Brand deals guide

How to pitch brands: emails that get replies

Updated 10 October 2026 · 7 min read · By the Growth Club team

A brand pitch that gets a reply is short, personal and specific: who you are and who watches you, why this brand, one concrete content idea, one proof point and an easy next step. Send it by email to the person who runs creator partnerships, keep it under about 150 words, and follow up twice. Below are the structure, subject lines and templates you can copy.

Before you hit send

Have these ready so you can answer any reply the same day:

A media kit link or PDF with your niche, audience, average views and past work (how to make one).
Your numbers: followers, average views from your last 10 to 15 posts, engagement rate, top countries.
Three content ideas for this brand, so you can offer alternatives.
Your rates for each format (what to charge).
The right contact (see below).

Who to send it to

A pitch to a general inbox can sit for weeks. Aim for the person who owns the creator budget. Common job titles:

Influencer marketing manager or lead
Creator partnerships manager
Brand partnerships or PR manager
Social media manager (at smaller brands)
Founder or head of marketing (at very small brands)

Look on the brand’s website for a partnerships, press or “work with us” page, check the company’s team on LinkedIn, and look for a partnerships address. If you can’t find a person, a “partnerships@” or “press@” address is better than a contact form.

Brand Deals HQ

Find brands in your niche, get the contact details they publish, such as partnership and press emails, send ready-written pitches from your own email and track every deal in one pipeline.

Create my account and try itIt’s free with a Growth Club account.

Subject lines that get opened

Keep it short, specific and about them. A few that work:

Spring launch idea: 3 Reels for [Product]
[Your niche] creator, 18K skincare fans in London
Content idea for [Brand]’s [campaign or product]
Your [product] in my morning routine (video idea)
Partnership idea: [Brand] x [your handle]

Avoid “Collaboration?”, “Partnership request” and anything in capitals. They read like every other email in the inbox.

The five-part pitch

Who you are, in one line. Niche, platform and audience: “I’m a home-fitness creator on TikTok, mostly women 25 to 34 in the UK.”
Why them, in one line. Prove you know the product: “Your resistance bands are in half my workouts already.”
One specific idea. Format, angle and why it works: “A 30-second Reel: ‘the 10-minute hotel-room workout’, using only your travel set.”
One proof point. Average views, a result or a past brand: “My last 10 videos averaged 24K views; my last product video drove 310 link clicks.”
An easy next step. “Happy to send rates and a couple more ideas. Would that be useful?”

Leave rates out of the first email unless the brand asked. Your goal is a conversation, not a price check.

Copy-ready templates

Replace everything in [brackets]. Personalise at least one line per brand: brand managers can spot a mass email immediately.

Pitch emails: the rules

A pitch is a marketing email, so UK rules (PECR and UK GDPR) and US rules (CAN-SPAM) apply:

Use business email addresses only, never personal ones.
Say who you are and where you found their address.
Use an honest subject line that makes clear it’s a pitch, and only use “Re:” when you’re replying in the same thread.
End every pitch and follow-up with a line such as “Not for you? Just reply and I won’t email again”, and stick to it.
Pitching a US brand? Add a postal address under your name (a PO box is fine).
UK sole traders (one-person businesses) count as individuals, so only pitch them where they invite it, such as a “work with us” page or “DM for collabs” in their bio.

First pitch: paid partnership

Subject: [Campaign or product] idea: [format] for [Brand]

Hi [First name],

I’m [Name], a [niche] creator on [platform] with [followers or average views], mostly [audience: age, country].

I’ve used [product] for [time] and think my audience would love [specific benefit]. Idea: [one-sentence content idea, format and length].

My recent videos average [average views] views with [engagement rate] engagement, and [proof point: past brand, result or comment].

My media kit is here: [link]. Would you be open to a partnership? Happy to share rates and a couple more ideas.

Thanks,
[Name]
[Handle] · [email] · [phone]
[Postal address, if you’re pitching a US brand]

P.S. Not the right person, or not interested? Just reply and I won’t email again.

