# Pitch emails + DM versions Six emails and six DMs. Fill every [BRACKET]. Delete any line you can't make true. **Rules that apply to all of them** 1. **One brand, one reason.** If you could send the same email to a different brand by swapping the name, it's not ready. 2. **Lead with their goal, not your follower count.** Brands sponsor creators to reach a specific buyer. Show them you have that buyer. 3. **Real numbers only.** Use median views of your last 10 posts, not your best post. A brand that checks and finds a gap won't reply. 4. **One ask.** "Open to a quick look at the media kit?" beats "Let me know your thoughts, budget, timeline, and if you'd like a call." 5. **Under 150 words** for cold emails. They read it on a phone between meetings. 6. **Subject lines in lowercase or sentence case.** They look like a person wrote them, not a newsletter. **Who to send it to** (in this order): the person whose title has "influencer", "creator", "partnerships", or "affiliate" in it → the head of growth / marketing at small companies → the founder at very small companies (under ~20 people). For newsletters, look for "sponsorships" or "brand partnerships". The generic `partnerships@` inbox is a fallback, not plan A. --- ## Email 1 — Cold pitch (they've never heard of you) **Subject options** - `[your channel] x [Brand] — [their product] for [your audience]` - `idea for [Brand]'s [product] launch` - `[number] [audience type] who [do the thing their product helps with]` ``` Hi [FIRST NAME], I make [FORMAT] about [TOPIC] for [SPECIFIC AUDIENCE, e.g. "solo developers shipping their first SaaS"] on [PLATFORM] — [MEDIAN VIEWS] views per video, [TOP GEO]% [COUNTRY], mostly [AGE RANGE]. I've used [PRODUCT] for [HOW LONG / WHAT FOR]. My audience asks me about [PROBLEM YOUR PRODUCT SOLVES] almost every week — [ONE REAL EXAMPLE: "my last video on X got 140 comments asking which tool I use for Y"]. Idea: a [60–90s integration / dedicated video / newsletter feature] showing [CONCRETE USE CASE] in my [UPCOMING VIDEO TOPIC] video, going live [MONTH]. Want me to send my media kit and two concept options? [YOUR NAME] [CHANNEL LINK] · [MEDIA KIT LINK] ``` Why it works: three proofs in three lines (who, how many, why them), one concrete idea, one yes/no ask. --- ## Email 2 — Warm pitch (they know you: you've tagged them, used their product publicly, met them, or they follow you) **Subject:** `following up from [WHERE YOU INTERACTED]` or `that [Brand] post did well` ``` Hi [FIRST NAME], [WARM HOOK — pick one:] - You replied to my [video/post] about [TOPIC] last [MONTH] — thanks for that. - I mentioned [PRODUCT] (unpaid) in my [DATE] video and [RESULT: "it was the most-clicked link that week" / "23 people asked for the link"]. - We met at [EVENT] — I'm the one who [MEMORABLE DETAIL]. I'd like to do it properly this time: a paid [DELIVERABLE] built around [USE CASE], aimed at my [AUDIENCE] ([MEDIAN VIEWS] avg views, [ENGAGEMENT METRIC]). I've put together two concepts and a rate card. Should I send them to you, or is there someone on your team who handles creator partnerships? [YOUR NAME] [CHANNEL LINK] ``` Why it works: proof that you already moved their metric for free is the strongest argument you have. --- ## Email 3 — Follow-up #1 (3–4 business days after no reply) Reply in the same thread. Add something new; never "just bumping this." **Subject:** (same thread) ``` Hi [FIRST NAME], Quick add to my note below: [NEW, SPECIFIC THING — pick one:] - my [DATE] video on [TOPIC] just passed [NUMBER] views, and the top comment is asking about [PROBLEM THEIR PRODUCT SOLVES]. - here's a 20-second rough concept of how I'd show [PRODUCT]: [LINK]. - I have a slot open in my [DATE] upload, which is about [TOPIC] — a natural fit for [PRODUCT]. Worth a look? [YOUR NAME] ``` --- ## Email 4 — Follow-up #2 / breakup (7 days after follow-up #1) Short, polite, and closes the loop. It makes "no" or "later" easy to say, and a "later" is useful information. **Subject:** (same thread) ``` Hi [FIRST NAME], I'll stop filling your inbox after this one. If creator partnerships aren't a priority this quarter, no worries — a one-word "later" helps me plan. If someone else on your team owns this, I'd be grateful for their name. Either way, I'll keep recommending [PRODUCT] when it fits. [YOUR NAME] ``` Then stop. Put a reminder in your tracker to try again in 90 days with a new angle (new video, new numbers, new product launch on their side). --- ## Email 5 — Re-engage a past sponsor Best time to send: 2–4 weeks after the original campaign's results are clear, or ahead of their known busy season (Q4, back-to-school, January, a launch). **Subject:** `[Brand] x [your channel] — round 2?