if the timing works.

Happy to send my portfolio and rates if that's easier.

Your name

Second follow-up (Day 12-14):

Hey Name,

Last nudge on this. I've since posted new content example which got metric - happy to create something similar for Brand.

If now isn't the right time, no worries at all. Just wanted to make sure this didn't get lost.

Your name

Quick Checklist Before You Hit Send

• Did you mention something specific about their brand or recent campaign?
• Is the pitch about what you can do for them (not about you)?
• Is there a clear next step (call, portfolio, brief)?
• Are you pitching a brand that's already working with creators?
• Do you have a follow-up scheduled for 4-5 days later?
• Are you emailing the right person (partnership/influencer email, not info@)?

Data powered by CollabFeed. Track real-time brand partnerships at collabfeed.io.