In short
- Write to the person who books creators: a brand, marketing or influencer manager, or the founder at a small brand. A generic inbox is the slowest route.
- A good pitch has five parts: why this brand, who you reach, one content idea, proof and one easy ask. Keep the message under 120 words.
- Spend 20 minutes on the brand first: its last ten posts, the creators it already uses and the gap your idea fills.
- Follow up twice, about a week apart, adding something new each time, then stop. Track every pitch in one sheet.
A pitch that gets a reply is short, written to a named person and built around one content idea for that brand. It says why you chose them, who you reach, what you would make, proof that you can make it and one small thing you want in return. Keep it under 120 words, attach your kit and follow up twice. A pitch that asks for a collaboration without an idea makes the manager do your thinking.
Pitching is one of seven routes to a deal, and the one you control most; see how to get brand deals in India for the other six. For the market behind your pitch, read our guide to influencer marketing in India, and use the rates guide so you know your numbers before a brand asks.
Who to write to
| Brand type | Who usually books creators | Where to find them | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small or local brand | Founder or marketing manager | Brand's Instagram bio, website contact page, founder's LinkedIn | A DM can work |
| Mid-size D2C brand | Brand, social media or influencer marketing manager | LinkedIn job titles on the company page | Email, with the kit |
| Large brand | Often an agency | The brand's recent campaign credits, agency websites | Write to the agency's creator or talent team |
| Agency | Creator partnerships or talent team | Agency websites and LinkedIn | Ask how they brief and pay |
Brands want to be found: in a 2025 Goat/Kantar study covered by Campaign India, about 83% said they struggle to find the right creators. But a well-aimed pitch still has to reach the right desk. A named person beats a generic inbox. If you find only a general address, put the person's role in the subject line or first sentence, and ask who handles creators.
Spend 20 minutes on the brand first
Open the brand's profile and write down four things.
- Its last ten posts. What formats and languages does it use, and what gets comments?
- Its creators. Who has it worked with, at what size? A brand that uses 10,000-follower creators will not blink at yours.
- The gap. What is missing: Hinglish content, tier-2 city audiences, a use case, a festival angle?
- Its ad habits. Does it run creator posts as ads? In a 2026 vendor survey on the research page, 76.6% of brands had run partnership ads with influencers, so telling a brand your edit is ad-ready is useful. Our service page on creator ads and whitelisting explains what that involves.
Your idea comes from item three. If you cannot find a gap, pick another brand.
The five-part pitch
| Part | What to write | Example line |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Why this brand | One real observation | "I saw your monsoon range has no Hindi content" |
| 2. Who you reach | One number and one audience fact | "My Reels average 11,000 views, 58% women, mostly Lucknow and Kanpur" |
| 3. The idea | A hook, three beats, an ending | "Hook: 'Is your skin sticky in this weather?'; show the routine in three steps" |
| 4. Proof | A link to one relevant post | "Here is a similar Reel: [link]" |
| 5. The ask | One small, specific step | "Can I send my kit and a rough storyboard?" |
Use your kit's medians, not your best number. Brands cross-check against your profile; see our influencer media kit template.
Subject lines and first lines
| Weak | Stronger | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Collab? | Hindi Reel idea for your monsoon skincare range | Names the product and the idea |
| Partnership opportunity | Lucknow creator, 58% women audience, for your oily-skin serum | Gives audience fit in the preview |
| Hi, I love your brand | Your Instagram has no Hindi Reels; here is one idea | Shows you did the homework |
The preview line is what the manager sees in the inbox, so spend time on it.
Five templates
1. Cold email to a small brand's founder
Subject: Hindi Reel idea for your [product], [city] creator
Hi [name], I make [niche] content in [language] from [city]. I noticed your [product] posts are in English only. Here is an idea: a 30-second Hindi Reel that opens with [hook] and shows [three beats]. My Reels average [median] views, and my audience is [share]% in [city or region]. A similar one is here: [link]. I can add the partnership label and give you an ad-ready cut. May I send my kit and a short storyboard?
[Name], [handle]
2. DM to a small brand
Hi! I make [niche] Reels in [language]. I had an idea for [product]: [hook in one line]. My last 10 Reels median [views] views, audience mostly [city]. Can I email you my kit?
3. Email to an agency's creator team
Subject: [Niche] creator, [language], [city], kit attached
Hi [name], I am a [niche] creator with [followers] followers and a median of [views] views across my last 10 Reels. Audience: [top cities, age]. I work in [language] and I label every collaboration. Kit attached. Could you tell me how you brief creators and when you pay?
Asking how and when they pay in your first message is normal, and it filters out slow payers.
4. Upgrade pitch after a barter Reel
Hi [name], thanks for sending [product]. My Reel went live on [date] and reached [views] views, with [saves] saves and [clicks] link clicks. I would like to do two more Reels in [season] as a paid series. I can offer [idea]. May I send a quote?
Use only numbers you can show on screen. The barter collaboration guide explains how to turn good barter work into paid work.
5. Reply when a brand asks "what are your rates?"
Happy to quote. To price it correctly, could you tell me the deliverables you have in mind, whether you plan to reuse the content in ads or on your own handle, any exclusivity, the timeline and your budget range? I will send a quote within a day.
That reply keeps you from pricing blind. The next step is in how to negotiate brand deals.
