In short
- Brand deals come from seven routes: inbound, your pitches, agencies and networks, platform tools, barter that turns paid, UGC and repeat work. Run two or three at once.
- Brands check your public profile before they read your pitch: recent Reels, comments, niche clarity, past labels and a working email. Fix those first.
- Climb a ladder: barter or a small fee, then a paid deal with rights priced separately, then a repeat order. Raise your fee only once you can show delivery.
- Never pay to join a network or to 'verify' for a deal. Genuine brands and agencies pay creators.
You get brand deals by being easy to find, easy to say yes to and safe to pay. There are seven routes to a deal, and you can start on four of them this week without anyone's permission. The rest of this post shows what each route needs from you, what brands check before they reply, and a 90-day plan for a first paid deal.
New to the paid side? Our guide to influencer marketing in India explains how brands think about creators, and the influencer rates guide shows what creators ask by tier. This post is about the step before both: getting the conversation started.
What brands see before they reply
A brand manager who gets your pitch opens your profile before anything else. They spend a few minutes, and these are the things they look for.
| What they check | What they want to see | Fix if it is weak |
|---|---|---|
| Last ten Reels or videos | Views that look steady, not one spike and nine flops | Post your median, not your best, in the kit |
| Comments | Real sentences from real people, in your audience's language | Reply to comments; stop pod swaps, see engagement pods explained |
| Niche | A clear subject you could describe in one line | Write that line in your bio |
| Past brand posts | A visible label such as "Paid partnership", "Ad" or "Collab" | Label every collaboration; see ASCI guidelines |
| Contact | A business email in the bio, a manager if you have one | Add the email today |
| Tone | Content a brand would be happy to sit beside | Pin three posts that show your best work |
In a 2025 Goat/Kantar study covered by Campaign India, about 83% of brands said they struggle to find the right creators, and 85% said they are moving from follower counts to content quality. Both facts help a small creator: brands want to find you, and they are looking at your content before your count.
The seven routes
| Route | Speed | You control | What it needs from you | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Inbound | Slow, months | Low | Clear niche, findable profile | Waiting for it as your only plan |
| 2. Your own pitches | Fast, weeks | High | A kit and a tailored message | Mass-sending one template |
| 3. Agencies and networks | Medium | Medium | A complete profile and honest numbers | Any fee charged to you |
| 4. Platform tools | Medium | Medium | A professional account, complete profile | Treating a profile as a pitch |
| 5. Barter that turns paid | Medium | High | A product you would use and a plan to upgrade | Staying on barter forever |
| 6. UGC | Fast | High | Video craft, not followers | Giving rights away free |
| 7. Repeat and referral | Fast once earned | High | One deal delivered well | Not asking |
1. Inbound
Brands search by niche, city and language, so put those words in your name field, bio and the first line of your captions where they are true. Meta added AI creator discovery and keyword search across 20 categories to its creator marketplace, as exchange4media reported. Specific beats broad: "Hindi skincare for oily skin, Lucknow" is findable, "lifestyle" is not.
2. Your own pitches
Pick brands that already pay creators in your niche, study what they post, and send one idea, not a plea. The messages, follow-ups and a worked example are in how to pitch brands as a creator. Our brand-side post on influencer outreach messages shows the other end, so you can see what a brand's inbox looks like.
3. Agencies and creator networks
Agencies bring briefs from brands and handle contracts and payment. We are one: Influencer Gully earns its fee from brands and charges creators nothing, so treat that as the standard. Ask any network who pays you, when, and what happens if the brand pays late. Our for creators page shows how we run it.
4. Platform tools
Instagram's creator marketplace launched in India in 2024, though we could not confirm the exact date. YouTube has Creator Partnerships, covered in our guide to YouTube BrandConnect in India. These tools show brands the profile and insights you set up, so switch to a professional account and fill every field.
5. Barter that turns paid
A barter Reel is an audition. Deliver it on time with a clear label, then pitch a paid repeat using the numbers. The barter collaboration guide explains when barter is fair and how to convert it.
6. UGC
Brands pay UGC creators for the video, not your audience. That route suits creators with craft and a small following. Read how to become a UGC creator in India, and see our UGC content creators service for how brands buy it.
7. Repeat and referral
The cheapest deal is the second one. Marketing managers also change companies, so the person who booked you may bring you to their next brand. Keep the relationship warm with a short wrap-up after each campaign.
When a brand writes to you first
An inbound message is not yet a deal. Reply within a day, and reply with questions, not a price. Brands that mean it can answer all of these in one email:
- What is the product, and what is the one message the post must land?
- Which deliverables: Reel, Story set, post, and how many?
- Is there a fee, or is it product only? If a fee, what is the budget?
- Where will the content be used: only on your handle, or on theirs, or in ads, and for how long?
- Is there an exclusivity request, and which competitors does it name?
- What is the timeline, and who approves the draft?
- Who signs the contract, and when is payment due?
A brand that cannot answer questions 3, 4 and 7 is not ready to book. Send your kit and rate list only after you have the answers, and quote against the real scope. Our guide to negotiating brand deals covers the conversation after that. If a message arrives from an unfamiliar address asking you to click a link, pay a fee or share a password, treat it as a scam until proven otherwise.
Which routes first
| Your stage | Start with | Add later |
|---|---|---|
| Nano, 1,000 to 10,000 followers | 2, 5, 6 | 3 |
| Micro, 10,000 to 100,000 | 2, 3, 4 | 1, 5, 7 |
| Mid-tier and above, 100,000+ | 1, 3, 7 | 4, and consider a manager; see talent manager vs agency |
Tiers follow the bands used across this site. Pick two or three routes and run them properly, because seven half-run routes produce nothing.
