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Creators talking between sessions at Jordan Create

How to pitch a brand before you have a manager

A four-paragraph message that gets a reply, and the two mistakes that get you ignored.

Jordan CreatePublished 2 min read

Key takeaways

5 things to know before you read.

  1. 01Pitch a specific idea for the brand, not your account. 'Here is a video I would make for you' beats 'here are my stats'.
  2. 02Find the person who owns the budget: the brand's marketing lead or the agency running their social, not the general inbox.
  3. 03Keep it to four short paragraphs: who you are in one line, the idea, the proof, the ask.
  4. 04Follow up once, a week later, with something new. Silence usually means busy, not no.
  5. 05The Pitch Lab workshop at Volume 3 runs this exact exercise live, with brands in the room.

Most creator pitches fail before they are read, because they are about the creator. The brand's marketing lead has forty of those in her inbox. What she does not have is a good idea for next month's campaign. Bring that and you are a different email.

Find the right person

Not the brand's Instagram inbox. Look for the marketing manager, brand manager or the agency that runs their social. LinkedIn tells you in five minutes. If the brand has just launched something, the person tagged in the launch post is often the one who signed it off.

The four-paragraph message

  • One line on who you are: what you make and who watches it, with the one number that matters (your audience's location or your engagement rate).
  • The idea: a specific piece of content for this brand, described so they can picture it. Format, hook, where it runs.
  • The proof: one link to the closest thing you have already made and how it performed.
  • The ask: what you would charge, or a call this week. One or the other, not 'let me know your thoughts'.

The two mistakes that get you ignored

The first is a media kit with no idea attached. Numbers without a plan ask the brand to do your job. The second is pitching a brand your audience would never buy. A skincare brand can tell in one scroll whether your comments section is their customer.

Follow up once

A week later, one message, with something new: a post that just performed, a second idea, a date you are free. Not 'just checking in'. If there is still nothing after that, move on. Silence is usually a busy quarter, and the same person may reply in three months when a brief lands.

Do it live at Volume 3

Pitch Lab is one of the five workshops at Jordan Create Volume 3 on 6 November 2026. You pitch, a brand responds the way a brand actually would, and you rewrite on the spot. Seats are limited and booked in the guest app.

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Questions people ask

Should I put my rates in the first message?
If you have a rate you are confident in, yes: it saves a round trip and signals you have done this before. If you are unsure, ask for a fifteen-minute call and price after you understand the brief.
How many brands should I pitch at once?
Three to five well-chosen brands with a specific idea each will outperform fifty copy-pasted messages. Quality of fit matters more than volume.
What if the brand asks for free content 'for exposure'?
Decline politely unless the exposure is measurable and the content is something you would make anyway. Offer a paid trial post at a reduced rate instead, with a clear rate for the next one.

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