how to pitch yourself to a brand

Pitching yourself to a brand can be a dreadful experience - especially if you're a new content creator breaking out in this industry.

From finding who to reach out to, to writing an email, even creating a media kit, it can be a lot, but don’t worry because I’m here to walk you through it!

Courtesy of: Pixabay

What is a pitch email?

A pitch email is essentially an email you send to brands you’d like to work with and it includes the following:

• An Introduction

• What you love about the brand

• Analytics

• Media Kit (Includes Rates)

• Optional: Relevant Partnerships
  

Pitch emails aren’t meant to be lengthy, about three paragraphs are fine. You should be giving an overview of your success as a creator and how you can drive conversion of the brand.

How do I find the right contact?

1. Search for the brand on LinkedIn and look for people who work for the brand with the terms “PR”, “Influencer Marketing”, and “Partnerships” in their roles.

2. DM the brand on social media asking for their primary source of contact for influencer relations.

How to pitch to brands: Step-by-Step

First off you need an eye-catching SUBJECT LINE

The person receiving your pitch is also receiving loads of emails, so you need to make sure your subject line is an attention grabber and doesn’t get buried with all the other emails.

You also want your subject line to be short and sweet.

I believe the perfect subject line should follow this format:

[BRAND NAME] x [CREATOR NAME] - [DETAIL ABOUT PITCH]

For example if I wanted to work with Good Molecules my subject line would look like:

Good Molecules x SIMPLY SANDRA - TikTok Partnership

Next, you want to introduce yourself as a creator

Think of this as making your first impression, but in written form. You are in control of what you share and how you share it. The person reading the email doesn’t know anything about you, so it’s important to share about who you are and why you’re reaching out.

But, don’t go and tell your entire life story…

For example:

Hey [Name],

My name is Sandra, also known as SIMPLY SANDRA on social media, and I'm a skincare, beauty, digital creator on TikTok, from Philadelphia, PA....

Share what you love about the brand/Make a connection

After introducing yourself, try to connect to the brand in one way, whether you share the same core values, or have been a longtime fan of a product, reel the reader in by sharing something unique.

If you’ve created unsponsored content about your experience with a product, now’s the time to share that!

For example:

"I’ve been using the Good Molecules discoloration serum for 6 months now and it’s been a life changer. I’ve documented my journey using the product on TikTok and have even influenced my friends and followers to try the serum for themselves. I’d love to partner with you and feature additional products on TikTok to incorporate into my everyday skincare routine."

Attach your media kit

A media kit is a great way to highlight the work that you’ve done for and what you can bring to the brand you’re pitching to. This is usually a 1-2 page document with a brief bio, demographics and analytics per platform, your rates, and previous partnerships. You can also use your media kit to highlight any achievements you’ve had as a creator and share examples of how you’ve built brand awareness or have driven traffic in previous partnerships.

I’ll do an entire blog post on Media Kit 101 in the near future, but for now take a look at mine!

Sandra Olaniyi (SIMPLYSANDRA) + Media Kit.pdf

Download PDF • 621KB

Finally, you want to share your rates and a CTA.

Of course, you may already have your rates within your media kit, and if so that’s perfect. It’s good to reiterate your rates in the email as well so that whoever’s reading can immediately see if the brand has enough budget for a partnership with you.

After sharing your rates, provide a call-to-action that directs the reader back to your media kit once again, and wrap up the email with an invitation to continue the conversation.

For those who are new creators and don’t have much experience in this industry just yet to include a media kit or relevant partnerships, here’s an example of a pitch email I would send:

Hey [Name],

I’ve used Good Molecules for over a year now and it has worked wonders on my skin. I particularly love your Discoloration Correcting Serum and Niacinamide Brightening Toner. I know my audience of 85% female viewers also love your products, as they’ve expressed through my content sharing my journey using these products.

My TikTok @itssimplysandra sees about a 6% engagement rate and generates thousands of views per video.

With winter starting soon, I’d love to share some of your products with my readers on repairing dry and dark spots, and anti-aging.

I would love to partner with you guys soon!

Thanks,

Sandra Olaniyi

I hope that this post helped to relieve a bit of stress that comes with sending a pitch email. Trust me when I say there's nothing to be afraid of! Put yourself out there and bet on yourself. Wait til I tell you about how pitching in DM's is even easier! Comment below if you're ready to send your first pitch e-mail and if this step-by-step assisted in any way! As always, I'll catch you in the next post!