I’ve been creating UGC content for about a year, mostly working through smaller Russian agencies and direct connections. My engagement is solid, I know what I’m doing creatively, but I have zero connections in the US market and honestly, zero idea where to even start looking for brands interested in working with me.
I keep seeing other creators talk about their international collaborations, and I’m wondering where they’re actually getting these opportunities from. Are there platforms? Agencies that specialize in this? Do you just cold email brands? I feel like there’s this gap between having a good portfolio and actually getting in front of decision-makers who have budget.
The challenge is that I don’t want to spray and pray with a hundred generic cold pitches. I’d rather understand the actual channels where brands are looking for creators like me. Is it through specific platforms, community connections, or is there an actual playbook for breaking into the US market when you’re starting from scratch?
What actually got you your first international client when you had no prior network?
This is exactly why I love what I do—connecting the dots! Here’s the real secret: brands don’t usually find creators; creators find communities first, then brands notice them.
What I mean: instead of cold-emailing random brands, join creator communities and agency networks where brands are already actively recruiting. LinkedIn groups for UGC creators in the US, Slack communities for creators, industry forums—that’s where the real conversations happen. When you’re visible and active in those spaces, brands literally come to you.
Second channel that works: micro-agencies and talent platforms like Billo, Upwork’s high-tier creator section, and newer platforms built specifically for cross-border creator matching. These exist BECAUSE of the demand you’re describing.
Third—and I’ve seen this work magic—reach out to creators you respect who do international work and ask for introductions to brands or agencies they work with. Not competitors, but adjacent creators. Most people in this space are genuinely generous with intros if you ask nicely.
Your portfolio is step one. Your network becomes step two once you start showing up in the right rooms. Which rooms are you in right now?
Let me share data from analyzing successful creator-to-brand first connections:
Channel Breakdown (from 200+ first deals I tracked):
- 35% came through platforms (Upwork, agency networks, creator marketplaces)
- 28% came through warm introductions (other creators, mutual contacts)
- 22% came through direct outreach to brands (cold pitch)
- 15% came through joining private communities where brands recruit
What Actually Converts (when creators DO land first deals):
- Having a focused niche (generic “UGC creator” loses to “e-commerce UGC for DTC beauty brands”)
- Portfolio showing 3-5 pieces of work in that niche with context (views, engagement, conversion if you know it)
- Localized pitch (not “I make content” but “I make content that converts for 18-35 female audiences interested in wellness”)
Cold Outreach Data: Creators with zero network who succeeded used this formula:
- Identified 20 super-specific brands they wanted to work with
- Studied each brand’s current UGC/influencer strategy
- Sent hyper-personalized pitches (not templates) showing they understood the brand
- Included 1-2 pieces of portfolio work that matched that brand’s aesthetic
Response rate: 12-15% got initial conversations. First deal close rate: 25-30% of those conversations.
The math: reach out to 20 brands thoughtfully, get 2-3 conversations, close 1. That’s your first deal.
Don’t spray and pray. Be surgical.
When we were hiring creators for our US market expansion, here’s what actually got our attention: creators who showed up in the communities we were already in.
We hang out in specific Slack groups for DTC founders, we’re in Facebook groups for e-commerce managers, we read specific newsletters about creator marketing. When a creator was active in those spaces, asking smart questions, showing their work—that’s when we noticed them.
Cold emails? Honestly, they get deleted 90% of the time unless the person really understood what we do.
So here’s my advice: instead of thinking “how do I find brands,” think “where do the brand people I want to work with actually spend time?” Then go spend time there. Comment thoughtfully. Answer questions. Share experiences. Let them know you exist through value-add, not through pitching.
Took us 3 weeks to notice a creator in our main Slack community. But then we reached out to HER because she showed she understood our world. That’s the dynamic you want to flip.
Real talk: most agencies like mine are always looking for creators who can deliver quality fast. Here’s how to get in front of us:
Channel 1: Agency networks and platforms. Get listed on Billo, Creator.co, or similar platforms where agencies are actively sourcing. Make your profile crisp and specific about what you do and which brands/verticals you work with best.
Channel 2: LinkedIn. Seriously. Agencies are on LinkedIn hunting for creators. Have a good profile, post content about your process, engage with agency content. We notice.
Channel 3: Cold outreach, but make it smart. Don’t email 100 agencies. Email 10 with a genuinely thoughtful pitch that shows you researched them. Reference a campaign you thought was cool, say why you’d be a fit, include 2-3 portfolio pieces.
I get maybe 50 creator pitches a month. I respond to 3-5, usually the ones who clearly researched my agency or showed work I thought was exceptional.
The move I’d make if I were you: spend a week getting on every platform where agencies source creators, then email 15 specific agencies with thoughtful pitches. One of those threads will convert. That’s usually how people break in.
Then once you have one deal under your belt, the network starts opening up naturally.
Okay so I actually landed my first international deal through such a random channel. I was in a Facebook group for UGC creators (just hanging out, asking questions, sharing tips) and someone posted about an agency looking for creators. I DM’d my portfolio, got a call a week later, and boom—my first US brand deal.
That was 8 months ago. Since then, I’ve gotten deals through:
- Upwork (got verified, did a few smaller jobs, reputation grew)
- A direct intro from another creator (this one turned into 3 referrals)
- Two cold emails that actually worked because I was specific about why I wanted to work with THAT brand
Honestly though? The Facebook group move was luck. What actually works consistently is being in spaces where other creators hang out and showing up as someone who’s professional, reliable, and has good work. Brands and agencies lurk in those groups too.
My real advice: spend 2 weeks active in 3-4 creator communities (post, comment, answer questions). Start submitting to 5-10 platforms where agencies recruit. Send 5 really thoughtful cold pitches to brands you actually respect. Do all three at once and something will hit.
For my first deal, I was genuinely just showing up consistently and having quality work. That’s it. That’s not nothing.
From a brand perspective, here’s what creates findability for creators with no network:
You need to be discoverable through the channels brands search. That means:
- Talent platforms where we post jobs (Billo, Upwork, Fiverr if done well)
- Agency partners we already trust
- Creator communities we actively recruit from
- Direct reach if your work is exceptional enough to stand out
If you’re starting with zero network, options 1 and 3 are your fastest path. Get on platforms, optimize for discoverability (be SPECIFIC about your niche), and spend time in communities where you’re adding value.
Direct outreach (option 4) absolutely works, but only if your portfolio is genuinely exceptional and your pitch is personalized. Most cold pitches fail because they’re generic.
Here’s the framework I’d use:
- Spend 50% effort on platform presence (Upwork, Billo, etc.) and community engagement
- Spend 30% effort on warm introductions (reaching out to other creators who know people)
- Spend 20% effort on strategic cold outreach to 10-15 specific brands you love
That distribution moves faster than pure cold outreach ever will. Get yourself findable first. Then the brand deal conversation becomes much easier.