I’ve been a micro-influencer on TikTok for about a year now, and I’m starting to get brands reaching out directly. But when I try to pitch back projects they haven’t approached me about, or when I’m trying to initiate conversations with brands I think are a good fit, I feel like I’m totally missing something about the actual pitch process.
Like, I know how to create content. I know my audience. But the business side feels completely different between the US and Russian markets. Brands approach me differently, they expect different things, and honestly, my pitch deck (if I even had one) would probably need to be different for each market.
I’ve gotten a few DMs from brands, but I never know exactly when to say yes, what to ask for, or how to structure the deal. And when I try to find information about this online, I mostly find advice that feels like it’s written for mega-influencers with managers, not for people like me who are still figuring it out.
Does anyone have experience pitching to brands in both markets? Like, what should actually be in a pitch, how do you handle negotiations, and what are the differences between pitching to US brands versus Russian brands?
Отличный вопрос! Я помогаю креаторам структурировать их пайчи постоянно. Давай я расскажу, что на самом деле ищут бренды.
Базовый структура пайча:
-
О тебе (30 сек)
- Кто ты, как долго ты в этом
- Что твоя аудитория любит
-
Твои данные (1 мин)
- Количество фолловеров
- Средний engagement rate
- Демография аудитории
- Ссылки на лучшие посты
-
Что ты предлагаешь
- Тип контента (рилс, посты, stories)
- Количество (1 видео, 3 видео, и т.д.)
- Стоимость за штуку или за пакет
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Примеры прошлых кампаний
- Если есть—свежие примеры партнерств
- Если нет—примеры твоего лучшего контента
Разница между России и USA:
- Россия: Бренды часто хотят видеть прямую рекомендацию (“я это использую и мне нравится”). Более casual подход.
- USA: Бренды хотят видеть data (engagement rate, audience demographics). Более formal.
Мой совет: создай две версии пайча—одну для русских брендов, одну для American. И не бойся писать напрямую брендам, которые тебе нравятся. Худшее, что может быть—они не ответят.
Вот что анализ показывает по успешным пайчам:
Что бренды смотрят в пайче:
- Engagement rate (не фолловеры!) — это главное число
- Audience demographics (возраст, пол, интересы)
- Ваше примечание 3-5 последних постов (чтобы видеть тренды)
- Стоимость (must be realistic для вашего уровня)
Калькулятор для стоимости:
Красные флаги, когда пишешь:
- Не проси слишком много (если у тебя 50k фолловеров—не проси $5,000 за один видос)
- Не будь слишком дешевой (если твой engagement хороший—не отдавайся за $100)
- Показывай confidence в цифрах
Структура пайча по email:
Субъект: “Partnership opportunity - [Your Name] - [Platform]”
Тело:
"Hi [Brand Name],
I’ve been following your brand and think there’s a great alignment with my audience. Here’s what I can offer:
[Твои данные]
[Примеры контента]
[Цена]
[Timeline]
Looking forward to discussing!"
Если бренд российский—пиши по-русски. Если вещь американская—по-английски. Не смешивай.
Я со стороны бренда могу сказать: когда я ищу креаторов, я хочу видеть:
- Что этот человек уже делал (примеры)
- Что его аудитория (реальные числа)
- Сколько это стоит
- Когда я получу результат
Что мне не нужно:
- Долгие письма с “я очень верю в ваш бренд”
- Неясные договоренности
- Бесконечные переговоры
Мой совет: будь профессиональна, но прямолинейна. Скажи, что ты хочешь, почему ты подходишь для бренда, и какова цена. Если бренд заинтересован—они ответят.
Одно еще: всегда получай контракт. Даже если это кажется слишком formal для маленькой кооперации. Защитит обе стороны.
Here’s the real pitch strategy that works:
Structure:
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Subject line (make it punchy)
- “I can deliver 50k impressions to your target audience”
- Or: “Your ideal customer loves my content”
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Opening (one sentence)
- Show you know their brand
- Show you know your relevance
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The offer (3-4 bullets)
- Platform and content type
- Deliverables (number of videos, posting schedule)
- Expected reach/engagement
- Timeline
-
Pricing (be confident, be specific)
- Not “let’s discuss rates” — give a number
- USD or standardized equivalent
-
Social proof (if you have it)
- “Worked with [Brand X] and achieved [X% engagement]”
- Links to portfolio or best posts
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CTA (make it actionable)
- “Let’s jump on a quick call to discuss”
- Or: “Happy to send detailed case studies”
Regional differences:
- US brands: Expect data, professionalism, clear contract terms
- Russian brands: May be more flexible on contract, but still expect clear deliverables
Pricing rule:
Never undercut your value. I’ve seen creators charge $100 for a video that should be $500+ based on engagement and reach. That hurts the entire market.
Okay so I literally just started doing this (like 3 months ago), and here’s what actually worked for me:
What I put in my pitch:
- One screenshot showing my average views (I just took a screenshot of my top 5 posts and averaged them)
- One screenshot showing my engagement rate
- A sentence about who my audience is (“mostly women aged 18-30, interested in fitness and wellness”)
- Three content ideas specifically for their brand
- My price
- That’s it.
I literally spent 30 minutes on my first pitch and sent it to 10 brands. TWO of them responded. Turns out, brands love when you’ve got specific ideas for them.
What didn’t work:
- Long emails explaining why I’m great
- Generic pitches
- Being too cheap (I started at $200/video and got way more interest when I raised it to $500)
Pro tip: Make a Google Sheets template for your pitch that includes:
- Your platform stats
- Your engagement rate
- Your audience demographics
- Your rate card
Then you can just email a link to brands instead of attaching stuff. Super professional, super easy to update.
Also: Don’t be afraid to negotiate. My first contract was $500 for one video. The second brand came in at $300, I countered with $400, and they said yes. Negotiation is normal.
And yes, ALWAYS get it in writing. Even if it’s just a Google Doc. Protect yourself.
From a DTC and strategic perspective, here’s what separates winning pitches from ones that get ignored:
The pitch must be:
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Specific to the brand (not generic)
- Show you understand their target customer
- Reference a recent campaign or product they launched
- Explain why YOUR audience aligns with THEIR customers
-
Data-backed
- Engagement rate (not just follower count)
- Audience demographics
- Relevant examples of past performance
- Traffic/conversion data if you have it
-
Clear on deliverables
- Exact number of pieces of content
- Platform(s)
- Format (reel, story, post, etc.)
- Timeline for delivery
- Posting schedule
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Realistic on pricing
- Based on your reach and engagement
- Comparable to similar creators in your tier
- Justified by data
The format:
1-page PDF or Google Doc. No novels.
Pricing guidance:
- Industry benchmark: $100-$500 per deliverable for micro-influencers (10k-100k followers)
- Adjust based on: engagement rate, audience quality, exclusivity, timeline
Negotiation red flags:
- “Can you do it cheaper?”
- “Can you post more content?”
- “Can you post for free with exposure?”
If a brand starts with these, they’re either broke or they don’t respect creators. Walk away.
One more thing: Have a media kit template ready. This is your one-pager that shows your data, your rates, and your availability. Send it proactively. It makes you look professional and saves time.