1. Build a media kit brands can act on
A media kit is a one- or two-page summary that answers the only question a brand manager has: will this audience buy? Lead with who your audience is, not how many there are.
Include: a short bio and content niche, audience size per platform, audience demographics (age range, top countries, gender split), average views and engagement rate over the last 30–90 days, three examples of past content, and your contact details.
If you have run sponsorships before, add outcomes — click-throughs, code redemptions, saves, or a quote from the brand. If you have not, use organic proof: a post that outperformed, a comment thread showing purchase intent, or a product you recommended unpaid.
2. Pitch brands that already fit your audience
Start with the products you already use and mention. Those pitches convert because the fit is obvious and the content will feel native.
Find the right person: search for 'influencer marketing' or 'partnerships' at the brand on LinkedIn rather than emailing a generic support address. Agencies that manage the brand's paid social are also a valid route.
Keep the pitch to five sentences: who you are, who your audience is with one number, a specific idea for their product, why now (a launch, a season, a competitor gap), and a clear ask for a call or your rate card. Attach the media kit; don't paste it into the body.
Follow up once after five to seven business days. Track every pitch — a simple spreadsheet with brand, contact, date sent, and status is enough to see which niches respond.
3. Set a rate you can defend
Price on deliverables and usage, not on follower count alone. A single in-feed post with no paid usage rights is a different product from a three-video series the brand can run as ads for six months.
Build your quote from four inputs: the deliverables (how many assets, on which platforms), exclusivity (how long you cannot work with competitors), usage rights (whether the brand can run your content as paid media, and for how long), and turnaround time.
Rush timelines, whitelisting, and category exclusivity are each worth a premium. Say the number first and let the brand respond — anchoring low is the most common and most expensive mistake creators make.
4. Negotiate the terms that actually cost you money
Fee is only one line of the deal. Read for: payment terms (net 30 is common; net 60+ is worth pushing back on), revision limits, approval rounds, exclusivity scope and duration, usage rights and paid amplification, and content ownership after the campaign ends.
Ask for a deposit on larger deals — 50% upfront is reasonable for multi-asset campaigns with new partners.
If a brand cannot move on fee, trade: shorter exclusivity, fewer revisions, narrower usage window, or an extra deliverable in exchange for a case study and a testimonial you can use in future pitches.
5. Or let a broker run it for you
Outreach, rate-setting, and contract negotiation are a job. DealForge does that job: we match creators to brand briefs, negotiate the terms, and manage the campaign to close.
Our fee sits on top of your compensation rather than coming out of it — the brand pays your rate plus a 20% brokerage fee, so your quoted rate is what lands in your account.