A worked example
Pitch a series, not a single post
Brands prefer to keep creators they have already trained. In the 2025 study above, 72% of brands said they prefer long-term partnerships. So once a brand replies, offer a small series as an option next to the single post.
| Option | What you propose | Why a brand may like it |
|---|---|---|
| Single Reel | One concept, one date | Low risk, easy to approve |
| Three-Reel series | Same idea across three weeks or festival moments | Repetition builds recall and you learn what works |
| Series plus ad rights | Three Reels and a 30-day partnership-ad window | The brand can test paid amplification |
Price each option separately, keep rights as their own lines, and let the brand choose. A brand that picks the series has given you your next three months. If it asks for ambassador-style commitment, see our guide to brand ambassador programmes.
What the brand will ask back
Expect these in the reply, and have the answers ready before you pitch:
- Which cities and ages do your viewers come from? Have a dated insights screenshot.
- Have you worked with a competitor recently? Say so, and list the dates.
- Can we reuse the video? Know your usage-rights price; see usage rights for influencer content.
- How fast can you post? Give a number of days from product delivery.
- What do you need from us? A short brief, the product and one point of contact.
A creator who answers all five in one reply looks like someone who has done this before, and that is what gets booked.
Follow up twice, then stop
| When | What to send |
|---|---|
| Day 0 | The pitch |
| Day 5 to 7 | Follow-up 1: a second idea or a new result, in two lines |
| Day 12 to 14 | Follow-up 2: a short closing note offering to revisit later |
| After that | Stop. Try again around the brand's next campaign moment |
Those timings are a working schedule, not a statistic. The point is to add something new each time. "Just checking in" adds nothing. A brand that stays silent after two follow-ups has told you something.
What never to write
- "I will increase your sales." No creator can promise results, and brands know it.
- "Collab?" One word gives the manager nothing to answer.
- A long paragraph about you. Put it in the kit.
- "Please check my profile." Link the one post that matters.
- A rate in the first message. You do not yet know the scope.
- A mass email. Brands recognise a template in one line.
Mention the label
One line in the pitch, such as "I label every collaboration with the platform tool and an on-screen Ad label", signals that you know the rules. ASCI requires disclosure whenever there is a material connection, and the advertiser shares responsibility for it, so brands value creators who already do it. Details are in our ASCI guidelines guide.
Pitch around the calendar
A pitch for a festival or sale needs to arrive weeks before it. Our posts on festival marketing calendars and sale-season campaigns show when brands plan, and Diwali ideas show what they ask for. If a brand says its Diwali budget is booked, pitch for the next moment.
Learn from the silence
Log every pitch in a sheet: brand, role, channel, date, follow-ups and outcome. After 20 pitches with few replies, change one thing at a time: the subject line, the target role, the idea or the proof. If you wrote to a generic inbox, find a named person. If the idea was generic, find the gap.
Our brand-side post on influencer outreach message templates shows what a good message looks like from the other end of the inbox, and the micro and nano influencer service shows how brands cast smaller creators in bulk.
If you want brands to write to you with the brief, fee and rights already stated, join the Influencer Gully network through the for creators page. It is free, and we earn our fee from brands.
Sources
- Indian consumers and influencers: coverage of a 2025 Kantar-backed study of consumers and brands, Campaign India (12 Jun 2025)
- Influencer marketing research report: brand behaviour survey, Q1 2026, Industry vendor report page (vendor estimate) (undated, accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- Coverage of a 2026 India creator-economy report: creator numbers, engagement and cost by city tier, Campaign India (21 May 2026)
- ASCI Guidelines for influencer advertising in digital media, ASCI (accessed 31 Oct 2026 (Addendum II dated 6 Mar 2025))
Frequently asked questions
Who should I send a brand pitch to?
The person who books creators. At a small brand that is usually the founder or the marketing manager. At a mid-size brand, look for a brand, social media or influencer marketing manager on the brand's LinkedIn page. Larger brands often brief agencies, so write to the agency's creator or talent team. A named person beats a generic info address.
Should I pitch by email or Instagram DM?
Email for brands with a marketing team, because you can attach your kit and it can be forwarded to whoever approves budget. DMs suit small brands whose founder runs the account. Keep a DM to three lines and offer to send the kit by email. Whichever you use, personalise the first sentence.
What should the subject line of a pitch email say?
Name the product and the idea, not the word collab. For example: 'Hindi Reel idea for your monsoon skincare range, Lucknow creator'. A subject line with a concrete idea tells the manager what is inside and why it concerns them. Avoid 'Partnership opportunity', which every mass email uses.
Should I include my rates in the first pitch?
Keep the price out of the message body. Attach your kit, and send the rate page once the brand shares scope: deliverables, rights, dates and budget. Quoting early means pricing blind, and you may be too high or too low. Our guide on how much to charge sets the numbers.
How many times should I follow up on a brand pitch?
Twice. Send the first follow-up five to seven days after the pitch with something new, such as a second idea or a fresh result. Send a short closing note about two weeks after the pitch. If there is still no reply, stop and try again around the brand's next campaign moment.
What if a brand says it has no budget?
Ask what it does have. Some brands can offer product, a small fee or a commission. Take product only if the value fits the work, with limited rights and a plan to convert to paid. Read our barter collaboration guide before you accept anything with no fee.