How to get brand deals as a small creator

What is a brand deal?

A brand deal is a partnership in which a company pays or rewards a creator to reach the creator's audience or to use the creator's content. The reward can be a fee, free products, a commission on sales, or a mix. Most small creators start with one of the first three types below.

Brand deals vs UGC: in a sponsored post, the brand pays to reach your audience. In UGC, it pays for content it will publish itself, so your follower count matters much less. That's why UGC is often the first paid work for creators with small audiences.

A gifted product is still a brand relationship. In the US, the FTC says you must disclose it when you post about the brand, even if nobody paid you.

How many followers do you need to get brand deals?

For a direct deal, none. When a brand emails you, or you pitch a brand yourself, no platform rule sets a minimum. The brand decides. The platforms' own brand marketplaces do set minimums. Here is what each one requires, checked on October 26, 2026:

Requirements change. The help pages behind this table are listed in the sources at the end of this guide.

So 1,000 followers is a useful milestone, because it opens the platform marketplaces. It isn't the point at which you can get paid. Brands care more about who your audience is, how many people actually see each post, and whether those people listen to you.

Can you get brand deals with no followers?

Not sponsored posts, because those pay for reach. You can get paid to make UGC, which brands publish on their own channels. A few UGC jobs, or gifted products you genuinely like, give you a portfolio to show. Pitch sponsored work as your audience grows.

What do brands look for in a creator?

Most brands check five things before they reply. Follower count is only part of the first two.

Comments are the most underused proof. "Which pan is that?" or "can you review the new one?" shows a brand that your audience already cares about its kind of product. Save comments like these as you see them. For the brand's side of the decision, see the questions brands ask before choosing a creator.

Example comments written for this guide.

How to get brand deals in 7 steps

1. Define your niche and your audience in one sentence

Brands search by category, so a clear niche makes you easier to find and easier to say yes to. Write one sentence you can reuse in your bio, your media kit and every pitch:

I make [type of content] for [who] who want [outcome].

For example: "I make 20-minute weeknight recipes for busy parents who want to cook more and order in less." That one sentence tells a kitchenware brand, a meal-kit company and a grocery app whether you fit.

2. Make it easy for brands to reach you

• Add a business email to your Instagram bio, your YouTube channel's About section and your other profiles. Use an address you keep for work.
• Switch to a professional account on Instagram and turn on its branded content tools.
• Join the platform marketplaces as soon as you're eligible: YouTube Creator Partnerships, Meta Creator Marketplace and TikTok One.
• Publish one page that links everything, such as a creator profile with your channels, your best work and your contact details.

3. Make a simple media kit

A media kit is a one- or two-page summary of who you are, who you reach and what you offer. Brands will ask for one, so have it ready. Include:

• your one-sentence niche, a photo and your handles
• who your audience is (top countries, age ranges, interests) and the date you checked
• typical views or reach per post, and engagement
• two or three examples of your best work, including any past partnerships
• what you offer, such as a 60-second integration, a Reel or a set of Stories
• how to contact you

Use only numbers you can back up with a screenshot from the platform's own analytics. A brand that catches one inflated figure stops trusting the rest. If you're eligible for YouTube Creator Partnerships, YouTube builds a Media Kit for you from your channel's data.

4. List brands that already fit

Don't start with the biggest name in your niche. Start with brands where the match is easy to prove. In order of strength:

1. Brands your audience already talks about. Search your comments and DMs for product names and questions like "which one do you use?". The brand's customers are already in your audience.
2. Products you already use and like. A real recommendation is easier to make and easier to believe.
3. Brands that sponsor creators like you. Look at creators of a similar size in your niche. Brands that appear more than once already have a creator budget.
4. Smaller and newer brands. They often value a small, focused audience more than a famous brand would, and they tend to reply faster.

Aim for 20 to 30 brands. Keep a simple sheet with the brand, why it fits, your evidence, the contact, the date you pitched and when to follow up.

On YouTube, ANTRAMIC's Brand Mentions view lists the brands and products your viewers name in comments, with the comments behind each one. Our guide to finding revenue signals in YouTube comments shows how to do the same research by hand.

5. Pitch one specific idea

Brands receive many messages that say "I'd love to collaborate". The ones that get a reply name a specific idea and explain why it fits. Find the right person first: a partnerships, influencer or marketing manager, or the address on the brand's creator or affiliate page. Then keep it short.

