How to Pitch Brands Without Sounding Generic

Why most pitches fail

The typical creator pitch says roughly: I love your brand, I have this many followers, I would love to collaborate.

The person receiving it has forty similar messages. Nothing distinguishes yours, so there is nothing to reply to. It is not rejected — it is unranked.

The underlying problem is that these pitches are about the creator. The brand's actual question is what this does for them, and a pitch that never answers it gives them no reason to respond.

Do fifteen minutes of homework

Everything specific in your pitch comes from here. Before writing anything, find out:

• What they have launched recently. New products need content. This is the single best hook available.
• Which creators they already work with. Tells you their tier, their style, and whether you fit.
• What their content is missing. All studio shots and no real people? All static and no video? That gap is your opening.
• Who they are selling to — and whether that resembles your audience.
• Which products are prominent. They are pushing those for a reason.

You are looking for one true, specific observation. Not flattery — an observation.

The structure

1. A specific opening line

One sentence proving you actually looked. Not "I love your brand" — something only someone who paid attention could write.

"I noticed the new refill range launched last month but there is not much video showing how the refill actually works" is worth more than three paragraphs of enthusiasm.

2. The connection to your audience

Why your followers specifically are relevant to this product. One or two sentences, concrete.

"Most of my audience is Danish women in their thirties who follow me for low-effort skincare routines — the refill angle fits how they think about buying."

3. A concrete proposal

This is where most pitches collapse into vagueness. Do not offer "content" — offer a specific piece of content.

"A 30-second Reel showing the refill swap in real time, plus three stories with a link" gives them something to picture and approve. "Some content around the launch" gives them work to do.

4. Evidence

One or two numbers that show your audience acts. Clicks, sales, code redemptions, story link taps. Not follower count on its own.

"My last skincare collaboration drove 310 link clicks and 24 sales." One sentence, and it changes how the rest of the message reads.

5. A low-friction close

Make replying easy. "Happy to send my rates and a couple of examples if useful" is better than a demand for a call.

Weak versus strong

Weak:

"Hi! I'm a lifestyle content creator with 18k followers and I absolutely love your products. I would love to collaborate with your amazing brand! Let me know if you're interested in working together. 😊"

Strong:

"Hi — I saw the refill range launched last month. There's a lot of nice product photography but not much showing the swap in practice, which is the bit people usually ask about.

I make low-effort skincare content for Danish women in their thirties, which looks like your customer. My last skincare collaboration drove 310 clicks and 24 sales from 18k followers.

I'd suggest a 30-second Reel showing a real refill swap, plus three stories with a link. Happy to send rates and examples if that's useful."

The second is barely longer. The difference is that every sentence does work.

Practical points that matter more than they should

• Keep it short. Under 150 words. Long pitches get saved for later and never read.
• Get the name right — the brand's and, if you can find it, the person's.
• Email over DM for anything above a small brand. Brand inboxes are checked; Instagram requests often are not.
• Do not attach a large media kit to a first message. Offer it.
• Follow up once, after about a week, briefly. Once. Not three times.
• Time it well. Pitch for Q4 in August and September, not November. See how brands plan Q4 — knowing their calendar tells you when to arrive.

Applying through a platform

Cold pitching is not the only route, and it is the hardest one. Brands running campaigns on a platform are actively looking, which removes the biggest obstacle — whether they want creators at all right now.

In Make Influence, brands post campaigns creators can apply to, and your profile carries your audience data and tracked results from previous collaborations. That means the evidence part of your pitch is already attached, and the brand can see it without you having to assemble screenshots.

The writing advice above still applies to the application itself. The difference is that you are pitching someone who has already decided to work with creators.

When you get no reply

Most pitches get no reply, including good ones. Budgets, timing and internal politics are invisible to you.

Follow up once. Then move on and keep a note to try again in a few months — particularly around a new launch or a new season, when the situation has genuinely changed.

Volume with quality is the approach that works. Ten researched pitches will beat a hundred copied ones, and take less time overall.

Related: building a media kit and getting more brand collaborations.

FAQ

Should I include my rates in the first message?

Usually not. Offer them. It keeps the first message short and lets you price against the actual scope.

How many brands should I pitch?

Prefer quality over volume, but expect a low response rate. Ten well-researched pitches a month is a sustainable rhythm.

Is it worth pitching brands already working with creators?

Yes — it is a positive signal. They have a budget and a process. You just need to show a gap you fill.

What if I have no performance data yet?

Use what you have: saves, shares, story link taps, comments asking where to buy. Then start tracking properly from your next collaboration.