` ``` Hi [FIRST NAME], Our [MONTH] [DELIVERABLE] is still pulling: [REAL RESULT — views now, clicks, code uses, comments, "people still ask about it"]. Since then my channel has [WHAT CHANGED: "grown from X to Y median views" / "added a newsletter with Z subscribers" / "launched Shorts averaging N views"]. Two options for [QUARTER / LAUNCH]: 1. Repeat: same format, [PRICE A]. 2. Package: [3] [DELIVERABLES] over [3] months at [PRICE B] — [X]% less per piece than buying them one by one, and your audience sees [PRODUCT] more than once, which is usually when they buy. Which one works better for your plan? [YOUR NAME] ``` Why it works: a "which one" question is easier to answer than "are you interested." Offering a multi-month package is how one-off deals become retainers. --- ## Email 6 — "I noticed you sponsored [OTHER CREATOR]" The warmest cold email there is: they have budget, they've used it on someone like you, and they know how creator deals work. **Subject:** `saw your [Creator] integration` ``` Hi [FIRST NAME], I saw [PRODUCT] in [CREATOR]'s [VIDEO/POST TITLE] on [DATE] — [ONE SPECIFIC, HONEST COMPLIMENT: "the screen-share demo was the clearest I've seen"]. I make [FORMAT] for a very similar audience: [AUDIENCE], [MEDIAN VIEWS] avg views, [GEO/AGE]. The difference: [YOUR ANGLE — "my viewers are earlier-stage, so they're still choosing their tools" / "I focus on [SUB-NICHE] where you don't have coverage yet"]. If that campaign worked, I can run the same play to an audience that hasn't seen it. Want my media kit and a concept? [YOUR NAME] [CHANNEL LINK] ``` Don't trash the other creator. Don't claim "my audience is better." Say "similar audience, different angle." --- ## DM versions (Instagram, TikTok, X, LinkedIn) DMs to brand accounts get read by social media managers, not decision-makers. The goal of a DM is almost always to **get the right email address**, not to close the deal in DMs. Exception: small brands where the founder runs the account. **DM 1 — Cold** ``` Hi! I make [FORMAT] about [TOPIC] for [AUDIENCE] ([MEDIAN VIEWS] avg views). I already use [PRODUCT] and have a concrete idea for a paid collab. Who's the best person to email about creator partnerships? ``` **DM 2 — Warm** ``` Hey [NAME]! Thanks for the [like/reply/share] on my [TOPIC] post. I mentioned [PRODUCT] there and [RESULT]. Would love to do a proper paid collab — what's the best email for partnerships? ``` **DM 3 — Follow-up (5 days later)** ``` Quick follow-up — I have a [MONTH] video on [TOPIC] where [PRODUCT] would fit naturally. Happy to send a 1-page concept to whoever handles partnerships. ``` **DM 4 — Past sponsor** ``` Hey [NAME]! Our [MONTH] collab is still getting comments asking about [PRODUCT]. Planning my [QUARTER] content now — want me to send two options for round 2? ``` **DM 5 — "I saw you sponsored X"** ``` Saw your collab with [CREATOR] — great demo. I reach a similar audience ([AUDIENCE], [MEDIAN VIEWS] avg views) with a [DIFFERENT ANGLE]. Who should I send a concept to? ``` **DM 6 — LinkedIn (to a person, not a brand page)** ``` Hi [FIRST NAME] — I write about [TOPIC] for [AUDIENCE: "B2B founders and RevOps leads"], ~[IMPRESSIONS] impressions per post. I use [PRODUCT] for [USE CASE] and have an idea for a sponsored post series. Are you the right person, or is it someone on your team? ``` --- ## Personalization in 3 minutes per brand Before sending, write down these three lines in your tracker. If you can't fill all three, the brand isn't qualified yet. 1. **Their buyer:** who their ads target (check their Meta Ad Library ads: the people in the ads and the words they use). 2. **Their proof they pay creators:** the link to one sponsored post / video / newsletter issue. 3. **Your bridge:** one sentence connecting your audience to their buyer, with one number. Last verified: October 2026. Made by Dan Shipped — @danshipped