Brand deal email template:

Subject: [Your niche] idea for [Brand]: [one-line idea]

Hi [name],

I make [type of content] for [audience]. My recent posts usually reach
[typical views or reach], and my audience often asks about [problem or
product type]. One viewer wrote last week: "[a real comment]".

I'd like to feature [product] in [one specific idea], published around
[date]. It fits because [one clear reason].

My media kit is here: [link]. I'm happy to share rates and details if
this fits your plans. Are you the right person to talk to?

[Name] · [Handle] · [Business email]

For a DM, cut it to three lines: who you make content for, the idea, and a link to your media kit. If you hear nothing, send one short follow-up after about a week with something new, such as a fresh idea or a recent post that did well. One or two follow-ups are enough.

6. Agree the price and the terms in writing

Before you make anything, put the deal in writing. A contract is best, but an email that both of you confirm is far better than nothing. Make sure it covers:

With a new brand, ask for part of the fee upfront. The next section covers how much to charge.

7. Deliver, disclose and report back

Deliver on time and label the partnership clearly. The platform guide below shows each platform's disclosure tool. A week or two after the post goes live, send the brand a short report: the link, the views or reach, clicks if you shared a tracked link, and two or three standout comments. Read how to read link analytics before you report clicks, so you don't present a click as a sale. Then suggest a next idea. The easiest brand deal to win is a second one with a brand that was happy with the first.

How to get brand deals on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and X

The steps above work everywhere. Each platform adds its own marketplace and its own way to disclose a deal.

A platform label isn't always enough on its own. The FTC tells creators not to assume a platform's disclosure tool is sufficient. In a video, say it out loud and show it on screen, using plain words like "ad" or "sponsored". In the UK, follow the ASA and CMA guide for influencers.

YouTube

Brands value YouTube integrations because videos keep being found through search for months. If you're eligible for Creator Partnerships, you can receive campaign inquiries, share YouTube's Media Kit, and set preferred rates for long videos and Shorts. You still agree terms directly with the brand, and the brand pays you. For a full walkthrough, read how to get sponsors on YouTube.

Instagram

Switch to a professional account and turn on branded content tools first. Brands search for creators with Meta's own tools, so a clear bio, a business email and recent Reels in your niche make a difference. When you post a deal, add the paid partnership label. Once the brand approves your tag, it gets that post's insights, which saves you sending screenshots.

TikTok

TikTok One is where brands post campaigns and look for creators. You can join it from TikTok Studio in the app. UGC work is common on TikTok, and it doesn't need a large following. Always turn on the content disclosure setting for a paid post: TikTok says it may remove or restrict posts that aren't disclosed properly.

X

X has no official brand marketplace, so deals come from direct pitches and your network. A thread that teaches something useful in your niche is a natural sponsored format. Use the Paid Partnership label, or write "Ad" or "Sponsored" in the post itself.

How much should you charge for a brand deal?

There's no standard rate, and published rate tables disagree widely. Price from what you can show, then adjust for the work and the rights the brand wants:

1. Start from typical reach, not followers. Take the median views or reach of your last 10 posts. If your posts usually get 4,000 views, price for 4,000 views, even if you have 20,000 followers.
2. Add the work. A dedicated video takes far longer than a 60-second mention. Count scripting, filming, editing and revision rounds.
3. Add the rights. Usage in paid ads, long usage periods and exclusivity each limit what you can do later. Price them separately.
4. Set a minimum. Decide the lowest fee that's worth your time, and decline offers below it.

Then compare your number with what similar creators in your niche charge, and ask the brand for its budget. For a gifted-only offer, decide whether the product is worth the work. It's fine to reply with your rate.

Early on, a lower fee can buy you a strong portfolio piece. A lower fee that also hands over ad rights and long exclusivity rarely does.

The figures in this section are an example, not a rate recommendation.

How to spot a fake brand deal

Once you publish a business email, fake offers arrive along with real ones. Some want your money. Others want your account. In 2021, Google's Threat Analysis Group reported a campaign that sent YouTube creators fake sponsorship offers. Creators who agreed were asked to download the "sponsor's software", which was malware that stole their login sessions. The hijacked channels were sold or used to promote crypto scams.

