How to Pitch Brands for Sponsorships (With Templates)

Waiting for brands to come to you is a strategy — but it's a slow one. The creators and managers who consistently land deals are the ones who pitch proactively.

Here's how to write outreach that actually gets responses.

Before you pitch: do your research

The biggest mistake in brand outreach is sending generic emails. Before you write a single word:

• Find the right contact. Look for titles like "Influencer Marketing Manager," "Creator Partnerships," or "Brand Collaborations" on LinkedIn.
• Study their existing creator partnerships. What kind of content are they sponsoring? What creators do they work with? This tells you their budget and preferences.
• Check if they're actively running campaigns. If they just launched a campaign with 10 creators, they might be tapped out. If they haven't done creator marketing in a while, they might be ready.

The anatomy of a great pitch email

Keep it short. Brand managers get hundreds of emails. Here's the structure that works:

Subject line: Short and specific. "Creator partnership — [Your Niche] x [Brand Name]" performs better than "Collaboration opportunity!!!"

Opening (1-2 sentences): Show you know their brand. Reference a specific product, campaign, or initiative. This proves you're not copy-pasting.

The hook (2-3 sentences): Why you (or your creator) are a great fit. Lead with metrics: average views, engagement rate, audience demographics. Don't just say "I have a great audience" — prove it.

The ask (1-2 sentences): Be specific about what you're proposing. "I'd love to create a dedicated YouTube video featuring [Product]" is better than "I'd love to collaborate."

The close (1 sentence): Make it easy to say yes. "Would you be open to a quick call this week?" or "Happy to send over a media kit if helpful."

What NOT to do

Don't write an essay. If your pitch is longer than 150 words, it's too long. Brand managers skim.

Don't lead with your follower count. "I have 500K followers" means nothing without engagement data. A creator with 50K followers and 8% engagement is more valuable than one with 500K and 1%.

Don't be vague. "I'd love to work together" doesn't give the brand anything to respond to. Pitch a specific idea.

Don't forget to follow up. 80% of deals happen after the follow-up. If you don't hear back in 5-7 days, send one short follow-up. After that, move on.

Track your outreach

When you're sending 20+ pitches a week, you need to track who you've contacted, what you pitched, and when to follow up. This is where a deal pipeline becomes essential — create a deal in the "Outreach" stage for every pitch you send, and move it forward as the conversation progresses.

Without tracking, you'll forget who you pitched, miss follow-ups, and leave deals on the table.

Consistency wins

The creators who land the most brand deals aren't necessarily the biggest — they're the most consistent at outreach. Set a goal: 10 pitches per week. Track them. Follow up. Over three months, that's 120+ brand touchpoints. Even a 5% conversion rate means 6 new deals.

Start pitching, start tracking, and the deals will follow.