The first-deal ladder
Think in three steps, not one big leap.
- Barter or a small fee. A brand sends product or pays a modest fee for one Reel or a Story set. You prove you deliver on time and label correctly.
- A paid deal, rights priced separately. You quote a fee, and any usage rights or exclusivity appear as their own lines. See usage rights for influencer content and the guide to how much to charge.
- A repeat or a series. Three posts over three months, or an ambassador programme. In the 2025 study above, 72% of brands said they prefer long-term partnerships, and 62.1% of brands in a 2026 vendor survey said long-term deals give better ROI.
After each campaign, send a one-page wrap-up: the date it went live, views at day 7, saves and shares, link clicks if you had a link, and one line on what you would do next time. It costs you ten minutes and it is the best pitch for step three.
A 90-day plan to a first paid deal
| Weeks | Do this | Done when |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Switch to a professional account, write a one-line niche statement, add a business email, pin your three best posts, stop any engagement swaps | A stranger can tell your niche in five seconds |
| 3 to 4 | Build a one-page kit with dated insights; see the influencer media kit template; set your base rates | A kit and a rate list exist |
| 5 to 8 | Send five tailored pitches a week, join one or two networks, complete your platform profile, log everything | 20 pitches sent, 2 networks joined |
| 9 to 12 | Follow up twice on every pitch, close a first deal, deliver, send the wrap-up, pitch the repeat | One delivered deal and one repeat pitch |
The numbers in this table are a work plan, not statistics. Some creators will land a deal in week four and some in week twelve; the habit of pitching weekly is what carries you.
Time your pitches to the brand's calendar
Brands plan around moments, so pitch ahead of them. A 2025 vendor report, published as an advertorial and so low in confidence, said Diwali is the peak season and most brands plan two weeks to a month ahead. Your pitch has to arrive before that planning window, so aim for at least six weeks before the date you want to be live. That gives time for budget approval, a contract and product shipping.
Our festival marketing calendar lists the moments brands plan around, and the posts on Diwali and sale seasons show what they ask creators for.
Track the pipeline
A deal is the end of a list, so keep the list.
| Brand | Contact and role | Route | Pitched on | Follow-ups | Status | Quote sent | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ____ | ____ | 2 | ____ | ____ | ____ | ₹ ____ | ____ |
| ____ | ____ | 3 | ____ | ____ | ____ | ₹ ____ | ____ |
Review it every Friday. If three weeks pass with no reply from a brand, close it and move on.
When to pass on a deal
Some offers cost you more than they pay. Pass, or ask questions first, when a brand wants unlimited rights for a small fee, a long exclusivity with no payment, a post that needs claims you cannot back, or a fee from you. Our list of brand deal red flags covers the signs, and how to negotiate brand deals covers what to say when an offer is close but not right.
If you would rather have briefs come to you, join the Influencer Gully network on the for creators page. It is free, you see the brief, fee and rights before you say yes, and every deal is in writing.
Sources
- Indian consumers and influencers: coverage of a 2025 Kantar-backed study of consumers and brands, Campaign India (12 Jun 2025)
- India's influencer marketing industry set to grow 25% in 2025: WPP Media and Kantar report, MediaNews4u (11 Jun 2025)
- Coverage of a 2026 India creator-economy report: creator numbers, engagement and cost by city tier, Campaign India (21 May 2026)
- Meta launches AI-powered creator marketing solutions for brands, exchange4media (26 Mar 2025)
- Instagram's creator marketplace launches in India, Campaign India (2024, exact date not confirmed)
- Influencer marketing research report: brand behaviour survey, Q1 2026, Industry vendor report page (vendor estimate) (undated, accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- India's creator economy and influencer marketing report 2025 (advertorial, low confidence), The Tribune (8 Jul 2025)
Frequently asked questions
How do I get my first brand deal in India?
Start with a barter or small-fee deal from a brand that already works with creators in your niche. Fix your profile, build a one-page media kit, send five tailored pitches a week and join one or two creator networks. Deliver on time with the right label, then use your numbers to pitch a paid repeat. Our pitching guide has the messages.
Can I get brand deals with fewer than 10,000 followers?
Yes. A 2026 vendor survey found 61.1 percent of Indian creators are nano, and brands use nano creators for trust and local reach. Expect barter and small fees at first, and lead with your median Reel views and audience cities, not your follower count. See our nano influencer rates for what to ask.
Do brands pay creators to join a network or agency?
No, and you should not pay either. Agencies and networks earn their fee from brands. A platform that asks creators for a registration fee, deposit or verification charge is a red flag. Influencer Gully charges creators nothing; see our guide to brand deal red flags.
Should I pitch brands or wait for them to find me?
Do both. Inbound deals need a clear niche and a findable profile, which takes months. Pitching is faster and puts you in control of which brands you work with. Pitch brands already paying creators in your niche, and keep your profile ready for when they look you up.
How much should I charge for my first brand deal?
Start from the published range for your tier, such as about ₹2,000 to ₹10,000 for a nano Reel or ₹8,000 to ₹80,000 for a micro Reel, and place yourself in it using your median views. Price usage rights and exclusivity as separate lines. Our guide on how much to charge shows the method.
How long does it take to get a brand deal?
There is no reliable published figure, so plan on weeks, not days. Brands need time for budget approval, a contract and product shipping, and many plan festive campaigns a few weeks ahead. Pitch six or more weeks before the date you want to go live, and follow up twice before moving on.