How to work with brands as a creator: media kit, pitch and first collaborations

If you already post consistently and wonder how to really become an influencer, meaning how to collaborate with brands, the next step is presenting yourself professionally. Here is how to do it.

What brands look for in a creator

• Audience fit: that the people who follow you resemble their customers.
• Content quality: clarity, your own style and good production within your means.
• Real engagement: genuine comments, not just follower numbers.
• Professionalism: meeting deadlines, communicating well and respecting the brief.
• Coherence: that the brand fits what you already talk about, instead of looking like a forced ad.

How to build your media kit

It's a short document (one or two pages) that sums up who you are and what you offer. Include:

• A brief introduction and your niche.
• Your platforms and verifiable data: typical reach, engagement, where your audience lives and their age range.
• Examples of your best content and of previous collaborations, if you have them.
• The formats you offer (short video, stories, post, review).
• A contact email and, if you want, your base rates or a note that you send them by proposal.

How to write your first pitch to a brand

1. Research: understand what the brand sells, to whom and what content it posts.
2. Personalize: mention why its product fits your audience.
3. Propose a concrete idea: a format and an approach, not a "let's do something together."
4. Attach your media kit and close with a simple next step (a short call, for example).

What to check in a collaboration agreement

• Deliverables: how many pieces, on which platform and with which dates.
• Payment: amount, currency, dates and payment method.
• Revisions: how many rounds of changes are included.
• Usage rights: whether the brand can use your content in ads, for how long and in which territories.
• Exclusivity: whether it stops you from working with competitors and for how long.
• Disclosure: how you will label the paid collaboration.

Example first-contact email

A short, specific message works better than a long, generic one. You can adapt this structure:

• Subject: Collaboration proposal — [your name] x [brand].
• Greeting and context: who you are and what content you create, in one line.
• Why this brand: one concrete, specific reason.
• Idea: a format and an approach, for example a one-week usage routine.
• Key data: typical reach and engagement, with your media kit attached.
• Close: propose a short call or ask who to address.

How to prepare for a call with a brand

• Review their product, their social accounts and their tone.
• Prepare content ideas and questions about goals and deadlines.
• Be clear on your rate range and what each package includes.
• Ask what results they expect and how they will measure success.

How to nurture the relationship to work together again

Meet deadlines, warn early if something comes up, share the results of your post and offer follow-up ideas. Brands and agencies usually prefer to work again with reliable creators rather than start from scratch with new ones.

Other ways to reach brands

Besides writing directly, you can apply to agencies that connect brands with creators. At CLIQ, for example, you can apply to the roster. Remember it also helps to know how much to charge before accepting your first proposal.