Treat an offer as suspicious if it:

• asks you to pay anything, such as a fee, a deposit, shipping or "verification"
• asks you to download software, run a file or open a password-protected document to see the brief
• comes from a free email address, or a domain that doesn't match the brand's real website
• pushes you to decide or post within hours
• pays you more than agreed and asks you to send the difference back
• asks for your password or a sign-in code

Before you reply, find the brand's website yourself, check that the sender's domain matches it, and confirm through a contact listed there. Never install software because a sponsor asked you to.

Where do brands find creators?

Brands find creators in four main places, so it pays to be visible in each:

• Platform marketplaces: YouTube Creator Partnerships, Meta Creator Marketplace and TikTok One.
• Search inside the platforms: brands search keywords, hashtags and the creators their competitors work with. A clear niche in your bio helps here.
• Independent creator platforms and agencies: sites where brands post campaigns or search creator profiles.
• Your own pitches: often the fastest route for small creators, because you choose the brands.

Before you join any brand deal website, check four things: whether it charges creators a fee, who pays you and when, whether brands are verified, and which parts of your data brands can see.

Where ANTRAMIC fits

We make ANTRAMIC, so here is plainly what it does and doesn't do. ANTRAMIC BRANDS is a creator collaboration platform where brands find creators and manage agreed work. Creators use Brands Collab in their ANTRAMIC account, and sign-up is free. In Brands Collab you can:

• publish a media kit and choose who can find it: brands only, or brands and the public, including search engines
• control who can approach you: any verified brand, only brands that have already shortlisted you, or nobody, and set a minimum budget
• browse verified brands that accept applications, and apply to them
• review offers, then accept, counter or decline, and keep the agreed deliverables, feedback and records in one place

Brands see what you publish in your kit and public platform information, not your private connected analytics. ANTRAMIC records the payments each side reports; it doesn't send, hold or verify the money. Read how ANTRAMIC BRANDS works, or see ANTRAMIC BRANDS for brands.

FAQ

How many followers do you need to get brand deals?

None for a direct deal: the brand decides. The platform marketplaces set minimums. Meta Creator Marketplace needs 1,000 Instagram followers, TikTok One projects need at least 1,000 followers, and YouTube Creator Partnerships needs YouTube Partner Program membership, which starts at 1,000 subscribers plus watch hours or Shorts views. Brands care more about your typical reach, audience fit and trust than about follower count.

Can you get brand deals with no followers?

You can't get paid for reach you don't have, but you can get paid to make UGC, content that brands publish on their own channels. Gifted products and UGC jobs build a portfolio you can show when you pitch sponsored work later.

How do I get my first brand deal?

List 20 to 30 brands you already use or your audience already mentions. Make a one-page media kit, then send each brand a short pitch with one specific idea and a piece of proof, such as a real comment. Follow up once after about a week.

How much should a small creator charge for a brand deal?

There's no standard rate. Start from your typical views per post, not your follower count. Add the time the content takes, and charge separately for usage rights and exclusivity. Set a minimum fee and decline offers below it.

Do I need a media kit to get brand deals?

Not strictly, but most brands ask for one. Keep it to one or two pages, with dated numbers you can prove from your platform analytics.

Do I have to disclose gifted products?

In the US, yes. The FTC says free or discounted products count as a relationship you must disclose. Use the platform's label, and also say it clearly in the post or video.

Do I need a manager or an agent?

Not to start. Many small creators pitch brands themselves. A manager makes sense when real offers take more time than you have, and managers usually take a share of each deal.

Are brand deal emails safe to open?

Most real offers do arrive by email, but scams do too. Never pay a fee, never install software for a sponsor, and check that the sender's domain matches the brand's real website before you reply.

Sources

Platform requirements were checked on October 26, 2026.

• YouTube Help: YouTube Creator Partnerships eligibility and features
• YouTube Help: YouTube Partner Program overview and eligibility
• YouTube Help: Paid product placements, sponsorships and endorsements
• Instagram Help: Eligibility requirements for creators on Meta Creator Marketplace
• Instagram Help: How to use the paid partnership label
• TikTok Help: How creators can sign up for TikTok One
• TikTok Help: Promoting a brand, product or service
• FTC: Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers
• ASA and CMA: Influencers' guide to making clear that ads are ads
• GIGAZINE: X adds a Paid Partnership label (March 3, 2026)
• Google Threat Analysis Group: Phishing campaign targets YouTube creators with cookie theft malware (2021)