Know Your Numbers Before You Pitch
Brands don't care about your follower count as much as you think they do. What they care about is reach, engagement, and whether your audience actually converts. Before you pitch anything, know your metrics cold. Average views per post. Engagement rate. Audience demographics. CPM if you're monetized. Have this stuff ready to pull up in seconds.
The brands that are serious about working with creators want proof that you can deliver. They want to see that your followers are real people who actually care about what you post. If you're sitting on 50k followers but averaging 200 views per post, that's a red flag. If you're at 10k with 8k average views, that's a green flag. Know the difference and own it.
Build a One-Pager That Actually Sells
Don't send a 20-slide deck. Nobody reads it. Create a clean one-pager that shows who you are, what you do, and why a brand should care. Include your best content examples, your audience breakdown, and your rates. Make it visual. Make it scannable. A brand decision maker has about 90 seconds to decide if they're interested.
This isn't a resume. It's a pitch. Show your personality. Show past work you're proud of. If you've done brand deals before, show the results. Did engagement spike? Did the brand see sales lift? Numbers talk louder than anything else. If this is your first pitch, show your best organic content and be honest about it.
Research the Brand Like You're Doing Due Diligence
Don't pitch a vegan protein brand if you've been posting about steakhouses for the last year. Don't pitch a luxury watch brand if your audience is Gen Z gamers. The fastest way to get ignored is to send a generic pitch to 50 brands at once. Brands can smell that from a mile away.
Spend 20 minutes researching each brand. Look at their last five posts. See who they're already working with. Understand their vibe. Then pitch them something specific. Reference their recent campaign. Explain why your audience aligns with their brand values. Show that you actually know what they do. This is the difference between getting a response and getting deleted.
Pitch the Activation, Not Just a Post
The best pitches aren't about a single Instagram post. They're about an experience. An idea. A moment. Brands are increasingly interested in brand activation campaigns that go beyond static content. They want to reach audiences in real, live environments. They want to create moments that people actually want to engage with.
Think about what you can create with a brand that's bigger than just posting. Can you host a live event? Can you create a series of content? Can you build a community moment? If you're connected to a creator network with broadcast infrastructure like MemeHouse Networks, you can offer professional-grade live streaming capabilities. That changes the conversation entirely. You're not just offering reach anymore. You're offering production quality and real-time engagement.
When you pitch, talk about the experience first. The post comes second. Brands are tired of paying for content that disappears in 24 hours. They want to invest in creator partnerships that build momentum and create actual cultural moments.
Follow Up, But Don't Be Annoying
Send your pitch. Wait three business days. If you don't hear back, send one follow-up. Keep it short. Don't spam. If they don't respond after that, move on. There are other brands. The ones that want to work with you will respond. The ones that don't, won't. That's the game.
When they do respond, be fast. Respond to emails within a few hours. Show up on time for calls. Take the partnership seriously. Brands notice who's professional and who's flaky. Your reputation is everything in this space.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the minimum follower count to pitch brands?
There's no magic number. Micro-influencers with 10k followers close deals all the time. The real question is whether your followers are engaged and aligned with the brand. A brand selling to Gen Z might work with someone at 5k followers if the engagement is there. A luxury brand might want 100k minimum. Focus on quality over quantity. Show the data and let the brand decide if it's worth it.
Should I charge for my first brand deal?
Yes. Don't work for free. Even if it's your first deal, your time and audience have value. You might negotiate a lower rate than you normally would, or you might do a hybrid deal where you get paid plus product plus exposure. But free work devalues you and sets a bad precedent. The brand is getting something out of this. So should you.
How do I pitch if I want to do live event production?
Position it as a full production package. Talk about the experience you'll create. Talk about the reach. If you have access to broadcast-quality streaming infrastructure through a creator network like MemeHouse Networks, that's a major selling point. Brands want to know that their event will be streamed professionally, not just on a phone. Show them examples of live events you've covered or produced. Make it clear that you can handle the technical side and the creative side.
Ready to launch your next creator campaign? Connect with MemeHouse LA — LA's top creator network, backed by MemeHouse Networks.