Pitch for a product you already use

Subject: Already a fan of [product]: content idea for [Brand]

Hi [First name],

Quick one: [product] has been part of my [routine/setup] for [time], and my followers keep asking about it. (Here’s a recent mention: [link].)

I’d love to make a proper piece for you: [idea, format]. My audience is [who], and my last 10 [Reels/TikToks] averaged [views] views.

Media kit: [link]. Would you like rates and timings?

[Name]

Pitch tied to a launch or season

Subject: [Season/launch] idea for [Brand]: [format]

Hi [First name],

I saw [product launch/news]. With [season or event] coming up, I’d love to help you get it in front of [audience].

Idea: [concept], filmed [how], posted [when] to catch [moment]. I’d also share it to Stories with a link.

Last time I covered [similar product], it drove [result]. Media kit: [link].

Open to chatting this week?

[Name]

Follow-up 1 (4 to 5 days later)

Subject: Re: [original subject]

Hi [First name], just bringing this back to the top of your inbox.

Another angle in case it’s useful: [new idea or fresh stat, one line].

Happy to work around your timings.

[Name]

Follow-up 2 (a week later)

Subject: Re: [original subject]

Hi [First name], I’ll leave it here for now. If creator content is on your plan for [next month or quarter], I’d love to be considered. My media kit: [link].

Thanks either way!
[Name]

When they offer product only

Hi [First name],

Thanks so much, I’d love to work with [Brand]. For content that goes on my feed with a dedicated video, my rate starts at [rate], which includes [deliverables].

If budget’s tight this time, I could do [smaller deliverable, e.g. 3 Stories with a link] for [lower rate]. Let me know what works.

[Name]

When they ask for your rates

Hi [First name],

Thanks for coming back to me! Here are my rates:

Rates include [revisions, organic posting]. Paid usage (running the content as ads) and exclusivity are priced separately. Happy to tailor a package to your goals.

[Name]

The DM version

For small brands where the founder runs the account and invites collab requests (for example, “DM for collabs” in their bio), a DM can work. Keep it to three lines and move to email:

Short DM

Hi [name]! I’m a [niche] creator ([followers or views]) and I’ve loved [product] for [time]. I have an idea for a [format] that I think would do really well with my audience. What’s the best email to send it to?

Timing and volume

Send Tuesday to Thursday mornings in the brand’s time zone, when inboxes are less crowded.
Pitch in batches of 10 to 20 brands a week, personalised, rather than 100 copy-paste emails.
Track every pitch: brand, contact, date sent, follow-ups and replies. A spreadsheet works, or use the deal pipeline in Brand Deals HQ.
Plan ahead: brands set budgets 4 to 8 weeks before big moments like summer, back to school, Black Friday and Christmas.

Mistakes that get pitches ignored

Starting with “I’d love to collaborate” and no idea.
Writing about yourself for five paragraphs.
Attaching a large file instead of a link.
Spelling the brand or contact’s name wrong.
Sending the same pitch to competitors on the same day with their names swapped.
Following up after a day, or more than twice.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a pitch email be?

Aim for under about 150 words: one line on you, one on why the brand, one idea, one proof point and a next step. Put everything else in your media kit.

Should I include my rates in the first email?

Usually not. Start the conversation with an idea and proof. Share rates when the brand asks or when they reply with interest, unless their creator page asks for rates upfront.

Should I attach my media kit?

Link to it instead. Links avoid spam filters and large attachments, and you can update the kit without resending. Add a PDF only if the brand asks.

When is the best time to pitch brands?

Tuesday to Thursday mornings in the brand’s time zone, and 4 to 8 weeks before seasonal campaigns, when budgets are being allocated.

How many brands should I pitch?

Ten to twenty well-researched brands a week is a good pace for most creators. Reply rates vary a lot by niche and fit, so quality beats volume.

Good to know: this guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rates and earnings are estimates, not promises, and platform rules change, so check the official pages we link to. Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Threads, X, LinkedIn and the other names mentioned are trademarks of their owners; Growth Club isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by them.